Desiree Koh:
September 22, 2010. The first Le Fooding stop was at Chez Marie Louise in the 11e - it's really named for the street it's on; the bistro is by Pierre and Christophe.
Desiree Koh:
The first entree of roulade de lapin et toasts a l'oive noire - very interesting slices of rabbit rolled in an aspic, of which the bunny's gristle was obviously a part of. I can't say I ever like aspic, but I'm glad I tasted this.
Desiree Koh:
The second entree of terrine de foie gras de canard a la Mouna. The best part of this was the honey brioche. I swear to the stars that I have never had a better brioche in my life.
Desiree Koh:
My exceptional main course of rognons de veau, orrechiette aux feves et basilic - roast veal kidneys with pasta, fava beans and basil all stewing in organ flavor. A good kidney does not bleed on your plate, even as it is eaten raw. And goodness, the flavo
Desiree Koh:
My mom had the dos de cabilland poele et cocos de Paimpol, a cod fillet braised to just under fully cooked in a coconut sauce inspired by the coast of Bretagne. She found it rather a bit too salty, although the texture of the fish was excellent.
Desiree Koh:
My first dessert in France ALWAYS must be a creme brulee - which in this case was a maison a la vanille bourbon. It is absolutely my favorite dessert, but so few places get it right. Christophe did - that lace of bourbon won me over immediately.
Desiree Koh:
September 23, 2010. I ate an entire baguette sandwich by myself each day. I love baguette, and I think the French make the best bread in the world. This boulangerie, Mekerke, made a killer sandwich and also that salad of beets and carrots. And yes, I actu
Desiree Koh:
Le Fooding stop number two was at Stephane Jego's l'Ami Jean, which was far more amazing than dinner the first night.
Desiree Koh:
Sorry, no fancy French names here - I neglected to note it down because we were busy making friends with a couple from Colorado next to us. This was braised frog's legs with roasted chanterelles in garlic butter - my mom LOVES cuisses de grenouille and sh
Desiree Koh:
I had roast duck leg over a bed of polenta and surprisingly, pieces of cuttlefish. I'll tell ya what - I didn't care. There was not a lick of food left on my plate. Whatever my spoon couldn't receive, pieces of bread did. It was that good.
Desiree Koh:
We shared a main course of a steak (beautifully rare) with foie gras (sorry - I cannot resist).
Desiree Koh:
Monsieur declared theirs the best rice pudding in the world, so we ordered it. So far, their proclamation is correct - a huge ice cream bowl of light but still creamy pudding in a tapioca base with rice, and caramelized walnuts, almonds and peanuts to spr
Desiree Koh:
Our new friends Jenn and Mark from Colorado - Mark is a technical mountain climber and has summited all but two of the state's 57 peaks. He will finish them off next year and then... Kilimanjaro!
Desiree Koh:
My mom got a parting kiss on the lips from chef Stephane at the end of the evening - yes, you bet this was her favorite bistro of the trip!
Desiree Koh:
A tiny, compact but efficient kitchen, commanded by chef Stephane. It was mind-blowing to watch everyone in action - like dancers in great coordination, shifting from one stove to sous counter and back gracefully. This is real dining, my friends.
Desiree Koh:
September 24, 2010. I adopted a new boulangerie for breakfast this morning, mostly because it's on the way to Gare du Nord, where we took the RER train to Parc des Expositions everyday. Really good - everything here is organic and very pure-tasting.
Desiree Koh:
An evening jaunt down to the Seine en route to the Cathedrale de Notre Dame. Paris never fails to make the heart stop and beat faster, all at the same time. A little bit of Rive Gauche here.
Desiree Koh:
And, so as not to play favorites too blatantly, the Rive Droit.
Desiree Koh:
The cathedral - no chance to play with the gargoyles this time, but just as amazing to take in nonetheless.
Desiree Koh:
I had dinner with the Kirk Originals girls and we strolled le quartier Latin a little bit before selecting Le Tango du Chat for dinner. Mainly because there was a painting of a black cat outside.
Desiree Koh:
Snails. Good thing they are slow and pokey, all the quicker to catch them!
Desiree Koh:
Raclette - irresistible! I single-handedly ate every slice of cheese on my platter.
Desiree Koh:
Potatoes...
Desiree Koh:
For proper raclette dripping.
Desiree Koh:
A very mediocre creme brulee, I'm sorry to say. I originally wanted an upside down apple tart, which they were out of. It was poorly torched, as you can see, and the custard a touch too cold. Blargh.
Desiree Koh:
September 25, 2010. So, so amazing and serendipitous to be in Paris at the same time as my good friend Hope! Aperitifs at Le Forum, where I had this Luxury Vanille cocktail - champagne with vanilla essence and laced with a citron.
Desiree Koh:
Le Fooding stop number three was at Afaria, in the non-descript 15e but at the hands of very, very outstanding Julien Duboue. Andres selected this pinot noir from Bourgogne - great.
Desiree Koh:
One of the entrees at the table was a generous smattering of shellfish prepared Mediterranean style served on a bed of straw. If anything, the presentations here were pretty cool, but never distracted from the cuisine. This was truly amazing. I almost wis
Desiree Koh:
I had opted for the boudin noir Napoleon layered with apples and dusted with mustard breadcrumbs. I have never quite tasted anything like this blood sausage - it was hard to finish it on my own, it was THAT rich. But it was out of this world.
Desiree Koh:
This entrecote de blonde d'Aquitaine, frites et bearnaise (which I barely touched - meat this good does NOT need a sauce) has made it onto my very select list of Best Steaks Ever Eaten In My Life.
