Brigade du Tigre

good quality, good value cooking

China, Thailand, Vietnam… Adrien Ferrand (the chef at Eels) and Galien Emery (his former sous-chef) have heady memories of their extended travels across Asia and the continent’s various cuisines. And so, the two friends decided to share their mutual fascination with the world with their brand new, 85-seater, two-level restaurant (craggy walls, a wood and terrazzo tile bar, bistro furniture) located right by Eels. The other night, we dove headfirst into the tantalizing menu: fried grey shrimp and kaffir lime leaves (amazing!); comforting pork sushi; miraculous whole soft-shell crab tempura with satay sauce vierge; incredible glazed eggplant and tofu in a homemade chili paste; thrilling mushroom dumplings in a coconut milk broth… Before attacking the lion’s share of the meal, a Mayenne duck prepared three ways, for the table: marinated lacquered breast meat (bim!), stir-fried thigh and veggies (bam!), and bao rolls with five-spice powder in an incredible broth (boom!). An imperial feast that ended around a delicious coconut, caramel and peanut cake! It’s worth noting that the plates are also available on a prix-fixe menu at lunch. // Aïtor Alfonso