Paris: Fine Tapas @ L'Avant Comptoir, Odeón

After an absolutely rubbish steak by a random restaurant at Eiffel tower the night before, I was more determined than ever to have a proper meal.  My research game was strong and brought me to a little tapas bar in town called L'Avant Comptoir in Odeón.  

Hidden behind a takeaway Creperie, this is a stand only tapas place and strictly no reservations.  How to order?  L'Avant Comptoir’s standard menu is hung from the ceiling with a price and picture while everything seasonal is written in chalk on a small blackboard.  

Note that L'Avant Comptoir only has one sommelier, maître d and waiter so its a one man show at the counter.  He (Mr Eric) remembers everyone better than you do, so if you feel ignored it is because someone else is waiting before you.

This rule applies no matter how sure you are that you were the first in line lol.

Bread, butter and condiments are communal (and seriously good too) so do not freak out should someone reach over your shoulder to take a slice of bread or smear butter from your tray haha.  

The tapas at L'Avant Comptoir is simple, interesting and extremely flavourful.  My first dish was a bowl of super sweet shell fish right which was a seasonal special off the black board. 

Cooked in a tomato based sauce with wine and finished with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley, the shell fish was faultless.  Sweet, juicy and mildly briny, this was a great finger food.

The second dish I got was a classic favourite for the table, creamy potato croquettes with bits of yummy ham.

Creamy potato on the inside, crisp on the outside makes the croquette a tapas that is hard to beat.   Its seasoning too was balanced and really quite tasty!

The Jamon de Paris at L'Avant Comptoir to share with paprika and horseradish.

Its hard to explain how a humble ham can make an good lunch become an amazing lunch.  But if you appreciate your ham slightly juicy but not wet, mildly salted and intense in flavour, then you will enjoy this a lot!  A pinch of horseradish drops a load of kick so do not put too much! 

My fancy pants attempt at L'Avant Comptoir before dessert was a Foie Gras Meringue with Citrus Jam.  

Creamy, fragrant and a sweet altogether in one bite.  What can I say?  Wow.  It will be overwhelming for those who dislike the richer things in life but this was a seriously interesting morsel.  If I had one criticism, it would be that the macaron could be a little thicker!  I think there was more Foie Gras than Meringue in this dish haha.

There is no better way to end a great meal but with a sweet ending and when in Paris, eat Burnt Cream or Creme Brûlée.

The twist?  Creme Brûlée at L'Avant Comptoir is not a really sweet dessert but instead is velvety smooth and simply fragrant.  You could smell the burnt sugar the moment the dessert hits the table.  After hearing the beautiful crust break, its time to explore the beautiful cream.  Spiked with a little coffee, the cream has an aromatic kick that paired perfectly with the burnt sugar.   An amazing dessert over all. 

The wines were pretty good too according to the boys.  I thought it was OK but nothing life changing.  No discrimination of prices between per glass and per bottle, so do not hesitate to try all the different wines L'Avant Comptoir has to offer :)!

The L'Avant Comptoir was packed at 1pm and several patrons who waited to get in were visibly frustrated by the lack or service or rather no service.  So be sure to come 5-10 minute before they open at 12 or risk having to wait.  The more popular sitting restaurant next door L'Comptoir St Germain Bistro had people waiting in line since 11.30am!!  Paris is a big city with plenty of good food.  But it has plenty of people too.  So queues are a norm and bookings essential where possible.

WenY

Paris: Pastry Galore @ Maison Eric Kayser & Boulangerie Gosselin, Paris

Paris is known as the city of love but it is also known for its amazing food.  Many things come to mind when you associate the French with food.  You get decadent desserts, Michelin starred restaurants serving the finest meals to quaint little bistros serving classical French food.  For me, there was one thing I looked forward to more than the rest when I was there.  That is to try their re-known pastries.  In particular, the much-talked about classic, the Croissant.  In October, I made a short trip to Paris over the weekend and tried some popular bakeries in town.

