Ramen at Menkui Tei in NYC, New York
I ordered one of their best sellers: the Hakata ramen.
It is made of a pork bone broth, straight noodles, roast pork, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, scallion, pickled ginger and sesame seeds. I also asked for a boiled egg, but I wished the egg was not cooked all the way through and that the yolk was runny so it mixes with the broth. I think the star of the dish was the pork: it was delicious! Tender and very tasty. I liked the broth, although the ones at Ippudo or Momofuku are far better and tastier. But still, it was a good dish! One last element that was nice was the ginger, that came through from time to time.
Menkui Te offers a nice alternative Midtown; It might not be the best ramen in town, but it is a good address to know if you are craving noodles!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To eat!
Kouign Amman at Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC, New York
Jodi and I went to Dominique Ansel Bakery after watching a segment on their Kouign Amman on the TV show Unique Sweets. The bakery, located in Soho, is heaven for anybody with a sweet tooth! Anyway, if you do not have a sweet tooth, they also have a lunch menu...
We went in the afternoon and we could clearly see that a lot of the cakes they made were already sold out! I was a bit disappointed because I was not only coming for the Kouign Amman, but also for the Paris-New York, a pastry that is a spin on a Paris-Brest (puff pastry with a hazelnut cream that I love - Dominique Ansel made it with peanut butter!).
Anyway, we came for their specialty: the Kouign Amman. So you probably wonder what this is! This is a cake from Bretagne, a region on the west coast of France, made with a croissant dough and layered with butter and sugar. If you eat it, do not tell your cardiologist because there is a lot of butter!
On the show, we got the impression that the Kouign Amman was small so we decided to order two of them...and a cake.
The Kouign Amman was divine! Buttery, flaky, airy with a bit of crunch from the sugar on the outer shell, sugar that caramelized for the most part. We literally inhaled it. I just wish they warm it up a bit as it seems it is the way to eat it. When I think that I had to come to New York to try it for the first time! It was expansive though: close to $6 a piece.
The cake we chose as the Paris-New York was sold out, was the religieuse.
A religieuse is a traditional pasty made of two cream puff stuffed either with chocolate or vanilla custard, topped by a chocolate frosting. Dominique Ansel made it differently: no chocolate but rose flower cream. Although I enjoyed the part with the frosting, I did not really liked the rose flower cream. So it was not the best choice.
With that, we got a hot chocolate to drink, but I found it too bitter...
I will definitely have to go back to that place to try their other pastries and have another Kouign Amman. I bet that going in the morning, for breakfast, would be the best time to eat them warm! Sacrebleu!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I just want to eat!
Bouchon Bakery in New York City!
Several people I know told me that I should go to Bouchon Bakery, located on the third floor of the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle. I went a first time to try their brioche and decided to go back! The place is pure madness, overcrowded by people trying to indulge on those delicate pastries and sandwiches that they sell.
For sure, it is small. But so good! It is buttery, airy and has a hint of orange flower that balances the flavor. I loved it!
Jodi went for the chocolate chunk cookie.
Yes, I wrote chunk and not chip and clearly, at the first bite, you understand that they are very generous with the chocolate! This cookie is decadent ! Although there is tons of chocolate, it is not too sweet. The cookie itself was chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Pure heaven! I would put it second after City Bakery!
I heard that their almond croissant is fantastic! Another reason to go back!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I just want to eat!
Vietnamese Food at Chapa's in NYC, New York
We passed by ChaPa's Noodles and Grill, a Vietnamese eatery, several times and each time, this restaurant was packed. So we decided to give it a try. In fact, we gave it two tries! The first time we went and picked various dishes and then saw many people ordering their Pho (a Vietnamese dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat); so we decided to go another time to try the Pho.
So, the first time we went, we shared several plates.
The crispy calamari or Muc Chien Don:
I loved it: the calamari was not rubbery, the batter well cooked and very crispy, not greasy at all. The sweet chili sauce gave a nice Asian twist to this dish!
The veggie dumplings - steamed:
I liked these: the main problem I have usually with vegetable dumplings is that the shell can be very thick. These were perfect and very tasty!
The crab cakes:
It was made of crab meat seasoned with green onions, lemon and panko crumbs. The sauce on top was a spicy lemongrass mayonnaise. Although not the best crab cakes I ever had (lots of filler and not as much crab meat as I like), it was a nice Asian version of a crab cake and the lemongrass mayonnaise was a killer!
The Vietnamese Crispy Rolls (Chia Gao):
Inside the fried rice paper, were pork, taro, mushroom, carrots and glass noodles. Although a classic dish as opposed to most of the dishes we had so far, it was pretty good and tasty; the kind of dish that has a certain comfort into it...maybe from the frying part...
The Fried Tofu Mon Chinh:
This was my least favorite dish! The rice is on the left of the plate and looked like a thin net made of rice that was tasteless. I guess the idea is to make like a crepe with it, but I probably did not do it correctly...
