Mlle. She Travels' Restaurant Review: MoSuke

MoSuke opened in 2020 and is the first restaurant of Chef Mory Sacko. Born in Senegal and raised in Paris to Malian and Senegalese parents, Chef Sacko trained under Thierry Max and was a favorite of the 11th season of Top Chef France until he was shockingly eliminated. MoSuke, the opening of which is the subject of a series of articles in Liberation, is a contraction of the chef’s name and Yasuke, a former African slave who became a samurai and a member of the inner circle of Nobunga Oda, one of the unifiers of Japan.

In 2021, MoSuke received a Michelin star and thanks to its inspired and original fusion of African, Japanese, and French flavors and techniques, quickly became one of the hardest to get reservations in Paris.

I chose Migration, the longer five course tasting menu, with the wine pairing for my lunch. The meal started with a number of amuse-bouches. Amongst the little bites was a savory broth with a perfectly poached egg and an egg tartlet coated in a spice mix and served with an amazing little red pepper (I should have asked what kind of pepper, because it is something I would like to incorporate into my own cooking!). Overall, there were five amuses-bouches, and all of them made me excited for the meal to come.

After the amuse-bouches, the first wine was brought out as well as a course I would call a palate cleanser. The first wine was a 2019 Pinot Gris from Albert Mann, the Cuvee Albert. This natural wine had notes of fresh fruits and had an unexpected depth that went well with the next courses.

The first course was next up and was grilled green asparagus served with a spicy kumquat condiment (the wine paired well with this, as one of the fruits on the nose of the wine is kumquat) in a citrus and ginger sauce.

For the second course, there was a choice between the Pepe Soup Lobster and the Tako Kare Rice. The Pepe Soup Lobster was an African style pepper soup with Breton lobster cooked directly on the flame, mackerel, mussels, and stuffed okra. The Tako Kare Rice was a Japanese style curry with grilled octopus, Japanese pickled vegetables (Fukujinzuke), fermented prunes (Umeboshi), and Camargue Rice. This was an exceedingly difficult choice for me, but I ended up going with the lobster, which resulted in one of the most visually stunning dishes I have ever seen being placed in front of me. And while I was in awe of the vibrant colors of this dish, I was impressed by the flavors that came through as I took my first bite.

The next wine they brought out was a South African Chardonnay, the 2019 Palmiet from Elgin. This wine by JH Meyer was one I really enjoyed, with scents of baked apples and citrus fruits, as well as something earthy. The taste was light and citrusy, with a nice acidity and finish. It went very, very well with the third course, which was yet another course I really enjoyed.

The third course was a gew fish wrapped in a banana leaf served with casava, Japanese 7-splice blend (Togarashi Shichimi), parsley, and moringa leaf. The togarashi shichimi was used to make a sauce (as well as left unadulterated on the plate) as was the moringa leaf (which was also included as a powder and as garnish). The fish was beautiful, and one of my favorite fish courses from the entire trip.

The next wine was Le Cab’ des Acolytes from Domaine des Accoles and winemakers Florence and Olivier Leriche. This was a nice, easy drinking, biodynamic red wine blend from Ardèche.

For the fourth course, there was a choice between chicken from Culoiseau Farm served with teriyaki sauce, potato tatin, and katsu sweet chili or an Aubrac beef tenderloin served with shea butter, soustons peanuts, and a tamarind Mafé sauce. I went with the beef tenderloin. The beef tenderloin came from an Aubrac cow. The tenderloin itself was full of flavor and perfectly cooked (medium rare, but on the rare side). This was served with a Mafé sauce (i.e., peanut stew that is a staple of West Africa). I was so pleased with this menu selection. The sauce complimented the beef perfectly. Did I mention it was perfectly cooked?

After the fourth course was cleared away, a pre-dessert was brought out. There was a slice of melon served on a spoon and a creamy concoction that served more as a palate cleanser than anything memorable. What was memorable was the bowl, which was stunning and from JL Coquet in Limoges.

The last wine was the Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2012, which is a champagne I enjoy.

For dessert, there is a choice between wasabi ice cream and chocolate ganache or strawberries and rhubarb. I went with the strawberries and rhubarb as I adore both fruits. This dessert is very, very refreshing, as while the rhubarb in syrup was slightly sweet, as were the strawberries, it was paired with a strawberry and lemon sorbet and soy yogurt. In addition, there was a waffle and something like chocolate cookie crumbles.

After the main dessert, there were little nibbles that were brought out to finish the meal. The first nibble was a beautiful little jelly creation. The second nibble was passionfruit and cream. And the final nibble was a beautifully baked madeleine. I paired that with an espresso.

All in, my lunch back in May 2022 was €198. That included the Migration menu (€95) and the supplements for the lobster (€10) and the tenderloin (€14), the three-wine tasting, the vintage Champagne, and water and coffee. Per the MoSuke website, the Migration menu and similar supplements are the same price.

MoSuke, located at 11 Rue Raymond Losserand, is open for lunch (12:15 – 14:00) and dinner (19:30 – 21:00), Monday through Friday. For more information or to make reservations, go to their website.