My first morning before walking through Luxembourg Garden was a stop at Maison Eric Kayser on d’Assas road.  This bakery was one of the many others that formed the famous Eric Kayser franchise.  To get my morning fuel, I tried three different pastries. Sorry for the really random looking pics! I was too hungry to re-arrange them and present them nicely together :P!

The classic Croissant.

The White Chocolate Brioche

The Raisin & Vanilla Custard Pastry

The pastries were rich, tasty and more-ish.  But while the Croissant and Brioche should have been the favourites, they were served a little too cold for my liking.  This means it was not as fluffy or airy as they could have been.  For that reason alone, my favourite was the Raisin & Vanilla Custard Pastry.   

The morning before I went home came seemingly close to being a failure.  With most places closed, it was hard to find anything proper.  Then there was the marathon which had several main roads close in the Louvre area.  Just when my friends were about to settle for McDonald’s  I managed to lead the team to Boulangerie Gosselin.

Chocolate Eclair

Croissant

Pistachio Twist? Croissant?

Another moment of decadence in Paris.  While I have tasted better Eclairs in life, this was a good one although I felt the need for better balance and that it could be fresher over all.  The Croissant here was noticeably airier compared to the one from Maison Eric Kayser.  However, it was also less buttery.  Alas, my favourite one was the Pistachio Pastry.  Crusty, slightly sweet and fragrant, it was a hard one to beat.  

The pastries in Paris were consistently good or perhaps I have been to some consistently good bakeries.  Controversially enough, I cannot help but feel let down by the croissants.  Fortunately, the discovery of some seriously yummy alternatives kept my hopes up.  At Maison Eric Kayser, the Raisin and Custard swirl was all the rave.  Crispy, creamy and a toned sweetness, it was impeccable.  On the other hand, the fragrant of the pistachios from Boulangerie Gosselin still lingers on my palate today.  Looking in hindsight though its like going to Italy to buy a Ferrari only to come back with a Citroen.  Does not sound very right now does it? =|

WenY

Bites NLD: Slurping Ramen @ Genki SET Japanese, Den Haag.

The Hague is gradually descending into a cold, dark and wet season.  With more than half the day spent in the dark, I sought salvation beyond the norms of the traditional Dutch Stampot.  Through the recommendation of my colleague,  I came here for a pre-theatre meal with a couple of my mates.  Located in the heart of the Hague, Genki SET Japanese is a popular spot for a simple Japanese meal.  

While they serve a host of dishes from the basic sushi to a wagyu teriyaki and even shabu-shabu, I was actually here for the ramen!  But to share, my friends and I started with the Osaka style pressed Sushi  €6.90 which reminds me of the sushi I had at Modern Eatery: The House of Sushi in Fremantle.

To make this sushi, the fish is compacted into a mould before being filled with rice.  It is then overturned and coated with drizzling of Japanese Mayonnaise before being torched.  The result is a smokey-melt in your mouth salmon. The fish was a little thin, but it was yummy! Not sure why the sweet brown sauce though =/!

My Ramen of choice was the Shoyu (Soy) Ramen with slices of decadent Chashu €8.80.

Initial impressions were great.  You get a clear broth that smells of soy with a whiff of smokiness.  The egg with a runny yolk was promising and it looked nice over all.  That is until you actually start eating it.  My biggest dislike would be the depth of flavour in the broth. While it was mildly salty and yes there is a hint of soy with smokiness, I was looking for some strong soy flavours which should always be the focus of a complete Shoyu Ramen.  Instead, the soy flavour in the soup was flat!  Other than that, the Chashu was yummy and everything else really worked!  Can’t say I was too pleased to see a carrot in there though =.=!

To complement my noodles, I added a served of Karaage or Fried Chicken Nuggets for €1.95.  Definitely no complains here.  Crispy and drizzled with mayonnaise again.  Hard to go wrong but I would not mind a strong punch of ginger in the chicken marinade :)! 