Then we had the Pho: the vegetarian one.
And the meaty one called the Super Bowl:
Both came very, very hot! The Super Bowl had shrimp, squid, brisket, steak and beef balls. I enjoyed the seafood, although not that much and hated the meat: it was tough and the beef balls tasted like some processed meat (disgusting)! Both dishes were just ok and did not have the wow factor I was expecting! Even the broth was missing some depth. It was disappointing.
Last, for dessert, we ordered each time we went the black rice pudding:
Yes, you read well: we ordered it twice! It was so good! The black rice had a great chewy texture and with the coconut milk, it was to die for! Too bad they do not put enough milk on it!
So I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. We had some great dishes and some others not that great. Considering the number of Vietnamese restaurants in NYC, I am not sure, even after writing this review, that I would go back...Although the black rice pudding is fabulous!
Enjoy (I did)!
Italian Doughnuts at Bomboloni in NYC, New York
I think there is a misconception in Europe about doughnuts! Yes, There are always associated to the US, thanks to number of movies were you see people (shall I say mainly from the police force?), eating them. They have nothing unique in the sense that many countries have a similar treat, but a different name. You do not believe me? Check this out:
- The sugar twist is called chichi in South of France. I had quite a few when I was a kid...
- Germany has the Berliner.
- Italy has the Bomboloni!
If you are curious to try a Bomboloni, go to...Bomboloni on the Upper West Side! This joint offers these delicious filled doughnuts with plenty of mouth watering flavors: coconut, nutella, creme brulee, tiramisu, apricot, strawberry...
Jodi decided to order the coconut one:
I ordered the Nutella one!
The doughnut itself was nice and airy. The fillings were good, although I would have liked to taste more of the Nutella! I certainly appreciated the fact that this was not too sweet!
It is definitely a nice treat and the creativity they show with their fillings makes me want to try more flavors...
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba in NYC, New York
The first time I had Ethiopian food was at Meskerem, that is just few steps from Queen of Sheba! As I explained in my post on Meskerem, we decided to try after hearing my cousin Jessica talk about the wonderful experience she had in an Ethiopian restaurant in New Jersey. We were also excited to try as we followed Marcus Samuelson during his appearance on Top Chef Master, where he tried sometimes to showcase some Ethiopian flavors.
So, if you do not like eat get your hands dirty, this is not the restaurant for you, although I am sure you can ask for a fork...But then you would miss the experience!
Jodi ordered the Sheba Vegetarian combination plate.
- Misir Wot: split lentils stewed with onion, garlic and blend of mild ethiopian herbs.
- Ater Kik Alecha: split pea cooked in onion, garlic and olive oil, mild yellow dish with a touch of turmeric and subtle blend of herbs and spices. It reminded me of yellow dal in Indian cuisine.
- Shiro: split peas milled together with a blend of berbere, herbs and onions, slow-cooked into a creamy dip.
- Shimbra Asa: chick peas flour molded dumpling style sauteed and cooked in berbere sauce.
- Gomen Wot: finely chopped collard greens cooked in their own steam with mild seasonings and olive oil. This was pretty good and well cooked as the collard greens were not bitter at all.
- Atakilt Wot: fresh string beans and long cut carrot cooked in tomato sauce with our rich blend of seasonings. This was just ok for me: the veggies were undercooked.
- Cabbage Wot: cabbage, potato and carrot cooked with onion and garlic, with a touch of turmeric.
On my side, I ordered the Taste of Sheba combination dish.
It was composed of:
- Yebeg Wot: freshly made lamb stew.
- Yebeg Alicha: a mild stew of diced and on-the-bone lamb.
- Tibs Wot: dices of lean beef seared on hot skillet then slow cooked in a hot berbere stew.
- Menchet Abesh Wot: lean beef grounded and cooked in mild green pepper sauce, red wine and jalapeno and seasoned with ginger and garlic.
- Menchet Abesh Alecha: lean beef grounded and cooked in mild sauce and jalapeno and seasoned with ginger and garlic.
- Zilzil Tibs: beef marinated in awaze, olive oil, red wine and stir fried with onions.
- Gomen Besiga: marbled cuts of beef slow-cooked in a mild onions sauce with chopped collard greens. garlic and blend of alicha seasonings
The best was the Yebeg Wot. Otherwise, I found the meat to be tough. I even think that I preferred the vegetarian platter!!! Go figure!
All of this was of course served with Injera that you use as your utensil to eat. It was pretty good.
There was definitely lots of unusual flavors. I liked the experience, but I guess this is not the type of food I would crave, contrary to Indian for instance.
Enjoy (I did)!
