A Japanese restaurant, a Moroccan cookbook, a new cocktail bar in Saint-Germain-des-Prés… What’s new in the kitchen?

Biwan, the traditional Japanese restaurant of the moment

When you enter Irasshai, this hybrid place located in the 1st arrondissement opposite the Bourse de Commerce, which brings together a Japanese grocery store, café-bar and restaurants, you have no idea that in the basement is the one of the most refined Japanese restaurants in the capital. Unlike Shokudo, the lively canteen which overlooks the rue du Louvre, Biwan immerses gourmets in a refined atmosphere with its raw decor and subdued lighting. We eat in one of the alcoves or at the bar, to see what’s happening in the kitchen, and we enjoy a bento at lunchtime, or the 5-course Discovery menu, inspired by the traditional Kaiseki dinner, but without the ceremony. Subtle grilled mackerel, assortment of tender sashimi, chawanmushi (a typical savory egg cream)… The menu changes every month, according to the seasons, as is the tradition in Japan. A delicious journey in an intimate setting to experience, in the heart of Paris. C.M.

Biwan, 40 Rue du Louvre, 75001 Paris. Phone. : 01 84 74 35 30

Le Flirt, the new hybrid festive venue in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

Inaugurated last November, Le Flirt embodies the temptation, that of capsizing in the kingdom of the night. A hybrid place between cocktail bar and club, nestled in a hidden alley in the historic district of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The meeting begins in an intimate bar, velvet benches and golden lighting oblige, and flirting, over cocktails: from peppersmasha creation mixing gin with black pepper, rosemary, cucumber, lychee juice, violet liqueur and lemon juice, with their signature drink, mixing zoladkowa vodka, orgeat syrup, egg white and lemon juice. A menu that also features the great bar classics, like the negroni, but also a selection of finger foodfrom pastrami or smoked salmon croques, to plates of foie gras or pata negra. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, some will let themselves be seduced by the second face of the address, continuing the night in a second space dedicated to partying to the point of dizziness, where a program of DJ sets varies every evening. Something to satisfy fans of mixology and also the dance floor. A.M.

Le Flirt, 3 passage de la Petite Boucherie, 75006 Paris. Tel.: 01.42.01.14.87.

Kenzo Tu at Pluto, the residence of the moment

Sharing is at the table, but also in the kitchen. On the residence side, this week and until January 18, chef Thomas Coupeau is entrusting the keys of Pluto to the new guard. Café-restaurant nestled in a corner of the Lafayette Anticipations foundation, located in the Marais, the establishment aims to be a “place of expression open to all”, specifies in an Instagram post the chef formerly of We Are Ona and Cloche. The opportunity to put to the test a chef new to the Parisian culinary scene, but with an already extensive CV, Kenzo Tu. Having passed through a handful of starred restaurants in the south of France and after a three-year adventure in Asia, his globe-trotting journey takes shape on Pluto’s plate through “simple, generous cuisine, inspired by my travel,” the 27-year-old chef tells us. Result ? A plump and golden pâté sô flanked by a fresh salad, pointed cabbage and its ginger and sesame sabayon, or even homemade tagliatelle with parsley and pecorino mushrooms. As for dessert, the crème brûlée passes the test, splitting with an exquisite sound to reveal a creamy cream with a scent of pandan, this aromatic plant from South-East Asia. To discover during lunch. A.M.

Pluto, 44 ​​rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris. Reservations at Bookings.zenchef.com.

My Moroccan cuisinethe first work by recipe creator Nada El Hahini

In the culinary stratosphere of Instagram, among the myriad of Internet users who seek inspiration to cook every day, there are 250,000 who follow Nada El Hanini’s recipes. Known under the pseudonym @Nadzsnacks, this young private chef who works in particular for the actor Pierre Niney, signs her very first work, bringing together 70 colorful, easy and contemporary recipes, giving pride of place to the traditions of her native land, the Morocco. Shredded beef burger with harissa, kofta arayes and yogurt sauce, autumn kofta balls, tomato & egg sauce, but also tips for obtaining the perfect semolina or vegetarian or gluten-free alternatives, can be discovered from January 29 published by Marabout. A.M.

My Moroccan cuisine by Nada El Hahini, Éditions Marabout, 176 pages, €18.95.

Constance Hotels & Resorts, an incredible wine list in the middle of the Indian Ocean

“When I discovered the Constance Prince Maurice wine list a few years ago, I was like a child in a toy store.” These words from chef Pierre Hermé well sum up the expertise of Constance Hotels & Resorts in terms of sommelier, but also the passion for wine which is at its origin. The hotel group is thus celebrating 10 years of developing this know-how within its 11 establishments in the Indian Ocean. Just like the Constance Prince Maurice, each is home to an emblematic cellar. Offer quality, even exceptional wines in the hot and humid climate of this gulf protected from the cold? The feat is possible by setting up transport in refrigerated containers: more than thirty each year, each housing 10,000 bottles. The precious bottles are then kept in competition cellars, which avoid any temperature shock. Jérôme Faure, the group’s head sommelier, is proud of his team of 103 sommeliers, who work in luxury hotels between Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles. “Their know-how allows them to create tailor-made food and wine pairings, as close as possible to local terroirs,” explains this enthusiast from the Rhône valley. Often recruited locally, sommeliers regularly participate in vineyard visits around the world, to concoct a unique and constantly evolving wine list. I.B.