Horiz: The Emergence Of A New Culinary Guard In Historic Chinatown

In the heart of Rue Volta, in this Marais once the cradle of the first Parisian Chinatown, an address has been shaking up the codes for three years. Horiz has established itself as one of the capital’s most intriguing tables, refusing folklore to assert a free and contemporary vision of Chinese cuisine.

At the helm, two brothers lead this ambitious project. Olivier Lin, barely 23, is revolutionizing the kitchen with an approach he describes as “recreational.” Trained under Baptiste Day at Capitaine, this young chef combines family heritage and French expertise in a cuisine designed for sharing. His older brother Alexandre orchestrates the whole, from the plant-filled decor to the signature cocktails, creating a global experience where every detail tells a story.

This table perfectly embodies this new generation that dares to revisit its culinary heritage with boldness and respect. Here, there are no recipes frozen in tradition, but an assumed creative freedom where modern techniques meet ancestral flavors. In three years, the Lin duo has succeeded in their bet: transforming a culinary concept into a must-visit destination, proving that contemporary Chinese cuisine has its full place in the Parisian bistronomy scene.

This success rests above all on the precocious talent of a chef who already masters technical codes and taste balances with disconcerting precision.

Olivier Lin, 23 Years Old: The Prodigy Reinventing Chinese Cuisine

At only 23 years old, Olivier Lin demonstrates a technical mastery that escapes many seasoned chefs. Each plate bears witness to millimeter precision: crispy breading of remarkable finesse, light frying that never captures excess fat, perfectly calibrated cooking. His time at Capitaine with Baptiste Day can be read in this French rigor applied to Chinese flavors.

The young chef has developed a cuisine he calls “recreational,” designed to be picked at and shared. His rice noodles of happiness, inspired by recipes from southeastern China, reveal an already very assertive culinary sensitivity. The melting marinated eggplants embody this rare balance between family tradition and modern interpretation. Even the spectacle of dishes flambéed with sake in front of the guests reflects this desire to create a complete experience.

A revealing detail of his approach: his desserts escape sugary overabundance to favor elegance and subtlety, always built around rice as the common thread. This consistency right down to the final bites proves that the Horiz concept is not just a fashion effect, but a successful gastronomic reflection.

This culinary requirement finds its natural extension in a global vision where rice structures the entire experience, from the plate to the glass.

Alexandre Lin: The Architect Of A Global Experience Around Rice

This culinary consistency finds its architect in Alexandre Lin, the older brother and true conductor of the Horiz identity. As restaurant director, he has designed a place where every detail tells a story: plant-filled decoration mixing modernity and subtle references to Chinese culture, without ever falling into decorative folklore.

His favorite playground remains the bar, where he has developed a bold signature cocktail menu. Rice here becomes the common thread of an unprecedented mixological exploration: rice spirits, sake, baijiu, and house infusions come together in creations that extend the culinary experience with remarkable consistency. The mocktails based on black rice kombucha, developed with a Parisian producer, demonstrate that the creative approach never sacrifices quality.

Even the alternative drinks menu bears witness to this accomplished vision: artisanal rice beer, Camargue wine with acidic notes. Alexandre Lin does not just manage a restaurant; he orchestrates an experience where each element dialogues with the others, from the plate to the glass.

This meticulous attention to detail creates a unique atmosphere that goes beyond a simple gastronomic proposal to touch on a complete sensory experience.

A Table That Combines Generosity, Precision, And Creative Freedom

This complete sensory experience finds its culmination in a culinary proposal that refuses compromises. Horiz seduces with its ability to surprise without ever giving up the pleasure of taste, embodying this new generation of chefs who dare to revisit their culinary heritage with respect and imagination.

The menu, deliberately playful, invites exploration and sharing in a spirit of authentic conviviality. Each creation remains rooted in a strong identity while allowing for bold modern interpretations. Rice noodles of happiness inspired by southeastern China sit alongside melting marinated eggplants, witnessing a sincere culinary sensitivity that draws as much from family recipes as from assertive French technique.

This duality structures the very DNA of the restaurant: the warm atmosphere never excludes technical requirements, the generosity of the portions dialogues with the precision of the cooking, and creative freedom relies on solid foundations. Even the desserts, low in sugar and elegant, extend this philosophy where balance prevails over flashiness.

Beyond the flambéed effects in front of guests and the crispy breading, it is this overall consistency that makes Horiz much more than just a Marais address: a table that embodies the renewal of Parisian Asian bistronomy.