My first meal at Genki SET Japanese was decent but I cannot say that I walked away too impressed. The service was good and the meal was decently priced for the Hague.  It cost me just a little below €15 for the entire meal.  However, the Shoyu Ramen just did not deliver!  Thankfully I returned twice since this meal 3 weeks ago.  Their Miso Ramen with Chashu and a dollop of Volcano Oil is absolutely delicious.  So if you are ever coming here, give their Miso Ramen with Chashu a try!  It is so much better than the Shoyu Ramen.

Check out my other Ramen posts:

Dosukoi Ramen @ Allendale Square, Perth

Kai Ramen @ Bull Creek, Perth

Oceans Ramen @ Northbridge, Perth

Nao Ramen @ Murray Street, Perth

Ramen Lab @ Mount Lawley, Perth

Genki SET Japanese @ Den Haag, Netherlands

The Little Ramen Bar @ Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Ippudo Ramen @ Hong Kong

Hide Chan Ramen @Midtown East, New York City

Totto Ramen @ Hell's Kitchen, New York City

WenY

Bites NLD: Indonesian Cuisine @ Si Des, Spuimarkt

Being so far away from Asia, I very often crave for good Asian food.  Thankfully, the Netherlands is a place that many Indonesians called home due the Indonesia-Netherlands special relationships.  For those who did not know, Indonesia was a Dutch colony in the past!  Like always, eat where the locals eat and when my Indonesian friend Johnny recommended Si Des in Spuimarkt, I knew where I was headed for my next meal.

I spoke to the lady at the counter and she told me that Si Des has been in business for many years now giving me great expectations of the food it served.  After being convinced that I could finish two dishes by myself, I ordered a Gado-Gado and the Ayam Kremes.  The Gado-Gado is a classic Indonesian salad consisting of eggs, blenched vegetables, tofu and cucumber.  Topped with a rich and chunky peanut sauce, this salad was absolutely mouth watering.

Biting into a mouthful of Si Des’s Gado-Gado,  you get the layers of textures and flavours you would expect from the wholesome salad.  Crunchy vegetables, sweet peanut sauce and chewy tempeh are all important parts of the bigger picture.  While everything was yummy, I felt that only one element was missing!  That is a slightly oily-chili-ish touch to its peanut sauce!

Next up was the Ayam Kremes, a deep fried chicken thigh topped with a mountain of tasty crumbs.

Served with a side of rice and a small bowl of sambal, my mouth salivated on first sight.  The crispy chicken paired with the fragrant sweetish crumbs were yums!  The chicken was tender, and sambal aromatic.  What more can you ask from a simple meal of fried chicken and rice?  Surely it was not rocket science that this pairing tickled my fancy, but how often do you get something so simple done so well?  Not very often I would say.

My lunch at Si Des was a delicious one.  I did not quite try the other offerings like the Mie Bakso, Mie Ayam, Beef Rendang and such but for what I had, Si Des impressed.  The food was affordable, filling and delicious.  Just one week later, I re-visited Si Des and tried their Ayam Panggang or Grilled Chicken.  Again it was a simple, and delicious meal.  Do note that my friend who has the Chicken Curry and Rice was not too impressed.  I do admit that it looked a little sad too.  

WenY

Bites NLD: Traditional Dutch Food @ Moeders, Amsterdam

Ever wondered what the average Dutch family has for dinner? If you are thinking bread, cheese and maybe potatoes you are probably not too far away.  To find out, I brought my friend Sam and the his bride Steff to one of the most popular Dutch diners in the heart of Amsterdam. The restaurant is called Moeders which simply translates to Mothers in English.  Come in, be seated and gaze at the nostalgic walls filled with hundreds of pictures of mom.  Be sure to make a reservation as plenty were turned back when they tried coming in impromptu.

The menu is rather short and does not requires much thought, but why not ask the waiter for a recommendation? We did eventually ended up with the Hollandse Rijstaffel or Dutch Ricedish (19 Euro per person).  And no it is not a dish of rice.  One by one little pots of stew, potatoes, relish and vegetables came out.  Eventually the table was filled to the brim. 

