Jen started out with the Tomato Mozzarella "Glam Chic", a nice variation on the typical mozzarella and cheese, with edamame, seaweed wrapped legumes, and a healthy dose of a fantastic wasabi glaze everywhere. She mentioned that she’s had greens every way she could possibly think of, and even this was something she’s never quite had or enjoyed as much. The wasabi glaze was definitely the coup de grace for this one.

Tomato Mozzarella Glam Chic

She didn’t really see much in the main courses that appealed to her, and the udon noodle selection wasn’t really calling out to her either, so she went with the Saint-Marcellin cow cheese for her main course (typically a dessert). This mild and creamy cheese makes me wish dairy was still a part of my daily diet. I miss cheeses on my frittatas and omelettes, but I’d slather myself in this stuff anytime and just call it a day. I doubt it’s as easily accessible here in the states unless you’re at a gourmet cheese shop, but I’ll have to look out for it sometime if I am.

Saint Marcellin Cheese

I went for the all our frenchie experience, starting with the Fresh Foie Gras Terrine and toasts, considering French foie gras a must for any gastrom visiting in Paris. The foie gras, unadorned, appears to be nothing more than a simple dish, but the rich flavor won me over. So amazing, it was ultramallardelicious.

My main course was the beef tartar with a side of fries, both were pretty impressive. The raw beef was seared but plenty raw, and another winner in my books. Both Jen and I loved the fries, thick cut, with a salty crisp exterior and a piping hot, creamy potato interior just waiting to burn your tongue. Unfortunately, Kong was too dark for either of my dishes to come out, but their website proudly showcases their best dishes, and only makes me want to go back to try more of them soon.

The restaurant itself is designed by Philllippe Starck, a well known product designer in the design community, whose work and influence you’ve likely seen in many places. We managed to get in at a late enough hour after a boat tour on the Seine river that we copped the best seat in the house. The restaurant sits on the top floor of the Kenzo design house, six stories tall and overlooking Pont Neuf and the Seine. The elongated shape has a rounded glass dome, which is exactly where we sat. Amazing.

Credit: Pushpullbar.com

The view from Kong, overlooking Pont Neuf. Nice.

The staff can be a bit uptight, as if the jerks were holding sushi rolls between their cheeks all night. Relax guys, drop the unagi. Attitude aside, service is quick and the dishes come out quick. If you’re traveling through Paris, Kong is an absolute must for any diner, especially meat eaters. The design is quirky and fun, and the bar scene is vibrant. If you’re looking for Kong while in Paris, you can totally find them
heeyurrr.

[ad#Google Adsense] ]]> http://omnomnivores.com/2009/10/kong/feed/ 0 http://omnomnivores.com/2009/10/amorino-gelanti-e-delizie-ditalia/ http://omnomnivores.com/2009/10/amorino-gelanti-e-delizie-ditalia/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:22:33 +0000 Norm http://omnomnivores.com/?p=448

Credit: addadada from Flickr

Amorino is a gelato boutique with almost 30 stores globally…and really, it’s not hard to understand why. The gelato is, for lack of a better term, OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. Delicious. I can’t think of any gelato that I’ve had outside of Italy that’s tasted as good as the stuff here. They offer a variety of flavors, of which Jen and I split one called L’unimitable, which has a very high likelihood of being a major pronunciation FAIL. The best I could describe it is a cocoa flavored gelato with ENORMOUS chunks of frozen hazelnut chocolate. I felt like I should have been digging for an insulin needle in my bag, it was so sweet and utterly decadent.

Their signature scoop is a rosette shaped cone, which is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen a gelato boutique shape something quite like it.

We tried to go back for a second time on a separate night in Paris, but weren’t able to find it in time (it was already getting past midnight on our second search) and that’s one of the few things about this trip that actually made me sad. If you’re in Paris, you MUST stop in for some of their gelato. Paris has 10 stores, plan on stopping in earlier in your trip or you might just miss out on it altogether!

View a map of Paris’ Amorino boutiques here.

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Indiana Cafe is a strange, strange place. The best Jen I could think of it being was what the French perceive American life to be, much in the way those of us living stateside perceive french waiters to have pencil thin moustaches, berets, striped shirts, and a bandana tied around their neck.

Haw haw haw...

