Brski B.
Yelp
We entered to the sound of American conversations, which I worried might be a bad sign. Spoiled foodies in Paris, after all. (For some reason, at one point in the evening it felt like every young and attractive Japanese person in Paris was meeting there too.) The bare and small space itself looked and felt like something you would expect in San Francisco or Oakland or any other hip city-space - there was even Neil Young playing in the background (which was a cliche). Given that this was described as a 'must-reservation' sort of place, we could only eat at the bar and off the bar menu. The results however were exceptional - small plates of the most singular quality and imagination. The meal still resonates heavily with pleasure.
Squid: Tender to the tooth, sweet from the sea, stuffed with squid ink and unidentified herbs, slightly charred, smoky, drizzled with a delicious olive oil and a hint of smoked paprika. A magnificent beginning.
Duck: Cured and sliced thin like salumi, also laced with a brilliant smokiness - as fine as the finest jamon or speck that you might find in any space in any city in any country. This might have been the best thing I ate all trip along - I could have eaten this every hour, every day.
Artichoke: This was grilled and came with nuggets of fish that I never identified, but the fish had a light essence of American BBQ (not syrupy or sweet, but the fish was likely started in a smoked paprika sort of rub). It came dressed with a thin mustard-basil type sauce and a few bits of arugula. Excellent also.
Sausage: Saucisson, actually - a 'standard' sort of salumi. Excellent, but not as remarkable as the first few dishes.
Anchovies: Boquerones dressed in olive oil, paprika, salt, and the memories of Spain. Again, excellent.
Raw tuna: Extremely tender and simply dressed in oil, thinly sliced onion, and black sesame seeds. While this was technically flawless, it was not as moving as the other dishes, all of which I could have eaten more of.
I look forward to returning and one day trying the full menu.