HOT SPOT #2: HAÏ KAÏ
My little cats!
A new hot spot in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. I'm enjoying myself at the moment, discovering lots of adorable addresses. Today's event HAÏ KAÏ at 104 quai de Jemmapes +33 9 81 99 98 88, and this hot spot is truly a gem. I love the facade, which doesn't look like anything, or rather like a derelict squat, and inside, it's sublime, it's so white, it's spotless, as if all the light of the neighborhood were stored inside. A diamond wrapped in newspaper. The decor is impeccable, as is what's on the plate. To top it all off, this place is the brainchild of three women - girl power when you want it... Amélie Darvas in the kitchen, Gaby Benicio, for the wine selection (among others) and Elsa Kikoïne, for the decor.
I think you're beginning to know my taste in decor, and here everything is just right: the natural wood and white furniture, the mismatched linen banquettes, every object in its place. The plants are also subtly and sublimely present. It's clean and precise, and I'm researching the name HAÏ KAÏ and I discover that it's the other name for haiku, those very short Japanese poems, so I've come full circle.
I've walked past it countless times before, and it's the other day for one of my previous visits. articlesthe video counterI went in and I must admit I felt like a loser for not having been there before. This place acted on me like light therapy, I didn't want to leave, it was beautiful and then when the plates arrived (very quickly by the way), it was so GOOD.
(ALERT DESIR, that yellow plaid armchair is just crazy). So I was with Tania, the brilliant director, and I think I can speak for her when I say that we had a wonderful time. Like Blue Valentine, the plates are poetic, gourmet little ecosystems, but there's no Japanese in the kitchen here, but the talented Amélie Darvas (ex-Bristol, The Broken Arm among others) is in the kitchen. And we want more. There's a permanent menu and another that changes every day, depending on the chef's whims and what's available. I love this freedom, and these constraints, which I'm sure develop ever-greater creativity in the kitchen... Go for it! Of course, everything is super-fresh and HAÏ KAÏ works with small-scale producers concerned with getting us to eat organic and responsibly. What more could you ask for?
As for the bill, I think it's very reasonable. For lunch, count on 17€ for starter + main course or main course + dessert, or 22€ for the whole meal. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday, lunch and dinner... Enjoy!