La Brasserie Thoumieux

So J&I went out of our comfort zone of Bofinger and Le Chardenoux for our dose of red meat, and decided to bring Iz&M to Jean-François Piége and Thierry Costes's brasserie at Hôtel Thoumieux. Located on a tight narrow street in the 7th arrondissement, the hotel itself is quaint and full of charm. Step in and you are transported into old Paris, the brasserie noisy and dark, its clients chic yet relaxed.

The service was nothing more than what we expected from a brasserie. Our waif blond waitress banged utensils and almost threw our plates onto the table, but was polite enough that she didn't have to receive an earful from J. It didn't matter though, because my well cooked ribeye steak with bearnaise sauce arrived juicy and tasty. We shared (I should have ordered my own however) a Churros n Roll for dessert, a creative presentation of good ol' churros covered with pop rocks, served with melted chocolate and vanilla ice cream. YUMMY.

A highly recommended place for typical french bistrot food. Do however make a reservation, we went on a Sunday night and the place was jam packed until the wee hours.

Photos by Me
79 Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris

Joe Allen Paris

The New Yorker in me awoke last night, and I felt the urgent need to have a Sunday brunch. With II & ML in town until Tuesday, what better than a group of 4 in a typical American bistrot on a sunny albeit chilly Sunday afternoon.. We headed to Joe Allen, a reputable American restaurant, one of the "better" ones in Paris. We arrived exactly at 12 noon which was perfect, as 15 mins later the place was teeming with Americans and French diners alike.

The ambience was perfect, typically New York, in the center of Paris in the first arrondissement. Tables were napped and its bricked walls are adorned with framed posters. I literally felt that I was in New York! The menu looked promising, with its brunch selection ranging from pancakes to cheeseburgers to eggs. J without discretion immediately asked for the dessert menu and I eyed their cookies and cotton candy ice cream right away.

The food came pretty quick. Service was efficient and all the servers spoke English. In terms of quality, however, we were a bit disappointed. My BBQ grilled chicken came slathered with sauce which was great, but it was only to hide the fact that the chicken itself was very dry. The burger was acceptable at best (J prefers my homemade ones), and the fries seemed old. In general, we ate everything but did not have the intention to come back for the food, but maybe for the atmosphere.

By the time we left 1.5 hours later, the place was packed and there was a line waiting outside! Its a great place to hangout with friends for Sunday brunch, but don't expect a real New York brunch food experience..

Photos by Me
Metro: Etienne Marcel
http://www.joeallenparis.com/joeallenparis.com/Home_Fr.html

Week-end Eclairs at Fauchon

I have been MIA for quite sometime, but back to share with you a feast that my eyes and taste buds devoured yesterday, my 3rd day back from the summer holidays. J & I were at Fauchon, Place de Madeleine, to cater a surprise lunch that we were organizing for my mother in law's 60th birthday. As we were about to choose a birthday cake, we were told that cakes were limited as it was éclair weekend, a special event that occurs once a year.

An array of colors stood before us in the dessert counters, there must have been at least 20 different flavors of éclairs available. They were priced at €5 and up, depending on the intricacy of design and flavor. It took me awhile to choose only 10, in my excitement I skipped reading the labels and picked based only on looks, only to realize that I missed the milk chocolate and passion fruit éclair! No regrets, I have decided on my new favorites- speculoos, caramel with bits of hazelnut, and rainbow blueberry.

Sorry I didn't share this sooner, this event ended yesterday. However, Fauchon does regularly produce their regular éclairs, a favorite of mine includes their sumptuous caramel beurre salé.

Pictures by Me

Le Meurice Restaurant

A few weeks ago my BFF from NYC and her husband came into town for a few days and we unanimously agreed on a gastronomic weekend. You cannot get any better than any one of the 3 star restaurants of Paris, and Le Meurice was The Chosen One for that Friday night. Chef Yannick Alléno and his team succeeded in providing us the BEST dinner we have ever had in our lives.

