Monday (actually Tuesday...) Recap #4
Birthday in Paris, food and brests...
Hey peeps! I’m so sorry this is a day late! I’m not even going to sugarcoat it…I was so badly hungover from my overenthusiastic partying in Paris, I spent 2 days dealing with some very uncomfortable consequences…
My last full day in Paris was a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and barely any clouds. The city was buzzing and lots of people sat along the river bank tanning and relaxing. I, on the other hand, had a stomach in a merciless storm, and spent the day trying not to be sick…failing miserably. Even as I got on the train later that evening, I continued to feel worse. I never knew I’d get to know the bathrooms on the Eurostar so intimately until this return journey…
But was it worth it? 100%. I’ve not had this much fun in a really long time! I used to get stupidly excited about my birthday. The day after my birthday, I would text one of my oldest friends, K, that she needs to start planning for my ‘upcoming birthday’ because it was only 364 days away. That pretty much stopped after I turned 30. I’m not even sure why…work stress, having kids and just life getting more complicated, the joy of my birthday diminished year on year…and eventually, I stopped celebrating and started grieving over getting old.
This year, however, because of all the shit I’ve had to deal with, I decided that for my birthday, it would be the one time that I’m not allowed to be sad or depressed because I’ve done enough of that in the last 4 months. I would celebrate it with lots of love, laughter, good food and booze. I invited some of my favorite people in my life to join me in my favorite city in the world! And boy did they show up and deliver!
Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s high up on the list because of accessibility when you live in London. I can be in the middle of the city eating fresh baguettes and croissants in 2.5 hours. To a simple country girl from Ukiah, California, this will never stop blowing my mind…
I was really pumped about this one because this was special. Even K flew in from Sweden and that was no easy task! So I felt very loved by my ride or die crew and I will never forget how they held me up when I was at my lowest…and supported my boobs when they were the saggiest.
But what you really want to see is the food! I’m going to split this into two parts: Part 1 will be on restaurants and Part 2 (Thursday) will be on drinks/bakeries (and a very famous one to avoid)/things to do. Keep in mind…I am not a food critic and I’m not even going to try to pretend to be one. This is very much a ‘I like it, you should eat it” and “I don’t like it, you should avoid” list. If you’re looking for something more in depth…I am not it…
Alright, let’s go!
A cute little Hong Kong style cafe with some freshly baked Asian buns with creative flavors. I enjoyed the burrata/lap cheong on toast with honey drizzle. I’d suspect this would be quite good with any Asian style cured sausages so might steal this idea with some Taiwanese ones…
I also quite liked the bun stuffed with camembert and I could taste a very familiar scent of Lao Gan Ma…I mean, who wouldn’t like chili oil on smelly cheese?! In bread!
Because they bake throughout the day, depending on what time you get there, there may be a few things out of stock but check with the very sweet FOH and she can tell you what time the next batch will be ready.
Worth it? You should try it if you’re in the area. I wouldn’t make a special trip for it.
Absolutely loved this spot for our first lunch in Paris! It’s relaxed but tastefully decorated. The menu is not complicated (and changes often) and the price is very good for a 2-3 course set meal. I had the soft poached egg for a starter and braised beef cheek for main. I chose this place for lunch because it was near a bakery specialized in Madeleines but sadly, I didn’t get to go…because the weather turned and I was too full from lunch.
Worth it? Yes! Especially if you have a small group and enjoy good wine and easygoing staff. And then go check out the Madeleine place and tell me all about it…
A class French seafood bistro. We wanted to have some fruits de mer on our first night and this was recommended. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I thought the food was just okay, I’ve had better fruits de mer on my previous Paris trips. There wasn’t much atmosphere either…but for our first night, perhaps that’s what was needed.
Worth it? Meh. It was quite expensive because it was seafood. I don’t think I’d visit again unless someone else is paying…
A better option: Langousta (several locations)
This is one of my must visit restaurants in Paris whenever I’m in the city. The menu is always changing, I love the simple wine list and the service is always so attentive and friendly. If it’s your first time in Paris and you’re worried about the snooty Parisian attitude in restaurants, come to Le Servan and you will be taken care of and fed very well!
Make sure you make a booking, you can do it online or call, they speak English well so don’t be intimidated.
Worth it? Absolutely!
This was the dinner highlight on the trip! The restaurant itself is beautiful! And the vibe was fun and energetic. The food was non-fussy, classic French fare like steak tartare or pate en croute. However, it’s the staff that are brilliant. They really do go out of their way to make sure your meal runs as smoothly as possible. It’s not easy to serve a large group of 10, one of the staff members texted me the day before to see if I can decide on menu items to help them serve us better and faster. When we arrived (all late mind you…), they all smiled and said no problem. The food arrived promptly, the drinks were strong and delicious and we never felt rushed. When the bill arrived, we were surprised by how reasonable it was! To make sure we all had a good time, the restaurant served us a round of shots and a couple of fantastic Paris brests! They were some of the best brests I’ve ever had. The choux was perfectly light and the praline crème mousseline was intense and so moorish.
Worth it? Yes yes yes! Book Le Servan for lunch and this for dinner. You’re welcome.
Taiwanese fried chicken joints are popping up everywhere! This had potential but I thought it was a bit dry and bland. They needed to double or maybe triple up the seasoning, in the coating and after frying. The dipping sauces were really boring…I mean, it was all just ok. I was also really hungover so fried chicken felt like a good idea.
Worth it? Only if you’re in the area and really hard up for some fried chicken and there are none within a one mile radius.
I do try to keep track of my Paris visits on Instagram so if you’re more of a visual person and would like to see where I have been on previous visits, be sure to check out some IG highlights!
And what is your favorite Paris memory (if you have been)?
Till next time,
Tiff
I’ve been to Paris a gajillion times for sure but always for work. I had an amazing birthday meal at Paul Bert where I gained 2lbs overnight from a Paris Brest and never lost it 🤣
The madeleines are good but I’d totally forgetten I’d been so you clearly didn’t miss much. I’d go if it was convenient or you really like madeleines in experimental flavours.