Paris Eats - Hero!

I have to give credit where credit is due. I didn't find Hero. I had no idea what it was or where it was. It was all Briana Masson.  The girl lives in Paris for 2 years and basically introduces me to every new restaurant in town.  She's back for a visit, so of course we are already on restaurant number 3 in "new ideas from Bri to try in town".  It's like I live under a rock.

Thank god for connected friends. 

Bref -

Last night we ate at Hero, a Korean-inspired restaurant located on rue Saint Denis. It's a little hole in the wall joint, made by the creators of Candelaria, Le Glass and Mary Celeste.  The vibe is relaxed, friendly, quirky and inventive - I loved it.

We couldn't pass up the cocktails - Bri got a Thug Life and I got Nice Legs:

I mean - how do you say no to this?

Then we grabbed a table, ordered a bottle of this:

Basically, it's a fermented, milky kind of saké, served cold. If I could remember the name, I'd definitely include it here because basically I'm going to order it every time I go. The perfect combo to the spicy dishes at Hero.

It's a tapas affair with sharing plates - which I'm not always a fan of - what can I say, I like my food for myself! But at Hero, there was plenty to go around - phew! A pro tip from FCC: Order one porc bun for everyone at the table. First of all, it's hard to share, second of all, you're not going to want to share its, that's how delicious this thing is:

There is some heat on this thing - jalapenos? Not sure - but you've been warned! I'm not sure my Frenchie Copain could handle it, but I thought it was delish.  The fried chicken is also a must - of course I went for the spicy option and was a happy camper.

The desserts didn't thrill me as much as the savory foods, but that won't deter me from returning to this great new Paris eats.

I loved the chill atmosphere, fair prices and strong, interesting flavors. The staff was welcoming and the bathroom was not only clean, but also had an air of luxury with the cloth hand towels, which is always appreciated by a weirdo like me. I just asked Copain to take me there for my birthday (why do I make his life so easy?)

Head to Hero for a relaxed night with friends, good (spicy!) food and good people.

Hero
289 rue Saint Denis
75002 Paris
Make reservations online (easy peasy)

Paris Eats - Clamato

I really wanted to like it. Really. That was totally the plan. But... I'm still hungry.

Friends and I met at the new-ish Clamato restaurant on rue de Charonne in Paris last night. We hummed and hawed over which delicious dishes we should order and settled on about 6 of them. We probably should have doubled or tripled that - but then we would have left spending 80 Euros each, instead of 56. Granted, I had four glasses of wine in there - 5 if you count that one I sent back because it was an organic wine that tasted not unlike fermented apple juice (why was this not written on the menu?).

I felt bad - I NEVER send food back. Just ask my friend who watched me suffer through pasta with rancid olive oil on top. She sent hers back - I suffered through all of mine and then felt like barfing. But this was different - this was wine that tasted like apple juice. I just couldn't do it.

In Clamato's defense, the food was absolutely delicious. Amazing mixes of flavors and creative food styling - 5/5 on that. My maple pie dessert was also delish and big ups for the absolutely divine crème chantilly - fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness. But service was so-so, the wine was "natural" but not indicated as so on the menu, and I was seriously hungry afterwards.  Maybe there should just be a sign that says - Order a billion plates, Spend a lot of money, Eat good food and Go home happy.

Alas, no sign.

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I totally stopped at McDonalds for a McFlurry on the way home. I know, sacrilegious. I'm a horrible person.

Then I ate 3 pickles on my taupe couch.

Then I ate 10 Sour Patch Kids.

Then I felt bad and went to bed.

Sigh.

Survey says - go to Clamato for really good seafood. But you know, just be aware that you'll have to Order a billion plates, Spend a lot of money, Eat good food....then you'll go home happy.

Paris Eats - Gettin' Brunchy With It at L'Echappée

I always feel a bit of pressure when it's up to me to propose a restaurant for brunch. Will the food be tasty? Will the service be good? What if the baguette is bland and the café is horrible and it's all my fault?  

