I can honestly say my experience at Plenitude was perfect. It’s a place with many names The City of Lights, of Love,
of Fashion and of course Gastronomy. Welcome to Paris. Home of the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower and our restaurant for today Plenitude. It’s located just steps away from the Louvre on the first floor of Cheval Blanc Paris. It’s the newest 5-star hotel by luxury powerhouse
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Opened in 2021, it occupies the historic Samaritaine
building and overlooks the river Seine. The project was 16 years in the making, and the result is a new level of luxury. With only 72 rooms and suites, the focus is on the guest. As stated on the website: Everything is possible, at
any time, whatever the desire, the butler is there to see to it. Every room has a breathtaking view. We stayed in a deluxe room for 2000 euros. The top of the line is the penthouse. It goes for 55,000 euros per night. Plenitude is one of 4 restaurants in this
hotel. It opened in 2021 and was awarded 3 michelin
stars in it’s first year. It’s the second time in 30 years that a
chef has accomplished such a feat. Who is this talented chef? That would be Arnaud Donckele. He grew up in Normandy. At 16, he left for Paris to study culinary
arts. His first big break came in 1996. An internship under Chef Michel Guerard at
his 3 michelin star restaurant. Two years later Donckele gets hired at Le
Louis XV in Monte Carlo and works under superchef Alain Ducasse. By 2004, he is ready for a head chef position
of his own. He finds it in Saint Tropez, at La Vague d’Or a hotel restaurant with one Michelin star. In 2011, he makes it 2 stars. And in 2013 Donckele becomes the youngest
chef with 3 Michelin stars at the age of 36. In 2021, he is asked to
take the helm at Plenitude. The name translates to the word “Fullness” I’m excited to find out what they mean. We cut through the hotel to get to Plenitude. The main lobby feels more like museum than
a hotel. After reaching the table, we were kindly invited to visit the wine cave. Look at all that wine What a beautiful sight. I am starting to see how this place went from
zero to three Michelin stars, and I haven’t even sat down. Our table is in a bright, beautiful dining
area. An elastic edge tablecloth gives the
tables a clean, streamlined look. The wine list is incredible. They have some of the world’s most exclusive
wines by the glass. Take the Madeira sweet wine from 1850. One glass of that will set you back a whopping
sixteen hundred and twenty Euros. That works out to a little more than 1 euro
85 per drop. On the champagne list there
was a mind-blowing option. Dom Perignon Vintage 2004 Plénitude 2. Plenitude are special releases of the prestige
Dom Perignon champagne cuvee. They are released when the wine has reached
perfect aging harmony while maintaining freshness. They are released in three phases. P1 is aged at least 8 years P2 a minimum of 12 years And P3 at least a quarter century. The menu design is unique. The front cover is canvas and the back is
made of pressed leaves, plus the paper is recycled. Plenitude has two menus. The first is called “Sail away together” You build your own menu. From 14 items you choose three savory courses and one sweet course for 360 euros. The second is something really special. It’s called the symphony menu. It’s a guided culinary experience through
six different sauces, harmoniously crafted like a symphony. It’s 435 euros. The concept is new and exciting to me I have never seen sauce in
the spotlight before today. At the end of the day, sauce is a main part
of French cuisine. There are several wine pairings. We choose the champagne pairing for 295 euros. I go for the “timeless icons” wine pairing
for 495 euros. Let the symphony begin! We start with a few bites. We have crab tart, oyster, and marinated root
vegetable roll. Then our first amuse bouche, and our first
sauce. They suggest several times we try the sauce
first. The flavor is savory and zesty. I love it. On the end of the spear is grilled octopus. The detail. So creative. We joked that they should give us the recipe
for the sauce, and moments later they did just that! Incredible The bread comes out next. Simple and perfect. Next is another amuse bouche. The sauce is a coulis made with asparagus
and chlorophyll with it is sea breem. The sauce has an intense herbal flavor. It’s aromatic like a perfume. The fish is light and tender. Suddenly, we are on the move. The waiter brings us to the kitchen. We are seated at the chef’s table, and get a visit from the
man himself, Chef Donckele. It’s time for our first course. The sauce is a bouillon served with
Ravioli with truffle and artichokes. Again, we are told I do. It’s exciting. It’s light, with a deep citrus flavor. The vegetables are in their best form. and it’s served with a gorgeous focaccia This course is paired with Ruinart champagne and Le Petit Cheval bordeaux blanc from 2019. Before we know it, the Chef is back for the second course. In the spotlight is a velvet sauce for the
dish of sardine, fennel and tarragon. The flavor is nothing short of phenomenal. The chef tells us that this sauce is his favorite. and inventing a new sauce is a lot like creating
perfume. it takes passion and patience. The pairing is a Trimbach riesling from 1997. The riesling has changed a lot in the
last decade because of the climate change. This wine is from the pre climate change era. This old fashion riesling
is dry and slightly acidic, which goes well with the fish. We head back to our original table for the
third course The sauce is a broth with oyster and brown
butter for turbot and caviar. Let me say the sauce was damn good! This bottle retails for around 1000 euros. He is a young guy but he just might be my hero. Next is a palette cleanser. It’s called Trou Normand. It’s an apple sorbet with Calvados, an apple brandy from Normandy. This is a traditional dish that pays tribute
to Chef's hometown. For the main course -
Pigeon au jus. The sauce uses meat broth and is intense with
flavors of truffle, black olive and rosemary. We have grilled pigeon breast, leg wrapped
in potato and a liver canape. The meat is super tender and flavorful. The whole course is to die for. The champagne pairing is a Dom Ruinart rose
2009. The wine pairing on this course is something
brand new for me. Wine that is a half-century old. It’s a 1973 Chateau La Fleur. It's mostly Merlot from the Pomerol region across the road from Petrus, widely
regarded as the best in the region. True on so many levels. The wine felt surprisingly young. I would never guess it was 50 years old. It had a lively acidity, notes of fruit, tobacco
and mushroom. And they had it by the glass. This was a first for me and the pinnacle of
the evening. Then it was time for the cheese. But there is no cheese trolley here. They move a piece of the wall and
There we have a hidden cheese closet. We are invited to pick a vintage plate and
choose our cheeses. The plates have a lot of history. I love them. The cheeses are all arranged by milk type
and have favorites from the chef and his friends. Nice personal touch. Next is dessert. At Plenitude, they are lucky to have not one,
but two super talented chefs. I’m happy to learn that Maxime Frédéric
is a young pastry genius internationally known for his light desserts. The final sauce on our menu was an infusion
made with rose water. It was served with strawberries and pollen. Very delicate and not too sweet. What a finale. But we weren’t done. There was an encore. A chocolate pod flower. And a crisp with coffee bean ice cream. It’s paired with a vintage Madiera from
1994. It has sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity. And then, the petit fours. Brilliant! Lemon ice cream tart
Kiwi and ginger ice cloud Normandy rice pudding. and a vintage digestif to go with it. What a meal. I love this idea of a popup book. It’s a great keepsake not only of the restaurant
but also of the city. They packed a pastry to go as well. For the two of us, lunch came to a little
over 2000 euros. And now my final thoughts on Plenitude Does the perfect restaurant exist? I don’t know. But the perfect experience? Absolutely. Plenitude is the type of place that should
come with a warning. Prepare to be amazed by an experience that
will activate your senses to the fullest. And leave you wanting to come back. and that does it for this episode thank you for joining me if you like this video, hit subscribe see you next time