The essence of the meal of a Dutch Stamppot which was mash mixed with different types of vegetables and served with a protein.  Moeders’s beef stew was tender, meaty and absolutely hearty.  Pour it over boiled potatoes for a delicious warm meal.  Then add some relish and red cabbage to give your taste buds an explosion of flavours.  There were two types of beef served and I felt that besides the stronger hint of bay leaves in one, I could not really differentiate the two significantly.  In saying that, the stew with smaller chunks of beef had more melt in your mouth fat-juicy bits whilst the larger chunks were much leaner.  

Besides the beef, there was also a serve of smokey bacon and bratwurst served with apple sauce and sauerkraut.  Needless to say, they were rather tasty morsels of food but it was a tad common considering I had just returned from Berlin haha.

To keep the dinner interesting I also ordered the large serve of Father’s (Vaders) Spare Ribs with a side of slaw and frites.

The spare ribs at Moeders was clearly not what I expected.  When a restaurant puts spare ribs on their menu, I automatically process a meal that is smokey, and charred with sweet barbecue coated flesh that simply falls of the bone.  At Moeders, the ribs were coated in generous amounts of hearty brown sauce that was not smokey at all, and the meat was still a little tough but not too tough giving the spare ribs some bite.  While it was nowhere near the best rib I have ever had, it still was a decent one.

Moeders introduced me to world of Dutch cuisine and it was a very pleasant first attempt.  With the drizzly weather coming in at full throttle, I can imagine Moeders being incredibly popular with their hearty meals.  The flavours of the main dishes were slightly monotonous but there was always something to elevate the enjoyment.  The Rijstaffel for example always had an element beyond salty like the sour sauerkraut or the sweet and fruity relish. Do note that the food we ordered should have only fed three.  But considering how stuffed we were at the end of the meal, I believe it could have easily feed one more!

WenY

London: Home-Style French Cooking @ La Poule au Pot, Belgravia

My colleague Jacques has a European heritage that traces back to the South of France.  Despite the typical stereotypes of the French being impatient, poor in service and fussy with food, he was nothing like that.  In fact, he was very un-French by being every bit hospitable while I was staying with him, and ever so patient when we were colleagues at work.  Which make me wonder about his taste for food and I was about to find out. One the last night, he recommended a little French place called La Poule au Pot for dinner.

This little restaurant could not be any less pretentious with its simple outfit and French waitstaff.  This gave me a good vibe about dinner that is going to be unsophisticated but honestly good.  At La Poule au Pot you have a choice between seating inside and outside, but as the sun was still up, I could not resist seating outside by the square and see the evening go by.

Complementary crudites with a mustard dipping sauce.

This is one of those moment where I would say “I do not normally enjoy my vegetable raw, but when I do they are bloody good”.  And I am not being an el-cheapo here just because it was free.  But the depth of interest grows when you put out an interesting platter.  Some peppers, carrots, fennel and some red turnips. Vibrant colours.

Rye

Basic but vital.  Not with the butter but with the stews that were about to come :)

Beef Bourguignon

Coq Au Vin

Put both dishes together and you might find the two dishes fairly similar.  It contained good amounts of red wine, tender protein, sweet root vegetables and was absolutely hearty.  But each dish had its own distinctive taste with the Beef Bourguignon having a heavier, much more meaty finish whilst the red wine flavour was a lot more pronounce and present in the Coq Au Vin.  All of the vegetables were soaked in delicious juices and the dish really benefited from the slow cooking which resulted in melt in your mouth chunks of beef.  The Coq Au Vin on the other hand is cooked for a much shorter time which means the alcohol does not all dissipate.  This produces a tender chicken with a wine-stained skin.  Oh boy they were delicious.

Some greenx for the table

Apple Tartin to finish.

Thick layer of caramelised apples was paired with a lovely short crust.  But the highlight for me was how the apple dessert was not sugar laden.  Instead you get the ripe flavours of the apples that was sweet with a mild tartness.  Sensational. 

