L’Auberge Dab, paris.

seafood restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe , paris.

we went here for lunch on our previous visit and wanted to come again. the ambiance is casual, slightly old school, businessmen on lunches, meetings, family dinners.

fresh seafood, great oyster selection, and the bread + butter is to die for. that’s what sets the tone of a meal.. good crusty bread + great butter.  makes me happy.

gillardeau oysters.

creamy, fatty delicious foie gras with fruit chutney. sighs.

i ate so bad once i arrived.. cholesterol, fats.. over indulging. but how could i not?

seared scallops with risotto.

fish with tomatoes, sausage and veggies.

L’Auberge Dab

market, paris.

dinner @ Jean George’s Market on Ave Matignon in Paris.

market has a seasonal tasting menu option, where you can order 2 plates for 34EUR, and additional plates for 17. four of us dined.. i think we ended up ordering over 7 plates for our table, an entree, and desserts, because we wanted to try everything. here are some of my favorites from the meal.

arugula salad with fennel, mushroom and parmesan. simple + delicious.

pea soup.

coconut milk soup with chicken and galangal. love the thai spices. great flavor.

the boys got burgers. in paris. they would.

basil raviolis with tomato sauce. light + fresh.

tropical fruit panna cotta. this was brought to our table by mistake. when we informed the waiter, he told us to enjoy it while he checked on our order. score!

strawberry + rhubarb crumble. it was good too, but i preferred the panna cotta.

international flavors but mixed quite well. contemporary cuisine with good portion sizes to allow diners to order more and enjoy different flavors.. nothing was too heavy or hard to follow with another entree. the soups and desserts were exceptional.

http://www.jean-georges.com/

mariage freres salon de the, paris

museum visit + lunch.  Mariage Freres tea house @ the Lourve, Paris.

mariage freres, maison de the, is one of my favorite tea companies. i love their blends.. not to mention their beautiful packaging.

i had their marco polo tea. we drink this at home regularly.  my other favorite blends from MF:  Earl grey french blue, and Golden monkey king. the Opium Hill Oolong and Tie Kuan Ying are considerably good.. though I usually prefer to buy asian teas from asian tea makers..

tomato gazpacho with smoked tuna. theres a toast under the tuna, sitting in the soup.

“um.. omg” was our reaction when this smoked salmon sandwich was brought to our table. made with green tea bread and a window of fresh Ikura (salmon roe) on top.. it was sO delicious and well presented. this sandwich far exceeded any expectations.

this was b’s pick from the dessert counter.  kind of a creme brulee with fresh strawberries tart. it was, “wow.”

there’s a few mariage freres tea salon locations, i picked the one at the lourve because it was convenient to our schedule. if you’re in paris, its def worth a visit for lunch or afternoon tea!

xx

Pur.

Pur’ at the Park Hyatt Vendome, Paris.

Michelin star Chef Jean Francois Rouquette’s set course of the day.

i cant remember all the courses and their descriptions, so the pictures will have to suffice.. yes, it was pretty good.

starter mini brioche.

spiny lobster slice with lemon and fennel jelly

ostera caviar.

abalone.

b’s steak.

sea bass.

cheese course. with honey, salted caramel and pie crust- like crumbles.

strawberry confit in the tube! vanilla gelato, strawberry cake.

poached fig, fig tartin, pecan caramel ice cream.

 

xxx

Laduree, Paris.

my ongoing macaron endeavors.

i feel guilty to foodies + critics alike for saying this, but i must. after so many years of lusting over laduree’s macarons, i realized that it was the unattainability that made them so desirable for me. now that i’ve been there a few times… i can safely say that i prefer jean paul hevin, pierre herme, or even a few of robuchon’s flavors (chocolate) over laduree. is something wrong with me? maybe its because their signature flavors are ones that i don’t enjoy.. licorice.. violet..  ick.

that said. i still love macarons, and laduree is always so beautiful, their salon’s decor alone compels me to sit down for tea. so i do. and i end up there again.

this time, we changed it up, and tried the macaron glace, with apricot sherbert. it was quite good. frozen macarons from laduree! something i can enjoy exclusively there.

pistachio, coffee, chocolate, orange?

creamy + light montblanc that my friend ordered.

i may give it another try in tokyo this weekend…  but pierre herme awaits. ;)

Benoit, Paris.

classic french bistrot dining at Alain Ducasse’s Benoit.

established in 1912.

“B”

cheese bread. amazing. chewy, cheesy, slightly crispy on the outside.

foie gras de canard confit, with brioche parisienne toast. (not pictured)

cookpot of spinach and chestnut stuffed mushrooms.  stewed in beef broth, with herbs. so delicious. vegetables never tasted this good.

crayfish soup with cream + chives.

mine: daily special entree: pork chop. it was soft, cooked medium, with garlic. it cut like a prime rib.

b’s house cassoulet. it was brought to the table in a rather large + heavy cookpot of beans, pork, duck, and then plated. it could have easily served 2-3.

frozen souffle of orange with grand marnier. too big to finish, because it wasn’t fluffy like a baked souffle.

gateau chocolat. chocolate cake with crispy praline, hazelnut ice cream and cracker.

YUM. the ice cream was so delicate and smooth that it melts instantly in your mouth.

seriously good food!

xx