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Kaysersberg Part 2- Domaine Weinbach and Le Chambard

These two names are definitely worth a visit to Kaysersberg alone.

Our day began with a visit to the well known wine producer Domaine Weinbach. It is a beautiful winery run by mother Colette Faller and her daughters Catherine and Laurence. We were received by Catherine Faller who let us taste their rieslings, pinot gris and some outstanding gewurztraminers and noble grain wines. The wines are all different certainly, but overall have very elegant finish and so smooth I mentioned the word "buttery" many times, basically I found their wines all delicious and easy to drink.

Husband was pleased that I love the wines, he is not generally as enamored of white wine as I am, but he was very impressed too, and ordered a good selection.

Just a few hundred yards away is the hotel Le Chambard, where we had reservations at their 1- starred restaurant of the same name. Everything sounded delicious, we ordered one of their lunch menus and another of their tasting menu. Since the meal was way back in April, I can hardly remember what amuse-bouche we had, just that it was very appetising.

White asparagus with morels was an a-la-carte item but they let me substitute it for my set. Being in prime season, the asparagus were at peak perfection and it showed through the simple classical preparation.

Husband's appetiser had stuffed morels and a foamy egg. He said it was very good. I was too absorbed in my dish.

My main dish was an extravagant young rabbit prepared in the fashion of "lievre royale" (a rich autumn dish of wild hare cooked with its own blood) accompanied with truffled gnocchi. I don't usually like rabbit, this was very good though, being very moist and flavourful from the blood-sausage stuffing. I took my time to finish the dish, as husband had two dishes in his set.

First, steamed cod with pureed potatoes. V enjoyed the purist flavours a lot.

Then it was a rack of Limousin lamb with a thin-crusted tart of confited tomatoes and courgettes perfumed with fresh mint. A classic dish done really well, again, V loves lamb so she monopolised this dish as well.

Then it was time for cheese. Here we can see the room, decorated in understated style and running in a gallery arrangement so diners get quite a lot of privacy and space.
 

Desserts were also excellent, especially my little flambeed stuffed crepes.
 

The best part was yet to come. The sweet trolley. The home made caramels were delicious, as were the huge pink marshmallows knowned as guimaves.

We enjoyed ourselves very much- the unfussy approach to food, the discrete yet efficient service and the comfortable, unobstrusive dining room. If you ever find yourself in this picturesque village, do yourself a favour and have a leisurely meal here. 

Le Chambard

9-13 rue du Général de Gaulle, KJaysersberg, France

T: +33 (0) 3 89 47 10 17

Kaysersberg Part 1- Le Moreote

After our lovely lunch at Maison Kammerzell, we drove to our hotel in the picturesque village of Ribeauville. The hotel is situated on a hilltop overlooking the area's wineyards, every morning we woke up to gorgeous views. We spent far too many hours in their indoor pool and jacuzzi area, and nearly missed our dinner appointment.

Alsace is a beautiful region, and we visited quite a few more picturesque villages and towns, but Kaysersberg would be in my memory the longest, because we had not one, but two wonderful meals there. Here is the first. 

It was dusk when we first saw Kaysersberg. The buildings had none of the extravagant sculptural follies that we see a lot of in Paris, but are quite charming and pretty. 

Still, when I saw the exterior of Le Moreote, I had to suppress some giggles. Bunnies on window sills and painted figurines were the last thing I expected to see near a serious restaurant but it turned out that this is typical of the region.

The restaurant is not big, just enough covers for about 20 people. White tablecloth and modern flatware settle somewhat comfortably with the dated 80's decor, it felt like we were in somebody's converted living room. The lady of the house managed the front efficiently, the husband cooks. Thankfully the food was very agreeable, starting with amuse bouches of tomato gazpachos and mini flammekueches- local flatbreads topped with lardons, onions and cheese. We were to eat flammekueches a couple more times during the trip, mostly tasty if a bit too rich, these were especially light and delicious.

