富豪都吃啥？--Le cinq

舒適，平常心，卻非常難得
本文作者--Text by 謝忠道 Chung-Tao HSIEH ‧ Photo by Sylvain Belan

我的法國朋友在用餐中，不斷地用一個法文字形容 Le Cinq ： Agr able 。

這個字大約是中文的舒適、舒服，一種很平常的感覺，可也是一種感官所追求的。舒緩、輕盈、自在，近乎夢寐的程度。像是把你的感官統統喚醒，給予滿足後再進入將眠未眠的一種境地。甚至，催情。

這也是我所面對的難處：如何描述一種平常的感受，卻又要傳達出它的難得。
George V 的旗艦餐廳
Le Cinq 是法文裡的數字「 5 」，這名稱來自它所屬的 Four Seasons H tel George V （四季‧喬治五世），來自它所在的巴黎喬治五世大道。光是這個地點就非常的「夢幻」了。由香榭大道、蒙恬大道和喬治五世大道所構成的三角形地帶被稱為「巴黎金三角」， Hermes 、 Louis Vuitton 、 Amani 等名店林立，散發出世界級的浪漫和奢華。

Four Seasons H tel George V 是巴黎 6 大 Palace 之一，也是全球知名的傳奇酒店。它的歷史始於 1828 年，最近在 1997 年關閉整修後，由 Four Seasons （四季）集團接手經營，並於 2000 年重新開幕，獲獎無數。包括 2004 年由「 Institutional Investor 」評選的 World's Best Hotel 。（請見本刊下期報導）
Geroge V 的旗艦餐廳就是 Le Cinq ，請來巴黎餐飲界的兩大巨星主掌：餐廳總管 Eric Beaumard （ 1998 世界 Sommelier 大賽亞軍），主廚 Philippe Legendre （前 Michelin3 星餐廳 Taillevent 主廚、 1996 法國最佳工藝獎章 M।O.F. 頭銜）。在短短的 3 年內， Le Cinq 拿下 Michelin （米其林） 3 星。（ Michelin 的評等方式，每年最多進步 1 星，表現再好的新餐廳也僅能由 1-2-3 星循序漸進。）錦上添花的是， Le Cinq 的首席侍酒師，義大利籍的 Enrico Bernardo ，以史上最年輕的記錄（ 28 歲）贏得 2004 世界 Sommelier 大賽冠軍（請見本刊第 2 期報導）。

這就是 Le Cinq ：在全球最好的地點與旅館內，由世界最佳的廚師與侍酒師為你服務。集聚這許多條件的餐廳，全球僅此一家。

布列斯雞燴龍蝦？

餐廳是一個長方形的空間，迥異於一般高級旅館過於富麗沈重的精雕細琢，數棵細長的椰子盆栽點綴其中，每張桌上都有一株紫黑色海芋的插置在拋出弧線般的長頸瓶中，或是玻璃球裡漂浮著幾朵美艷的紅色玫瑰，沒有過多的視覺負擔，帶著自然氣息的植物讓餐廳空間有一股輕鬆雅致的氣息。

沒有過多的視覺負擔，帶招自然氣息的植物讓餐廳空間有一股輕鬆雅致的氣息。

Instead of over-fancy decoration, natural plants filled Le Cinq with a kind of cozy

atmosphere


侍者推來圓型的香檳車，我和朋友各點了一杯 Deutz ，翻開菜單。侍者送上一碟西班牙伊比利生火腿，一盅鬆麵包，一碟半鹹奶油，並斟上桌上的義大利托斯卡納橄欖油，讓我們沾著麵包吃，單純享受橄欖油鮮醇的蘋果清，雅致迷人。號稱全世界最美味的伊比利火腿入口即化，當然美味的無懈可擊。

Le Cinq 的菜單顯然為了滿足各種口味的客人設計的，幾乎各種類型的海鮮（魚、蝦、蟹、貝）和肉類（鴿、雞、牛、羊、鴨、豬）都各有一款，還有一欄是季節野味（鹿、雁），稱得上面面俱到、自信十足。菜色做法並不過於離奇，偶見穿插些異於「常理」的菜，像是 Poulette de Bresse et Homard George V en Cocotte Lutt e （布列斯雞燴龍蝦）。