Pierogis at Veselka in NYC, New York
The restaurant reminded me a bit of Katz's deli, probably because of the decor that appears similar to what it was when they opened in 1954 (not that I was there), as well as the large crowd waiting for a seat. We went there at 11:30am on a Saturday and it was already packed! Normal: people came for breakfast in this 24/7 joint.
Although the menu offers traditional breakfast items such as pancakes, waffles or eggs, we decided to try typical Eastern cuisine dishes. We started off with soup. Jodi ordered a Matzo Ball soup.
Soups are homemade and we ordered the small portions. I was imagining smaller portions to be honest! This was a nice size for $4.75! The matzo ball soup was very good: the matzo ball was soft and tasty and the chicken soup, that contained some real chicken, was delicious.
The borscht was very good and you could definitely taste the beets that are used. It was served with sour cream that I dipped in the soup: fantastic!
We then wanted to try pierogis (dumplings). We picked cheese pierogis as well as potato pierogis.
We decided to get both pierogis fried so they had a bit of crunch on the outside.
Both dishes were served with homemade apple sauce and sour cream. The potato pierogis were also served with some delicious caramelized onions. I liked the pierogis, but definitely preferred the potato ones as the cheese ones were a bit bland, not because of the shell but because of the farmer's cheese they use, although there was some sweetness to it. I would have preferred a goat or swiss, but for sure, it would have nothing to do with Ukrainian authenticity...
In fact, I will retrieve the same farmer's cheese in the cheese blintze.
This was a disappointing dish as all I could taste was the cheese and the blintze itself was overpowered by it. Too bad!
So, although I did not like everything I ate, I will probably come back to Veselka to try some other dishes. I like the casual atmosphere and the very comforting food.
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I just want to eat!
The best Banana Cream Pie ever - Redeye Gill in NYC, New York
If you go to The Redeye Grill, it is not for their steaks or their seafood! Surprisingly, I would only go for one of the most delicious banana cream pie I ever had! Forget Billy's Bakery and just go to The Redeye Grill!!!
It is the third time I had this dessert and each time I was in heaven! Ok, I had steaks in the past and never tried their seafood. Except last week...When I went back for lunch. I like the decor of this restaurant that looks like a cafe and has a beautiful raw bar with an impressive selection of seafood: fish, shrimp, scallops, you name it! I started off with the Diver Scallops.
It was served with oyster mushrooms. The scallop (listen Gordon Ramsey!) was perfectly cooked with a nice sear on both sides. It had just enough salt on top and tasted fresh. The pairing with oyster mushrooms was fantastic and kind of elevated the dish.
Then, I chose the grass fed 8oz New York strip.
They dry age the meat for 28 days to tenderize it and accentuate the flavor. I asked for a medium rare temperature and got a medium to medium well one! As I had limited time, I could not ask for another one! The steak was dry for sure and I was really not impressed by it. It was served with French fries that were however very good! Note that the only sauce available besides ketchup is A1 steak sauce: they do not have other sauces like mayonnaise.
Then came the long awaited banana cream pie!!!
The piece they serve you is big! The crust is a graham cracker crust that was buttery and not too sweet at all. It was thick enough not to be lost in the overall dessert! They they have this heavenly creme patissiere that smothers the bananas and is topped by a probably homemade whipped cream. The first bite is an invitation to over indulge for sure! It is definitely freshly made and when eating it, you are not at all feeling a sugar rush. This is a hit!!!
I would probably go back to The Redeye Grill, skip the steaks (every time I went it was so so), order seafood and for sure eat that banana cream pie!!!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Totto Ramen in NYC, New York
Last year, I discovered ramen. So I was very excited to go to Totto Ramen, after the feasts I had at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ippudo. Each time we passed in front of this joint, there was a big line, so we definitely wanted to try it! If there is a line, there must be a reason!
We arrived at 11:30am, knowing that they opened at 12pm; there were already few people waiting. What you have to do is put your name on a list and they will call you to sit you. The place is very tiny, so you have to be patient and pray that people will eat quickly and leave, and that you will not have in front of you a group of people who did not see each other for 10 years and are trying to catch up!!!
So we sat at the bar. I like that because we had a direct view on the kitchen and were able to see the cooks making noodles, bouncing them up and down to remove the excess of water, as you can see on the video below.
We started off with the Char Siu Bun.
It is a bun stuffed with braised pork belly (char Siu) and tartare sauce. This was so so: like eating a blob of fat with just a little bit of meat.
Jodi ordered the vegetable ramen.
The presentation was phenomenal with all the colors. The dish was composed of a Konbu seaweed and shiitake mushroom based soup, with seasoned avocado, seasonal vegetables, Yuzu paste, sesame oil, salted kelp and lime. First of all, the avocado had a weird taste and the overall dish did not have a balanced taste, more like a potpourri in a soup (for a nice breath all afternoon?).
I ordered the Totto Chicken Paitan Ramen.
