So what does Paris have besides Pastries and expensive restaurants? Generally good food everywhere! Most of the time we ended up having the set menu where you get 2-3 courses of your choice with a drink (sometimes wine) for 5-20 euroes depending on whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My philosophy to eating is very different to my friend. On a set menu, he would also choose something he's had before. This meant a lot of steaks and grilled chicken a majority of the time. For me? If I can't find it in the dictionary, if the waiter can't translate it or tries to mime it out in the worst game of Charades, that is what I will order. Especially if I finally understand what the waiter is saying and it means organs or some unusual animal/body part! This means sometimes I have no idea what I am eating, even when I'm eating it. I also sometimes get things I would never order, but only ordered due to the language barrier. But hey, food should be adventurous!
Free crusty French baguette
OMG...I've never understood why people go on and on about French Baguettes. Its JUST BREAD people! That is...until you try the real French baguette! OMG! The bread has a lovely crunchy chewy crust, but the inside is so fluffy and soft. Some people eat it with butter, but I just eat it on its own. Its that good, I don't want to taint it with butter!
Salad with cheese and anchovies
Duck Terrine
This was really good, but also really rich. By the time I was done eating this, I was getting really full, and its only an entree!
Steak with salad
Another steak with chips
These were perfectly fried chips with a lovely cooked steak. I can't remember what type of steak it was, I think its flank?
When a set menu mentions wine, you usually get half a bottle per person.
My mini bordeux
1/2 a bottle combined with lack of sleep and jetlag meant I was a really REALLY happy person by the end of the meal. I was sooooo "happy" I couldn't eat dessert. Well...I didn't understand what she was trying to say. So I randomly yelled coffee in my "happy" state and ended the meal with that.
Our first day in Paris was exhausting. We arrived at 7am, but couldn't check in til 2pm. We forced ourselves to go roam around Paris and went to the Louvre for the Mona Lisa in our zoned out state. Trying to make sure we adjust to the time zone properly, we had a 3 hr nap and forced ourselves awake. We ended up at some Italian quarter an hour later, and in a very CBF mood, we plonked ourselves down at the nearest restaurant. Opening the menu did we realise we were in an Italian restaurant in France! hehe
My friend decided to be really difficult and ordered a tuna neptune pizza.....without the tuna. I told him to order the magarita or vegetarian pizza instead, but he insisted on a tuna pizza without the tuna. So when we placed our order, the waiter gave us the most disgusted look like we're trying to make trouble. He then places the order with the cook, who then all point and laugh at my friend! hahahaha
I got a Jamon and white asparagus pizza with what appears to be a dollop of creme fraiche.
Some random restaurant we found in the back streets of Paris. We were so tired we didn't care what they were serving. We went with the dish of the day that came in this really cute le creuset pot!
Lids off!
Err....still no idea...
Turns out it was mashed potatoes with some type of fish mashed through it. Really tasty, just wish I knew what it was! haha
Thank god Paris does good coffee!
Another meal, this time at a wine bar/cafe/restaurant near the hotel.
Oh yeah...alcohol!
Why did we choose this place? They serve Snails!
Escargot
Being in France, we just had to try their Escargot. These were nice, but nothing special compared to the others I've tried previously. I would've liked this to be much more garlicky so I can mop up all the sauce with bread.
Andouille sausage
When I ordered this, the waitress actually had to check with me twice that I really wanted to order it. Why?
Its basically a sausage made entirely of pig intestines and stomach. Since I love my offal, I loved this dish!
My friend ordered a grilled chicken steak with creamy white wine sauce.
Our final night in Paris, we decided to wander around the Latin Quarter til we found something we wanted to eat. My friend really wanted to try frogs legs, so we walked and walked until we finally found one restaurant serving it!
Frog legs
These were quite blah. Basically cold poached frog legs topped with a tomato relish. I much prefer the Asian way of either stir fry, salt and pepper or even just cooked in congee. But atleast that's another thing to tick off!
Foie Gras
I went with the Foie Gras, which was incredibly incredibly rich! I could barely get through this even with the salad, bread and relish. I didn't manage to finish it off as it was just to rich, but damn it tasted good!
My friend's steak, frites and white wine sauce
Beef Bourguignon
Even though it was summer, I still wanted to try the beef bourguignon. Not as tasty as I would've liked, but it was summer and I really should've ordered something lighter.
Creme brulee!!!!
ho ho ho!! So good! Nothing else to say. Move along now! :D
Profriteroles
Not just any profriteroles, but profriteroles stuffed with ice cream!
Our absolute last meal in Paris was lunch near our hotel. Since we had to check out on time, but not leave for the airport for a few hours, we grabbed lunch before doing a bit of a wander.
Again, my friend's steak and chips. Done Well Done this time. Me? I went the steak tartare! Again, the waiter had to double confirm and explain to me that this dish was completely, COMPLETELY 100% raw. I guess he's had way too many tourists ask him to cook the steak! When I confirmed that yes, I really REALLY want to order it. He put my order down and shook his head. "You and your friend are opposites. He wants his well done, you want yours completely raw!" hahaha that's soooooooooooo true!
Some of the best frites to go with my steak tartare
My steak tartare
Considering I've never eaten a steak tartare before, I had to ask the waiter what's the best way to eat it. He plonks about 5 sauces infront of me. Tomato, Worcestershire, tobasco, mustard and something else. He said just mix and match whatever you like after you mix everything together.