Asparagus was in season, so I had to have some. Very good, I'm not sure that we needed foie gras with white asparagus but we were on vacation after all. Husband's starter was a little cocotte nestling four little raviolis stuffed with snails and creamy foie gras, also very yummy. A bottle of Domaine Weinbach riesling grand cru 2007 was the perfect pairing.

My main course of fillet of lamb with sweetbreads and polenta was a surprise. I love lamb in springtime, and this was perfectly cooked, the sweetbreads looked a little overdone but were not, the meats hardly needing the lovely glazed sauce with its peppy fruit finish. The couscous was delicious too, mildly spiced in a style I am sure is not Alsacien but definitely complementing the lamb. V, lamb lover herself, enjoyed sharing this dish with me, as in she ate most of the lamb and I had to be content with the couscous.

 

Husband enjoyed too his scallops and polenta cakes served in a laksa-like gravy. The polenta cakes were surprisingly adaptable to the creamy and mildly spicy sauce.

We were too full for desserts, but were very pleased with our meal. This is a restaurant with a heart, we could really taste the passion and enthusiasm in each dish. The decor might be a little provincial, but the cooking was clearly in the major league. 

Le Moreote

12, rue du General Rieder, Kaysersberg

T: 03 89473908

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant

Les Cocottes is a restaurant in the Christian Constant empire and for this reason alone we have not visited earlier. After a disastrous dinner at Les Fables de Fontaine and an overpriced yet lacklustre lunch at Café Christian Constant, husband refused to give them another chance. Even though I keep hearing many good things about Les Cocottes. No, no, no.

Until I put my foot down last Saturday. It was nearly 1 p.m. and we had dropped the dogs off at the groomers. The alternative was to eat at yet another questionable touristy or indifferent cafe along rue Cler, so husband reluctantly agreed to drop me off so I could line up for a table. A 30 minute wait turned into a 15 minute wait, so he had one less thing to grumble about.

It was all counter seating. Granted, the three of us were at a table, but it was a high table. Green walls and yellow lighting made it impossible to take decent pictures. Plastic place mats and lightweight water glasses on pale wood surfaces send out a no-nonsense message. There is zero atmosphere, the food is the main focus.

From the starters options, I ordered a ravioli of langoustines. It came covered in an intense seafood broth. The raviolis were highly delicious, boasting silky slippery skins and generous fillings of sweet langoustine flesh. Husband was silent, he was concentrating on the pate campagne made according to a recipe the great man learnt when he was a young apprentice. The child had a ham omelet, she ate half of it, which meant it was ok.

The mains are served in Staub cocottes, hence the name of the restaurant. I initially wanted the special of the day. Stuffed cabbages. However, they had run out. As a back up plan, I settled for their caramelised potato stuffed with pig trotters. What came was three boatlets made of slow cooked potatoes stuffed with an insanely rich meatball that was less meat than melting fats and sticky gelatine. The only accompaniment that made sense was a good bunch of undressed rocket leaves.

Awesome is an overused word but this was a knockout dish. Many mid-priced restaurants in the city put things on the menu that demonstrates their cleverness in turning very cheap ingredients like pork belly and tough cuts of meat into grandma's special braise or hachi parmentiers (and make their best profits, no doubt) but this takes the top prize. Three pieces were overkill though, I would be satisfied with a one-piece appetiser serving.

Another pet gripe of mine is to see scallops presented in menus as carpaccio, which conjures in my mind too much unnecessary handling of the delicate flesh, not to mention fobbing off customer with one or two scallops at unreasonable price. French scallops, the ones that come in pink shells, are not expensive in winter and should be enjoyed in bounty. At Les Cocottes, they do it right, a good demi-dozen panfried quickly and served with a lemony gratin of endives. This dish effectively put to rest any of husband's lingering doubts.

I ordered dessert. Gaufres are like waffles, and mine came with chantilly cream and salted butter caramel sauce. It was without fault, the gaufres golden and crisp, the cream at least 2 inches high and the caramel totally gorgeous and plentiful in its own little jug.

