Paris: Duck Confit @ Bosc Alain, Champ de Mars

It was the final day in Paris and I was keen to end it with an authentic French lunch.  But with no internet to help, I had to walk on foot and decide what was best.  Eventually I ended up at Bosc Alain nearby the Eiffel tower area.  The 3 course set menu was simple but every bit French.  

Escargots in a lovely parsley butter

The escargots taste a little earthy, with a mild chew but generous amount of butter and parsley made this dish really tasty while developing a very nice fragrance. 

Duck Confit

While the accompaniments were authentic, I could not help but wonder whether the duck could have been cooked better.  The skin was decently brown but a tad longer to let the skin become crisp and fat cook away would definitely be the way to go.  But on a positive note, the duck was not overly salty and the frites that came with it were super crunchy and nice.

Cheese plate to finish.

The plate felt bare but I guess the highlight was the cheese anyway. While I was expecting a little sweet side like dates/pear/jam, there was none.  Even then, the cheese tasted good!  Could have been better for sure.

Was it amazing?  Well, perhaps no.  But my expectations were not the highest as it was a super touristy area where tourists would come by the masses anyway.  But alas, it was still a decent meal with some notable highlights like the escargots and the duck in some aspects.

WenY

Paris: Nepalese fare @ Buddha Restaurant, Gobelins

Having dinner out on Saturday is a big thing and its no different in Paris.  With no bookings, you can forget about walk-ins even at 9pm.  After getting rejected by one of the more popular bistro’s, we were quite lost.  But considering how windy and cool it was that night,  we decided to go for a curry meal at Restaurant Buddha just round the corner. 

I have to say, we were quite lucky because a few patrons had just left leaving us with a couple of tables around.  I was salivating when I saw the menu.  The food was typically Indian/Nepalese with all the usual suspects.  You get the lovely Momo dumplings, Chilli Chicken, Vindaloos, and Briyanis.

Eventually we decided to share and called many different dishes.  I believe we had the Chilli Chicken, the Momo, a Briyani and a Lamb Korma.  Also as the food came out a little slow, Buddha restaurant very kindly served us some Aloo Naan or stuffed naan.  

Could not be happier at 9.30pm.  We literally devoured it the moment it hit the table.  That was how hungry we were!

Our platter of Momo’s which is a traditional Nepalese dumpling.  I had it before at Himalayan Nepalese Restaurant in Perth and these were equally tasty!

The Chilli Chicken was the highlight of the night.  Tender chicken pieces coated in a spicy, sticky sauce that was also mildly sweet.  It was very flavoursome.

My meal at Buddha Restaurant was every bit satisfying.  We ordered a lot and we were absolutely stuffed.  With four mains, several naans and drinks for the table, we paid €25 per person which is considered pretty decent in this side of France.  The service was a little slow but it never lacked courtesy for one moment.  Buddha restaurant was easily a delicious meal in Paris and I would thoroughly recommend it if you are looking for something beyond the norms of a Parisian bistro.

WenY

Paris: Amazing Sorbet @ Berthillon Ice Ceam, Île Saint-Louis

Walking the canals and relaxing by one is a great way to enjoy the relaxed Parisian lifestyle.  After a great meal at L’Avant Comptoir, I continued my journey to the Notre Dame Cathedral.  Needless to say I was not convinced that the many hours of long queue to see the iconic church from the inside was worth my time.  So after quickly snapping a few photos from the outside, I was off to pick up a cone from the famous Berthillon Ice Creamery kiosk.

This amazing ice cream shop has been operation for tens of years and rightfully so considering the amazing ice creams they make.  While I have been saying a lot of the word “ice cream”, their specialty is actually the amazing sorbet they make.

I could not resist getting two scoops that afternoon.  The scoop on top was the passionfruit sorbet while the bottom one was a ripe berry sorbet.  Both flavours packed some serious fruit flavours.  Like Anthony Bourdain puts it, biting into a Berthillon sorbet feels as though you are biting into the frozen fruit itself.  That statement I find very accurate as the fruity flavours were really intense!

Several of my friends opted for the chocolate ones and thought that it was only “OK”, so it really depends on what you like I believe.  But go with the sorbet and you should do just ok!  So remember if you are in the Île Saint-Louis area, definitely come-by Berthillon for a scoop of amazing sorbet!

WenY