雞肉與龍蝦同燴在法國料理中非常少見，這道菜是將法國兩大明星食材布列斯雞和布列塔尼的藍龍蝦放進一個大銅鍋裡，鍋蓋邊緣封麵糊，送入烤箱烘烤約 45 分鐘，雞肉滲入龍蝦的香味，而鍋底的湯汁再加以調製成醬汁。不過鍋內的龍蝦因精華釋盡不能再用，必須另外烹煮一尾和雞肉同時上桌。這道菜是主廚 Philippe Legendre 的拿手作品，我嘗過一次，布列斯雞的肉質柔嫩異常，質感宛若豆腐，清釅亦如豆腐，和鮮美濃豔的龍蝦醬汁，頗有稠淡厚軟的極端對比與落差，令人印象深刻。

不伎不求的廚藝風格

我看上的前菜是 Tarte d ' artichaut la truffe noire du Prigord （朝鮮薊黑松露派）。說是派，不如說是大尺寸的甜點 Macaron ，扁扁圓圓像個飛碟。最底下是一層綠色的 M?che 沙拉葉，往上一層千層派酥餅，再上去一層煮過的朝鮮薊，一層薄片的黑松露，最後覆蓋上一層鮮奶質感般的濃醬。外圍一圈碎松露香醋醬汁。

松露這種食材非常詭譎，以氣味取勝，偏偏氣味正是最難捕捉表現的。廚師可以讓它顯得飄渺空逸、如鬼如魅，你彷彿在空中捕到它了，再一嗅，已悵然消失；也可以將之表現得老練沈穩、氣派萬千。

庇里牛斯山犢羊佐北非Harissa辣椒醬

Agneau de lait des Pyr?n?es ?l ˇ harissa doux

煙熏布列塔尼龍蝦佐烤科裂玆栗子

Homard Breton en coque fum?et r?ti aux chataignes de Corr?ze

無論如何，檢驗一道以松露為主的菜成功與否就是先從「嗅覺」開始。這菜一上桌就浮上陣陣的松露香，不是飄渺難尋那種，而是沈穩厚實、極為篤定的濃郁之氣，只有上等品質才能將松露香味展現出這樣的王者之風。我先嘗了一小口最上層褐色的濃醬，有燻烤的氣息，入口鹹甘，果酸微現，顯然是摻入了巴薩米克陳年香醋，均衡而優美，餘味久久不散，非常討喜。

我由上而下切出一小塊，讓每一個食材都有一點，整體嘗起來，味道層次乾淨，可分可合，最上層的鹹甘，最下層的清爽，彼此明交暗合，而千層餅皮的酥和松露朝鮮薊的脆也是彼此呼喚應和。滋味豐厚，結構嚴謹，可見廚師熟極而流的技術，非數年功力難殆的力作。