The food is very good. Unpretentious good food that charms first-time visitors and draw back regulars. Here's looking forward to Mimi and Rufus's next grooming session!

Les Cocottes de Christian Constant

135 rue St Dominique

No reservations. Closed Sundays.

Le Bistro de Pekin

Our favourite Chinese restaurant of the moment is Le Bistro de Pekin. We have been eating there at least 2- 3 times a month, husband goes even more often because he likes to bring homesick work colleagues for a proper Chinese meal. Its location very near the Avenue Champs des Elysees and its 7/7 opening hours are nice factors too.

Despite its name, its specialty is Szechuan (or Sichuan) food because the chef hails from that region. The menu is wide, there is a fantastic selection of "small dishes" that changes often to reflect the traditional 23 flavours that typifies this cuisine. They also offer the usual set menus, including "nems" which I wouldn't advise because I doubt they eat nems in Sichuan.

I always order their hot and sour soup. It is neither starchy nor too one-dimensional. The peppery bite is just right, the sourness from good quality vinegar opens up the appetite and the ingredients are well balanced with finely sliced bamboo shoots and delicate egg "clouds" for contrast and texture. Husband loves their "liang-fen", the vinegary, garlicky sesame dressing is light and refreshing, also their "pidan tofu" which is presented correctly, i.e. with some knifework on the very fragile tofu to show the chef's expertise, with gratifyingly fresh and generously portioned century egg topping instead of the more common slick of chilli oil elsewhere.

From the main dishes of the menu, we love the "water-cooked beef" more than the fish version (the river fish still too fishy for my tastes), lots of beefy slices in that characteristic hot oil broth that is spicy and numbing yet so addictive. The menu includes atypical vegetable dishes such as stir-fried bittergourd as well as the standard tomato omelette and "fish-fragrant" aubergines. Last Sunday we tried their crispy beef, marinated beef covered in rice crackers and deepfried. It tasted more subtle than it appeared, the interest is in the rice-crispy texture, it is a dish to please children, for adults it works more as a respite from their other more assertively flavoured dishes. 

The cooking in general is refined. Some dishes work better than most- the "zhajiangmian" was beyond awful, at least to me, it seemed to be mostly bean paste sauce- but in general they are restrained in their usage of cooking oil, and the seasonings are well-judged so there isn't any muddying of flavours no matter how many dishes we order, and we usually order way too much. 

One standout dish was "pen pen xia" or shrimp hotpot as it is described more prosaically in the menu. Prawns in their shells are cooked in a stunning sauce-broth of sichuan peppercorns, chillies, bean paste and garlic (wild  guesses here). Sweetness, then gentle spiciness, followed by undulating savoury waves from fermented beans and aromatics, and as we continued eating, it gradually peaked with more and more spicy heat and that characteristic lip and palate-numbing high from sichuan peppercorns. Wow. Poking around the pot we discovered tranches of sweet potatoes, their sweetness assuaging the spicy assault. At the end of the meal, we could still taste some lingering notes of something medicinal not unlike Chinese herbal medicines, tingling gently in our mouths.

This dish is listed as #3 on their list of specialty dishes, I say forget #1 and #2 (the "water cooked" fish and beef respectively), go straight to #3. I wonder what #4 is though? 

Le Bistro de Pekin

38 rue de Ponthieu, 8th arr

T: 01 42 56 50 86

M: St Phillipe du Roule (line 9), Franklin Roosevelt (line 1).

Also, we will be away next week, so no blog posts for a while. Bonne vacances à tous!

Lyon, the Capital of Organ Meats.

Our first meal in Lyon was dinner in a bouchon which is their version of a bistro. Daniel et Denise was named the best bouchon of 2008 and on a Monday evening it was packed with enthusiastic customers. The menu reads like a cardiologist's nightmare: quenelles of brochet in deliciously rich lobster-bisquey Nantua sauce, cured legs of pork, whole veal kidneys cooked in their own fat, and my favourite, tripes lightly battered and roasted with loads of caramelised shallots. We barely finished half the tripes but I enjoyed every bite of the chewy yet tender tripes, their deep earthy meat flavours offset with some some sweetness from the shallots.