From the ambience, to the food, to the service and everything in between, we have nothing but praises. We were delightfully surprised by each amuse bouche, each detail on our plates, and the breathtaking decor that was the hotel and restaurant themselves. The service was charming and impeccable without a hint of snootiness. The Chef himself greeted us at the door, and humbly led us to the restaurant where the Director of the Room took over.

We started the evening at 8:30 and left at 1am. The check came and looked like a booklet, and the boys didn't let us peek. In any case, this restaurant is definitely a place to celebrate something special, and we won't be making this a regular spot, as much as I would love to!

First photo from http://www.meuricehotel.fr/restaurant-le-meurice
Photos by Me

The Elegance Cake, Le Triomphe

After debating for a long long time whether I should be sharing this little secret with everyone, I decided.. why not! This is by far the best triple chocolate cake that I have ever tasted in my life. It is a neighborhood secret if I may say so, since it is only available in the 2 Le Triomphe bakeries in Paris.

A layer of dark chocolate cake, then a layer of milk chocolate goodness, then a chunk of white chocolate mousse, this cake is called L'Elegance for good reason. Not only is it good, it is beautiful. You won't find it in the touristic neighborhoods your guidebooks tell you to go to. The 2 bakeries are nestled in the residential 20th and 12th arrondissements of Paris.

The addresses are:
95 rue d’Avron 75020 PARIS
23 rue du Rendez-Vous 75012

Photos by Me

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made

Sorry again for ignoring the blog for so long! J & I just got back from a 9-day trip to New York City, my second city and second home. Only a 7 hour plane ride, we try to go back every time I start missing my friends like crazy. Since 2010 was such a busy year for us, this would be our first trip back since 2009. Nothing changed though, I still felt at home, I still chose a downtown hotel, and we still go back to Max Brenner even though we know how sick we feel after each time we eat there!

For those planning a major shopping trip, I highly recommend taking a trip to NY's renowned shopping outlet, Woodbury Commons. Many rent cars, but since we are not used to driving on the other side, I suggest taking a bus from Port Authority that costs $43 per adult. The trip is only an hour long, and the return trip is open and you get to choose when you'd like to go back to Port Authority. Don't forget to bring a little suitcase or a carry on bag to stuff all the shopping!

A NYC favorite of ours are little mini cupcakes Baked By Melissa. She has, literally, a "hole in the wall" stand in SOHO where each cupcake is sold for a dollar. (6 for $5.50 and 12 for $10). They are tiny, but oh so moist and tasty! My personal favorites are red velvet and mint chocolate chip. You must also checkout Shake Shack at Madison Square Park, where people can wait for hours just to get a bite of the juicy Shack Burger and their cheese fries.

I think I just may start a new blog just on New York! There are so many things to see and do, but I must say nothing would have been so awesome without my amazing friends! xxx

Photos by Me
Checkout: http://www.shakeshack.com/
http://bakedbymelissa.com/#
http://www.maxbrenner.com

Sainte-Chapelle

"The Palais de la Cité was the residence and seat of royal power from the 10th to the 14th centuries, and housed the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle which are now part of the Palace of Justice, the new function of the building. The Sainte-Chapelle was built between 1242 and 1248, in accordance with the wishes of Louis IX to house the relics of the Passion of Christ. The most famous of these relics was the Crown of Thorns, acquired in 1239 for a sum that greatly exceeded the cost of building the Chapel itself."

France is a country with a rich history of Catholism, and therefore many beautiful cathedrals, churches and chapels exists till today. This one however, deserves special attention, for despite its small size, its beauty captivated me a little more than the rest. In the Lower Chapel, there is a 13th-century fresco depicting the Annunciation, the oldest painting in Paris. My favorite however is the Upper Chapel, with its stained glass windows that depict 1,113 scenes of the story of mankind from Genesis to Christ's resurrection.

You will find long lines to the entrance of Sainte-Chapelle, but J & I figured out a way to skip the line! You need to walk down to the Conciergerie which is on the same street. Here, there are less people and you are able to buy twin tickets to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. With the twin tickets, you are able to beat the line for the bag check, and again beat the line inside for entrance tickets.

