Josefin Restaurant: Brand new chef Romain Roland presents his spring menu
Paris, 12th of May 2016.- The Josefin, in the Hotel Banke, is celebrating spring with a new menu with unmistakeably seasonal aromas that is highly colourful, signed by the establishment’s brand new head chef Romain Roland.
‘I am delighted to join the Josefin team at the Hotel Banke. In the past I have been lucky to work under some of the great names in haute cuisine, in major establishments. Thanks to that experience I have learned French cuisine and its codes. Today I can, nicely, turn my back on those codes and surprise guests, inviting them to rediscover culinary pleasures in a different way’, explains Romain Roland, Chef at the Josefin.
A career as a chef
Roland, 35, learned the ropes in prestigious Michelin-starred establishments. He started out in 2002 at the Plaza Athénée, in Paris, then moved on to a number of hotels before joining the Hotel Raphaël in 2009. In 2013, he became sous-chef at the Hotel Royal Monceau, a position he held until his move to the Josefin.
‘With Romain our aim is to strengthen our 5-star position, through audacious, top-of-the-range cuisine that is constantly reinvented’, says Greg Behn, Director of the Hotel Banke.
The Spring 2016 Menu
With this Josefin spring 2016 menu, Romain Roland revisits the classics of French cuisine while adding a contemporary touch.
He loves to surprise guests through new sensations. He has therefore chosen rigorously selected quality products, such as Provence green asparagus, suckling lamb, Bavarian beef, Monsieur Tauzin poultry and even blue lobster from the Brittany coast.
He sublimates them skilfully in a clever blend of flavours particularly evident in his assiette du jardinier (Gardener’s choice – minivegetables in a variety of textures, peppermint paloise reduction, raspberry vinegar and hazelnut oil), his parfums péruviens (Peruvian flavours – bream ceviche, rhubarb virgin olive oil in pistachio oil, whole grain melba toast and tobiko caviar), lobster forever (whole blue lobster stiffened in semi-salted butter with grapefruit and turnip in lobster sauce with Timut pepper), agneau de marco polo (Marco Polo lamb – sweet-spiced saddle of suckling lamb, fregola sarda couscous and lamb jus) and barbe rouge (Red beard – freshly caught red mullet, oriental-flavoured baby broad beans and smoked paprika bouillabaisse).
Particular care is taken by the sommeliers in selecting every vintage wine or grand cru. To enhance guests’ experience, every delicacy on the menu is matched with a wine or drink suggestion that is in perfect harmony with the dish chosen.
Desserts are by Mikiko, the pastry chef, who continues to delight guests with beautiful tasty sweets like the josefin (an exquisite caramel mousse millefeuille, crisp tuile biscuit, mini pear in syrup and pear sorbet) and le rouge & le noir (Black & red – beetroot mousse, dark chocolate ganache, cocoa crumble, candied beetroot and raspberry sorbet).
In accordance with the wishes of the new chef, the menu will be updated more regularly to feature tasty, albeit ephemeral seasonal produce. The Au Fil des Saisons menu dotted with delicious dishes is preserved to the delight of businessmen, amongst others, who want efficient service along with beautiful food. At lunchtime it is available as starter/main course + coffee or main course/dessert + coffee for 39 Euros and as starter/main course/dessert + coffee for 45 Euros.
For gourmands, or the curious seeking to increase the taste experience, the symphonie pour papilles en 7 plats (Seven-course symphony for the taste buds) is still available, at 95 Euros, and offers a selection of dishes and desserts.
The Josefin is open every day from 12.00 to3.00 p.m. and from7.30 to 11.30 p.m. Staff gives patrons a warm welcome in a cosy setting, in the Opéra district, a stone’s throw from Galeries Lafayette.
Reservations: +33 0155 332217
www.hotelbanke.com