Restaurant RAN in Paris - Permanently closed

Attention Japanese food lovers! RAN, the capital's new Japanese table, has been on view since mid-January 2019 in a mythical French mansion in the 8th arrondissement, formerly home to 1728.

This new restaurant has been designed by Benjamin Patou's Moma Group, already known for its many Parisian addresses such as Froufrou, Manko and Rural, and Blackcode, founded by Romain Costa, behind the successes of Kinugawa and The Cod House.

Once through the door, we are immediately immersed in the chic ambience of this private mansion. RAN called on designer Tristan Auer (Les Bains Paris, Le Crillon, Brasserie Astair) to enhance the space and create a decor that is both meticulous and sensual.

In the entrance hall, you'll find a beautiful cocktail bar featuring French-Japanese fusion creations by Gauthier Zucco, head bartender at Manko Paris. A long corridor leads to three separate, spacious and bright rooms.

On the gastronomic side, the duo called on the talents of renowned Chef Shuhei Yamashita, formerly at the helm of Kinugawa Vendôme. For RAN, the Japanese chef has devised a menu that harmoniously and intelligently blends contemporary Japanese gastronomy with French traditions.

The menu features over twenty hot and coldstarters, including beef tataki with black truffle and daikon and nori sauce, New Style salmon carpaccio, a plate of camembert tempura with daikon carrot pickles and miso sauce, seasonal Japanese broth served in a teapot, and the inevitable chicken and vegetable gyozas.

For our part, we're tempted by the delicious ebiten salad, with its shrimp tempura and spicy mayonnaise, spiced just right.

Ebiten Salad, shrimp tempura, spicy mayonnaise

We're also delighted to discover bites of Black Cod with miso delicately placed on sucrines.

Bites of Black Cod with miso

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Of course, these appetizers can be shared, or eaten alone if you prefer!

For the rest, RAN unveils some fifteen dishes with a choice of meat or fish: steamed sea bass fillet with dashi broth and spicy pepper sauce, or scallops with ponzu butter, as well as vegetable and shrimp tempura.

For more variety, you can opt for delicious, melt-in-the-mouth ribs with a black pepper and cebette sauce.

Melt-in-the-mouth ribs with black pepper and cebette sauce

On the other side, we offer a selection of succulent spicy pan-seared gambas, topped with coconut milk and Korean miso!

Spicy pan-seared prawns with coconut milk and Korean miso

The best part? Dishes using the robata technique, the famous Japanese lava stone cooking method for subtly grilling fish and meat. Chef's suggestions include a 400g teriyaki lacquered rib dish with wasabi kizami, or a grilled rack of lamb with gochujang sauce.

Finally, to end on a sweet note, RAN offers a number of desserts on its menu, including an impressive and mouth-watering plate of exotic fruits. But in the end, we opt for iced mochi, mango-flavored on one side and chocolate-coconut-flavored on the other.

Iced mochis

RAN also offers four pastries in association with Fauchon. Carefully presented on a tray, you can choose between a Paris-Brest éclair, a lemon-yuzu tart or a chocolate square.

Platter of pastries

As you've no doubt gathered by now, RAN doesn't do things by halves to satisfy the taste buds of gourmets. With a rich and varied menu and tasty, perfectly-dressed dishes, RAN is the new Japanese restaurant in the 8th arrondissement.