Yes it's true, Chez l'Ami Jean's rice pudding is the ultimate rice pudding - Rio Yeti Report

[Rio Yeti]

Chez l'Ami Jean, or CAJ as it is known around here, is a favorite of this board, and after post after post of people just raving about it, I thought I couldn't wait any more, so I went last saturday night.

The place is crowded, and very bistrot like, lots of noise, not the best romantic set-up, next time I'll go with friends instead...
But the night was very enjoyable nonetheless.
We got the table right near the kitchen and it was fascinating to see Chef Jego putting the finishing touches to every dish, and scrutinizing the room with an intense (and dark I would say) stare. I couldn't quite understand if he was looking at the diners enjoying his food or if he was just checking that the servers weren't messing up. Once in a while his voice would rise above everyone else's, the room instinctively lowering its general volume, like potential preys paying attention to the predator's eyes...

As an aperitif we had a small bowl with what seemed like soft chicharones, or maybe pork skin ? Anyway it was the sort of things that makes me happy, so I emptied the bowl, I mean we.... we emptied the bowl...

I ordered à la carte while my friend had the prix fixe.
As a starter I ordered a dish with pétoncles and shells, but they were out of it, so instead they suggested I get a petit salé de coquillages (which was not on the menu). This was a mix of muscles and clams out of their shell with lentils (hence the "petit salé" which is traditionaly cured pork shoulder with lentils), herbs, a nice mussel broth and a foam probably made from the broth and milk (?). I'm sorry I'm not more specific, but this dish had lots of aromas intertwining with each other in a very subtle way, nothing overpowering the delicate taste of the shells, and all in all it was just damn good.
My friend had the parmesan soup. A small bowl filled with fresh peas was brought with a little jug containing the soup. It didn't seem much at first, but after refilling the bowl three times it got to be a pretty big portion of soup. I don't know how to describe that dish as it was what it sounds like, liquid parmesan, and yet so much more. This soup is both incredibly strong, flavorful and at the same time subtle, mellow. The perfect balance.

My main dish was the sweetbreads (again) with morels. Since my dinner at Le Baratin was not so long ago, I have a point of comparison, and I have to say that the sweetbreads at CAJ were not as tender and cooked to perfection as the ones at Le Baratin. However, LB's dish was really good, straight forward bistrot fare, but CAJ's was really more refined, with again the alchemy of the different ingredients creating something quite unique. The sweetbreads were covered in a fine coat of spices, with some ground pistachios on top, a paper-thin bacon strip (which apparently they like to put in a lot of dishes), a succulent broth. All served with a puree to be shared between the two of us, which was honestly nothing special.
My friend had a cod dish. I don't remember the intricacies of the ingredients, I just remember the fish was cooked perfectly, the flavour was really herbal, really intense, really spring-like, and there was also one of those paper-thin bacon strips.

My friend ended with a dessert of strawberries with strawberry ice cream and bitter chocolate sauce (I think there was also tea or matcha in there somewhere, but can't remember for sure). It wasn't bad, but not as satisfying as a good dessert should be... not as satisfying as... the FREAKING RICE PUDDING !!!
Damn you you chowhounds you ! You were all right ! There is no conspiracy, there is no rumor, there is no legend... it is true my friends, the rice pudding is the best rice pudding in the world period. How can there not be another better rice pudding ? Well simply put, for the sake of argument, if there is indeed somewhere in this small world a rice pudding that's better than this one, I strongly believe no one could live to tell the story as the heart would simply explode from excitement, if the brain doesn't stop first from all the overwhelming information it receives...
The dish has been described enough so I won't go into anymore details. You were right, I didn't know, now I know and I'm a different man.

For that I thank you.

[Parigi]

Very funny review.
And yes I have also done A-B comparisons. Once we had Sachertorte at Demel's then ran across Vienna to try Sacher hotel's version. (Sacher's was better.)
The second time was the Régalade's rice pudding, then the magnum opus rice pudding youknowwhere the next day. No comparison.

[plafield]

yup. The best darn rice pudding on the planet... except maybe the one I make which is definitely modeled after Jego's.

[mangeur]

Or a take on Stéphane Reynaud's in "Rapailles". (Cut the amount of rice by a third.)

http://www.chow.com/photos/546289

[Rio Yeti]

I love cooking, I love perfecting my cooking skills and my recipes, but honestly with something that spectacular, I'm too afraid to go through the whole trial and error process... I just want the rice pudding, NOW !

By the way, I forgot to mention, I never used to like rice pudding, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't like it in most places...

[Parigi]

"I never used to like rice pudding, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't like it in most places..."

I was like that when it was first proposed to me chez L'Ami Jean. I told the waiter I usually did not like rice pudding. He talked me into it. The rest is history.

[fishskis]

"I never used to like rice pudding, I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't like it in most places..."

I have never liked rice pudding either. I would agree that L'Ami Jean is the best version I have ever tasted....But I still do not like rice pudding.....even L'Ami Jean's.

[Rio Yeti]

I knew from the get go that I would order it. I thought to myself, if I taste the best rice pudding and still don't like it, then I don't like rice pudding.

I still don't think I'll order it anywhere else though.

[mangeur]

"I'm too afraid to go through the whole trial and error process... I just want the rice pudding, NOW !"

Of course I understand that. Why else would I have suggested a way for you to do that, to have it NOW, or at least in, let's say, 2 hours, which is about the time at which it would be served at the end of a CAJ meal. No?

[Rio Yeti]

Yes, thank you for the links to the recipe. However 2 hours is considering I don't screw it up the first few times (and on the other post it clearly suggests there is a bit of adjustments to be made).
Also, for me the rice pudding at CAJ is really also about the caramelized nuts and the caramel served with it. It is the perfect balance between the luscious, rich, vanilla rice and the crisp, sugary, salty nuts and the slightly bitter, also salty caramel.
So there really is a bit more work there than what you're implying... however I do like challenges, and I may give it a try someday when I have guests over !

[Dapuma]

how big is the portion size of rice pudding

is one order enough for two to share and then get another dessert or is it smaller like a personal sized dessert?

[fishskis]

It is the largest portion of any desert I have ever seen anywhere; two can easily share. But every time I have been there, Jego seems to serve some additional desert concoctions.

[Parigi]

It is served in a big communal bowl. Yes it can feed 2 or 3 or 6. But it would not be très classe to order one serving and then proceed to feed one's whole family.
Jégo and the staff are always very gracious about the serving, but we diners should also do the gracious thing...

[manouche]

Nor would it be gracious to dive directly into the communal bowl, as I witnessed one person do with the chocolate mousse served at Ambassade d'Auvergne.
It was a case of honest misunderstanding, but still...

[Delucacheesemonger]

It is good to grow and be a different man, thanks for review.