Photos by Me
Metro: Cité

Île Saint-Louis

To all Christian readers, Happy Easter! To those who aren't Christians but celebrate Easter anyways as an excuse to stuff self with chocolate eggs and bunnies, Happy Easter to you too! Sorry I have been ignoring the blog for so long, it has been so beautiful in Paris lately that I find myself outdoors more often then in front of my laptop. To those planning your Paris trips, good job, it seems like its the best time to be here. Temperatures range from 10-16 degrees Celcius in the morning and nighttime, and up to 27 degrees Celcius in the daytime. We will be getting bouts of rain next week, but its still going to be beautiful.

That said, J and I decided to take a touristy stroll on Saturday. Neighborhood targeted: Ile Saint Louis, The Place To Live if you really want to feel that you are in the Utopian type of Paris. Also the place to live if you have €20,000 per square meter to spend on an apartment. Yes I checked, since I wouldn't mind spending a year or two in this neighborhood. But one look from J said that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Anyways, Ile Saint Louis is one of the two natural islands situated in the heart of the city. It is mostly residential, the most prized apartments surely has a view of the Seine (and throngs of tourists on days like last Saturday). It has no metro stops and two bus stops, a bunch of restaurants and cafés, some interesting novelty stores, art galleries, a luxury second hand store, and what interests tourists the most, it is home to the luxury French ice cream and sorbet maker, Berthillon.

I counted four Berthillon stores within 2 blocks on this island. I ignored them all and headed straight to MyBerry who opened on the island only a few months ago. This is the real deal peeps, not the wannabe frozen ice creams that you find in KL. It is identical to Red Mango and Pinkberry in NYC, which says a LOT!

So I'm sure all guidebooks will take you here, its definitely worth a stroll on a weekday. Have a taste of Berthillon, and let me know if its worth it!

Photos by Me

Place des Vosges

Its official! Spring is here! What do Parisians do? Head over to any green space in the city to do nothing, and this is one of the hotspots. Place des Vosges is nestled in the Le Marais neighborhood between the 3rd and 4th arrondissements. It is a square surrounded by arched buildings that houses art galleries, restaurants and stores. It remains quite local, with few tourists stumbling across this popular hangout spot.

This square was built by Henri IV in 1605-1612 and was known as the Place Royale. Well known residents of Place des Vosges include Victor Hugo, Sully, Madame de Sevigné, and Marion Delorme*. Now, the apartments around the square are homes to trendy and edgy Parisians who spend money to look like they don't have any.

If you happen to be here, don't forget to stop by Eux dans l'Eau, located at 21, Place des Vosges. It is a cute little hat shop where you can get the most cliché of french berets for under 20€, and hats that are à la mode for 13€. I must say, J.L and I got ourselves each a hat and felt oh so cool walking around the hood!


* Wikipedia
Metro: Chemin Vert, St Paul
Photos By Me

La Cuisine Paris

So I have decided to learn to make goodies other than macarons, and finally decided on the french basic, the croissant. If my dream of opening a French cafe in Kuala Lumpur EVER come true, I would need to master this! This time around, due to fully booked courses at Le Cordon Bleu up until October, I decided to try another cooking school recommended by a friend. La Cuisine, situated in the heart of one of my favorite Parisian neighborhoods, provides short courses in English and French. For the traveling food and pastry lovers, what can be more perfect than learning how to bake and cook in the Paris?

The course that I took, "Le Croissant and Traditional French Breakfast Pastries" costs 90€ and lasted for 3 hours. As it was conducted in English, most of the 10 people in the class were tourists or on long holidays in Paris. It was fun, light, interactive, and useful. I have yet to reproduce what I learned in class at home, but I will as soon as I get back to my pre-vacation weight ;)

La Cuisine also provides courses in French cuisine, Organic cuisine, and Cuisines of the World. What I particularly enjoyed was the dégustation, or tasting session after the class. Over a cup of coffee, we had the chance to chit chat with each other and who knows, make a new friend or two.. The dining room overlooks the river Seine, and on a sunny day it provides a view fit for a postcard.

Checkout http://www.lacuisineparis.com

Metro: Hotel de Ville
Photos by Me