Barthélemy Aggro

Funny how people can be such inbred jerkoffs. I was just fact checking a piece I just wrote for the BBC's gourmet food magazine and called up the famous fromagerie to confirm the price of their Vacherin. It went something like this (translated from the Frog of course):

"Hello. I'm writing an article for the BBC magazine olive and I'd just like to check the price on a cheese please"

"Ah, let me get you the manager". (in the background, off phone "Patrrrroonn, une magazine veut vous parler")

Another person on the line, most probably Roland Barthélemy: "I'm not interested". Click. The bastard hung up on me! I feel anger at the rude, overrated French artisan who probably likes to BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP

...but, I call back.

"Hello, you just hung up on me."

Him: "I told you I'm not interested. I'm busy". Preparing to hang up.

Me: " You are being rude. And anyway, you're in the article whether you like it or not. If you want correct information published about your establishment, all you have to do is tell me".

Him: "I'm busy". Hangs up.

Luckily there are legions of other fromageries offering comparable quality cheese at much more reasonable prices.

And with friendlier service.

And he is so out of the article.

Rocking out with my gastronomic cock out

Oth Sombath nouvelle cuisine Thai

Steam cooked langoustines

Filet of sea bass and lime cooked in a banana leaf

Filet of beef with orange curry sauce

Sweet water chestnut with coconut cream


Here are a few photos from my recent meal at Oth Sombath, a nouvelle Thai

The space age, Patrick Jouin designed dining room is a pretty impressive three room duplex space, like something out of the Jetsons (upstairs feels a little claustrophobic). The chef has a pretty good pedigree (Blue Elephant, Banyan, his own place in Saint Trop), and , to tell the truth, I really didn't know what to expect. But the meal was pretty excellent. They're not afraid of spicing up dishes right from the start, but things seemed to be less exciting towards the end. Highlights included the Tom Kha Kai, a free range chicken, coconut and galanga soup (superb, light), the Keang Massaman Neua, beef fillet with orange curry (curry a little watery and not as potent as the spices for the opening dishes), and Ta Ko, a superb dessert, coconut cream with water chestnuts.

Rice and Fish - Cheap and Cheerful

Another of the French food critics darlings (Figaro, le fooding) , this friendly little sushi resto, located on a semi-pedestrian side street sandwiched on the periphery of skanky Chatelet and Sentier and the bobo-ish shopping street Etienne Marcel has morphed into one of the most popular Asians in town. Run by San Franciscan Andy , who trained in the You Ess Ay, Rice and Fish offers inexpensive (though not mindblowing) makis, sushi and chirashi. Service is friendly although they seem a bit overwhelmed by the demand (forgotten napkins, no spider crab, no deep fried ice cream), the food is decent, though not surprising in any way and the terrace a nice place to hang under the sun drinking chilled Kirin (although I did spill half of mine all over my trousers while watching a pretty girl walk by, much to the amusement of the neighboring tables..)

Hmmmm