When Dancer Friend suggested that we make plans on Sunday, I did a bit of Googling and found two options - L'Echappée and Café Rouge.

While I'd eaten dinner at Café Rouge, I'd never had brunch there (slight risk of failure), and L'Echappée was completely new (high risk! but recommended by Timeout ). The other l'Echappée plus- it is  conveniently located right down the street from my house! Always a bonus on Sunday morning when the last thing you want to do is take the metro! 

I ended up making a reservation for Café Rouge since l'Echappée had no tables left for six. But, at 10:30 on Sunday morning, as I was getting the pre-brunch coffee going chez moi, l'Echappée called to say that they'd had a cancellation and that we could come at 2 - parfait!

L'Echappée is not only a restaurant but a spa and yoga / pilates studio. You could easily miss the little black awning while walking along rue de la Folie Mericourt...

Upstairs in the restaurant, the ambiance is relaxed / urban cozy, with a combo of high wooden tables and stools and long table basse with couches and lounge chairs. A wall of windows brings in natural light, and the buffets of delicious sucré / salé are the perfect start to a lazy Sunday.

For 25 Euros we had:

Bottomless coffee, tea and hot chocolate
A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh baguette, jams, butter, honey and Nutella
Fruit salad (with pomegranate seeds...yummy)

A plat du jour - choice of vegetarian lasagna, a zucchini and chevre tarte, or scrambled eggs and home fries

An "all you can eat" sweet buffet - rice pudding, crème brulée, moelleux au chocolat, apple almond cake, mango cake, berry pie, flan, fromage blanc, muesli...

An "all you can eat" savory buffet - selection of cheeses, soup of the day (that particular Sunday was pumpkin soup)

and crêpes for dessert! (as if you'd have room!)

coffeeeeeeee

with cinnamon! (this alone earns them 10 extra brunch points from me)

crème brulée on the buffet sucré

cheese platter - (after we had gone in for serving number 1)

Feeling like a delicious brunch in a relaxing setting? (great service and bathrooms too!)

L'Echappée
64 rue de la Folie Mericourt
75011 Paris
Tel: 01 58 30 12 50

Metro: Oberkampf (line 9 and 5), Parmentier (line 3), Saint Ambroise (line 9)

Paris Eats - Pause Café Brunch!

Despite how close we live to Pause Café, I'm only been there twice now. The cafe appeared in Cedric Klapisch's film, Chacun Cherche Son Chat and as a result, is always crowded. Usually when I'm hungry, I just can't wait one more minute to eat, so crowded (read: waiting) is not something we shoot for.

This time, however, we made a reservation for brunch (what a concept!) and there was no waiting to be done! We showed up to hipsters and poached eggs - a great combo for a Sunday morning.

photo credit

I took a bunch of breaky photos, but my Iphone is having a minor breakdown and they are nowhere to be found.  My super-duper descriptive writing will have to do...

Brunch was 19.50 Euros per person and included the following:

• fresh-squeezed OJ
• big mug of coffee or tea (big is relative, it was actually what I would call "normal")
• basket of baguette and mini-pain au chocolat / croissant, butter, jams and a jar of organic Nutella-like spread (Copain had a field-day with the nutella spread).
• poached egg on an English muffin
• mesclun salad
• country potatoes (that were kind of like giant fries)
• greek yogurt sauce (that we dipped the potatoes in)
• yogurt with a mango drizzle and fresh fruit chopped up inside

Pluses: we were definitely full afterwards and the food was basically good. I especially liked the yogurt and fruit (it had pomegranate seeds!) and the poached egg. It was close to our house which meant no metro or biking, and the vibe was relaxed Sunday - 20 to 30 somethings, babies, strollers, chatter.

Minuses: the baguette was nothing special, just your run of the mill baguette. Same for the pain au chocolat and croissant - nothing that took my breath away. Coffee was not bottomless. We did get extra coffees, but the server made a point of telling us that she was making an exception (even though I offered to pay for my extra order...). I'm more of a bottomless coffee kind of gal...but what can you do?

