Evan Araujo
Google
Review of Truffes Folies – 6.5/10
A professor’s critique, not a high school teacher’s praise.
Dining at Truffes Folies is meant to be an experience, not a casual meal. I approached this restaurant with the same mindset I would when grading a senior seminar paper: high expectations, a belief in potential, and a focus on execution over effort. Based on that standard, I give the Bucatini carbonara et Truffes du Périgord a 6.5 out of 10—a passing grade, but not honors-level work.
The carbonara was solid. The pasta was cooked well, the sauce rich and properly emulsified, and the portion was generous. From a technical standpoint, it showed competence without cutting corners. If I were grading this dish alone, it would earn a respectable B+.
But this was a truffle restaurant, and the truffles were the main subject of evaluation. Unfortunately, this is where the dish fell short. The thinly shaved truffles lacked the unmistakable aroma, depth, and complexity expected from true Périgord truffles. They tasted like unremarkable fungi—not portobello, not shiitake, just neutral. What did come through was the unmistakable flavor of truffle oil, present on the table and likely in the dish. While truffle oil can enhance a plate, relying on it as the primary source of truffle flavor in a dish billed as featuring Périgord truffles is akin to citing Wikipedia in a senior thesis. It might get the point across, but it’s not authoritative.
If this were a first-year undergraduate attempt, I might say "good effort." But in this context, expectations were higher, and the result felt superficial, lacking academic or culinary depth.
What elevated the experience was the waiter, who deserves an A on every count. Courteous, perceptive, and attentive without hovering, he understood how to read a table, adjusted the setting without being asked, and made the service feel genuinely professional. I can’t overstate how much he contributed to an otherwise uneven experience.
That said, I’d be remiss not to comment on patterns of defensiveness in the restaurant’s public responses to criticism. As someone who values growth and accountability, I find the tone of blame-shifting present in several online interactions unfortunate. A more gracious posture would reflect maturity and confidence in their craft.
Let me be clear: Truffes Folies is not a bargain destination, nor should it be. To dine here is to opt into a curated experience. But with that comes a higher bar. You don’t walk into a seminar and expect leniency just for showing up. You’re evaluated on execution, clarity, and substance. The same applies here.
Suggestions for Improvement
Strengthen the truffle game; ensure truffle sourcing matches the expectations set by the branding and price point; if truffle oil is used, disclose it clearly; clarify menu language; distinguish between truffle oil, essence, and fresh truffle shavings; variety, origin, and seasonality matter; refine public relations; a thoughtful, professional response to criticism goes further than defensiveness; keep and uplift excellent staff; the waiter was an asset to the experience and a model of hospitality.
Consequently, Truffes Folies has the framework of an honors-level institution, but this performance hovered just above average. The potential is there, but refinement is needed to earn top marks.