The menu provides a dazzling array of choices, from burgers, to tex-mex, to curry. The decor consists of walls completely covered in vintage Native American/Indian photos, and they only place old school 80′s Police songs.

Confused? We were too. And totally enticed.

Unfortunately, this meal didn’t have any English menus, so we made deux with the French menus. Jen ordered Vegetarien Tacos, and I had the Indiana Degustation. There were numerous jokes throughout the rest of the trip as to what degustation actually meant, and it turns out, it means disgusting appetite.

No wait, it means tasting…and as far as I can tell, Indiana means Indiana the state, not the Native American, so I was tasting Indiana, not tasting a Native American. Upon this revelation, I was immediately saddened in the pants.

What we were really interested in was just how well a French chain of restaurants (12 in Paris according to the website, 6 according to Google Maps) could cook up an authentic Tex-Mex-ish meal.

The degustation plate was a hot mess of Mexican rice, taco, enchilada, chili, guacamole, and deep fried mozzarella sticks. Yep, totally tex-mex. I’m wondering if the curry items on the menu came with naan and Doritos.

Jen’s dish was a bit more pure Tex-Mex, although I’m questioning the piece de la resistance, the cole slaw, to really fit in with the tacos.

All the while, we’re listening to Sting sweat up a storm on a live performance recorded over two decades ago, and admiring the black and white photos of Native American chiefs underneath the bright, bright, bright red neon lights.

The food here is as about as good as any Tex-Mex restaurant we’ve had outside of the actual heart of Texas or Mexico. The sides are a little weird, but I’ll chalk it up to ingenious French Tex-Mex-Americana fusion. If you’re a little homesick for American food, Indiana Cafe will do the trick. It’s nothing that makes it the best food in the city, but it’s good enough to drop in for a quick meal when you’re nearby. The restaurant is open late, and you can find the closest Indiana Cafe on a map here.

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Berko Bakery is one of the few places that dishes out cupcakes to Paris. The bakery, nestled deep in La Marais, boasts a raft of baked goods including cheesecakes and various tartlettes for your devouring. The bakery is attractive and modern, and everything in the store are in glass display cases, showing off their sugary sweetness.

La Marais, once known for its strong Jewish neighborhood roots, now also has the reputation of being the gay district of Paris. Rainbow flags are abundant, and Jen caught several men giving me the eyef*ck. She threatened me at several points to pawn me off to one of these men for a good baguette and some bougie brie, although luckily, I avoided being a jerk for the day, which in itself, is an incredible feat.

The mini cupcakes at Berko look amazing, with numerous flavors to entice you. However, I’d recommend against the cupcakes and getting a selection of the various other desserts at this bakery. While the cupcakes weren’t terrible, they definitely don’t hold up to the ones I’ve had here in America. The cake is a bit dry and could use a bit more butter, only remedied if you’re lucky enough to pick one of the cupcakes with an additional filling underneath the cream cheese frosting.

American Cupcakes. F*ck yeah!

The mini cheesecakes there, however, look artery clogging good, and in retrospect I wish I had been more greedy and ordered the other desserts there. If you’re passing by, definitely eat in, as the cupcake carriers don’t do a good job of ensuring your baked goods get home with even the most careful carrying back home. Seriously. It was a nine cupcake pileup in the box when we got back to our hotel. The owner at Berko has a pretty good sense of humor, so be prepared for a little test of your French speaking skills. We were only treated to being spoken to in English once we agreed to purchase a nine pack of mini cupcakes, but it’s all in good fun because, really, who the fuck can be serious hawking cupcakes?

If you’re Paris and you’re walking off a tidy lunch in La Marais, stop by for coffee and dessert at Berko. View a map of Berko here.

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Le Paradis Du Fruit is a fruit bar, although not one that can slip into your pocket and leave you with a sticky fingered treat later in the day. The restaurant chain emphasizes a wide selection of fruit, salads, stuffed breads, and tartines, all at a pretty good price. Jen and I stopped in after wandering around Des Halles, an area notorious for teeny bopper fashion during the day and hookers during the night.

Strangely enough, these two completely separate groups dress very similar here in the States. But that’s not the point.

The patrons eating outside were noshing on some tasty looking salads, so we walked in and nabbed a table, as well as two menus in English.

Score!

