Paris travel blog | Sugared & Spiced

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant

Add: 135 rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris
Tel: 01 45 55 15 05
Hours: 12~3pm, 6:30~10:30pm
Price: €15~29/cocotte
Website: www.maisonconstant.com
Visited: Nov 2012

A small, delicious, and affordable eatery by French master chef Christian Constant. The specialization here is, as the name very clearly indicates, dishes served in cocottes, or mini cast iron pans. It is open everyday for lunch and dinner, but I personally prefer coming here for lunch since the space tends to get too packed and slightly uncomfortable during dinner time.

We started with Entrée du Jour (€9), a scallops and black pudding tart served on a bed of greens. Would’ve been better if served hot rather than lukewarm.

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2012/11/042015/08/05

[Paris] Mariage Frères

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Mariage Frères

Add*: 13 Rue des Grands Augustins 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 40 51 82 50
Hours: 10:30am~7:30pm
Website: www.mariagefreres.com
Price: [afternoon tea set] €18~37 [tea] €9~12 [desserts] €11~16
Visited on: Nov 2012

Tea lovers, you have undoubtedly heard of Mariage Frères, the oldest tea importer in France. In each of their colonially decorated boutiques, over 600 varieties of teas are layed out apothecary style, tempting visitors with intriguing names like Thé Sur le Nil, Thé l’Opéra, Marco Polo, or Montagne de Jade. I often find myself opening jars after jars, sniffing each exotic blends to see which fits my mood at the moment, and either purchase them by the gram, or enjoy a pot right away in the tea salon along with some tea-infused desserts. A soothing afternoon, guaranteed.

*3 Salon de Thé locations available in Paris, check website for full listing.

(Picture taken right before the salon closed, hence the empty room.)

A good way to enjoy a pot of tea with some dessert bites is Time for Tea (€22), which includes an assortment of tea-flavoured mini desserts served with a tea of your choice.

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2012/11/032015/08/05

[Paris] Au Comptoir de Brice

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Au Comptoir de Brice

Add: 33 Rue du Château d’Eau 75010 Paris
Tel: 07 59 84 63 30
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 9am~8pm [Sun] 9am~2pm
Website: www.aucomptoirdebrice.com
Price: [brunch] €25 [entrée] €9~12 [plat] €14~25 [desserts] €5~6
Visited on: Oct 2012

Brice Morvent, a Top Chef France 2010 semi-finalist, runs this cute little corner cafe tucked away in the St. Martin Market. He is especially known for his homemade burgers, but I found the brunch set to be a much better choice, especially on a late Sunday morning.

Love the warm and cozy wooden decor.

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2012/11/012015/10/17

[Paris] Les Papilles

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Les Papilles

Add: 30 Rue Gay-Lussac 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 25 20 79
Hours: 12~2pm, 7:30~10:00pm (closed Sunday & Monday)
Website: www.lespapillesparis.fr
Price: [lunch] €24~26 [dinner] €33
Visited: Oct 2012

The only thing I didn’t like about Les Papilles was that it’s equally far from any metro station, which makes getting there an ordeal especially on cold wintery days. But really, there’s not much to complain about this small, affordable, and reliable bistro. The prix fixe menu (€33 for a 4-course dinner) offers no choice – everyone gets the same soup, main course, cheese/salad, and dessert – but as long as you are a flexible eater, you will be full and very satisfied by the end of your evening here.

The space is small, so expect elbow-to-elbow seatings, and don’t be alarmed when other patrons look over your head to pick out a bottle of wine.

Fleurie 2009 (Beaujolais) from Domaine Jean Foillard, as recommended by the restaurant manager.

The makings of tonight’s cauliflower soup arrived in a bowl: chopped cauliflower, toasted croutons, bacon bits, chives, and sour cream, served alongside a tureen laden with cauliflower cream. The flavor was classic-done-right, and the portion more than generous – the three of us each helped ourselves to two full bowls, and there were still leftovers.

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2012/11/012015/08/05

[Paris] Pierre Hermé Macarons

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Pierre Hermé

Add: 72 rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 43 54 47 77
Hours: 10am~7pm (7:30pm on Thu-Fri, 8pm on Sat)
Website: www.pierreherme.com
Price: €4.50~7.30/individual dessert
Visited on: 2012-08

“Les macarons n’ont que quelques grammes pour mettre nos sens en émoi. Des yeux, on les dévore déjà. Les doigts effleurent leur surface, les arômes sont doucement humés. Lorsque l’on croque leur fine enveloppe croustillante, les oreilles en sont tout émoustillées. Alors vient en bouche une grâce délicate…”

– Pierre Hermé

I’m not yet ready to say which pastry shop is my favorite in Paris, but when it comes to macarons, Pierre Hermé is definitely my man. It’s almost impossible for me to pass his boutique without buying a bag of these smooth-skinned, soft, delicate rounds that come in all sorts of fascinating colors and flavor combinations. Green asparagus with hazelnut oil? Lemon with caramelized fennel? Wasabi with candied grapefruit? Raspberry with espelette pepper? Or…fresh mint with sweet peas?

