Critics’ choice

Choux Chantilly at La Sirène

Cockiest chef with the goods to back it up
Didier Pawlicki of La Sirène
Order the cassoulet and Didier Pawlicki, La Sirène’s bombastic chef, will rush to your table and proudly spoon jus over your confit. Order the choux Chantilly (a trio of cream puffs) and he’ll insist you try the clafouti as well, standing sentinel at your table while you enjoy your first bite. And enjoy it you will, because for all of his swagger, Pawlicki’s work is often sublime. Dishes are calorific spectacles: Hanger steak, for example, is served with four sides, all butter-loaded vegetables in varying states of sauté and puree. Indulge him enough and you’ll be graced with a bis, a double kiss, on your way out the door.

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