Follow me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, & 微博!
Walaku 和楽
Add: 33 Rue Rousselet, 75007 Paris
Tel: 01 56 24 11 02
Hours: [lunch] 12~3pm [afternoon tea] 3~7pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
Website: walaku-paris.com
Price: [lunch] €32 [tea sets] €12~25
Visited on: Nov 2014
Japanese tea salon in the 7th arrondissement. A branch out from the one Michelin star Japanese restaurant Aida (just around the corner), this space seats no more than eight, with four at the bar and four at the tables. Presiding over this tranquil little space is Takanori Murata, who grew up in a family of traditional Japanese pastry chefs. Reservation recommended.
Even though 和菓子 (traditional Japanese pastries) is the focus of Walaku, this tea salon also does a lovely lunch set. For €32, it includes an appetizer, a bento set, and dorayaki served with hot tea. On the day of our visit, the appetizer composed of fried tofu, eggplant, and shiitake mushrooms bathed in a soul warming broth.
The bento set of the day included a selection of sashimi, baked fish, crab, Japanese omelet, pickles, rice, and miso soup. The portion is not over abundant but leaves one comfortably satisfied, and of course everything is done meticulously.
A fox swimming in my soy sauce dish.
The baked mackerel was absolutely delicious.
As was the rice. My lunch date and I both asked for a second bowl.
Dessert was dorayaki, a Japanese snack consisting of two pancake-like patties sandwiching red bean paste. I’m not sure if this is common practice, but I noticed that chef Murata sprinkles some fleur de sel on the dorayaki grill before pouring the batter. He also adds in pieces of apples (the fruit probably changes with the season), and drizzled it with honey and fromage blanc, presumably to curb the sweetness of the red bean paste. Served with a cup of hot hojicha.
The meal ended with two pieces of butter cookie-like confectionery.
A pleasant little space with friendly service, and lots of attention to detail typical of Japanese establishments. A lovely spot to come back to.
