Back to Basics at Benoit Paris

One weekday afternoon when I was in Paris I decided to have lunch at Benoit, a classic bistro in La Rive Droite, just a quick 20 minute walk down rue St Martin, on the same street where I was staying. From outside it looked just like any other restaurant in this area popular with tourists (with Notre Dame and Centre Pompidou only a few steps away); well, except this 100-year-old restaurant has a Michelin star, with branches now in New York and Tokyo as part of Alain Ducasse's restaurant empire.

Exploring Local Markets (Part 2: Paris and Milan)

(Continued from the previous post)

Shopping in Paris. Okay, I know what you are thinking. Yes we did spent some quality time at Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, fighting shoulder to shoulder with fellow Asian shoppers parading through the department stores with their bags and luggage during the sale season, but what I wanted to say was another kind of shopping - buying cookware and food.

At a Closing Restaurant

I caught the opportunity to eat at Bones before the restaurant closes for good in August because I heard good things about the restaurant and Chef James Henry's food. Plus I thought it would be the kind of casual place it won't feel awkward dining alone.

Feast in a Rustic Bistro

Chez L'Ami Jean was often quoted as a prime example of one can dine well in a restaurant in Paris without the bestowment of a Michelin star and without breaking the bank. And we went there for lunch on another sunny, super hot afternoon.

Best Crepes Ever at Breizh Cafe

As C boarded the homebound flight from CDG, I was looking for a casual place to eat solo and this creparie caught my attention. I remembered walking by a few Breizh Cafes while I was in Tokyo and didn't try, so I thought I might as well check it out when I am in Paris, especially realizing the cafe was actually only a short walk away from my AirBnB apartment. Little did I know they actually have more branches in Japan than they have in France these days.

Last Dinner in Paris - Frenchie Bar à vins

Sometimes you just ended up with the most interesting situation when you are traveling solo. I was waiting outside Frenchie Bar a vins just before it opens, when the maitre d' asked whether I mind sharing the table with another solo traveler. "Well, sure", as I figured he would have shoved me there anyway even if I said no plus not that I got any other plan while I tried the food at this popular spot near to the trendy Rue Montorgueil in Paris' 2nd Arrondissement.

Lunch in a Paris Chateau

Saint James Paris didn't look like anything we would normally find in the middle of a city - a chateau in the secluded 16th Arrondissement, built in the late 19th Century by a wealthy widow in memory of her late husband, and at one time served as a student residence and even an airfield for hot-air balloon. Now it has become an exclusive members club, a Relais & Chateaux hotel and a Michelin-starred restaurant.  

During the day, the bar and restaurant are accessible only by club members and hotel guests for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, but we took advantage of the reciprocal benefit of our new club membership at home to make arrangement for lunch there on a Monday afternoon as guest members.

Disappointment at Porte 12

For the 20 days I was away, I am blessed with many good meals in 2 continents, except a couple that I felt were a bit of a letdown. One of them was Porte 12, a relatively new restaurant in Paris' 10th arrondissement. I was a bit disappointed after having dinner there on the only night that we went for something fancier.