Conclusion: for only 19.50, it's a great place to meet with friends in a chill atmosphere. Also, when I called for a reservation and told them that a baby would be eating with us, they made sure to give us a table that had room for a stroller next to it (not always easy in Paris!). As long as you don't go into it expecting food that is to die for and are mostly going for the ambiance, you won't be disappointed. Note: I have also eaten dinner here and I would say that the dinner food was much better! Also, the desserts were delish! You may even run into Romain Duris, who I definitely saw having an espresso on the terrace here once...

Feeling like a hipster brunch?

Pause Café

41 rue de Charonne

75011 Paris

Tel: 01 48 06 80 33

Metro: Ledru Rollin (line 8)

Paris Eats - Chipotle in Paris!

What? Chipotle in Paris?! 

I know, weird, weird, weird, but surprisingly DELICIOUS. Somehow Copain convinced me to 

A. eat at Chipotle 

and 

B. watch Django Unchained in a movie theatre.

It's like I don't even know myself anymore.

I ordered a burrito with barbacoa (marinated beef), chips and guac, and a Mexican beer. Copain also got a burrito, but with steak instead. Each burrito was 9 Euros, and was sooooooo tasty. How have I not been here before?

Because it's Chipotle in Paris, that's why.

Okay, I'll admit it - My name is FCC and I love Chipotle. 

Even in Paris.

In the mood for some Mexican grill? (just nod your head yes...trust me, you want this)

Chipotle

20 Boulevard Montmartre

75009 Paris

Tel: 01 45 23 12 54

Metro: Richelieu-Drouot 

Paris Eats - Azabu Style

Copain and I recently went to Azabu for his birthday lunch. We'd heard about it and had almost eaten there in the past, but we weren't in a big spending mood at the time, if you get my drift.

Now that I've gotten a taste of Azabu, I wish I'd tried it earlier - it is soooo good. Like, I don't care that this lunch is setting me back 60 Euros, good.

It's the tiniest little restaurant, located just off of rue Dauphine. There are maybe 15 seats on the main floor and about 10 seats downstairs. Normally, you probably need reservations, but somehow the stars were aligned and we got two seats at the bar.  

I'm assuming that the universe wanted Copain to meet Jacques Chirac.

Like most Japanese restaurants, they bring you a hot towel to wash your hands, and while you salivate over the live-cooking in front of you, they explain all of the delicious dishes you can choose from. We had Japanese tourists on our right eating seared duck, and Jacques Chirac's security agents to our left eating to-die-for looking shrimp and veggies.

So basically, there was no going wrong here.

Copain went with the flash-cooked red tuna steak and I went for the shrimp - because if it's good enough for Jacques Chirac's security agents, it's good enough for me.

The lunchtime menu was 29 Euros and we were served the following:

-a little mise en bouche seaweed and small potato creation (looked interesting, tasted good, didn't really know what the heck I was eating).

-a small custard soup with mushrooms, a mini egg yolk (I think??) and seafood

-a small salad with sesame seeds, seaweed and a delicious dressing

-main dish : rice bowl, miso soup bowl, 5-6 shrimp, mix of veggies - perfectly arranged and oh-so-tasty, little side of Japanese pickles.

Then we got to choose between a coffee or ice cream - either green tea or sweet red bean. We got the ice cream - duh. Copain got green tea and I got sweet red bean - both were super bon.

Beyond the whole, food being good part, there's also just the gorgeous aesthetic of the restaurant. Everything is presented just so, the dishes are beautiful, the chef only prepares food from tiny plates for individual servings. I mean, Copain's glove fell on the floor and the waitress picked it up and presented it to him like it was a Cartier necklace that had fallen on the ground. Like whoa.

I could get used to Azabu.

I'm pretty sure the prices go up for dinner service, but if you are in the mood to treat yourself to something wonderful, I think it's worth it (and so does Copain, which is saying A LOT). Clean, great service, a complete food experience really, what with the whole live-cooking bit going on as you wait.

Want to try Azabu (and maybe meet Jacques Chirac?) - 

3 rue André Mazet

75006 Paris

Tel: 01 46 3372 05

Metro: Odéon

All photos from Azabu website.

