Krung Thep - Paris

Thai food is definitely a favorite of mine and no one does it better than Krung Thep in Paris. Yes, in France!

I had heard about this so called "dive" from many other bloggers and several restaurant rating websites and decided to try it out on my last trip to Paris. Although this place is tucked away on a side street in the 20th Arrondissement area called Belleville, it was not a dive in my book. This was an elegant and tasteful restaurant with a unique seating arrangement in joyful colors and an authentic Thai vibe throughout.

Even though it takes a tad of contortionism to place one's bottom and legs correctly into the communal table environment, once settled I was pleased by the food, the service, the dishware and decor, the ambiance and the company around me.

First of we ordered the pork satay which was cooked to perfection and accompanied by a delicious peanut dipping sauce. Next I devoured my Gang Khiew Whan Ghai ( Green Curry Chicken ) and Jasmine Rice that had real Thai vegetables that were delightfully fresh and not at all overcooked. Of course we sipped on Singha Beer which creates a perfect balance between the tangy and spicy and refreshes the palate. Other dishes I was delighted to witness were the Tom Kha Gai with Shrimp and the Ginger Beef, both quickly consumed by the delighted customers beside me.

I had read some scathing reviews of this place but I disagree. I will definitely return to Krung Thep for more tasty goodies in the future.

Khob Kun Kha!

Bouillon Racine

Gluttony was the word and feeling du jour after visiting Bouillon Racine in Paris....

escargots, red wine, crunchy baguettes, fois gras with fig jam, suckling pig, melt in your mouth agneau in a cocotte with drinkable sauce..creme caramelle! Miam miam!!

I'm still rolling in the luxury of it all! This fine meal was enjoyed in the company of delightful crew members. What a better way to live than to find oneself in Paris, after working all night, snoozing for 4 hours then amongst kindred spirits, relaxing in the art deco ambiance and savoring life's delicacies.

I love my job!

Higuma

You might say, why would one eat Japanese food while visiting the City of Lights? Well, when you've lived in Paris for many months, visited there for over 26 years and layover for work in Paris more times then you can count and sometimes more than once a week ( like me ) then eating food other than French is just a normal way to live.

Do you eat a Hamburger in the US everyday?

How about Wienerschnitzel in Germany over and over? Not so much!

So when I get that urge for good, filling, tasty and inexpensive food, I usually grab a few friends and head to Higuma. After waiting in their quick but consistent line, you can escape with stomach and pocketbook full at around 12 euro tops, 17 with beer...;)

This is a typical Japanese place, very similar to the places I've frequented in Narita. You select between lamen (noodle), donburi (rice) or itamemono (saute) bowls with your choice of meat and veggies. The sets come with salad, miso soup and pickled veggies. Big bottles of their only available beer, Asahi, are a must.

For authenticity go to their rue Ste Anne location and for modernity, the Palais Royal location. Both serve identical menus and please the palate, every time. Arigato!

Bistro Incroyablement Bon!

Wow, another great Paris layover with some excellent bistro fare. Le Baribal near Metro Pasteur was a hit with all four of us. I got the suggestion from another traveling francophile recently who raved about the Escalope de Veau au Roquefort. She was more than right. The rich and slight crustly Roquefort cream sauce smothered the succulent veal escalope accompanied by thin green beans and pommes de terre. All washed down with red table wine, we were all soaking up the extra sauce with the crusty french baguette slices. I was so glad to be able to share this wonderful meal with 3 others since I'll start to fly to Rome again starting next month...Cabonara here I come. Stay tuned!

Je vous embrasse.

Paris news and Photo giveaway!

Back from Paris again and a wonderful meal at one of my favorite restaurants in the Bastille area, Chez Paul, on rue de Charonne.

We started some 'coupes de champagne' and a delightful 'salade frisee aux lardons avec un oeuf poche' and some 'escargots', followed by some amazing 'steak au poivre et gratin dauphinois' all washed down with, of course, 'du vin rouge'.

I'll be posting some more distant images of my Paris experience soon!

I'll be posting links to my favorites places in Paris under 'Paris favoris' to the right. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I must share the great meals I have with others so they can also enjoy the non-touristy places that I frequent. Enjoy!

Your comments to this post will enter you into my Photo Giveaway...PLEASE NOTE:

FOR ALL GIVEAWAYS, FOLLOWERS OF MY BLOG WILL BE GIVEN 2 ENTRIES FOR THE DRAWING

I'll randomly select a winner that will announced next week! Stay tuned...

Rue du Faubourg Montmartre

I'm back from one of my weekly trips to Paris...a few of the girls joined me at one of my favorite restaurants in Paris, Le Bouillon Chartier on rue du Faubourg Montmartre. There are many streets in Paris with the names starting with 'Faubourg'...they led to former 'suburbs' surrounding the old walls of Paris. This one leads to Montmartre and to the hilly area, home to the Sacre Coeur church and Place du Tertre.

Faubourg is an ancient French term approximating "suburb" ( now banlieue ). The earliest form of Forsbourg, derived from Latin foris, 'out of', and Vulgar Latin ( originally Germanic) burgum, 'town or 'fortress'. Traditionally, this name was given to an agglomeration forming around a throughway leading outwards from a city gate, and usually took the name of the same thoroughfare within the city.

Many Parisian streets have retained their ancient denomination in spite of city growth; today it is still possible to discern pre-1860 delimitations in Paris by marking the point where a thoroughfare's name changes from rue to rue du faubourg. For instance, the rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis used to be located outside of the city wall and was an extension of the rue Saint-Denis within the walls. The rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and rue du Faubourg de Montmartre came about in a similar manner.