這第一道菜，就足以表現出 Philippe Legnedre 在廚藝上不伎不求的真實風格。
海中極鮮的味覺風景朋友的前菜 Tartare de coquilles St-Jacques et de palourdes au caviar Osci tre （韃
這道菜我曾嘗過，至今難忘。菜的擺設別出心裁，將尖底的小玻璃盅放在一個裝滿冰沙的大杯裡，特殊尖底設計讓食材維持恰當的低溫，又不至於冰壞口味。醬汁以花椰菜和鮮奶打成，並調入一絲檸檬草的爽利辛香，和兩種鮮甜的貝類搭配極好。扇貝肉柔美細緻，綴錦蛤彈牙略帶咬勁；顆顆碩大的魚子像爆開的彩球，鹹味與海味都更為強悍直接，把前兩者襯托得更高。這道菜食材的鮮度、品質無一不臻上乘，精巧曼妙，宛若一款藝術小品。朋友依照侍酒師的建議，選了 2003 年 Burgundy 的 Montrachet 來搭配。
接下來的主菜是龍蝦和羊肉，我們很難找到一支酒可以同時兼顧的，朋友寧可繼續他的 Montrachet 陪伴龍蝦，我則在侍酒師的推薦下點了波爾多 Pauillac 產區的名酒 1995 年的 Ch?teau Lynch-Bages 為我的犢羊尋找伴侶。
選擇 Lynch-Bages 幾乎是個安全且經典的決定。這個酒莊的風格向來以酒體豐滿深厚，單寧柔順細緻著稱，經常帶有香料氣息的特點正好跟我主菜裡的北非辣椒醬可以互通聲息。 95 年是相當不錯的年份，至今 10 年，就算還不到顛峰也該是精彩可期。
我和朋友的主菜都從一股撲鼻的香味開始的。銀製圓蓋掀開來，龍蝦夾著燻香、奶香在桌前瀰漫開來，這是本餐廳的招牌菜色之一： Homard Breton en coque fum? et r ti aux chataignes de Corr ze （煙燻布列塔尼龍蝦，佐烤科列茲栗子）。盤裡的龍蝦處理頗特殊，帶殼煙燻後切段，僅有蝦鉗是完整地去殼。蝦肉半浸在湯汁裡，佐有烤栗子、野菇和煎蔬菜，醬汁是鮮奶和栗子調出來的，打成慕斯狀看似清淡，實為濃稠，入口甘美，滋味飽滿，栗子鬆軟糯糜的碎塊和龍蝦肉彈牙耐嚼的口感似乎有種對比的默契，吃起來卻非常和諧。
我的主菜是 Agneau de lait des Pyr n es l ' harissa doux （庇里牛斯山犢羊，佐北非 Harissa 辣椒醬）。我先嘗了一口換瓶約半小時的 Lynch-Bages ： 10 年酒齡仍顯得年輕有勁，成熟紅果果香，靈動活潑，帶點甘草香味，極是舒爽怡人。
犢羊 3 相.北非風情
這道羊肉是 3 種不同部位 3 種不同作法：小羊排、羊肩肉和 Brick （布里克三角酥），另有一球薄荷羊乳酪醬和 Harissa 辣醬當沾醬。這道菜明顯借自北非阿拉伯料理的精神，而以法國手法表現。小羊排細嫩已極，熟度近乎 3 分，卻是這份生嫩讓人能徹底嘗到羊肉本身上等的肉質。不直接將醬汁煮入羊肉裡，而保留羊肉原味，正是法國上乘料理的作法。薄荷常見於阿拉伯菜中，羊乳酪醬和羊肉搭配自不在話下，醬汁獨立一旁沾用是法式和阿拉伯式的結合。
肩肉則是塞入香草餡捲成肉捲烤成的，雖是 7 、 8 分熟仍有極好的嫩度。布里克三角酥也是北非阿拉伯常見的，主廚將燉得軟爛的羊肉包在酥皮裡和以蔬菜泥油炸，脆而不油，內餡的比例也調得極好；沾著處理過、微辣的 Harissa 辣椒醬果然是一派北非風情，而更見精緻細膩。
此時，香味口感更趨圓潤的 Lynch-Bages 開始展現它豐美、近乎肉慾的一面，搭配著細嫩的羊肉我難免想到阿拉伯的肚皮舞孃，少了波爾多 Medoc （梅多克）產區常有的莊重嚴肅，多了一份異國情調的性感嫵媚，簡直不是一個「騷」字了得！
朝鮮薊黑松露派

Tarte d ˇ artichaut a la truffe noire du P?rigord
韃靼生扇貝，綴錦蛤Palourde,佐伊朗Oscietre魚子醬

Tartare de coquilles St-Jacques et de palourdes au caviar Oscietre
搖擺的甜點口味
這一餐結束在兩份水準相當的甜點上： Mont Blanc Fa on George V, Sorbet Mandarine （喬治五世白朗峰，佐柑橘冰沙）與 Autour du Chocolat （全版巧克力）。白朗峰是法國常見的甜點， Le Cinq 的點心主廚 Fabrice Lecleir 將之現代化：蛋白霜底下藏著冰鎮的柑橘果肉，上頭舖以栗子泥，旁邊一球橘子冰沙並綴有糖漬栗子塊。栗子泥蛋白霜極甜極膩，柑橘果肉和冰沙卻又酸爽涼沁；吃起來一如盪鞦韆，兩個極端來回搖擺，饒有趣味。
全版巧克力由 4 種巧克力甜點組成：軟餡巧克力、巧克力冰淇淋、巧克力榛果鮮奶小盅、巧克力派；似乎是一道想表現巧克力全方位質感的作品。這些作法都常見，不在高級餐廳裡也吃得到；這裡表現的不做作、不取巧，就是「純然好吃」而已。
餐後，餐廳經理 M. Ghislain Chabaille 提議參觀酒窖，機會難得！ Le Cinq 的酒窖也是傳奇之一，平常是不開放的。