The dish is a chicken based broth with chicken, scallion, onion, char siu pork, and a nori. Jodi and I added a soft boiled egg to our ramen. I was very disappointed by my dish: the chicken was tough and bland and the soup tasted just like a chicken soup without any additional flavor that would make it different from a...matzoh ball soup!!! I guess the only thing I liked was the egg that was perfectly cooked, a bit soft with a runny yolk.
So, this was disappointing: I was expecting a festival of flavors, similar to our experience at Momofuku or Ippudo. So I will pass next time as it is not worth the wait for me!
Enjoy (the post)!
And remember: I just want to Eat!
Bibimbap at Miss Korea BBQ in NYC, New York
In our quest for the best Bibimbap, this fantastic Korean rice bowl dish, we decided to go to Miss Korea BBQ in Korea Town.
When we arrived in the restaurant, we were asked if we would consume alcohol. As we said no, we were sent upstairs, on the third floor (probably because their second location did not have a liquor license and they wanted to preserve the main one to their customers who would order some). They told us that this was the same menu and same cuisine. As the elevator was out of order and we proceeded to take the stairs. This was like going to a hidden and secret place, in these dark staircases (ok, maybe I saw too many James Bond).
When we arrived in the restaurant, we were asked if we would consume alcohol. As we said no, we were sent upstairs, on the third floor (probably because their second location did not have a liquor license and they wanted to preserve the main one to their customers who would order some). They told us that this was the same menu and same cuisine. As the elevator was out of order and we proceeded to take the stairs. This was like going to a hidden and secret place, in these dark staircases (ok, maybe I saw too many James Bond).
So here we are in the restaurant on the third floor! I do not know if the one downstairs has the same decor, but this one was modern.
Once we ordered our food, they brought us the banchan, these little plates that usually start a Korean meal. These dishes were not that great I have to say! The only thing I liked was the turnip and the fish skin. Otherwise, they had some fish that had a very strong taste and the kimchi was replaced by a bok choy salad that I did not really like.
They also brought us a soup made with a beef stock base (it was the special soup of the day apparently). The soup was just fine. Anyway, we were there for the bibimbap, so I did not mind not loving it!
For Bibimbap, they have a vegetarian one that is cold or a selection of hot ones, made with tofu & mushroom, beef, chicken, pork or seafood.
Jodi went for the tofu & Mushrooms. She asked for a raw egg also.
On my side, I asked for the kimchi and Bulgogi (marinated beef).
Although I appreciated the taste of the beef, the main problem was that they added seaweed to the bibimbap, giving a fishy taste to the dish. Without it, it would have been decent...
The mushroom and tofu bibimbap was a bit bland and definitely, after having tried some homemade tofu at Cho Dang Gol in NYC, it is difficult to appreciate store bought tofu!
So, definitely, Miss Korea BBQ is not the best bibimbap place we were looking for...I guess the quest continues!
Enjoy (no comment)!
Although I appreciated the taste of the beef, the main problem was that they added seaweed to the bibimbap, giving a fishy taste to the dish. Without it, it would have been decent...
The mushroom and tofu bibimbap was a bit bland and definitely, after having tried some homemade tofu at Cho Dang Gol in NYC, it is difficult to appreciate store bought tofu!
So, definitely, Miss Korea BBQ is not the best bibimbap place we were looking for...I guess the quest continues!
Enjoy (no comment)!
Cookies at City Bakery and Rocco's in NYC, New York
I guess this past week end was a cookie discovery, in the sense that we got to try some cookies for snacks. The first joint we went to is City Bakery; not that we went there for their cookies, but more for their hot chocolate. The second one, is Rocco's on Bleecker street.
City Bakery is supposedly known for their hot chocolate and I read recently an article ranking it best hot chocolate in the US. It said: "Made from pure melted chocolate bars and topped with homemade marshmallows, this thick hot chocolate is F&W editor in chief Dana Cowin's favorite version in the country".
So, here we are at City Bakery: the place is packed! We can see lots of people with a cup of hot chocolate, food and cookies. As we ordered, we could not miss the chocolate room behind us...Promising!
As well as the rack full of freshly made cookies in front of us!
It was a nice size and you could definitely see that there was a lot of chocolate! Not the type of cookies where you are looking for chocolate chips! This cookie was one of the best I ever tried! It was not too sweet, was chewy and heavenly buttery. The photo below will show you that they do not cheat their customers when it comes to chocolate:
The hot chocolate however was a bit disappointing...
It started well though! Imagine a cup full of melted chocolate with a homemade marshmallow in it. I was so expecting something scrumptious...It was not the case. I am not sure what chocolate bar they use or if it is because I ate some cookie before, but I found it just ok. It is not like the hot chocolate at Max Brenner where I drink a bit and then will finish it in few minutes. In fact, I left some of it, that is very rare with me.
The second bakery is Rocco's.