Paris Eats - Taco Tuesdays at La Taqueria!

Ok, so maybe it was a Wednesday, but no matter - you've got to try La Taqueria whenever you get the chance!

This snazzy, little restaurant facing le parc du quartier not far from chez moi, was recommended by a Mexican-American who has made it his Parisian mission to find the best taco in town.  Obviously he knew what he was talking about, so I had to give it a test run. I've not had great luck with good Mexican food in Paris, so if this came with recommendations (and was right by my house!), how could I not try it?

Copain and I invited two friends (also a Franco-American couple, who would enjoy an authentic taco just as much as we would!) and ran through buckets of rain to get to the resto. (We really wanted tacos)

We were the first ones to arrive and learned from the one guy holding down the fort, that the restaurant had only been there for a year.  We ordered some guac and Coronas (with lime!), and by the time they got to the table, the place had started to fill up with a mix of French and international eaters.

Here was our dinner (minus the gooey, chocolate dessert that I forgot to get a photo of...):

deco

we dug in - obviously

taco / quesadilla plate for two!

Long story short - great tacos! We paid about 25 Euros each for two beers per person, guacamole to share for four people, a two-person plate with six tacos and three quesadillas per couple, plus a dessert to share per couple as well. Voila!

La Taqueria
20 rue du Général Guilhem
75011 Paris
Tel: 01 56 98 05 18
Metro: Saint Ambroise (line 9) or Saint-Maur (line 3)

Paris Eats - Café Rouge Style

Saturday night was date night in the Cannes Cannes household and I'd been itching to try out Café Rouge ever since I had an apero there a few weeks ago.  Just check out this ambiance:

The restaurant is three levels of candlelit tables, cozy chesterfield leather couches, twinkle lights and Marais hipsters - what's not to love?

When we got there at 8:30, there were plenty of tables and we were seated right away - Copain thought I had chosen a dud restaurant because there were only about 3 tables of people actually eating.  But as soon as 9:30 rolled around - BOOM! The place was hoppin' - all three levels were full of groups who had finished their long apéritifs, rolling in for un diner au resto.

I got the brochette de St Jacques (scallop kabob) with rice and veggies and Copain got the tuna with rice. White wine and a shared café gourmand finished off the night. The scallops were divine, the white wine was too light (but that's our fault - we were cheap), and the café gourmand, though small, was actually just right (a tiny fondant au chocolat, tarte tatin and éclair au caramel). Our final bill was 61 Euros - so not cheap, but it felt like a real dinner out and not one of our everyday standbys.

Brochette de St Jacques in a white wine sauce

I love restaurants that get the ambiance part right!

I hear that Café Rouge has a great Sunday brunch with activities for kids (not that I have kids, but for you mamans out there who want to get brunchy with it but who don't have a nounou!)

Want to try out Café Rouge?

32 rue de Picardie

75003 Paris

Tel:  01 44 54 20 60

Metro: Temple (line 3)

Paris Eats - Oh Mon Cake!

In an effort to avoid the millions and millions of people taking advantage of les soldes on the rue de Rivoli, Copain and I took the rue Saint Honoré on our way to la Madeleine on Saturday (he got to pick up his new watch, a gift from his maman and papa for his 30th birthday). 

I'd heard of the rue Saint Honoré, but never really paid attention to whether I was taking that particular street or not (sometimes I wander without paying much attention).  Saturday, however, I was VERY aware that I was on the rue Saint Honoré - fur coats, designer It-bags, fancy cars - it was like the back street version of La Croisette - great for people watching even if you can't afford anything!

Just as I was starting to get a bit hungry, and just as I began planning my request to stop for a crêpe somewhere, I looked to my right and saw Oh Mon Cake! Did you just say cake? Um, yes, don't mind if I do! Thankfully, Copain was on board for a cake adventure, so we stopped in to try it out.

How cute is this place?

The minute I saw carrot cake in the window, I knew it had to be mine. Behold my (okay, our) carrot cake and latte:

Paris Eats - Chinese Style!