And the kicker? Every table gets the same side dish of sautéed potatoes, thinly sliced and very delicious, their edges golden and crispy. I won't be surprised if they had cooked it in duck or goose fat, in Lyon foie gras seem to be the local butter. At the food hall in Les Halles I would later find dozens of stalls selling the fatty liver in all forms, from the rustic Wellington-esque foie gras baked in pastry to chi-chi little canapés all ready for their turn at an elegant dinner party.

Dinner over, we made our way to the hotel. Our group, for we have been joined by my lovely friends Tony and Florence, will have some great food and wine adventures in the days ahead.

The wines of the Rhone region is a complete mystery to me. I had asked husband to limit our wine excursions to one a day, not wanting to traipse around yeasty-smelling cellars and getting too tipsy too early, so he and our friends had to prioritise their choices. First on the agenda was a drive to northern Rhone to the winemaker and wine distributor E. Guigal. Thanks to our friends' connections we were allowed entry, given a private tour and more importantly, a tasting of some very amazing wines, including one of their three "la la las" or La Turque, La Mouline, La Landonne. Silly me, I should have known that my friends would do things in greater style.

Then it was back to Lyon again for lunch. This time we went to a modern place. La Remanence is a cool and elegant white-tablecloth establishment in the heart of the old town. We passed a very civilised afternoon here over a beautiful lunch and a little bit more wine. Children get either fish or meat, served with gorgeous spring vegetables of artichoke hearts and green asparagus.

I had some more organ meats of course. Ever since I read Hard Times by Charles Dickens I have been fascinated with sweetbreads; one of the many among the not-likeable characters in the book, Mrs Sparsit, likes sweetbreads in brown sauce very much. If I see sweetbreads in a menu, I would likely order it. This was excellent although I found the sweetbread a little too large to be truly delicate. The mushrooms sitting on the bottom of the plate were pure deliciousness.

Later there were desserts, coffee and more treats in the form of delicious little caramels and financiers, but we were too satiated to notice. In the car on the way to Orange, we slept while husband and Tony up in the front drove and navigated their way into Provence. There was a detour to a pretty village and lovely sunny weather and puffy clouds in the sky.

Eventually, we reached Orange and their best lodging they have to offer, which turned out to be a motel run by Campanile. The motel was very clean and comfortable, and we were surprised to find ourselves hungry again, in time for dinner at Le Parvis. The menu is provencal, lots of olives and vegetables and less heavy on red meats and offal. My dinner of duck and a  fruit-based dessert was very good and relatively light. The service was rather cold, but that didn't matter, because down in Provence and all the places in Rhone we visited, people are very nice. Cars actually stop to let you cross the street, even when they saw you from afar. People do not walk into you as if you are invisible, and they smile a lot more. Is it because of the gorgeous weather, the beautiful produce, or their wines? I think it's all three, don't you?

In the next post, we discover the best of Southern Rhone.

Daniel et Denise
156 rue Créqui, 69003 Lyon
Tel: 04 78 60 66 53

La Remanence
31, rue du Bât d’Argent - 69001 Lyon
Tel: 04 72 00 08 08

Le Parvis
55 cours Pourtoules, 84100 Orange
Tel: 04 90 34 82 00

Schwartz's Deli and their Crisp-Boat-Fries

It is not easy to find good french fries in Paris, most are undercooked so they end up soggy and pale. You have to order them 'bien-cuit' in the hopes of getting some with crisp exteriors and melting interiors. Maybe they cannot get their oil hot enough, maybe they don't double-fry, whatever it is, the reason remains a mystery to me.