全版巧克力

Autour du Chocolat
喬治五世白朗峰佐柑橘冰沙

Mont Blanc Fa?on George V, Sorbet Mandarine
是最好的，就不必花俏
我們穿過廚房，乘坐狹小的電梯直達地下數層。酒窖由白灰石砌成，是由當年興建凱旋門時留下的石塊建成的。侍酒師告訴我們，這裡的藏酒高達 2,000 款，數量超過 70,000 瓶，光是香檳就有上百種。一進冰冷的酒窖，落地有幾支叫愛酒人側目的 Roman e-Conti ，之後迎面而來的又是一瓶 1834 年的 Mad re ！然而這還不是鎮窖之寶，最可貴的是 Mouton-Rothschild 1945 ，公認的世紀珍釀，法國總統席哈克多年前曾在「二戰終結 50 年紀念」時用這酒款宴各國領袖，轟傳一時。
再回餐廳已是午後 5 點了。 Ghislain 告訴我，方才在這裡用餐的還有春天百貨公司的老闆 M. Francois-Henri Pinault 和 LVMH 總裁 M. Bernard Arnault （這兩人可是時尚界的死對頭）；他大概不曉得，我還認出鄰桌的是法國當今最受爭議的哲學作家 Bernard Henri-L vi 。
走出旅館，香榭大道上陽光正美，冬末黃昏的光線有一種奇異的柔美清亮，溫煦而舒服。我想著剛才那一番美食際遇，回味著 Le Cinq 的料理本質。主廚 Philippe Legendre 自外於當紅的分子廚藝、無國界料理、視覺雕塑派等各種時尚潮流，自有一股不凡的平實。這反而是我們這個繽紛華麗的時代少有的。
Le Cinq 真的沒什麼，只是讓人吃得非常 Agr able 而已。當你知道自己是最好的時候，其實沒有必要花俏。


Duing our meal, my French friend kept using the same word to describe Le Cinq: “ agreable. ”
That is the dilemma I face: how to describe an ordinary feeling, yet express what makes it stand out.
George V ' s Marquee Restaurant
The Four Seasons Hotel George V is legendary throughout the world. Opened in 1828, it was closed for renovations in 1997 and reopened under the management of the Four Seasons Group in 2000, claiming countless awards and accolades, including Institutional Investor ' s World ' s Best Hotel in 2004 (for more see the next issue of Vintage).

King George V ' s marquee hotel, Le Cinq ( “ number five ” in French), retains the services of two superstars: restaurant director Eric Beaumard and executive chef Philippe Legendre (formerly of Michelin 3-star restaurant Taillevent). Within just three years of reopening, Le Cinq managed the astonishing feat of achieving a Michelin 3-star rating, and in 2004 head sommelier, Enrico Bernardo, won the world sommelier championship (see Vintage Issue No. 2 for a related story).

That in a nutshell is Le Cinq: a restaurant in the best place and hotel on earth, where the world ' s best chef and sommelier serve the guests. Only one restaurant in the world can claim that unique distinction.
Bresse Chicken and Lobster Stew?
Le Cinq ' s menu is clearly designed to satisfy all sorts of tastes, with one dish for each type of seafood (fish, shrimp, crab, scallops) and meat (pigeon, chicken, beef, lamb, duck, pork), as well as seasonal game (venison, swallow). Preparation is free from fancy approaches, other than an occasional dish that strays somewhat from orthodoxy, such as Poulette de Bresse et Homard George V en Cocotte Luttee.

Chicken and lobster are very rarely prepared together in one dish in French cuisine. However, this dish places two superstar ingredients of French cooking — Bresse chicken and Brittany blue lobster — in the same pot, sealed with puff pastry, and baked for about 45 minutes, allowing the chicken to take on the lobster ' s aroma. The broth at the bottom is then prepared into a sauce. Having been drained of its essence, the lobster remaining in the pot is discarded, and another is boiled for presentation together with the chicken. This dish is executive chef Legendre ' s specialty. I ' ve tried it once, and found the chicken tender and supple like tofu, making a nice contrast with the rich lobster sauce.
Virtuosic Ease
For an appetizer I ordered the Tarte d ' artichaut a la truffe noire du Peigord. Flat and round, it looked more like a flying saucer than a typical pie. From bottom to top it had green mache leaves, puff pastry, boiled artichoke, black truffle slivers, and rich sauce — all encircled by a ring of chopped truffle and vinegar sauce.

The key to judging a successful dish built largely on truffles begins with the “ smell test, ” and the thick aroma of truffles wafted right at our noses when this dish was served. I began by sampling some of the top layer of rich sauce, which I found nicely balanced and elegant. Then, I cut a small piece from top to bottom to get a bit of each ingredient. Together, it presented cleanly defined layers of flavor, the top layer sweet and salty, while crisp and fresh underneath to play off each other well. Meanwhile, the light puff crust and the crispiness of the truffle and artichoke worked a good call and response together.

