Eating Out - Paris and Beaune, Nov 2007

Happy New Year! I know I have not been updating my blog.... my mom is undergoing radiotherapy (finish by end-Jan 2008) and chemotherapy (complete by June 2008). She is taking her condition pretty well and going to the hospital daily for her treatment without any fuss. It takes a strong person to want to be well.

Will talk about Christmas and New Year later; below are some pics from my trip to Paris/Beaune last November.

Le Bistrot de Marius
6 Ave George V
75008 Paris
T +331 4070 1176

Steamed baby lobster with lemon butter - lobster flesh was sweet - and I didn't care about getting my hands all dirty cracking these babies - simplicity is an art - just lovely!
Pan-seared scallops with julienned garden vegetables - plump and juicy

Due to la greve (the strike) in France, I couldn't venture too far from Les Halles where I stayed - the traffic was crazy!! It takes ages to go anywhere by taxi as a result of the traffic jam. So, I ate where my legs could take me... and my legs being lazy and at the same time, having to deal with news about mom, I moved about Les Halles area only.

I actually had dinner at Au Chien Qui Fume on rue Pont Neuf but did not take pics as I was with a client. The oysters were deliciously brine-y and fish soup was great as well. I was told that their steak is also good. Can't say that of my foie gras that was accompanied by mushrooms-filled canelloni pasta. Too bad the client wanted oysters and wine. The combination of food was definitely too rich.

The next day, I ventured out on my own to take a walk - got a call from family - mom's test results was out - not good news.... still, I know she would want me to be strong for her. I decided to go to a quiet place than the usual busy restaurant. So, I asked the front desk at hotel to make reservation for my lunch at Kong.

Kong Bar
1 Rue du Pont-Neuf Paris
T +331 4039 0900
http://www.kong.fr/

Complimentary bread
View from where I sat - see the LV logo on the facade? View from resto is spectacular- food is OK but not memorable. Food looks better than its taste. And the light filtering into the resto makes picture-taking a breeze - and it's recommended that you wear your most fashionable sunnies when you lunch at Kong.

Stress makes me want to eat all the time.

Salade de crabe à l'avocat & son crabe royal - Avocado and crab salad with King crab leg (EUR19) - looks can be deceiving as this little dish can be very filling due to the richness of crab and avocado.
Soupe miso aux fruits de mer - seafood miso soup (EUR13) - my favourite dish of the day - lapped up every single drop of the broth - but then again, being a soup fan, I am biased.

Foie gras poêlé pomme Fuji - Pan-seared foie gras with Fuji apples (EUR26) - very generous helping of foie gras (too generous, in fact). It was just ok. Garden vegs that came with the foie gras - totally unnecessary as it didn't go well with it. Total bill came up to EUR70 which is pretty expensive for a casual lunch (though I dare say, the guests at Kong are a beautiful, stylish lot... except moi, Ha!).

La Creperie Saint-Honore
24 Rue du Pont-Neuf Paris
T +331 4026 4354

I admit I had too big of a lunch at Kong Bar, so I thought that I would just get myself a crepe for dinner having smelled the warm aroma wafting in the air near the creperie.

My all-time favourite crepe is chocolate and bananas! A cup of chocolat chaud - hot chocolate, a Vittel and a crepe for EUR13.10. Savoury crepes are also available but somehow, I can't imagine myself having a non-sweet pancake : an egg crepe, for example... just doesn't do it for me....

An hour after the crepe, my tummy was rumbling and I had to look for food yet again. This time, I was craving seafood and that brought me to :

Au Pied de Cochon
6, rue Coquilliere
75001 Paris
T +331 4013 7700
http://www.pieddecochon.com/pagePlan.php?lang=en

(Picture taken from their website)

Le Plateau de Fruits de Mer ( 1 personne ) EUR36.60
3 Fines de Claires Moyennes, 3 Creuses de Bretagne Moyennes, 3 Belon Plates Moyennes, 4 Moules d'Espagne, 2 Palourdes, 4 Amandes, 1 Clam, Bulots, Vignots, Grosses Crevettes Roses, Crevettes Grises - Seafood Platter - I didn't like it - my craving for seafood was very quickly satiated by the oysters. The rest of the shellfish did not appeal to me. I should have gone for the pork feet which is basically their speciality (as you can tell from the name of the resto).

And it didn't help that the tables are all so close to each other that I had two single diners (one on my left and one on my right) who kept looking at me eating and talking to me. I gave up on shelling those grey shrimps and the smaller shellfish.

Before that I had the best bowl of onion soup ever! Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée EUR6.90. I can easily slurp down 2 bowls of the soup. And I don't even like onions! Go figure.

Be prepared to wait at the bar fo a very short while to get a seat as restaurant can be very full at meal times. Opens 24 hours.

As much as I enjoy traveling, I also look forward to going home after a trip. There is such comfort in taking a hot shower in your own bathroom and laying your head on your own pillow and snuggling under your own duvet on your own bed. It ain't no 5-star hotel yet home is such a warm place for me.

I almost always fly Malaysian Airlines so that I do not have to transit - though I was very pissed that they have scrapped the amenity bag as a cost-cutting measure.... Come on, how much cost can the little bag of mini handcream, lipbalm, toothpaste/brush, mouthwash, eyeshade and socks cost? We are already paying almost RM20,000 for a return ticket to Europe. Manage right : that's the key thing to do.

Satay with peanut sauce - still one of the better satays around.
Sesame encrusted sliced chicken breast - starter (meh, not a fan of chicken breast) - find them too dry.
Beef with stirfried veg and rice (if you have read my previous postings on inflight meals, you would know that I hardly ever eat the main course during flight). After >10 years of airplane food, it's very possible that one develops a phobia of pre-cooked-then-nuked food.
My fellow neighbour passenger was kind enough to snap a picture of his duck meal for me - I didn't have the heart to say no.
Ahhh! Saving grace is the silky creamy vanilla dessert encased in a chocolate pyramid shell with some tart redcurrants to balance the sweetness. You can trust the French to make a good dessert. I licked it clean (a very rare thing for me to do as I do not have a sweet tooth).
Did I say that I crave instant noodles when I fly? Here is a bowl of tummysaver for me.
Breakfast - Pastry and bread with fresh fruits.
Again, since the flight departed from Paris, the sweet stuffs are excellent, this pancake, for example. Chocolate-y, cinnamon-y, sticky goodness to wake up to.