Recently though, I came across a version that may adress these problems. The fries served at Schwartz's Deli in the Marais have a unique shape, looking more like long boats than cylinders. This shape allows more surface area to come into contact with hot fat, so the exterior cooks up crisp and brown. I have some conflicts about the interior though, ,mainly that there is less of it, at times it felt like I was eating crisps (which is what they call potato chips in the U.K.)) instead of fries. V on the other hand loved it so much we ordered another side portion. For her, fries are just vehicles for scooping ketchup and these boats do a really good job, she probably ate a third of a bottle by herself.

Other than fries, Schwartz Deli also specialises in pastrami sandwiches. They may not have many competitors for this dish in Paris, but their claim of having the best in town is probably justified. Barely held together by slices of rye bread, the thinly sliced pastrami was plentiful and delicious. I loved the colourful coleslaw too.

Macaroni cheese looked more European than American. I was expecting something white and creamy but this was agreeable too, the cheese flavour seemed to have been cooked into the pasta.

Chicken soup with matzo balls was another first for me. The taste reminds me of Knorr chicken stock cube, only less salty. The matzo balls were borderline stodgy, but paired companionably with the slices of chicken breast under the surface. I probably wouldn't order this again unless I was feeling exceptionally unwell.

Pancakes, looking like an improved version of those served at McDo's, were served warm with very cold butter. They were tasty enough. The burgers that were served to other diners look good, I want to go back to try them out next time. At least we know the boat fries would be good.

Schwartz Deli is open every day. Come here for a slice of Americana, the decor feels like an American diner, the pickles and condiments are placed on the table for people to help themselves with, if you go early you might even snag a booth table and play Archie and Veronica (or Betty).

Schwartz's Deli
16 rue des Ecouffes, 4th arr
T: 0148873129

Itineraire

Two weeks ago I had a really fabulous lunch at Itineraire. I'll also admit that I haven't been so excited about any restaurant in a very long time.

It is centrally located near metro Maubert Mutualité, in the Latin quarter.

The room itself is not cavernous, neither is it tiny. Tables are spaced far apart you regretfully cannot hear your neighbours' conversation. There is white tablecloth and proper table setting with padded seats but nothing stiff about the decor. There is plenty of natural light streaming in through the large pane windows to put people in a good mood, at least our table of six were when we went for lunch.

The service staff smile, make eye contact and work smoothly and efficiently.

The food. It's good value and as I'll elaborate later, mighty damn fine. The menu is written in chalkboards, the prix-fix is 36 euros for 3 courses, with hardly any mention of supplements which is very unusual these days. 2 courses go for 29 euros and there is also an à la carte menu. The cooking style is new wave bistro, they take mainly regional and local seasonal ingredients and deliver adept new twists on familiar classics, it's a style of cooking that every wannabe hot restaurant in town aspires to but rarely get right.

My starter of cold velouté of white asparagus with tofu arrived looking coolly voluptuous with its extravagant shavings of fresh white asparagus and scatters of violet petals. The sweet nutty flavours of the white asparagus in the soup were in no way diluted by the pillowy blobs of tofu floating on top, if anything the play of narrowly contrasting textures and temperatures completely seduced me. Suddenly, the teeth crunched on something more solid;it's a candied hazelnut, how fun! I was not expecting to enjoy soup so much, but I did. All around me, the ladies were exclaiming their pleased surprise, over seemingly mundane dishes such as marinated mackerel fillets and veal carpaccio.

I did not take a picture of my excellent main course but click on this twitpic link to see a blurred image. Roast Challan chicken with beef tomatoes and squid ink mustard. The roast chicken was delicious, the meat moist and really flavourful, but the insanely delicious squid ink mustard really took the thunder. While the combination didn't really work for me, when eaten in tandem- a bite of chicken, followed by another of tomatoes and squid ink sauce- they complement each other very well, like a good food and wine pairing.

