Earthy, robust flavours are staples of French cooking, but Vogels seems right at home with lightness and subtlety. His menu offers a few beef options in different iterations. One was veal shank ($26) prepared rendang-style, an Indonesian style curry. And though the portion is on the small side, the beef was amazingly tender from slow cooking and served with crispy taro root. The textures and flavours of all elements working in concert to create a remarkable dish.

The desserts are mercifully pretense-free, although one curious pudding-like substance is an Orange Sabayon layered with a port-injected chocolate mousse. Conversely, the textural contrast of caramelized sugar and creamy peach in the crème brûlée was more in line with my expectations, a return to harmony, to a certain degree. So, too, was the chilled Ice Wine Parfait with a sprinkle of red currants.

We observed a small crowd of party-animal account executives at the handsome bar knocking back glasses of Moët & Chandon, but otherwise the dining room was quiet for a normally busy Friday night in the city. Admittedly, most of the city is unaware that Chez Victor exists (it opened in May). But, Luce was also unusually quiet near the end of its run. As the old saying goes, you don’t have to be loud to leave your mark.

With the restaurant now completely owned and operated by the Germain Group to do as they like, as was their want, let's hope that Chef Chrystian brings the mojo to the room, as there are no longer any outsiders to hold accountable. – S.W.