[Paris] Yam’Tcha

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[Paris] Yam’Tcha

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Yam’Tcha

Add: 4 rue Sauval, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 40 26 08 07
Hours: 12~3:30pm, 7~10:30pm (closed Sun, Mon & Tue lunch)
Website: www.yamtcha.com
Price: [lunch] €60~100/set [dinner] €100 [tea/wine pairing] €20~45
Visited on: Nov 2012

The name “Yam’Tcha” conjures up images of boisterous dim sum joints in Hong Kong, but that’s far from what goes on in this dainty little restaurant near Le Louvre. Chef Adeline Grattard (a fellow Ferrandi graduate, by the way) worked under Pascal Barbot at L’Astrance before spending two years at Bo Innovation, a 2 Michelin stars restaurant in Hong Kong famously known for its ground-breaking Chinese dishes. Now back in Paris, Chef Grattard is creating her own blend of Sino Franco cuisine, which has received much enthusiastic acclaim including one Michelin star soon after the restaurant opened.

The restaurant decor is warm and casual, with Chinese elements dotting here and there.

A special feature of Yam’Tcha is its tea pairing option orchestrated by Chef Grattard’s husband Chiwah Chan, who is Cantonese by origin.

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[Paris] Laurent Duchêne

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[Paris] Laurent Duchêne

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Laurent Duchêne

Add: 2 rue Wurtz, 75013
Tel: 01 45 65 00 77
Hours: 7:30am-8pm (closed Sunday)
Website: www.laurent-duchene.com
Price: €4.5~5.5
Visited on: Nov 2012

Where might one find  the butteriest, flakiest, crispiest croissant in Paris, you might ask? As this is a question of utmost importance, a jury of professionals meets annually to elect a list of “best croissants of Paris”. In 2012, the number one spot belongs to Laurent Duchêne, a Pâtissier M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) with a simple shop in the 13th arrondissement.

But of course, other than croissants, Laurent Duchêne also has on display a range of other lovely products…

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[Paris] Carl Marletti

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[Paris] Carl Marletti

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Carl Marletti

Add: 51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 31 68 12
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 10am~8pm [Sun] 10am~1:30pm (closed on Mon)
Website: www.carlmarletti.com
Price: €4.2~5.5
Visited on: Nov 2012

In Carl Marletti’s small and only boutique, jewel-like pastries spread out in neat and seemingly endless rows. Oh, it’s simply impossible for me to decide which of these beauties to pick! If you are like me, ask the friendly store staff for explanations, and be prepared to come back multiple times to try them all.

If this Marie-Antoinette (€5.10) reminds you of Pierre Hermé’s Ispahan, you are most certainly right. The two are similar in construction – both are macarons sandwiching fresh raspberries and rose cream – but Marie-Antoinette is composed of raspberry (instead of rose) macarons, lacks the lychee flavor in Ispahan, and has an extra dose of raspberry in the form of confit.

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[Paris] Sola

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[Paris] Sola

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Sola

Add: 12 Rue de l’Hôtel Colbert 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 29 59 04
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 7~10pm
Website: www.restaurant-sola.com
Price: [lunch] €48 [dinner] €88
Visited on: Nov 2012

There’s a small army of Japanese chefs cooking away in Paris. Their particular way of handling food, oftentimes a creative fusion between French and Japanese traditions, has garnered some notable acclaims here in the capital of haute cuisine. A few that have been Michelin-approved include Passage 53 (2 stars), Kei (1 star), Hiramatsu (1 star), and Sola (1 star). Having had a lovely lunch at Kei, I decided to give the rest a try as well.

When making the reservation, I was asked if I prefer the “French room” or the “Japanese room”. Having no idea what each entailed, I chose the Japanese room, which I later found out to be located in the basement in a cave-like setting, where guests are requested to remove their shoes before entry. The French room, on the other hand, is just typical restaurant seating.

Like at Kei, guests are offered hand towels upon arrival.

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[Paris] Cafe Pouchkine

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[Paris] Cafe Pouchkine

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Cafe Pouchkine

Add: 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 42 82 43 31
Hours: [Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat] 9:30am~8pm [Thu] 9:30am~10pm (Closed on Sun)
Website: www.cafe-pouchkine.fr
Price: [dessert] €5~8
Visited on: Nov 2012

The resplendent boutique of Cafe Pouchkine, located on the ground floor of Printemps,  is not at all overshadowed by the luxury fashion brands surrounding it. Its line-up of pastries, mostly French classics infused with a Russian flair, attracts passerby with their dramatic colors, sensual forms, and lavish use of gold leaves. Real jaw-dropping, I tell you.

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[Paris] Eggs & Co.

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[Paris] Eggs & Co.

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Eggs & Co.

