'The Food is the Star' at La Folie Restaurant...

March 16, 2:15 PMSF Restaurant ExaminerIlana Wherry

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Joker logo shows haute cuisine's humorous side.

La Folie was one of Julia Child's favorite restaurants and mine too. Since its inception, it has started a quiet riot and has become one of the quintessential "must sees" for any gourmet visiting in the Bay Area.  Roland Passot,  La Folie's Chef Propriétaire has always maintained that the "food is the star" at his restaurant and tends to shun the spotlight.
 
     Crowned heads, heads of state and many famous people have dined at La Folie. If a list were to be compiled of them all over the years, this space would probably not be big enough to accommodate it. I can tell you that Prince Charles has eaten here, and royalty from Spain, Japan and various other countries. President Clinton has popped in for a bite recently and the list goes on...
 
     He is a Maitre Cuisinier de France, which is a highly regarded status in that country. To reach that particular echelon, one must be nominated by two other chefs who are Maitres Cuisiniers themselves and then voted in by one's peers in that organization. He has also received the Legion d'honneur (knighthood), which means that he and Jacques Pepin both share the honor of having their culinary achievements recognized by their country.  This does not mean that you should address him as "Sir Roland" when you next see him, in France recipients wear a "knighthood" pin on their suit lapel(s) at official gatherings and generally don't make a big deal out of it. Apparently, one can be awarded several "knighthoods" for different achievements in various fields.

     Like his friend, Hubert Keller, Passot is a busy man these days with his commitments to help master the helm of his other Left Bank restaurants around the Bay Area. He somehow manages to keep track of those during the day and reserve his energy for La Folie in the evening, which enables him to maintain the standards up to where they should be. He also finds time to offer his talents in product taste testings for the SF Chronicle newspaper column he contributes to every week and various media interviews and reviews that he does as well. La Folie is a family-run concern and perhaps that is what has helped him keep his focus.
 
     Passot's brother Georges works with him at his flagship restaurant on Polk Street and is a consummate sommelier. He is probably one of the best sommeliers in the Bay Area, so leave your wine pairings in his capable hands if you wish to have the complete gourmet experience at La Folie.
 
     Passot is looking healthy and handsome as ever and has not lost his puckish sense of humor which is an essential element in his cooking. He is passionate about what he does and despite the height to which his fame has brought him, he is still a "countryboy at heart." He was born in Lyons, which is a famous place in France for gourmet dishes, but without the stuffy attitude that one encounters in Paris...  You feel love and warmth here with your food. Julia Child encapsulated that when she remarked that "Roland's food had soul." It does indeed!  Another adage that you will hear at La Folie is that "Le client est roi!" The customer is king! Simple food prepared well is the standard for all French cuisine and no less is served here.
 
    Roland prepared a special menu for me when I dined at La Folie recently and I would like to share some of the highlights of that memorable evening with you:
 
    Everything was a "standout", so it was very difficult to isolate anything in particular, but I will try to lift out the things that were more spectacular than the rest.
 
    Speaking of Roland's sense of humor, it first emerged in the shape of a brown egg shell in which an organic egg yolk had been poached in a wonderful potato and leek cream soup! Think of the scale on which we are talking! An egg shell is in itself, small and fragile and then to cook something inside of it, with soup is just phenomenal! It tasted incredible too and the presentation was fantastic and whimsical. Roland had sliced off the top of the eggshell perfectly straight (no jagged edges) and replaced the top with a fried paper-thin piece of potato, through which was pierced a thin straw of chive! So you had to use the chive to lift off the "lid" of the eggshell before you even reached inside with your teaspoon to taste the further delights within!
 
    Next was a Foie Gras mousse served with aged maple syrup, potato and apple salad and black lava salt. Roland loves to play with textures in his food and you will find not only do the crunchy and smooth play off each other, but the salty and sweet do too. He is a "master" at it and most of his dishes require that you mix some of this with some of that, until you have experienced all the possible taste/texture combinations available in any given platter.  This is some of what sets him apart in culinary circles as well as for those of us who just love to eat his food...
 
    One of the Roland's commercial ventures has been in the area of Tsar Nicolai caviar and he now has his image on the lids of this famous roe, available in two flavors: Lobster, and Vanilla Bean which is infused into trout caviar.
 
    Next was seared foie gras served with poached quince and consomme, this was marvelous, but I think I prefer it without the consomme poured on top.
 
    There was an outstanding Lobster Risotto served with wild mushrooms and black truffles which were rich, earthy and yet light at the same time. It also had a garnish of lobster roe.
 
   Two of the wines which Roland's brother Georges brought to my attention during the meal were a Vidal from Ontario, Canada from a late harvest which was mellow and wonderful and the Roederer champagne which had tight bubbles and a beautiful finish.
 
   The classic interior of the restaurant does not detract from the food, and there are a lot of bronze, muted copper shades and warm, dark rose hues in the curtains and banquettes.
 
   Next was an outstanding venison loin which was served with gold turnips and golden beets. There was also a root vegetable gateau which brought one into seventh heaven, a huckleberry sauce and celery root puree.
 
   Lest we had become jaded by this stage, Roland thoughtfully provided a hibiscus tea granite (to refresh the palate). This is common practice in France during tasting menus, but only a handful of Bay Area chefs do it.
 
   Last, but not least, was what I regarded as the "star" of the evening, right up there with the "egg yolk poached in potato/leek soup in an eggshell" -- the dessert! A savory/sweet souffle of Edam Cheese with a light sprinkling of sugar on top (and bacon, although I did not have bacon on mine) served with a fromage blanc ice cream and sesame tuille.  The contrast of textures: crispy vs. fluffy; puffy vs. fluffy and smooth vs. crispy and taste: sweet vs. savory; sweet vs. salty. Phenomenal!
 
   These are just a sampling of the type of dishes created, prepared and cooked by Maitre Cuisinier de France, Roland Passot.
 
   La Folie, 2316 Polk Street, San Francisco. Reservations recommended. Tel.: (415) 776-5577. For more info: lafoliep@aol.com.
3 course: $70; 4 course: $80; 5 course: $90; Tasting Menu: $105. Special Vegetable Lover's Menu also available.