We were just walking in the street when we saw all these big cookies at the window!
Look at the size of the cookies next to the Linzer tarts! They had plenty of them: s'mores, twix, chocolate chip, dark chocolate chocolate chip, chocolate peppermint... And inside, it was as if we found heaven for sweets!
I ordered a twix cookie and Jodi a chocolate chip one. I took a photo of each of them next to a lemon, so you can see the size of it!
 |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie |
 |
| Twix Cookie |
I love twix and was pretty excited to try a twix cookie! Unfortunately, you could barely taste the twix. The cookie was not soft and not chewy, too sweet and lacking butter. The chocolate chip one was not better and tasted more like a crumbled vanilla cookie than anything else. They were disappointing.
I think the mistake with Rocco's is that it is an Italian Bakery, so we should have tried some Italian specialties such as cannoli or Napoleons. As for City Bakery, I would go back to try their other cookies or just get again their chocolate chip cookie!
City Bakery - 1
Rocco's - 0
Enjoy (I did)!
Fabulous treats in Paris, France
I could not end the posts on our trip to Europe without mentioning two fabulous treats you can find in Paris!!!
The first one is Angelina! If you like pastries and love hot cocoa, this is your place. Their most known location is across the street from the Louvre Museum, but it seems that they opened several other places, that might be good to know considering the line you can find in front of their main store.
If I go to Angelina, it is definitely for their hot chocolate, whether it is Summer or Winter! It is divine! It beats any hot chocolate you find at Max Brenner or La Maison du Chocolat and is literally melted chocolate. Trust me, you will need whipped cream to lower the strong chocolate taste and there is no need to order anything else, because it is so satisfying. I think I just drooled...
Angelina
226 Rue Rivoli
75001 Paris, France
The second one is the merveilleux de Fred.
We were invited for dinner by some close friends and, for dessert, they served some cookies that were fantastic! These cookies are meringue coated with whipped cream and shaved chocolate sold at Aux Merveilleux de Fred stores (addresses below). We tried two flavors:
- The Incroyable: meringue, speculoos biscuit whipped cream coated with shaved white chocolate.
- The Merveilleux: meringue, chocolate whipped cream coated with shavings of dark chocolate.
The common element is that these cookies were very, very light. It is bad in fact, because they are so good and light that you would eat tons of them! Between the two, I preferred the while chocolate one (the incroyable). Surprisingly, it was not too sweet (white chocolate is often) and had a more delicate taste compared to the dark chocolate one. However, I would not have guessed there was speculoos in it (people are crazy about speculoos in France!).
People love the Merveilleux de Fred and it seems that there is often a line in front of the stores, but it is worth it based on what we tried! I hope the Chef, Frédéric Vaucamp will have the great idea to open a store in the US!!!
Paris
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
7 rue de Tocqueville, 17th arrondissement
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
129 bis rue Saint Charles, 15th arrondissement
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
29 rue de l’Annonciation, 16th arrondissement
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
94 rue Saint-Dominique, 7th arrondissement
Belgium
Aux Merveilleux
Lippens Laan 99
8300 Knokke
UK
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
88 Old Brompton Road
SW7 3LQ London
(South Kensington)
Opening 2013
Enjoy (I sure did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Last dinner in Paris at Le Franc-Tireur
Our last night in Paris, it was pouring outside, so we decided to find a restaurant close to our hotel. As we wanted something reasonable, we wandered around and found a brasserie called Le Franc-Tireur. What I like about brasseries is the casual atmosphere you will find inside: casual with an eclectic crowd (business people, students, retirees, tourists...). And usually, the wait staff is shouting the orders...
So, we sat in the dinner area and they brought us the ardoise (slate) with the items of the day, as well as the regular menu.
It was good and fresh, different from the usual goat cheese salad.
On my side, I got the rumsteak (rump steak) with French fries and bearnaise sauce.
I asked the steak to be cooked medium-rare. It was not the best piece of meat I ever had, but it was pretty decent. The fries, although made from frozen ones, were good: crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
We, of course, wanted to end the meal with a dessert and got the mi-cuit au chocolat avec de la creme anglaise.
It is a chocolate fondant cake with a vanilla bean sauce that would please any chocolate lover! It had the bold taste of dark chocolate, that paired well with the delicate taste of the sauce. Loved it!
This last dinner was delicious and simple. A good address to know only if you are close by as this food is typical brasserie food and you can find it all over Paris.
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Le Franc-Tireur
34 Rue d'Armaillé
75017 Paris, France
Crepes at Le Petit Josselin in Paris, France
I promised Jodi that, as we were in France, we would go to a Crêperie to eat a crêpe. We ended up at Le petit Josselin, located rue de Montparnasse. This street is quite interesting as it is full of Crêperies, as if we were in Bretagne, although I have never been there...
