Putting aside the dreadful sleepless flight from LAX (sauna-like heat and babies screaming through the night), we managed to stay awake to enjoy chef Michel del Burgo’s assured hand at Chez la Vieille in the 1ème.

A Ricard warming my belly, I started off with foie gras à l’ancienne served with pears (cold, diced, and barely poached) and a soy-sake caramel reminiscent of hoisin. The umami-rich caramel was a nice change from foie’s usual ubiquitous fruit sauce complement. Nothing particularly revelatory, just really delicious.

The same can be said for my main course of sweetbreads (perfectly crisp) with tiny button mushrooms and girolles and a warming jus. Classic. Perfectly seasoned. Much needed comfort food.

The Wife’s langoustines with root vegetables in coconut milk was as delicate as the saffron foam floating atop the dish upon service, all the sweetness coming from the Dublin Bay prawns, carrots, and beets, and not, thankfully, from the coconut. Light yet full of flavour. Perhaps the perfect post-flight meal when you’re looking not to be weighted down staring at much needed sleep.

Another highlight was friend D’s braised pork belly with lentilles du Puy ragoût. The poitrine had been braised with cinammon which gave a subtle, phở-like flavour to the pork. Of course, I was pretty damned tired, but that was my initial impression. A very rich dish. Too rich for my jetlagged arse, but one I would gladly order any other time.

All in all, a satisfactory start to a very food-centric holiday.