I was really full by then, but with the two previous courses showing so strongly I was very curious about dessert. I chose strawberries and rhubarb. I asked the waitress if the rhubarb would be sour. She said the strawberries would alleviate some of the tartness but a rhubarb being a rhubarb I should expect some acidity. When the dish arrived I was not expecting to see the rhubarb in a barely-cooked state. All these while I have been cooking rhubarb to mushy pulp along with loads of sugar and a good dollop of some creamy stuff like fromage frais or heavy cream to balance its assertive tartness. Understandably then, I was a bit worried, but went for it anyway. The knife cut through the stalk easily. It was not raw-tasting, but mildly sweet and intensely rhubarby with a tender-crunchy bite, together with the macerated strawberries they make an ever so elegant couple. And you know what? The rhubarb was not even sour, the lip-puckering I had been expecting simply did not happen, so I could relax and enjoy the bright medley of flavours, to be then followed by a little coffee and excellent home-made madeleines.

My lunch companions were in a similar state of rhapsody too. I've known them for nearly two years, and have not seen them so happy about a place before. Amazing food at reasonable value in a comfortable setting in the middle of town, really, what else can one ask for?

Itineraire
5 rue de Pontoise, 5th arr
T: 01-46-33-60-11
Metro: Maubert-Mutualité.

Eating well in Deauville Part 2

We stayed at the Villa Josephine. Husband emailed them and they had a good deal for the low season; they were very nice and upgraded us to the best room which has a big bed and very luxurious bathroom facilities- separate shower area, jacuzzi tub, separate toilet and double sinks one of which we used exclusively to wash V's bottle and the dogs' bowls. The property is small, quiet and furnished in luxurious country style. Breakfast is served in a sunny room with a working fireplace. The continental breakfast includes home-made yoghurt, apple compote and excellent charcuterie, all served on china flatware with heavy silver cutlery and damask linens bien sur.

The only restaurant we went to in Deauville itself was the l'Essentiel which serves inventive cuisine. The menu is small but carefully put together. I had an excellent dish of veal confit with a mash of sweet potatoes that threw me a bit until I figured out the flavouring which was lemongrass, it shouldn't have surprised me since I really like this combination. We ordered a dessert of apple compote for V, we're in apple country after all. It was layered with a sharp citrusy foam and a crisp meringue, a far cry from her favourite gouter (French children's teatime ritual) snack which is exactly like baby food apple purée, this was a little too sophisticated for her. I finished it instead, it was light and fruity, a perfect finish for a lazy day out.

On the third day, we stopped by the seaside town of Touques for lunch. Landiers is homely and welcoming, the clientele a mix of well-off retirees or three generation families on their Easter vacations. The children's menu offered more than the usual ham and chips; V loved the salmon and ate most of the lightly cooked vegetables. Dessert was ice cream, commercial chocolate ice cream with requisite packaged toy, she was real charmed, by the toy.

I really enjoyed my first course of borsch. It's not typically French but delicious nonetheless, the broth rich and thick with beef and simmered vegetables, judiciously balanced with a light background sourness to keep the appetite going. 

Husband enjoyed his slow-cooked lamb but I think I had the better deal. As we were still in Normandy country I ordered a steak and for once it was totally amazing; instead of the usual tussle to chew the meat down I got a beautiful piece of aged beef which had little gristle and was a series of long beefy flavours. There was a cheese plate too, as usual we zoomed in on the really excellent camembert. Leaving little room for dessert, but I finished mine anyway as it was made with pineapple, something very exotic for these parts. What a great end to a sunny holiday eh?

l'Essentiel

29/31 rue Mirabeau 14800 Deauville

T: 02 31 87 22 11

Landiers

90 rue Louvel et Briere 14800 Touques

T: 02 31 87 41 08

Eating well in Deauville Part 1

We had a marvelous time at Deauville. The timing couldn't have been better, it was unexpectedly sunny the three days we went, the sky totally clear and cloudless. Hot under the sun and a bit nippy under the shades. We didn't do much except go to the beach and loll about under parasols and read gossip magazines.

We chose our restaurants from the Michelin guide (book and iPhone version which I liked for the online reviews), aiming not for stars but more for value-for-money and individuality. The former we got a lot of at the first restaurant we lunched at: Chez le Bougnat in Dives-sur-Mer, one of the endless string of tiny little villagey towns along the Normandy coast.

