Got a text message from JM. He had missed his connecting flight in Hong Kong. Had to fly through Rome and then onto Paris. But he was determined to make it to lunch at the Tour d’Argent. Who wouldn’t be? 20 hours later we are here. Abnormally beautiful warm weather in Paris for early November…
Category: Paris
Those Brittany boys….
“White and purple !!” I exclaimed, truly shocked. “Where do these sea urchins from?” “Brittany.” Replied Colette “I’ve never seen anything like these !” “Neither have I.” She admitted, almost as shocked as I was by her own remark. If Colette has never seen these, they must be REALLY rare. We order 2, one white and one…
Colette and the sea urchins
No one picks out sea urchins like Colette. She’s got it down to an art. Picking them up delicately and with the slightest shake of the wrist, she weighs each one in her knowing hand. Oui, là, ils sont bien pleins (yes, these are nice and full). She says it with a sparkle in her…
Saturday morning breakfast @ Batignolles Organic Market
On cold blustery days (the kind we’ve had a lot recently) the tarps covering the market stalls look like they’ve been pulled extra-tight together, huddling up close in solidarity. On the nicer, sunnier days, there is a little jazz trio playing notes that dance with the patches of sunshine through the alleys of the market….
Tang, Coquilles and St Julien
I’ve mentioned Resturant Tang before as one of my absolute favorite places in Paris. I know a lot of his dishes, but on my last visit, he surprised me with this scallop and spicy soy sauce recipe. Scallops (Coquilles St Jacques, in French) are in season now here in France. It is rare to find a…
Tang : Bordeaux with Chinese food
Taro root with white truffle oil This is one of his signature amuse bouches. The sweetness of the taro is a perfect vehicle for the gamy complex (almost intoxicating) truffle. Noodles with shitake mushrooms Very South-East Asian in style. Some small shrimps in there gave a delicate taste of the sea. And shitakes don’t give…
Le Chamarré de Montmartre: magic from the islands
I happened to be tasting through the wines of Thierry Despres, of Grande Maison in Monbazillac. Whose wines can rival the most expensive and notorious sauternes at a fraction of the price. I know. I’ve done blind tastings before and Grande Maison was the ringer. The spiciness of his wines actually went quite well…
Last rays of summer sun at Sonia and Carlos
I like this place for its simple, homey food and atmosphere. Although Giles Chiraiaux (owner and chef) has a printed menu, the black board has the daily suggestions and is the way to go. Starters are very traditional, with home made head cheese, rillettes, cruditées etc… I got the MCB which is Mache, celerie…
Dutournier’s Carré des Feuillants luncheon menu: a 2-star steal
His pistachio and trout roe amuse bouches were superb. The bitter-sweet aspects of both ingredients married perfectly. The prawn, melon and curry combo was interesting. The prawn was just slightly over cooked, but the sweet melon and the bitter curry fantastically enhanced the prawn. The oyster with sea-weed was very zen and true…
Random find: L’Entêtée, a pleasant surprise
I fell upon this restaurant on a side street off of the pedestrian rue Daguerre, an area of Paris that I know very little while running an errand in that part of the 14th. What caught my eye was the Chablis they had by the glass: the 2006 Moreau Naudet (…I know, I have selective…
Sunday lunch at La Tour d’Argent
Number One: The Tour d’Argent has the best wine list in Paris and is one of the top 10 in the world. The wine list is a veritable book in which wine lovers and afficionados can plunge with pleasure (and motivation!). The sommeliers of the Tour d’Argent, led by David Ridgeway, are extremely capable, knowledgeable…
Restaurant Le Diapason moves to its summer quarters on the roof top Terrace
Arguably the best restaurant in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, a stones throw away from the bustling rue des Abbesses, the excellent Diapason restaurant moves into its summer quarters on its unique roof top restaurant. Up and coming young chefs who have trained in some of France’s top restaurants have created a fresh and exciting…
Best Bouillabaisse in Paris @ Charlot : Le Roi des Coquillages
Best Bouillabaisse in Paris @ Charlot : Le Roi des Coquillages Usually it is served in 2 different times : First the soup (liquid part) with the Rouille (which means ‘rust’ in French is made from garlic mayonnaise-like sauce) and cheese on toasts that you put right into the soup. This is a very thick red…
Saltpepperlime 