La Scène Thélème, Rudy Langlais' Michelin-starred restaurant

We're off to Scène Thélème, the confidential restaurant now run by Chef Rudy Langlais. Ideally located on rue Troyon in the 17th arrondissement, this Michelin-starred restaurant is sure to please.

On site, you'll discover a number of rooms between the glass roof and the stage, hence the name of the place, which was once a showplace.

Rudy Langlais ' cuisine at Scène Thélème plays with seasonality and the purity of produce. With French and Japanese influences, his dishes are a tribute to the terroir. Born in Angers, in the heart of the Pays de la Loire region, Rudy Langlais began his gastronomic journey by studying at the Saumur Hotel School. His quest for excellence then led him to join Alain Ducasse's prestigious brigade at Le Meurice, where he perfected his culinary art.

It was in this context that he met Chef Yoshitaka Takayanagi. Their collaboration spanned seven years, first at Agapé, then at La Scène Thélème. Under Takayanagi's tutelage, Rudy developed a passion for Japanese gastronomy and learned to master a cuisine where technique is purified, emphasizing the naturalness and seasonality of products.

Vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit and mushrooms come from small-scale producers. Japanese vegetables grown in France are particularly popular. Since 2021, Scène Thélème has been collaborating with Anna Shoji of the YASAI farm, which grows Japanese vegetables in Touraine.

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We're off to discover our superb menu for discerning gourmets. A more substantial menu awaits you in the evening.

We start with a lovely trio of canapés:

• Smoked paprika and old mimolette mochi
• Cucumber and trout roe tartlet, seaweed cream and verjuice gel
• Binchotan charcoal cabbage, smoked eel cream and Terryaki gel, our favorite.

We continue with a fresh amuse bouche: a Chawanmushi with wild garlic, a kind of Japanese flan made with dashi broth, accompanied by peas, verbena jelly, yuzu and coriander blossoms that add pep.

Then comes the first course, which turns out to be a lean tartare with kohlrabi and horseradish pickles. It's topped with turnip petals and ponzu gel. With its sesame vinaigrette, it's a wonderful discovery.

Then we move on to the main course: Japanese charcoal-grilled yellowtail served with daikon radish confit with kombu seaweed and vegetables of the moment. The whole dish is drizzled with a vegetable dashi pearled with mature olive oil.

The pre-dessert features a mojito, lime gel and Perrier water. We like the pep of the mint and lime sorbet, accompanied by slices of Granny Smith apple, rum and Perrier gel that sparkles in the mouth.

For dessert, it's time for the chef's signature sweetness: strawberry and rhubarb pavlova, elderflower gel and sabékasu (sake lees) ice cream. A wonderful discovery, more akin to the texture of a light, fluffy floating island.

Of course, if you still haven't had enough, the meal ends with coffee and mignardises.

In short, something to tantalize the taste buds on the border between Asia and the West.