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Entrance at 78 Avenue des Ternes.
Amphycles was a famous cook from Greek antiquity.
Restaurant Amphyclès is located on the fashionable Avenue des Ternes, near the Arc de Triomphe and a short walk from one of the few flower markets left in Paris. Owner chef, Philippe Groult (Meilleur Ouvrier de France 1982), a native of Normandy and trained by the legendary Joel Robuchon, brings Atlantic marine flavour into many of his dishes. My hotel concierge had recommended the restaurant and gave me directions for a pleasant stroll to dinner.
The restaurant was brightly lit, unlike the musty darkness which is the norm of French haute cuisine. I was greeted by a friendly English-speaking lady, whom I later discovered, was Madam Cathy Groult. My reservation was for 20:00h, which I discovered, was a little early for Parisians. The restaurant gradually filled up as the evening went on but not to full capacity. I thought this strange as some guide books had recommended booking 1 week in advance. There was a large party of Brits obviously from a business conference in town but no other foreigners; the other diners were French.
It is always difficult for the lone diner to taste everything, so I chose the Menu Degustation which came with four glasses of selected wines and a demi-bottle of mineral water. Let the feasting begin and pardon my French!
Le crabe- tourteauà l’émulsion de bouchot du Mont Saint-Michel au chou-fleur.
Emulsion soup of mussel with cauliflower: this thick creamy soup base had all the flavour of the sea with the lighter green cauliflower emulsion on top, infusing fresh notes to the dish.
WINE: Sparkling Vouvray - Crémant de doire (Loire). Famous for its castle on the Indre river, the Azay-le-Rideau soil is also renowned for its white wines from the Pineau grape and for its rosé wines. Steely clear initially, hint of sweet pears but dry tasting, the soup changed the character to a ‘smokey’ aftertaste.
Bread, olive oil and salt.
The magic trio and here the quality was of the highest order. I never believed that salt was any more than sodium chloride but Chef Groult has changed my mind. He has always been known to promote quality produce especially those with regard for terroir. This simple jar of sea salt had a complexity of flavours which can best be described as ‘layered’. This was very much in keeping with Chef Groult’s cooking style which does not disguise natural flavours but harmonises them in layers with spice and technique.
Le bar de ligne de l’île de Sein aux algues de Roscoff, legumes d’hiver, à l’huile vierge citronée.
Striped bass with Roscoff algae, asparagus, choucroute (pickled cabbage), beetroot and citron oil: The pan fried fish was perfect - crispy caramelised skin with moist separating flakes inside. The clean taste of fresh fish was layered with that of algae evoking the bouquet of the seashore, interspersed the earthiness of the boiled beetroot. The choucroute bottom layer was a surprise but married well to cut through the green oil.
WINE: Ch. Saint Marie 2002, entre deux mers (vieille vigne), White Bordeaux. These old vines produce a dry wine with floral, strong and musky savour curiously called "cat’s pee”, which sounds much worse than it tastes, when paired with the fish dish.
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BEST DISH
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La lotte de Saint-Guénolé marinée puis grille à l’orientale, épautre aux éspices et lait de coco à la coriander.
Grilled monkfish (burbot) is also known as “the poor man’s lobster” having the texture of a lobster tail when cooked. When seen whole, at the fish monger’s, it is one of the ugliest fish you will ever find but like most things, beauty is only skin deep. Monkfish liver is also known as the ‘caviar of the sea’ and a delicacy in France and Japan (ankimo).
This was easily the best dish of the ‘degustation’ and probably the best monkfish I have ever tasted. The marinated fish was grilled to perfection with its crust of almonds and spices served with a delicate sweet coconut cream sauce. The Moroccan-influenced ‘tajine’ of spelt (small German wheat) was spicy and most delicious.