For our first Parisian weekend in 2012, Copain and I decided to try a new restaurant that we've had on our radar since last year: l'Orient d'Or. We happened upon it when we were searching for a restaurant before a one-man show performance at Théâtre Trévise , but they were packed and we couldn't get a table. We promised ourselves that we would go back, and on Saturday night, we did.

This time, we made reservations so that we were sure to get a spot - I highly recommend reservations! I was impressed with the menu, which was actually a book - very hip, I say. Inside were stories about the chef and about the Hunan region. The traditional cooking style from Hunan is this particular restaurant's specialty.

Fancy menu

Paris Eats - Sushi Style

It's not often that I'm willing to trek to the 14th arrondissement for dinner out - but somehow, Copain convinced me that this sushi would be worth it.  And you know what? He was RIGHT.

When we arrived, we checked out the menu in the window and tried to decide what we would order.  A girl outside smoking a cigarette overheard our conversation and told us that the place "was excellent" and that we should definitely eat there.  So... we did.

It was full, full, full, all the way to the back - we were lucky to get a seat at the sushi bar! The servers and the sushi chefs were the real thing - Japanese all the way (right down to the very cool pony tails they were sporting).  Copain practiced his Japanese (learned from watching too many Mangas), while we waited for our food:

Our view of the goods

We got two platters - one sashimi and one sushi with the "superior" fish. Why go to sushi if you're not going for superior sushi?!

Close up on the sashimi

Close up on the sushi

The service was very friendly and the sushi, which was made right in front of us, didn't take long to be served.  We were in sushi heaven.  We also got some miso and rice to round out the meal.  

If you are looking for a delish, authentic sushi experience, go to Toritcho!! (Also, make a reservation - we were super lucky to find a spot at the bar, but next time, we are going reservation style).

Toilet report: I was very impressed with the "Sani-siège" in the women's bathroom (a self-cleaning toilet seat!), but I didn't want to push the button to see if it worked.  Toilet rating: thumbs up for Paris!

Toritcho

47 rue du Montparnasse

75014 Paris

Tel: 01 43 21 29 97

Metro: Gaïté (line 13), Montparnasse (lines 4, 6, 12, 13) or Edgar Quinet (line 6)

Paris Eats - Bo Bun Nem Style!

My Very Parisian Friend is a genius I say! Yesterday she suggested that we meet up for a Bo Bun over at Saveurs d'Asie in the 5th arrondissement - you see, it's her hood, la pauvre. We had been here together once before, but I hadn't taken photos or taken note for the ol' blog. When I got there, she was already one beer in  while at the same time, sporting her super-chic St James sweater. I love her, I tell you.

Behold mesdames, messieurs - the amazingness of The Bo Bun Nems!

Yummy sauce, beef, vermicelles (rice noodles), mint, lemongrass, cucumber, salad, carrots, nems - and the clincher - peanuts on top! 

Saveurs d'Asie is a funky little place, hidden down in a little niche on Place Maubert. You literally have to go down about 6 steps to get there.  If you're lost, ask anyone who looks chic enough to live in the 5th arrondissement where to find the place with the best Pho soup or the best Bo Bun. I had to do this once and it totally worked! Everyone knows this place - it's that good people.

Besides the whole, hidden aspect of the restaurant, you should also know that there are two sides to it: one side (the left) is a "cantine" - low key, no ambiance, very tiny; the other side (the right, duh) is an actual restaurant.  I've been to both and I'm not sure why, but for some reason, the cantine rocks it so much more than the restaurant. Go cantine all the way!  Take note, however - the cantine is not open for dinner! Also note, if you need to use les toilettes, they are only located in the restaurant, so you may have to take a little trip next door. 

My Very Parisian Friend and I both got the Bo Bun Nems for 11 Euros each - totally worth every euro.  Then, for dessert, we got my favorite, which I have also tried to recreate at home. I can't for the life of me, remember the name of the dessert, but basically it is tapioca, bananas and coconut milk, sprinkled with peanuts and served hot.  To Die For OMG. I only took a few bites because afterwards, I had big plans to eat waffles with my favorite kiddos in Paris! But wow, did I want an entire bowl for myself. 