My over all satisfaction with the meal was high.  The lack of presence by the Foie Gras or Truffles at La Poule au Potwas a great thing as I was treated to what good home-cooked French food should be.  My meal was authentic, simple and humble.  The bill too was decent as it totalled just under £60!  When it comes to service though, it was only modest at best due to the lack of friendliness from the waitstaff!

WenY

London: Reminiscing NYC @ Shake Shack, Convent Garden.

One of the most random eats I did in London was at Shake Shack in Convent Garden.  It simply happened when I walked past by the market for the second time.  Seeing a Shake Shack and nothing eating there is almost like sinning!  So despite being  stuffed from the breakfast I had before, I decided to order the single Shack burger and a Salted Caramel Shake (they ran out of peanut butter !@#%).

First bite in and I was over the moon.  The yummy patty sandwiched between a shiny-sweet bun with a drizzling of secret "Shack Sauce"  was still as amazing as I remembered it to be.  Shake Shack's patty was simply scrumptious and this was a very basic combination that did wonders when it came to flavours.  Every bite was reminiscence of my trip to NYC last year.  It was sensational.  So much better than the gargantuan Shack Stack which I had last year. It is amazing how the folks at Shake Shack can mass produce something that tastes so good!  No meal at Shake Shack is complete without their Milk Shakes.  So if you are ever deciding between skipping the cola for an ice cream or vice versa, I tell you now to put both aside.  The milkshake at Shake Shack is the best of both worlds.  Thick, creamy and rich in caramel, it was slightly sweet but every bit yummy.  Good old fat ass moments I have to say.

For some reason, I was not so impressed when I first had Shake Shack at the Grand Central shop.  But a re-visit to its original location in Madison Square convinced me of Shake Shacks cult status.   Re-visiting Shake Shack in Convent Garden and I was convinced for the second time, that this is a truly delicious burger.  Definitely come here for a treat!

WenY

London: Amazing Chorizo Hash @ the Riding House Cafe, Oxford Circus

It was a Sunday morning and it was time for breakfast.  But with the Delaunay breaking my bank the other day, I decided to stay away from bloggers' suggestions and instead depended on my robot partner Siri.  First on her list was an Australian place called Granger & Co. in Notting Hill but it was an hour wait.  With not time to waste,  I asked again and Siri recommended the Breakfast Club in Oxford Circus.  Alas, it was another one hour wait! For the third and final attempt, Siri recommended the Riding House Cafe just a few minutes walk from the Breakfast Club.

At 9.20am, there was no queue which means my friend Jacques and I were seated immediately.  Its morning breakfast menu was charming with all the usual suspects but I could not go past the first item I saw on the menu, the Chorizo Hash Browns for £10.

Crisp on top and soft on the inside, the Hash Brown infused with Chorizo flavours was every bit amazing.  Each mouthful comes with a whiff smokey paprika hit.  In certain parts you have slices of  Chorizo which gave the dish a meaty bite.  To finish was some simply garnished spinach leaves, poached eggs and a large mushroom.  Definitely no complains from me.

After all meat we had yesterday Jacques have something light and went for the Bircher Muesli (£4.50).

While I could not make much out of it.  I knew he enjoyed it very much. But that was probably because he was scared of all the eating I made him do the day before haha.   Nonetheless, the lush berry topping and sticky muesli looked promising!  

The Riding House Cafe was a surprise candidate during my trip to London, and it served me a sensational brunch.  Not to mention a rather cheap one too!  Including tea, I think the bill came up to £20 for two of us which was rather cheap compared to my meal at the Delaunay the day before.  Jacques thought the same too! He commented that compared to the Delaunay, the Riding Horse Cafe was a place he would return to over and over again.  

P/S: When I was leaving at 10.45am, there was a small queue outside.  But it was nothing compared to the Breakfast Club and Granger & Co. I went to earlier!

WenY