Kokoro in the 5th: Great Products Eminating from Japanese Chefesse in a Small Kitchen.

By Johntalbott


5.5 Kokoro, 36, rue des Boulangers in the 11th, (Metro: Cardinal Lemoine), 01.44.07.13.29, closed Sundays and Mondays, has been open since August and received no press, which is remarkable since its chef (Sakura Mori) was the pastry chef at La Gazzetta and two hot chefs in town were there today.

The menu is limited (2-2-4) but reasonably priced (24E for 2, 29-30E for 3 courses) with wine by the glass (5.50 E) and bottle (starting at 33E).

My friend the poly-culinary-sage ordered the beets, mackerel and hazelnuts and I had the trumpets of death with toasted squid rings - I thought both were interesting and made cleverly with good products.


For mains, she chose the merlu with veggies and I the pork (which really was notyhelped by the sauce it had) with veggies - again I thought the products were good and cleverly prepared - she deemed nothing "extraordinary" and I guess she's correct.  We sort of split a cheese plate of farm St Nectaire and Basque goat cheese from Manesh ewes.

With terrific house-made bread and butter, a bottle and glass of wine, no bottled water and one coffee, our bill was 95.50 E a couple.

Go?  While not on the top of my "Go-To" list, if you want nice products, in an intimate setting (dB level 78.2) in the 5th - Yes.