Sunday, June 29, 2008

Crème Chantilly



Located at one roundabout's removal from the Chateau de Chantilly towards Paris, this small ice cream trailer offers up just a handful of flavors with one, two or three scoops with real Chantilly cream dolloped on top (yes , this is where whipped cream is from dear readers, thanks to M. Vatel..). Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and pistachio were all great, but the melon (gasp, orgasmic sounds...) was truly wonderful..

New direction/ YouTube moment

Thanks to my own introspection and comment from anon to make my blog more personal, I think I'll be heading in this direction and stay away from the boring published reviews, etc... Experiences like my evening out with Austen the other night, a classic moment where I performed an inexcusable, shocking act in the midst of Paris' most exclusive nightspot (the times when you wished you'd brought the camera...) , will be the meat and potatoes of this newly improved and exponentially more diabolic blog. Stay tuned!
95£ Burger King Burger????

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Red Bull with Taurine arrives in France (or, It's about time the French government pulled their finger out)



French Red Bull with TAURINE! on July 15th!

According to Red Bull PR: "We don't have a precise date for the arrival of Red Bull taurine on the French market, however, we know that we will stop importing Red Bull with the arginine formula at the latest mid-July."


Good news for the general public (I was still getting the real deal from my local shop, imported from Lithuania..)

I want one

now.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Introspection

**Just Re-read this , it's very boring and pathetic- (but maybe someone will feel sorry for me and contract me! **


Please. Can someone explain to me why I am always skirting the edge of food writing success? I've written for the best. Condé Nast Traveler contacted me because they liked a photo on my crappy blog of the Cantine de Quentin and paid me handsomely for it. Monocle has put their trust in me (albeit in very tiny articles..). Time Out, Nota Bene, and Luxe City Guides have invested in me for my restaurant intelligence. Every inflight in the UK wants me (almost)- but the pay is so-so. Gridskipper, Life in Cities and a million websites have contracted me (at low cost most of the time) to give them fresh foody intell. The world's richest, most famous, most discerning gastronomes count on me daily. I know some of the best chefs in the world on a friendly basis. I've been voted best concierge in the world.I've been featured in the Figaro. And I'm still not getting the cream. I'm skimming the top off of it.

And why do I continue this blog- I mean, who the hell reads it anyway?

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Crudus



Interesting little place recently suggested by an Italian friend who is bringing the Costes empire to Dubai , this is apparently the only restaurant Italien bio in Paris. Although it was completely empty the night we were there (literally) , an enjoyable meal was had by all. Great calamari (not normally a fan) and Jambon de Parme with melty mozza, followed by a pretty decent risotto and good tagliatelli with cepes mushrooms. Comfortable dining rooms (don't know about those see-through tables, though.)



Jambon de Parma with melty mozzarella cheese


Calamari with zucchini and balsamic reduction


Tagliatelli with cepes


Crudus
21 rue Saint Roch, 75001 Paris
+33 1 42 60 90 29

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Le Hide

Already lauded with unanimous acclaim by the Parisian food press (and soon by the NYT, Condé Nast and the rest ..), Le Hide, Japanese chef Hide Kobayashi's bistro is probably the best value in Paris. Having trained with some great chefs (Robuchon, Bouchet) , Hide has retained some impressive cooking skills and put them to use in a classic French, three course menu that is a steal at 29€ (especially being located in one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the city). The starter of fresh leeks with a vinaigrette sauce was delicate and delicious, the faux filet firm and responsive, and the cod cooked to perfection and the desserts (tarte tatin, tiramisu, ile flottante) well turned out. Despite the waitstaff of two, and kitchen staff of one (!), things ran smoothly, making this a definite comeback resto..The dining crowd included neighbours, a Japanese couple, lots of locals and a few English tourists from a hotel next door (coming back for the second night in a row)


Leeks with vinaigrette sauce and a sprinkling of Guérande salt

Faux filet steak (200g, Desnoyer)

Cod with sauce beurre blanc

Tarte tatin with bourbon vanila ice cream

Le Hide
10 rue du Général Lanrezac, 75017 Paris
+33 1 45 74 15 81