This first dish fittingly exemplified the easy virtuosic style of Legendre ' s master chefs.
Landscape of Flavors from the Sea
My companion ' s appetizer, Tartare de coquilles St-Jacques et de palourdes au caviar Oscietre (scallop topped with Osetra caviar on three mache leaves and a dollop of a light horseradish creme fraiche), a veritable landscape of taste sensations, is a dish that I had tried before and had lingered in my mind. The presentation alone — where a tapered bowl is placed within a large cup filled with crushed ice — was quite novel, the distinctive bowl ' s design allowing the ingredients to remain at just the right temperature without freezing the flavor away. The sauce was a blend of broccoli and fresh milk with a hit of sharp lemon grass, making for a delightful complement to the two sweet seafoods. The scallops were silky, the clams supple, and the saltiness and strong sea flavor of the caviar effectively brought out the other two nicely.

Both of our main dishes began with the aroma that commanded our attention immediately. As soon as the silver round cover was lifted, the smoky lobster and sweet cream aromas overtook the table as one of the house specialties was served before us: Homard Breton en coque fume et roti aux chataignes de Correze (Brittany lobster smoked and roasted with a puree of chestnuts from Correze). The lobster before us was prepared in an interesting way, cut into sections after smoking in the shell, with only the claw meat completely de-shelled. Bathed partially in its own broth, the lobster was garnished with baked chestnuts, wild mushrooms, and sauteed vegetables. The chestnut puree offered delightfully sweet and creamy sensations. The soft quality of the chestnuts also made for a well-balanced contrast with the supple lobster meat.
Lamb Three Ways — North African Style
My main course was Agneau de lait des Pyrenees a l ' harissa doux, or three different parts of the lamb prepared in different ways: lambkin, lamb shank, and brick. These three dishes were all clearly inspired by North African Arabic cooking, expressed in French fashion. The lambkin filets were exquisitely tender, letting one taste the superb qualities of the meat. Preserving the lamb ' s natural flavor by not cooking the meat in a sauce is a typically French approach. Mint is frequently used in North African Arabic-style cooking, and the wisdom of the combination of goat cheese sauce and lamb meat goes without saying.

The lamb shank was stuffed with vanilla filling and baked, retaining its tenderness even though it was cooked to medium wellness. The brick triangle is also a common North African Arabic dish, made by wrapping the thoroughly stewed lamb in a light batter crust and frying with a vegetable paste to become crispy without being oily. And the filling was used in just the right proportion.
Swinging Dessert Flavors
The meal drew to a close with two highly realized desserts: Mont Blanc Facon George V, and Sorbet Mandarine and Autour du Chocolat. A common French dessert, Le Cinq ' s head dessert chef, Fabrice Lecleir, gives Mont Blanc a modern update: orange sorbet under an egg-white frosting topped with frosted chestnuts. The chestnut puree and egg white frosting were both super sweet and rich, while the sorbet was tart and cool, making for a tantalizing combination.

utour du Chocolat is made from four chocolate desserts, namely soft chocolate filling, chocolate ice cream, chocolate hazelnut cream, and chocolate pie. Neither overdone nor aimed to please obvious tastes, it was just purely delicious.

After our meal, restaurant manager, Monsieur Ghislain Chabaille suggested a tour of the wine cellar, a rare occasion indeed as Le Cinq ' s wine cellar is not normally open to the public.
No Need to Get Fancy
We passed through the kitchen to a small elevator that took us directly to several floors below ground. The wine cellar is made out of limestone — not just any old limestone, but that left over from the construction of the Arc de Triomphe. It contains over 70,000 bottles spanning 2,000 varieties of wine, with over 100 types of champagne alone. The most precious these is the Mouton-Rothschild 1945, widely acknowledged as a treasure, and French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac ' s choice for serving international leaders at a banquet marking the 50th anniversary of the World War II armistice.

Departing the restaurant, the late winter dusk ' s light bathing the Champs-Elysees felt bright and pleasant. I reflected on our encounter with haute cuisine: executive chef Legendre steers away from the trendy fusion cuisine, molecular gastronomy, and visual sculpture schools of today, finding ways to be extraordinarily ordinary, which is rare in our amped-up Technicolor world.
There is really no secret to Le Cinq — it is just a place where people can have an “ agreable" meal. Because when you know you ' re the best, there ' s no need to get fancy.