La Bauhinia can be found inside the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris. This restaurant is actually one of three restaurants inside this magnificent hotel, and takes it inspiration from the bauhinia flower along with the Asian roots of the Shangri-La brand.
The menu at La Bauhinia is varied and offers guests the chance to get a taste of both Asian and French cuisine; and with Executive Chef Christophe Moret at the helm you are in very capable hands.
This restaurant offers a very calm atmosphere in which to enjoy your meal, and the decor is wonderfully elegant. The cuisine does not disappoint and the service echoes that found within the Shangri-La Hotel. It is truly exceptional.
On the evening we visited, we chose to begin our culinary journey with an aperitif – two glasses of the Duval-Leroy Rosé Champagne, which we enjoyed whilst we pondered over the menu. Our server was most helpful in directing us through the menu.
To start I enjoyed the pumpkin and chestnut risotto which was served with a roasted hazelnut emulsion. This risotto was wonderfully executed; the sweet and nutty flavours were simply beautiful and the dish was wonderfully seasoned and full of flavour. It wasn’t too heavy, which is an indication that the risotto had been given the necessary time to perfect its texture, without over-cooking and allowing it to become dense.
“We would thoroughly recommend La Bauhinia to anyone with a passion for Asian fusion food.”
My partner opted for the duck foie gras to start which was served with fig chutney and Muscat grapes from Hamburg, as well as a portion of toasted sourdough bread. Again, the flavours were just astounding with perfect textures that only left us wanting more.
For our main courses, I chose the Beefsteak Crying Tiger, which consisted of marinated raw Black Angus steak served with papaya, green mango tagliatelle, cucumber salad, sticky rice and crying tiger sauce. Being a huge fan of Asian cuisine I was very pleased with this choice which packed in an abundance of flavour and was beautifully presented and full of colour.
My partner opted for the chicken massaman curry which is a wonderfully rich dish of stewed chicken served with charlotte apple, chayote, and okra accompanied by biryani rice, a real triumph of a dish.
Dessert for me saw the Papua Pur Madang chocolate and smoked caramel, served with a soft cocoa biscuit and crispy puffed rice. It was so rich and delicious; I could have easily enjoyed it all over again.R32;R32;My partner opted for the crystalline lemon from Nice, served with candied lemon, lemon sorbet, frothy almond milk and aloe vera; which was a wonderfully refreshing end to the meal.R32;R32;To indulge properly, we chose a bottle of the 2015, Sancerre Blanc, Domaine Vacheron, France, which offered a lovely crisp and dry accompaniment to our meal.
We would thoroughly recommend La Bauhinia to anyone with a passion for Asian fusion food. We simply cannot wait to return.
The Bill: £87 per head
