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