Balagan Is Beyond…Paris Restaurant Review


Awaking all the senses.

Balagan is a magical restaurant in Paris that combines incredible food while tossing in some culinary showmanship.

The end result is delectable entertainment in a warm, comfortable, satisfying environment.

Balagan grew out of the creative minds of Assaf Granit and Uni Navon who gave the world Machneyuda in Jerusalem which is pure rock ‘n roll theatrics combined with delectable eating…I can personally attest to the atmosphere having been fortunate to participate in the delicious madness.

We requested the bar at Balagan and sat with Chef Elior Ben Arosh and sous chef Constantinos.

The elongated restaurant is configured in a wrap around style with a bar at the end of the curve as an exclamation point.

The action, artistry and exuberant voices did not abate all night.

The menu is appealing as well as varied.

We toasted the evening with a lovely Vermentino.

The Frenavon Bread with dips was sensational. In particular, the creamiest, most tantalizing hummus ($8).

We then dug into a luscious Fattoush Salad absolutely brimming with fresh vegetables and velvety feta ($18).

The Yellowtail Sashimi Alexandria 2.0 quickly followed with artichoke salsa, plums, labane cream, wading in a shallow, sumptuous pool of seasoned EVOO ($19).

The trademark Polenta Balagan was truly spectacular, out of this world with fresh asparagus, Parmesan, white truffle oil and mushrooms to die for ($17).

The Lamb Al-Ha’esh was the absolute best I have ever tasted. The meat was cooked to perfection, tender and seasoned well, accompanied by fresh cauliflower ($36).

The Ozan 2.0 are crispy appealing raviolis with fennel siske, hamusta sauce (hamusta means sour in Kurdish) and spicy cashews ($24).

The Crash Halva dessert was all histrionics and absolutely amazing with ice cream, caramel sauce, chocolate layering and halva which is a traditional Middle Eastern fudge-like confection made with tahini, sugar, spices and nuts. The semisweet, nutty flavor and crumbly, fluffy texture is what makes it a uniquely delicious treat.

I could not stop the spoon motion from paper to open mouth ($14).

The sensational international music soundtrack is nonstop and everyone gets in the groove.

The happy ending was provided by Chef Elior who poured us a tequila shot and we toasted to an evening well done.

Balagan which means hullabaloo in Hebrew is a great destination for any type of celebration as long as you come with a sense of joy and a hunger for  outstanding food.

Balagan 9 Rue d’Arabe 1st Arrondissement. Paris, France. Reservations advised.

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