The place is spacious and decorated with too much bric-a-brac at first I thought we had arrived at a flea market. The welcome was very friendly and relaxed, well, actually we were early and it was the chef who greeted us. By 1 p.m. the place was filled up with merry happy families eating and smiling in the golden sunshine. 

The food is classic bistro, based on good quality ingredients and cooked with practiced ease. They have three-course menus for 26 and 29 euros which represent a fair bargain compared to Paris. The fancy menu included items like oven-baked brioche has an egg on top and a good-sized gobbet of creamy foie gras inside. From the 26 euro menu I ordered beignets of boudin noir which were delicious too. Main courses of meats were huge and presented without fuss over creamy potato purée. My lamb was delicious but overwhelming after halftime but husband's dish of 72-hours slow-cooked beef stole the show, it came as a Flintstone-style hunk of meat looking very dry and black and charred at the edges, but the meat was juicy, very beefy. Its charred edges with its stippled layers of crisped skin, fats and meat were the best, outrageously sweet, meaty and rich; I actually closed my eyes in total pleasure.  

Children menus run at 10 euros for two courses. V had ham and chips and I was happy to see that it was ham-on-the-bone and not processed ham. Dessert was either ice cream or chocolate mousse.

The chocolate mousse came in a huge glass. My baba au rhum was just as bountiful, with whipped cream and rum ice cream and a full glass of rum to pour over; the baba was unfortunately overbaked but it was not important by that stage because we were really full. 

Update 1 June 2009: I forgot to mention that both menus comprised cheese course. They bring a platter and you help yourself to Pont d'Eveque, Camembert and Morbier.

Reservations are a must, we saw people being turned away. Come here for a great start to your Normandy holiday.

Chez le Bougnat

27 r G Manneville

14160 Dives-sur-Mer

T: 02 31 91 06 13

 

 

 

Chikoja Lamen

We go to rue Sainte Anne almost every week, to buy onigiri from Juji-Ya, stock up on Japanese and Korean groceries at ACE Mart, Kioko and Workshop Issé, and of course, eat at the various eateries lining this street and its surroundings. Our favourite places to eat are Aki for okonomiyaki, and Kunitoraya for almost everything on their menu especially their chicken rice.

Last Saturday I noticed a new kid on the block and decided to try it out since the queue at Kunitoraya was too long.  Chikoja is so new their menu is not even finalised but it would feature typical Taiwanese dishes with a sprinkling of Korean and Japanese items. How interesting, I haven't come across any Taiwanese eateries in Paris before.

The Korean-Chinese owners plan to have a proper opening on  Friday 8th May. When we visited, the staff were just getting a feel of the place. A limited menu of 3 noodle-and-dumpling set meals (10 euros) was on offer- Taiwanese beef noodle, Chinese zhajiang mian and Japanese ramen.

I ate the zhajiang mian- it was delicious. The salty-smoky black bean sauce was well-balanced with lots of sweet onions and a fair scattering of pork nuggets to make a lovely sauce. The noodles were good, with a distinctive toothsome bite that is more akin to Beijing la-mian than their Japanese cousins.

Husband's bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle was even better. The beef pieces were generous, and cooked till very tender and their cartilage reached melting point. The soup was really good, a lovely beefy broth sweetened with carrots and enlivened with warm spices of star anise, cloves and cinammon. There is a faint kick of chilli in the background, but not enough to overpower the soup base.

Dumplings - shen jian bao and xiao long baos- were not that great suffering from the former being overcooked and the latter needing to wear thinner skins, but their filling of minced pork was appropriately seasoned and juicy.

The meals were filling and satisfying, and they should be able to differentiate themselves from their competitors on this crowded street. It may not be fair to write about a place that's so new, but I am excited enough about their noodles to give them an early shout-out, and would definitely go back to try their Taiwanese dishes. Lu-rou-fan, here I come!

Chikoja Lamen
14, rue Sainte Anne
T: 01 42 60 58 88
M: Pyramides