Of course, there are also the classic all-time favorites. Here’s what I got on this particular visit, from the top down: Réglisse & Violette (licorice and violet), Infiniment Chocolat Porcelana (pure chocolate from Venezuela & porcelana), Infiniment Caramel (caramel with salted butter), Truffe Blanche & Noisette (white truffle and hazelnuts), Mogador (milk chocolate and passion fruit), Jardin Oriental (orange flower, rose, and ginger), Infiniment Citron (lemon).

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2012/10/312015/08/05

[Paris] Le Dauphin

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Le Dauphin

Add: 131 avenue Parmentier Paris 75011
Tel: 01 55 28 78 88
Hours: [Tues-Fri] 12-2pm, 7-11pm [Sat] 7-11pm
Price: €35~60
Visited on: 2012/10

Want a taste of Inaki Aizpitarte’s cuisine without going through the ordeal of scoring a table at Le Chateaubriand? Head to Le Dauphin, a neighboring wine bar run by the same folks, featuring organic wines and quick bites designed by Aizpitarte himself. The place didn’t look like much when I first arrived (the acclaimed marble and mirror design by Rem Koolhaas and Clement Blanchet appeared cold and bare before the crowd set in), but throughout the evening I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the dishes that flowed through our table.

A glass of Alexandre Bain from Loire Valley (€7), and a glass of Fred Cossard from Burgundy (€12).

Mozzarella fumé (€5), very smoky indeed.

Encornet à la plancha (€9), grilled squid. So simple, so good.

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2012/10/182015/10/17

[Paris] La Régalade Saint-Honoré

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La Régalade Saint-Honoré

Add: 123 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 21 92 40
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 7~11pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
Price: prix-fixe €35
Visited: Sep 2012

I had high expectations for La Régalade Saint-Honoré. From what I had gathered, chef owner Bruno Doucet’s second establishment in the 1st arrondissement is just as fabulous as his original restaurant in the 14th (which is supposedly excellent, if you haven’t heard). The evening turned out to be pleasant but not especially impressive, though for a prix-fixe of €35, I’d have to agree that dining here is very good value for money.

The meal started on a high note with a complimentary (and huge) serving of terrine. It was difficult to resist the temptation to chow down another slice of baguette laden with this good stuff…

Among the entrées my friends and I ordered, my risotto crémeux à l’encre de seiche, poêlée de calamars façon pibales (basically, squid ink risotto with calamari) was undoubtedly the best. Strong flavors, a melange of textures.

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2012/10/152015/08/05

[Paris] Brasserie Thoumieux

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Brasserie Thoumieux

Add: 79 Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris
Tel: 01 47 05 49 75
Hours: 12pm~12am (open daily)
Website: www.thoumieux.fr
Price: €40~70/person
Visited on: 2012/10

Thoumieux, an old-school brasserie that’s been around since the 20’s, was revived by the joint efforts of Jean-François Piège (who runs a 2 Michelin star restaurant that bears his name, located right upstairs of Thoumieux) and Thierry Costes (part of the group that created a series of chic restaurants including Café Marly and Le Georges). The menu? Classic French – very in sync with its vintage decor of brass, globe lights, and etched mirrors – subtly infused with a bit of Piège creativity. Let’s take a look at the dishes were on our table…

Bonite de Saint-Jean de Luz, marinée, pommes nouvelles fumées au foin, crème acidulée ciboulette, soja (€17) – marinated Saint-Jean de Luz bonito with smoked new potato, chive sour cream, and soy sauce.

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2012/10/152015/08/05

[Paris] Sanukiya

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Sanukiya

Add: 9 Rue d’Argenteuil, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 60 52 61
Hours: 11:30am~10pm (open daily)
Price: €15~20/person
Visited on: 2012/10

They say the best way to judge whether a Japanese restaurant is authentic or not is to check if the staff and the clientele are both Japanese (though I suppose this is true for any cuisine). In the case of Sanukiya, a small udon and rice bowl shop near metro Pyramides, the answer is yes and yes!

On my first visit, I tested the water with a 天ぷらうどん tempura udon (€15). Chewy noodles, light broth, with two pieces of tempura shrimps. Simple, but very comforting.

Here’s a friend’s カツ丼 katsudon (€14), rice topped with fried pork cutlet and eggs. Didn’t steal a bite this time, but it certainly looked very appetizing.

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2012/10/142015/08/05

[Paris] Patrick Roger

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Patrick Roger

Add: 91 rue de Rennes 75006 Paris*
Tel: 01 45 44 66 13
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 10:30am~7:30pm
Website: www.patrickroger.com
Price: single origin chocolates €7/box
Visited on: 2012/10

On my way home from La Maison du Chocolat, a tasse de chocolat in hand and ready to spend the night sipping hot chocolate while wrapped up in blankets, I happened to pass by a boutique by Patrick Roger, one of the top chocolatiers in France. Ah well, a few more blocks of chocolates won’t hurt, will they?

*Various locations available, check website for full listing.

So who is Patrick Roger? A chocolate madman who is especially well-known of transforming chocolates into majestic sculptures, and for his innovative yet refined combinations of flavors and textures. He has earned the title of Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (shortened to MOF), a unique award in France according to category of trades in a contest between professionals. Oh yes, It is a big deal.