So, here we are, entering the place; immediately on the left is the area where they are making crêpes. Of course, I cannot miss the piece of butter sitting there...very promising...
And, in the back of the photo, you can see a crêpe, with a darker color indicating that the flour used is buckwheat, making it slightly heaver and tastier. In fact, the crêpe is called a galette.
Jodi ordered the three cheese crêpe, stuffed with emmental, roquefort and goat cheese.
On my side, I ordered the savoyarde, made with reblochon cheese, potatoes, cream and chives. It had prosciutto on top.
I could also taste the campagnarde:
It was stuffed with eggs, cheese, potatoes, cream and chives, and topped with bacon. A bit similar to the savoyarde.
The galette itself was crispy and from the three crepes, I preferred the three cheese one. But overall, it was very good!
Of course we could not leave without any dessert! We ordered the crêpe avec de la creme de lait that is in fact a crêpe with dulce de leche.
The batter for the sweet crêpes was different from the savory one. It was of course sweeter. It is possible that for the sweet ones, they used milk in the batter, whereas for the salty ones, they may have used beer (it also makes the batter lighter).
This crêpe was very good; this is how I like to eat dulce de leche: not too thick and not too much so it does not overpower the entire dessert.
I also tried the Grand Marnier crêpe that was flambee...
I can tell you that after that, we were full and we did not need to get a treat anywhere...Le petit Josselin is a good address to know. In fact, when we arrived, only couple of tables were taken; but when we left, the restaurant was full and people were waiting outside!!!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Le Petit Josselin
59 Rue du Montparnasse
75014 Paris, France
Jodi ordered the three cheese crêpe, stuffed with emmental, roquefort and goat cheese.
On my side, I ordered the savoyarde, made with reblochon cheese, potatoes, cream and chives. It had prosciutto on top.
I could also taste the campagnarde:
It was stuffed with eggs, cheese, potatoes, cream and chives, and topped with bacon. A bit similar to the savoyarde.
The galette itself was crispy and from the three crepes, I preferred the three cheese one. But overall, it was very good!
Of course we could not leave without any dessert! We ordered the crêpe avec de la creme de lait that is in fact a crêpe with dulce de leche.
The batter for the sweet crêpes was different from the savory one. It was of course sweeter. It is possible that for the sweet ones, they used milk in the batter, whereas for the salty ones, they may have used beer (it also makes the batter lighter).
This crêpe was very good; this is how I like to eat dulce de leche: not too thick and not too much so it does not overpower the entire dessert.
I also tried the Grand Marnier crêpe that was flambee...
I can tell you that after that, we were full and we did not need to get a treat anywhere...Le petit Josselin is a good address to know. In fact, when we arrived, only couple of tables were taken; but when we left, the restaurant was full and people were waiting outside!!!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
Le Petit Josselin
59 Rue du Montparnasse
75014 Paris, France
Fondue at L'Assiette aux deux fromages in Paris, France
What I really enjoy in the Winter is a cheese fondue. Not sure I would call it a Fondue Savoyarde or une fondue aux fromages as there is a debate between France and Switzerland as to who made the first cheese fondue...In New York, my favorite places for fondue are Artisanal and for a low key and a rustic atmosphere, Kashkaval.
In France, a lot of people like fondue and it is not rare to be invited to a fondue party, because it is easy to prepare, fun (if you drop the bread in the cheese, you should have a dare) and delicious. The most common mix of cheese is Comte, Beaufort and Emmental. But, sometimes, people go to the fromager (cheese store) and ask for some cheese to make fondue, ending up with various ones as the combinations are endless. At home, I have in fact a fondue pot that is electric and sometimes buy a fondue mix that is convenient and pretty descent!
So, back to my trip: Jodi and I wanted to eat a fondue! We went to one of our favorite spots in Paris: rue Mouffetard. It is a narrow street made of cobblestones. At night, it can be crowded as people go there for the multitude of restaurants you can find: traditional French to Iranian! Looking around, we decided to go to L'Assiette aux fromages. It was not the first time and the last time we went, we had a pretty good meal!
I like the place: warm with its wood all over that reminds a bit of a chalet in the mountain. The big blue cow in the middle of the main dining room is surprising though...
We decided to order a traditional cheese fondue.
We were three people to eat it and there was enough for four! The fondue was perfect: unctuous with a hint of kirsh. When you eat fondue, you are always dipping your bread few times to make sure you catch a maximum of cheese...
Besides the bread, they had the great idea to give us some lettuce, potatoes and cured ham.
I was surprised that they served potatoes and cured ham as it is more for another specialty based on cheese called raclette. This was a very good idea! That way, we could make combinations such as potatoes and cheese or potatoes and ham and cheese, etc...And clearly, these potatoes were fantastic! They had a bit of crunch from the roasting that was delicious.