The number of choices here is almost overwhelming, but we both decided on the Assiettes A Composer Soi-Meme, or, 'I Can’t Make Up My Damn Mind From All This Deliciousness'. Jen ordered the goat cheese, walnut and honey stuffed pitas, the goat cheese cream, tomato and mozzarella skewers, and the fries. Because in France, they’re just fries. The goat cheese pitas were delicious, and the goat cheese cream was a perfect spread for some fancy fresh French baguettery. The fries were completely on point, thick cut and better than the limp strands you pick up at MickeyD’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s.

Assiettes A Composer Soi-Meme Végétarien

I ordered the chicken skewers, avocado cream, goat cheese, walnut and honey stuffed pitas and thai style jasmine rice. Apparently, guac is known as avocado cream there, but it still tastes just as good. I’d have to pick the goat cheese pitas as the big winner on my plate, and really look forward to making it at home.

Assiettes A Composer Soi-Meme Avec Viande

As far as the restaurant itself goes, if you’re eating between the hours of 1 and 3 for lunch, be aware that your server might be taking their lunch break as well, so don’t be surprised if you see them outside chowing down on some grub. Parisian shops shut down between 1 and 3 for lunch, unless explicitly said otherwise. Restaurants will stay open during these hours, but servers gotta eat, too! It’s just funny to see them sitting outside eating in the middle of their shift.

Water is free, so you don’t have to specifically order a bottle of Evian like you do at most restaurants. It comes in a glass bottle, but keep in mind that it’s tap. No sweat though, it’s safe to drink. Montezuma wasn’t French.

The decor here is playful and mildly psychedelic, with cupcake frosting pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling, begging to be licked.

Mildly psychadelic, like the fake drugs you bought from your son's best friend. YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.

Le Paradis Du Fruit has multiple locations all over Paris, ten at the time of this post. The food seems healthy and light, and you’re bound to find something you like on their extensive listing. It’s better than the army of standard French cafe stalwarts, and the atmosphere is modern and vibrant. Stop in for lunch and tuck in.

View a map with all the Le Paradis du Fruit restaurants here.

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The streets of Paris under a full(ish) moon

The Gourmandises Bretonnes Creperie is what seems to be just another crepe shop in the narrow streets of Paris. I popped in here after our dinner at La Grenier de Notre-Dame to get a meat-n-cheese crepe, and this just happened to be the first place we saw. The interior is clean and there is seating in both the front and rear of the restaurant, should you need to rest your tired dogs for a few. The crepes are very thick here, which for me, was perfect.

It’s worth noting that both Jen and I had crepes on several occasions during our trip, and not all crepes are created equal. Watch the crepe maker make a crepe before you order. I witnessed at least one guy who was unable to make them in one whole piece without ripping them. Skip those guys. Some places will also have a stack of pre-made crepes, which you should also skip. Half the fun of the experience is having a crepe made for you on the spot. Some places will also only serve you a half crepe, which is another trick to rip off tourists. Sit around for a few minutes and either the crepe maker will make crepes for practice for you to judge, or someone else will come by and order one before you.

Poulet et Frommage Crepe

The chicken and cheese (frommage et poulet) crepe from Gourmandises Bretonnes was perfect. No skipping on the ingredients, a thick crepe to hold it all together, and just what I needed after a lackluster meal from earlier in the evening. If you’re in narrow streets of Paris south of Notre Dame, definitely check this place out. Prices are reasonable, and the staff are friendly English speaking crepe badasses. The neighborhood has tons of little cafes, restaurants, and shops, so get your crepe to go and take it to wander around a bit. There are a ton of other restaurants in the vicinity too, so you can always come back and get a dessert crepe, too.

Check out Gourmandises Bretonnes Creperie on a map here.

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La Grenier de Notre-Dame

La Grenier de Notre-Dame is one of the few vegetarian establishments in Paris. I found the recommendation on one of the herbivore websites listing off the best vegetarian restaurants in the city. It’s tucked away on one of the side streets just south of Notre Dame and on the south side of the river.

The seating inside is cozy, which translates to “not typical American friendly”. The restaurant has two floors, with restrooms upstairs, but I doubt the majority of typical Americans could make it up the narrow spiral staircase. Even I had a little bit of trouble shuffling up the stairway, but then again, I can’t really think of many vegetarians who have concerns about their weight. So maybe it’s just a self solving problem.