Tapioca yumminess at the top of the photo, my café crème at the bottom...

Feel like treating yourself to a Bo Bun?  Here you go!

Saveurs d'Asie

29 Place Maubert

75005 Paris

Metro: Maubert Mutualité (line 10)

Paris Eats- Korean Style

I was on my way to Higuma the other day when I came across an amazing Korean restaurant with my friend Sunny.  The place was getting packed, the prices looked good and the smell was ah-mazing.  We ditched the Higuma idea and went to Guibine instead - thankfully they had a table for two!

The menu looked not unlike the Bible.

We got lots of little veggie add ons to top our Korean barbecue, including Sunny's favorite, kimchi. (yum!)

Our beef and veggies arrived uncooked...and then our server turned on the heat and started mixing all of the deliciousness up for us.

Rice was served in this little bowl - kimchi makes an appearance in the upper left-hand corner.

Here is our beef and veggies all cooked and ready to be enjoyed.

I'm so excited to have another rue Sainte-Anne favorite! By the time we were done, a line was forming outside the restaurant, which leads me to believe that we found a hot ticket.  The meal for both of us together was 37 Euros (we didn't get any drinks).  I think that's pretty reasonable for a delicious meal cooked right in front of you.

The ambiance was cozy and the servers were definitely on top of it, despite the busy night. I will be back - c'est sur et certain.

Guibine
44 rue Sainte-Anne
75002 Paris
Tel: 01 40 20 45 83
Metro: Opera, Quatre-Septembre or Pyramides

Paris Eats - Getting Brunchy With It!

For my copine's 33rd anniversaire, I took her to a brunch at A Priori Thé located in the covered passageway, Galérie Vivienne.  I had been there once before, but never for a brunch, and the whole package sounded fantastique.


Behold our lovely brunch:

The entrance to the passageway

We opted for inside seating, but you can also enjoy brunch on the terrace

This is what you see when you look up...

Even the floor is beautiful

Brunch first course: mini cornbread, scones and muffins, fromage blanc with raspberry coulis, tea (with milk for me!), freshly squeezed orange juice, butter and jams

Brunch second course: we both got zucchini stuffed with chèvre and pesto, tapenade with roasted noisette (hazelnuts) on top and fresh tomatoes

Brunch third course: I got the cheesecake with lemon zest, coconut and raspberry coulis; my copine got the double chocolate brownie....to die for.

The ambiance is cozy, service is friendly, food is delicious! Be sure to reserve - I've tried to pop in numerous times without one and it's not the way to go. Brunch was 30 Euros each and to be honest, we could have shared just one; afterwards we were sooo full.  We were there from 12:30 to 3:45pm...in other words, give yourself lots of time to grub and digest!

A Priori Thé

35-37 Galerie Vivienne

75002 Paris

Tel: 01 42 97 48 75

Metro: Bourse or Palais Royal

ps - We took a walk through Palais Royal to digest take in the scenery...beautiful!

Paris Eats - Un Diner Presque Français

Copain and I were invited to a Franco-Américain dinner party last weekend entre amis.  It was a dinner of the potluck variety, which was hard for Copain to understand, but once we got there I think he got the idea.  We were asked to bring the apéritif, the hostess was in charge of the main course, another friend brought the accompagnement, another the dessert and so on. Everyone brought une bouteille de vin.  The theme for this particular repas was français or presque français since we Americanized the organization of it all! (potlucks are fun!). Check out our fabuleux French dinner...

Boeuf bourguignon, gratin dauphinois and vin rouge - Julia Child style!

Fromage!

Fromage that got too close to the stove...

Homemade éclair au chocolat (isn't this impressive of my copine??)

Un gateau fondant au chocolat... with perfect nappage chocolat

Close up on the éclairs

My very own slice of fondant -and no, I did not share, even when Copain asked me to.

Un petit café to complete a perfect meal (made in a French press no less! ha!)