If you do not like fondue, the restaurant offers other specialties such as the reblochon tart:
or a bavette (flank steak), served with shallots, that was descent.
Definitely, the food and the atmosphere gave the impression we were at someone's place, until they brought the check...
If you are in Paris and would like to have a nice diner or enjoy some cheese, L'assiette aux fromages is for you!!!
Enjoy (I did)!
And remember: I Just Want To Eat!
L'assiette aux fromages
25 Rue Mouffetard
75005 Paris, France
website unavailable at the time of this post.
Fantastic Lunch at Le Train Bleu in Paris, France
The place is incredibly beautiful! These photos speak for themselves!
The paintings on the walls and ceilings attest of the history of the site and are the result of the work of famous painters who did a magnificent job. So going there is not only about food!
Another particularity of the restaurant is polo the cat.
According to a wait staff, the cat came one day and never left. You see him wandering around the restaurant quietly, without bothering at all the customers and not begging at all. I guess that he is probably well fed there!
I started off with foie gras.
For the main dish, Jodi ordered the grilled filet of beef, served with Béarnaise sauce, mashed potatoes with fresh Tomme cheese.
This was very good! The meat had a nice sear and was very tender. The mash potatoes were to die for! Very creamy and cheesy.
On my side, I ordered the Piece of beef of Salers that is a highly graded steak.
It had a delicious wine sauce and was served with a fabulous gratin dauphinois (potatoes au gratin). The meat was also very tender, but I would have liked it a bit more cooked.
I also tried the Scorpion fish (rascasse) and white flesh of scallops à la plancha, creamy shellfish risotto, cuttlefish ink dressing.
This dish was incredible! I did not have Scorpion fish for years and I have to say that this was very good! Silky and flaky. Each of the components of the dish gave another dimension to the dish: the risotto was so creamy and hearty and the scallops perfectly cooked. There was definitely an explosion of flavors that made me regret to have picked steak instead of this remarkable dish.
Then came the time for dessert. I ordered their Baba au rhum that I tried few years ago.
Baba au rhum is a yeast cake that is saturated with rum and served with whipped cream. It all started with this put on the table:
Some rum from Martinique.
Then came the cake. It was a cylinder that they cut into two and they then poured a large amount of rum...
Jodi ordered their lemon and lime tart.
It was served with some homemade meringue cookies. The cake was very buttery and the lemon and lime part was very tasty and creamy, not too sweet that is often an issue with lemon tarts.
I finished the meal with an expresso that served with a meringue cookie and a homemade madeleine.
I can tell you that we were full after this feast! Le train bleu will always be in that special place that is...my stomach...
Enjoy (I surely did)!
Le Train Bleu
Gare de Lyon
1 Place Louis Armand
75012 Paris, France
http://www.le-train-bleu.com/uk/index.php
Couscous at Chez Bebert in Paris, France
Couscous and tagines are North African dishes that are very popular in France, not only because they are good, but also because it is the type of specialties that you cannot make easily at home as they require some special pots. For instance, a couscous is made in a double chamber steamer, called couscoussier, that you can also use...for dim sum...Some people cook the semolina by bringing water to a boil and then pouring it on it, but I can ensure you that it does not have the same taste and the grain is not as light as when steamed. There are plenty of restaurants serving couscous and tagines in Paris. One that is popular and has few locations in the city is Chez Bebert.
We went to the restaurant Porte Maillot as it was close to our hotel and therefore very convenient. The place was packed for a Wednesday! I could not believe it!
The decor was traditional and there was a certain ambiance, although I was glad that no belly dancers popped up and asked me to join them dancing!
After we ordered some nice wine, they offered us some aperitif.
It had different components, some spicy, some not. For instance, there were carrots cooked with cumin, olives or some brick a la pomme de terre (in the center, it is a feuille de brick similar to phyllo dough, stuffed with a denser version of mash potatoes).
Then, Jodi ordered a tagine de kefta aux oeufs et petits pois.
Tagine is a moroccan dish that is cooked covered in a clay pot. So it was a meatballs (kefta), eggs (oeufs) and peas (petit pois) dish, smothered in a light tomato sauce. It came extremely hot! This dish was fantastic! The meatballs/Kefta were very tasty and not dry at all. The sauce definitely absorbed some of the taste of the meat. A great dish!
On my side, I ordered the couscous Bebert, served with merguez (lamb sausages), lamb and chicken.
First, they brought us the veggies in a big tagine pot made of copper. They lifted the lid and we then discovered the vegetables (carrots, potatoes, beans and chickpeas), the sauce and the hot sauce called Harisa. Then, came the meat:
I really enjoyed the merguez that were not spicy and the lamb kebab that was extremely tasty. The chicken was perfectly cooked and very moist.
With all this came the semolina or couscous. What you do to assemble the dish is that you put some couscous in your plate, then the veggies, the sauce and hot sauce and then the meat. It is a very hearty meal, with nice bold flavors thanks to the strong taste of the lamb. I loved it!
