I had an excellent meal in Paris this week at a restaurant called Kong. It occupies the top two floors of the same building as Kenzo (very mod clothes that would probably make me look ridiculous, if I could afford them) on Rue Pont Neuf. I was in Paris on a business trip, saw a brief writeup on the place in a magazine, and asked the hotel to book me a table.
From the Pont Neuf, the restaurant looks like a big greenhouse, or maybe an upside down salad bowl sitting on top of the building; from the the inside, it offers fantastic views over the river.
Decorated by Phillippe Starck, the bar feels like some very hip (and wealthy) 28 year old’s living room. It’s a bit darkand a bit industrial, but still comfortable. Clear acrylic panels between booths are lit from below and have faces printed on them. Makes you feel like someone’s watching you (with a slightly disdainful eye, of course – this is Paris after all). The face theme is repeated throughout the restaurant, on monitors in the dining room and on the backs of the acrylic Ghost chairs used at many of the tables.
After dark, you don’t get the same views, but the dimly lit restaurant offers a romantic setting in keeping with Paris’ reputation. As I was dining with a work colleague, romance wasn’t on my mind (sorry Perry – I’d rather have been dining with Kris…) – I was more focused on the food.
The food was great. We started with a mixed entree platter of spring rolls, black perch tartare, artichokes poivrade, seared tuna, and california rolls. Everything but the tuna was fantastic. The tuna was a bit fishy and not particularly flavorful. For mains, I had Chilean Seabass (Bar du Chili) with black rice. Perry had a Filet de Beouf with peppercorn sauce and fries. My fish was perfectly cooked, and served with an interesting (miso based?) sauce. Perry’s steak was good, if fairly ordinary, but he said the fries were great. The food was well prepared and the nicely sized portions were presented very simply. We split an excellent bottle of bordeaux that went well with both dishes. A lemon tart and pannacotta with strawberries rounded out the meal.
All in all, a great meal in a great setting. Expensive, but not over the top. Well worth a stop next time you find yourself in Paris.