WINE:
Morillon 2002,
The Morillon is an older grape variety, which we now call Chardonnay. It characteristically produces a bright yellowish green wine that is made for long ageing, with smell of apples, is strong and beautifully long in the finish. The palate displayed nutty, buttery fruit; it's a concentrated wine with good acidity that is rich and full. I got ‘raisins’ instead of ‘apples’ but then again, ‘raisins’ was more in keeping with the oriental spices of the tajine.
Le cochon de lait fermier laqué à la pékinoise au soja, mousseline d’oignons à l’Armagnac, lentilles vertes du Puy.
Roasted Suckling Pig with Peking soya lacquer, onion and Armagnac mousseline and green lentils. This was a strongly flavoured and seasoned dish. At first, I feared that it was too salty but soon the balance of meat, onion mousse and sweet sauce when washed down with the wine made sense – there were those ‘layers of flavour’ again. The meat was rapturously tender and my only complaint might be that the skin was not crispy, but then again, I am Chinese!
WINE:
Moulin-à-Vent 2002, Beaujolais, Burgundy.
Probably the greatest of the Beaujolais Crus, taking its name from an old windmill above Romanèche-Thorins, this big, earthy burgundian was superb with the pork.
My young waiter scoops the cheese.
Le Stilton persillé aux griottes “Amaréna”, salade de pleine terre truffée.
Stilton cheese with preserved cherries and salad. Regular readers, knowing my aversion to smelly cheese, will be surprised to learn that I actually ate this and liked it! Has my repeated exposure during WFED assignments finally desensitised my palate? Did I drink too much wine? Am I ‘maturing’ as a WFED forumner? 
The sweet cherries and tart salad dressing made interesting contrasting counterpoints to the tangy cheese.
WINE:
Mas Amiel, Maury AC, Roussilon. This vin doux naturel is made from Grenache Noir into a strong sweet wine to rival Greek Mavrodaphne and Portuguese port wine.
The cheese and dessert wine was extra and with the compliments of Mdm. Groult.
L’ananas Victoria aux oranges caramelises.
Pineapple and orange segments with caramelised crème anglais: A wonderfully light sweet to finish my grand meal.
Amphyclès is one of the few gourmand restaurants left in Paris, which has a trolley service for desserts. It was probably a good thing that my dessert course was set, as I could not possibly make a choice from the trolley. In anticipation of this issue, a’la carte diners are allowed to choose as many desserts as they like.
Café express.
Fruits frais et moelleux.
Fresh and dried fruits came with the coffee, as if the previous courses were not enough! “Je me rends!” (I surrender!)
Chef Philippe Groult and Mdm. Cathy Groult.
The heads of kitchen and front-of-house respectively.
Philippe was awarded “Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ in 1982. This roughly translates as ‘Best Craftsmen of France’ and can be awarded for many categories of handiwork. It was created in 1924 when the Government created the great National Promotion of craft. It culminated in 1925 by the awarding of the title "Best Craftsman of France" with 144 prizes winners brought together at the Sorbonne. The Company of the Best Craftsmen of France was created a few years later in 1929 and the official medal created in 1932. Many culinary artisans consider this personal award more prestigious than the Michelin and GaultMillau ratings, which are after all, popularity polls looking at many things unrelated to the food experience.
L'Amphycles, 78 Avenue des Ternes, 750178 Paris,
Ph. ++ 33 (1) 40 68 01 01
Fax ++ 33 (1) 40 68 91 88
CONCLUSION
This was one of the best dinners I have eaten and the most fun alone that I have had with my clothes on! The service under the watchful eye of Mdm. Groult was efficient and friendly. I noted that all wines were decanted into appropriate glassware whether they were red or white or young or old. The decanters were subsequently kept on ice or at room temperature during consumption. Of course, sparkling wines were kept in bottle.
My next visit will definitely include this dish, which is the house speciality, invented by Philippe Groult:
Araignée de mer d’Audierne, en carapace au caviar.
Spider crab d’Audierne, in carapace with the caviar, which is a totally dressed crab which the chef says takes about an hour to prepare “according to your dexterity” (sic).
Photos and Text Copyright Melvyn Teillol-Foo, 2004.
MTF
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