Add: 11 Rue Bernard Palissy 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 45 44 02 52
Hours: 10am~6pm (Thu 11am~11pm)
Website: www.eggsandco.fr
Price: [a la carte] €9~23 [brunch] €22~31
Visited on: Nov 2012

We all have our own particularities when it comes to how eggs should be cooked, and Eggs & Co., a small cafe in St. Germain-des-Pres, has got them all: en cocotte (baked), au plat (sunny side up), brouillés (scrambled), à la coque (soft-boiled), omelette, Benedict, Norwegian, Florentine, in a burger, served with red wine sauce…

The cafe first floor is tiny with only a few bar seats, but the second floor is more spacious with two rooms, one of which has a cozy loft-like atmosphere. VERY popular on weekends, reservation highly recommended.

The decor is consistently egg-y.

All brunch sets (€22~31) come with fresh orange juice, coffee/tea, eggs of choice served with oven-baked potatoes and mixed greens, pancake, and fruit salad. My friend chose eggs Benedict, poached eggs and bacon drizzled with Hollandaise sauce, served over grilled muffins. Not bad, not bad.

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[Paris] La Briciola

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[Paris] La Briciola

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La Briciola

Add: 64 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 42 77 34 10
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 8~11pm (closed on Sun)
Price: [antipasti] €8~12 [pizza] €9.5~16 [dessert] €6~8
Visited on: Nov 2012

I know, I know, you didn’t come to Paris to eat pizza, but once in a while we all get a bit tired of French food and need a change of scene. On one such evening, I happened to pass by La Briciola, a small pizzeria that’s known to fire up one of the best Neapolitan pies in town…

The combination of delicious pizzas with affordable prices makes La Briciola a very popular place. Reserve, or come early.

Start with a glass of wine.

With a complimentary plate of juicy olives.

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[Paris] Frenchie Restaurant

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[Paris] Frenchie Restaurant

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Frenchie

Add: 5-6 Rue du Nil 75002 Paris
Tel: 01 40 39 96 19
Hours: 7~10:30pm (closed Sat & Sun)
Price: set menu €45
Website: www.frenchie-restaurant.com
Visited on: Nov 2012

Back in September, a friend told me that he landed a reservation at Frenchie for November (yup, the earliest date he could get was for a month and half later) and asked if I’d be interested in joining. Are you kidding? Of course I’m in! Famed for Gregory Marchand’s contemporary market cooking, Frenchie is one of the most difficult bistros to get reservations at in Paris. So how could it be that our meal turned out to be “just pretty good”?

Dec 2012 update: one of my dinner companions went to Frenchie again, and thought the second visit was a much better experience.

Let’s take a look at what we had. Frenchie offers a prix fixe menu at €45 for three courses, with two choices in each course. Short and simple.

Optional starter, foie gras torchon, quince (extra €16).

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[Paris] Mandarin Oriental

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[Paris] Mandarin Oriental

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Mandarin Oriental

Add: 251 Rue Saint-Honoré 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 70 98 78 88
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com/paris

Stone, lacquer, and gold leaf. Opulent materials in couture style. A harmonious blend of plum, grey, and ecru. Welcome to Mandarin Oriental Paris, the luxury hotel group’s first address in France and also the most recent addition to its hotel portfolio. Housed inside a 1930s Art Deco building on rue Saint-Honoré, Mandarin Oriental Paris has been designed* in sync with its haute-couture surroundings. Let’s take a tour and explore the shades, textures, and delicate details sprinkled throughout this stylish 8-storey space.

*Jean-Michel Wilmotte – Building façade and patio/ Sybille de Margerie – interior design and decoration of the rooms, suites, Spa and public spaces / Agence Jouin-Manku – bar and restaurants

Double height lobby, floor-to-ceiling windows, modern and airy.

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[Paris] Kei

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[Paris] Kei

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Kei

Add: 5 rue Coq Héron, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 33 14 74
Hours: 12:30~2pm, 7:30~9pm (closed Sun & Mon)
Website: www.restaurant-kei.fr
Price: [lunch] €45~75 [dinner] €95~118
Visited on: Nov 2012

Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, after 7 years of experience at Alain Ducasse’s Plaza Athénée restaurant, opened his eponymous restaurant (awarded with one Michelin star) on a quiet street in the 1st arrondissement. The cuisine is nouveau French with a touch of Japanese influence, presented beautifully in an elegant dining room. Warm and attentive service, perfect pacing of dishes. Love, love, love.

One more thing to like about the restaurant is that while it’s quite small, the tables are set far enough apart to ensure personal space and privacy.

A warm hand towel upon arrival, how very Asian.

Kei offers set menus of four or five courses at lunch (45/75€) and six or eight courses (95/118€) at dinner. The menu doesn’t indicate what courses are included in the sets, and guests only get to choose between two meat dishes for the main course. My lunch date and I both decided on the four-course lunch menu, which started with a trio of amuse bouches. First, an iced shot of shiso, basil, and white balsamic vinegar. Sweet and slightly sour, it was a few refreshing sips that totally woke up our palates.

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