Akabeko, 40 rue de l'Université, Paris 7
Akabeko opened in March 2023. It is the first restaurant that chef Yasuo Nanaumi has fully-owned, notwithstanding a fifty-year career in cooking. Over that time, he has worked at such celebrated establishments as Le Moulin de Mougins, Lucas-Carton, and Troigros, and for ten years he was in charge of the restaurant at La Maison de l’Amérique Latine. He is assisted by his son, Ken Nanaumi.
For those curious about the name, “akabeko” in Japanese is a red doll made out of paper-maché with black spots and a white border. Traditionally, the dolls have been considered to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
The restaurant is located on the bottom two floors of a venerable building just east of the rue du Bac.
The bottom floor contains an open kitchen and seats at a counter. The upper floor contains the main dining area.
I was there for lunch on a Tuesday; virtually all diners were Japanese. This is not surprising, as I have found over the years that Japanese visitors are perhaps better-informed than any other group on new restaurants that open in Paris. Amusingly, the wait staff, all of whom appeared to be of Japanese descent, spoke English with the Japanese customers, but French with me, a native American (who preferred to speak French with them).
The menu is omakase (chef’s choice) and so ingredients will change frequently, depending on what is currently best in the market.
The wine list is fairly extensive; it contains some producers whose styles I do not appreciate and others that I like better. The list is substantial enough that there should be something for everyone in all price ranges. Markups seem reasonable. The wines by the glass:
Everything about this restaurant looked most promising, so I took the five-course menu and began with an excellent glas of Pol Roger Brut Réserve Champagne.
The style here is to do dishes with a large number of ingredients, especially seasonings, that manage to come together. As I did not have a list of them nor did I take specific notes, I’ll just mention the main ingredient around which the dish is built. All dishes were excellent.
As an amuse-bouche, I began with foie gras. This was served inside a light crystalline cage and with a liquid reduction of leeks surrounding it. The dish combined delicious flavors with sensual textures, making for a wonderful bite to spark the appetite.
The first éntrée was tuna.
Next, came white asparagus.
The fish course was grilled cod:
With this course, I took a glass of Chablis Premier Cru from an excellent vintage. The wine was from Cyril Gautheron, a Chablis producer whom I like, and it did not disappoint, being crisp and incisive.
The meat course was waygu beef.
With the beef, I took a glass of excellent red Burgundy, 2019 Côte de Nuits-Villages, Clos des Langres from Domaine d’Ardhuy. The wine was balanced and open with plenty of fruit and spice notes.
Dessert was a tarte Tatin and Madagascar vanilla ice cream.
Afterwards, an espresso and mignardises:
The bill for one five-course menu, three glasses of wine, and one espresso:
Akabeko provides one of the best options for high-quality dining in the competitive Saint-Germain area. If you want to give yourself a treat, this is a place to consider.
Akabeko
40 rue de l’Université, 75007 Paris
Tél: 01 42 61 26 64
Website: akabekorestaurant.com
Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday
Métro: Solférino, Rue du Bac, Saint-Germain des Prés