The menu boasts a variety of options based on the peasant food theme, and portions here are generous. However, the food here just isn’t satisfying. Jen was able to make do and order a nice casserole, and I opted to just get a vegetarian souffle, with the idea of grabbing a meaty crepe once we left. The quality of both of our dishes were pretty good, but they just weren’t doing it for me. The presentation is also a bit lacking. The souffle I ordered could use some garnishing, although the side salad was a nice touch. Jen’s casserole looked like it had followed us from the Air France flight and made its way to the table. Despite the gastro-setbacks, I was happy that we at least found a place that caters to her dietary restrictions more than a meat eating caveman like me. Which is to say, on a vacation, there are none.

The one dish missing on the menu was a ratatouille, which is the quintessential vegetarian peasant dish (according to the movie, that’s right, Disney force feeds me my history lessons). Not that it would have been any better of a dish for either of us, it was just one selection I had expected to see offered.

Ratatouille

Service and food preparation is quick, and they do speak English here (the wait staff is both helpful and friendly). If you’re a diehard vegetarian and you can’t find anything else to eat within a few miles, a meal here will do. Otherwise, I’d say save the Euros and find a better meal elsewhere. You can easily make do with a delicious fresh crepe or fresh pastry from any number of patisseries nearby. Or do both! WHY NOT.

La Grenier de Notre-Dame has two locations in Paris. View a map of them here.

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La Frégate sits right on the southside of the Seine River in Paris, at one end of the Pont Royal bridge and just a few minutes away from le Jardin de Tuileries and the Louvre, residence of Mona Lisa. The restaurant seems to fit in with your assortment of standard French cafes. There is a row of seats and tables just outside the restaurant where you can enjoy a coffee, espresso, wine, or leisurely lunch watching the life Parisiennes as they go by. You might be as fortunate as Jen and I were to witness a child jumping out the rear seat with his mother, darting to the wall that overlooks into the Seine and get to a narrowly averted pant wetting during your leisurely lunch.

It’s at that moment that we were keenly reminded that there are almost no public bathrooms in Paris. As Americans, we take many things in our daily lives for granted. The right to own guns. To have a hot shower after a long day at work. The unbelievably overwhelming number of options of where to best relieve yourself at any point of the day without looking like a common vagrant who pisses as he pleases and back to eating out of a dumpster. But really, this sort of thing is more hilarious than anything else. Apparently, the French encourage trashy hobo behavior from a young age. It’s no wonder that I find that many of the conversations discussing the teachings of Descartes with crazy train-traveling hobos behind dumpsters are often in French.

Wasn’t there supposed to be a restaurant review in here?

So La Frégate. There’s not too much in the way of vegetarian fare here. Jen opted for the cheese plate, which, with almost every restaurant’s complimentary basket of baguette slices, made do for enough of a lunch for her. It was a better option than the tomates mozzarella, which seems to be the default vegetarian option offered at every french cafe. In fact, sometimes being the only vegetarian option, which would pretty much piss me off if I were veg. Thankfully, Jen’s got miles more patience than me, and kept her chin up her two giant blocks of brie and a small French salad.

Le Stinky Frommage, c est tres délicieux!

I doubled down with the croque monsieur (which I translates to crotchety man), a French twist on the ham and cheese with the ham still being on the inside, but the cheese being melted on top for a hot, delicious mess. A little bit kinky and odd, but still pretty satisfying. Like having a threesome with a little person.

WHAT?

Croque Monsieur

I also had the Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘n’ Fruity omelette stuffed with again, ham and cheese, just to load up protein after a light breakfast. I’m not sure if the waiter was appalled or impressed, but I’m sure I only reinforced the idea that all Americans pig out at every opportunity of a meal. In retrospect, both of my dishes were very similar, and both were very tasty, but I’d go with the omelette and another dish if I were to eat at La Fregate again.

The cafe doesn’t particularly stand out in food quality, but it’s not bad, either. Service is attentive and friendly, and you can have fun watching both the cars and people go by. The menu offering isn’t particularly well suited to vegetarians or vegans, but if you find yourself starving after a long exploration throug the Orsay Museum or the Louvre, you can definitely get a decent meal for a decent price at La Frégate. View a map of La Frégate here.

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