Doesn't look so pleasant after you've mixed it together...I divided my steak into many smaller bites. Each one flavoured with one sauce. Then I started mixing and matching until I found the combination I want. The first half of the steak was delicious. Half way through the cold raw meat started to sit funny in me. I could feel a cold lump in my stomach floating in a heap of water I was drinking. I really should've had some wine to wash it down.....but I needed to be sober enough to make it to the airport!
My philosophy to eating is very different to my friend. On a set menu, he would also choose something he's had before. This meant a lot of steaks and grilled chicken a majority of the time. For me? If I can't find it in the dictionary, if the waiter can't translate it or tries to mime it out in the worst game of Charades, that is what I will order. Especially if I finally understand what the waiter is saying and it means organs or some unusual animal/body part! This means sometimes I have no idea what I am eating, even when I'm eating it. I also sometimes get things I would never order, but only ordered due to the language barrier. But hey, food should be adventurous!
Free crusty French baguette OMG...I've never understood why people go on and on about French Baguettes. Its JUST BREAD people! That is...until you try the real French baguette! OMG! The bread has a lovely crunchy chewy crust, but the inside is so fluffy and soft. Some people eat it with butter, but I just eat it on its own. Its that good, I don't want to taint it with butter!
Salad with cheese and anchovies
Duck TerrineThis was really good, but also really rich. By the time I was done eating this, I was getting really full, and its only an entree!
Steak with salad
Another steak with chipsThese were perfectly fried chips with a lovely cooked steak. I can't remember what type of steak it was, I think its flank?
When a set menu mentions wine, you usually get half a bottle per person.
My mini bordeux1/2 a bottle combined with lack of sleep and jetlag meant I was a really REALLY happy person by the end of the meal. I was sooooo "happy" I couldn't eat dessert. Well...I didn't understand what she was trying to say. So I randomly yelled coffee in my "happy" state and ended the meal with that.
Our first day in Paris was exhausting. We arrived at 7am, but couldn't check in til 2pm. We forced ourselves to go roam around Paris and went to the Louvre for the Mona Lisa in our zoned out state. Trying to make sure we adjust to the time zone properly, we had a 3 hr nap and forced ourselves awake. We ended up at some Italian quarter an hour later, and in a very CBF mood, we plonked ourselves down at the nearest restaurant. Opening the menu did we realise we were in an Italian restaurant in France! hehe
My friend decided to be really difficult and ordered a tuna neptune pizza.....without the tuna. I told him to order the magarita or vegetarian pizza instead, but he insisted on a tuna pizza without the tuna. So when we placed our order, the waiter gave us the most disgusted look like we're trying to make trouble. He then places the order with the cook, who then all point and laugh at my friend! hahahaha
I got a Jamon and white asparagus pizza with what appears to be a dollop of creme fraiche.
Some random restaurant we found in the back streets of Paris. We were so tired we didn't care what they were serving. We went with the dish of the day that came in this really cute le creuset pot!
Lids off!
Err....still no idea...
Turns out it was mashed potatoes with some type of fish mashed through it. Really tasty, just wish I knew what it was! haha
Thank god Paris does good coffee!Another meal, this time at a wine bar/cafe/restaurant near the hotel.
Oh yeah...alcohol!Why did we choose this place? They serve Snails!
EscargotBeing in France, we just had to try their Escargot. These were nice, but nothing special compared to the others I've tried previously. I would've liked this to be much more garlicky so I can mop up all the sauce with bread.
Andouille sausageWhen I ordered this, the waitress actually had to check with me twice that I really wanted to order it. Why?
Its basically a sausage made entirely of pig intestines and stomach. Since I love my offal, I loved this dish!
My friend ordered a grilled chicken steak with creamy white wine sauce.
Our final night in Paris, we decided to wander around the Latin Quarter til we found something we wanted to eat. My friend really wanted to try frogs legs, so we walked and walked until we finally found one restaurant serving it!
Frog legsThese were quite blah. Basically cold poached frog legs topped with a tomato relish. I much prefer the Asian way of either stir fry, salt and pepper or even just cooked in congee. But atleast that's another thing to tick off!
Foie Gras
My friend's steak, frites and white wine sauce
Beef BourguignonEven though it was summer, I still wanted to try the beef bourguignon. Not as tasty as I would've liked, but it was summer and I really should've ordered something lighter.
Creme brulee!!!!ho ho ho!! So good! Nothing else to say. Move along now! :D
ProfriterolesNot just any profriteroles, but profriteroles stuffed with ice cream!
Our absolute last meal in Paris was lunch near our hotel. Since we had to check out on time, but not leave for the airport for a few hours, we grabbed lunch before doing a bit of a wander.
Again, my friend's steak and chips. Done Well Done this time. Me? I went the steak tartare! Again, the waiter had to double confirm and explain to me that this dish was completely, COMPLETELY 100% raw. I guess he's had way too many tourists ask him to cook the steak! When I confirmed that yes, I really REALLY want to order it. He put my order down and shook his head. "You and your friend are opposites. He wants his well done, you want yours completely raw!" hahaha that's soooooooooooo true!
Some of the best frites to go with my steak tartare
My steak tartareConsidering I've never eaten a steak tartare before, I had to ask the waiter what's the best way to eat it. He plonks about 5 sauces infront of me. Tomato, Worcestershire, tobasco, mustard and something else. He said just mix and match whatever you like after you mix everything together.
Doesn't look so pleasant after you've mixed it together...I divided my steak into many smaller bites. Each one flavoured with one sauce. Then I started mixing and matching until I found the combination I want. The first half of the steak was delicious. Half way through the cold raw meat started to sit funny in me. I could feel a cold lump in my stomach floating in a heap of water I was drinking. I really should've had some wine to wash it down.....but I needed to be sober enough to make it to the airport!
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