We finished up with a delicious mint tea served with a little show on the video below.
This was a great dinner and there was a lot of food! Definitely a good address!
Enjoy (I did)!
Chez Bebert
277 Boulevard Pereire
Paris
Dinner at Le Relais de Venise - L'entrecote in Paris, France
Last year, in March, I had a fabulous dinner at Le Relais de Venise in New York (check my post about Le Relais de Venise in NYC, NY). The restaurant was an emanation of a restaurant in Paris, with an interesting concept: they only serve steak frites, but with a secret sauce that some say is made with chicken liver...
So, as we were in Paris last month we decided to go to the original restaurant, located Porte Maillot. The concierge of the hotel told us how to go and warned us not to be scared by the wait! We were fortunate and only waited 10 minutes, having to share our table with a complete stranger (we just had to imagine it was a communal table) so we would not have to stay in the cold until a table for two was available.
The restaurant was a bit different: no dimmed light, more casual but with the staff wearing the same maid uniform as in New York. So, ordering was simple: just tell them what temperature you would like for your steak and order wine or water. It translates by this way on the table's paper cloth:
It says: Bouteille d'eau large (large bottle of water), A Point (Medium) and Saignant (Medium rare).
Similar to New York, they started off by bringing the house salad.
A simple salad made of lettuce and walnuts.
Then, came the steak and French fries!
The French fries were divine: soft in the inside and crispy on the outside. The steak was very good with a preference for the medium rare one rather then the medium. In fact, you always get two servings, but as Jodi has a small appetite, they proposed to give me her portion. I could not refuse: it would have been rude! That is how I ended up trying a third portion of steak frites cooked medium...
One element on the plate that was interesting was the sauce: contrary to the one served in New York, it was less concentrated, separated, but had a similar smooth taste. I loved it!
Of course, we needed to end up the comparison with dessert! We ordered the vacherin that was the same dessert I tried in New York.
This dessert is a succession of meringue cookie and ice cream, topped with whipped cream and swimming in a chocolate sauce. We inhaled it!
If I compare the two restaurants, I would say that:
- The French fries are similar.
- The meat is better in New York.
- The sauce is slightly better in New York because more held all together.
- The vacherin dessert is better in Paris because less sweet and with a better quality ice cream.
Regardless, this is a great place and I will definitely go back. It is a fantastic concept that in fact Chef Spike Mendelsohn is thinking of copying in a way (yes, I watched Life After Top Chef...).
Enjoy (I did)!
Le Relais de Venise - L'entrecote
The evolution of food in France?
If you recall, this year, I wrote a post about MacDonald's adapting their sandwiches with the Mac Baguette (post about the Mc Baguette here) and even had the chance to try it. So, when we went to Paris this time, I noticed different signs that were pretty interesting considering how France is proud and conservative about its cuisine! For instance, similar to Mac Donald's, Subway is also adapting:
I saw this ad in the subway for a sandwich made with raclette cheese.
Also, I was surprised to see how Starbuck became popular. I remember how, few years ago, it was a big deal when Starbuck opened its first location in Paris: people thought that they would fail because of the culture of cafes. Well, this time, I noticed so many Starbucks around and they were packed (I noticed them in London but cannot comment on it...)!
or bagels!
In fact, when I lived in Paris, I used to go to a hot dog place that was also serving Ben & Jerry's ice cream with my friends Caroline and Arnaud. We loved it: it was so unusual.
The last surprising thing we notice was all these vending machines in the subway!
So definitely, the culture of food is evolving in France!
Enjoy (I did)!
Italian dinner at Montpeliano in London, England
For our last dinner in London, we ended up at Montpeliano. In fact, we were not planning on going there, but just found this place as we were going to Harrod's to see the Holidays' decorations.
So here we are in this restaurant that had an old fashioned atmosphere rendered mainly by walls full of black and white photos of celebrities like Frank Sinatra.
The menu offers traditional Italian dishes. So, as it was after we had our treat at Fortnum and Mason, we decided to go light...
Jodi ordered some homemade tagliatelles with a butter and parmesan sauce.
The pasta were fantastic: soft and eggy. The sauce was to die for! Creamy and tasty.
On my side, I ordered my test dish: linguine a la Vongole.
What is funny is that I always ask for parmesan and the waiters always look at me as if I have 3 heads! The pasta were perfectly cooked, al dente. The clams tasted fresh and there was a nice quantity of it. Last was the broth: I always ask the white one, that is made with white wine. It was delicious and tasty, but I have to say that the best I ever had was at Morandi in NYC! But it was definitely good!
We skipped dessert, but I am sure they had some good ones there! It was definitely a good dinner. A bit overpriced though...By the way, they make you pay a cover charge...
Enjoy (I did)!
