Fusion cuisine combines elements of different culinary traditions, creating a new category -- ideally, the best of the old forming a unique transcendence. In the case of the French and the Vietnam-ese, a fusion occurred when the French colonized Vietnam from the 1880s to the 1950s, with the result being that Vietnamese dishes have always offered the most continentally influenced Asian cuisine. Who better to demonstrate this unique marriage than Cincinnati's foodie hero, Jean-Robert de Cavel, and the Le family, who have owned Song Long in Roselawn for decades?

I eagerly anticipated my visit to Pho Paris since I first heard about the partnership back in the spring, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the elegant, understated surroundings. The space is chic but low-key, with great black-and-white photographs of Parisian Vietnamese bistros, and while I didn't notice any jeans in the crowd, there were a lot of relaxed professionals in shirtsleeves.

Another nice welcome is the beverage list. There are quite a few affordable beers and wines, allowing for an evening that won't intimidate diners on a budget.

We were tempted to make a meal of appetizers, since each one sounded delicious. The most expensive was Foie Gras with duck confit and mango, spring roll style, at $19, but mussels steamed with coconut milk, lemongrass and cilantro were a bargain at $7, and traditional Vietnamese cold rolls ($6) were even less. We settled for one familiar choice, Banh Xeo ($8), a Song Long favorite. This large crêpe is stuffed with chicken, shrimp and bean sprouts, and is meant to be torn into smaller bites, wrapped in romaine lettuce and dipped in fish sauce. I've always adored this dish, and at Pho Paris it's even better -- the texture's more refined, the sauce lighter and the flavor just delicious.

Our other choice was superb! Chim Cuc Quay ($9) was a beautiful, crisp, lightly fried quail, served atop chunks of fresh pineapple accented with an emerald green cilantro and ginger sauce. I abandoned all pretext of propriety and used my fingers to break off the tiny wings and drumsticks, delightful to the bone.

Our server was very kind to let us keep our menus and order one course at a time. I think, though, this might have made it more difficult for her to manage her section, as she became quite busy and lost track of us at a critical moment. I had ordered Pho Bo ($7 small, $13 large), possibly the most familiar of Vietnamese dishes and the one from which the restaurant takes its name. Pho is a light yet flavorful soup broth with rice noodles and vegetables; Pho Bo is the beef variation, usually served with a combination of well-done and raw beef. Pho Paris uses only raw beef and, because they have to keep the beef well chilled, it seems to cool the soup broth dramatically. I wanted very much to tell our server that my soup was tepid, but she went missing until the bowl was nearly empty.

My companion fared much better. Her halibut ($19) was perfect, served over a small bed of sautéed vegetables with a sauce that was absolutely incredible. This was a great example of fusion -- a classic French beurre blanc, freshened with grapefruit and the unmistakable Oriental note of ginger. For you low-carb people -- I know you're out there -- this is the kind of dish you should flock to, because you're sacrificing nothing.

We each ordered dessert. As an afterthought, we flagged down a bus person and ordered coffee. It seemed odd we weren't offered coffee, but that's not a real problem. The fact that our coffee was tepid, however, was a problem! I was honestly perplexed, because tepid coffee is unacceptable even in an ordinary restaurant, let alone a Jean-Robert destination.

Before you hear the explanation, I will say that the dessert was truly enjoyable. We tried a White Chocolate Coffee Tart ($8) with an absolutely inspired garnish of star anise ice cream atop a fluted cookie. Incredible. The Green Tea Crème Brulée ($8) was a little bland -- as my friend said, "beyond sublime." It was merely good.

I had to call the next day and I had a very long conversation with Pho Paris' manager, Jeff Hickenlooper, who worked with John-Robert at the Maisonette. He was genuinely surprised to hear of some of the glitches we'd encountered, with the exception of one. They had realized, later in the evening, that the burner had gone out on the coffee pot; the repair person was on the scene as we spoke. He didn't know that lukewarm coffee had been served, and was genuinely apologetic.

I could feel him cringe through the phone when I mentioned that my Pho had been lukewarm as well. Apparently, they are trying to find a way to serve the soup hot while keeping the raw beef cold; I hope they find an answer that works. As for the server not stopping by to hear about the problem, it was obvious that the manager was again horrified. I'm certain he wants to run a perfect restaurant and will do everything in his power to make sure these glitches don't happen again. I'm sorry to have to report that they did: In all honesty, it was a lovely evening and a very good meal, and I will be delighted to visit Pho Paris again. ©

Jean-Robert's Pho Paris
Go: 3235 Madison Road, Oakley

Call: 513-871-1234

Hours: 5:30-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Prices: Moderate

Payment: Visa, MasterCard and American Express

Red Meat Alternatives: Vegetarian versions of cold rolls and pho are offered; many seafood choices.

Accessibility: Yes

Grade: B