My First Three Star Dinner

Every term at Cordon Bleu, the school treats every one in each level to a fancy dinner.  For Superior term, it is usually a 3 star restaurant (the highest rating from the Michelin guide).  About a month ago, the school announced that we were headed to Pavillon LeDoyen.  For weeks, the boys made drinking plans around the event while the girls fretted over shoes and dresses.  Finally, this Monday, it was time to go.  We all met at the restaurant at 730 for a cocktail hour.  Unlimited champagne and foie gras!  Then we sat down to a heavenly 5-course dinner.  My favorite course was "Ecrevisses et morilles en timbale de macaronis" which was a cup made of noodles, filled with a creamy sauce of morels and topped with crayfish.  It was very similar to what the head chef of Pavillon LeDoyen made when he was a guest chef last term.

Since there were wine pairings with each course and the waiters refilled our glasses constantly, our group was fairly boisterous by the end of dinner (around midnight).  A lot of people headed out but since I am assistant this week, I headed home grab a few hours of sleep.  The next day, I was the only student out of a class of 10 to show up to my practical lesson!  The chefs gave all of Superior a long lecture, even dispensing a little hangover advice involving a combination of croissants, espresso and mimosas.  

Ethiopian Dinner: Take Deux

This week, a few of us decided to treat ourselves to dinner at another Ethiopian restaurant, this one conveniently close to my house.  We immediately noticed the more exciting decor and welcoming hostess/bartender/waitress at Godojo.  We ordered the signature Godojo cocktail, which was wonderfully fruity and spicy.  Then we had the vegetarian and meat platters.  Everything was even better than the first dinner and the portions were huge.  We had endless amounts of delicious injera bread and feasted on the spicy meats and vegetables.  The prices were reasonable and I will definitely be returning whenever I need a spice fix.

Ethiopian Dinner: Take One

On Saturday night, some friends and I decided to try Ethiopian cuisine.  A few members of our group had tried it, but I never had.  We ventured to Entoto, the only Ethiopian restaurant mentioned in the Zagat guide to Parisian dining.  The food was delicious and came out on a giant platter.  It was a mixture of stewed meats, bean pastes and chutneys, piled onto a layer of "injera" the Ethiopian bread which was sort of a combination of a savory crepe and a think crumpet.  There was no silverware and the point is to eat everything with your hands, using the injera as a scoop/shovel.  It was quite a mess but very fun.  Our only complaint was that the portions were fairly small for the amount we ordered and the service was lacking.  I have heard that at other places, the food comes in unlimited portions and is replenished whenever you run out of one thing or another.  We are planning to try another Ethiopian place this week, perhaps tonight.  Stay tuned...

Ze Kitchen Gallerie

Last Monday, Katherine and I decided we had waited long enough to try Ze Kitchen Gallerie, the Michelin-starred Asian-French fusion eatery near my apartment.  Our friend who is doing her stage there made a reservation for us and we were ready to go.  We went all out, getting the Discovery Menu.  At first I was nervous since we had no idea what we would be getting, but I found that I liked the element of surprise.  Since there is a panoramic window from the kitchen to the dining room, the chef would watch our reactions to each dish.  Everything was perfect, but my favorite course was probably the wasabi-white chocolate dessert.  The wasabi meringue was as light as air and the ice cream had the perfect harmony of white chocolate and wasabi.  I also loved the first course, which was the best octopus I've ever tasted, served with a shrimp quenelle (a football shaped "dumpling" that French chefs form out of pretty much anything) and a light, tangy sauce.  After dinner we even got the honor of touring the kitchen; amazing but the winding stairs to the basement kitchen are definitely hard to manage in high heels!

A Chocolate Pistachio Macaroon Cake and Lamb Tenderloin

After being here in Paris since August, I am burnt out on eating macaroons, but still love making them.  In Wednesday's pastry class, we got to make a giant macaroon cake, filled with chocolate mousse and pistachio pastry cream.  I may be sick of eating macaroons, but I don't think I will ever tire of chocolate mousse.  It was delicious.  After assembling and decorating our cakes, we got to spray them with the chocolate gun, which is pretty much a paint gun, but filled with chocolate instead of paint.  I thought the cakes looked nicer before, but using the chocolate spray gun is always fun.  

Yesterday in cuisine, we made lamb tenderloin, covered in an herb paste, then wrapped in warka dough, which is a lot like filo dough.  We breaded and deep fried garlic, and made a vegetable tian that looked exactly like the dish at the end of the movie Ratatouille.  

After class, Katherine and I walked 2 miles from Concorde to the Marais so we could treat ourselves to Myberry, the most wonderful frozen yogurt in Paris, although not as great as NYC's Yogurtland.  Imagine our disappointment when it was closed!  Our only consolation was the gelato from Amorino, the Parisian chain of  tasty gelaterias.  

Montmartre, Bar Hopping in the 1st

Last Tuesday, Chris and I set off walking all the way to Sacre Coeur.  It was a great walk and we really worked up an appetite, so we treated ourselves to an afternoon apertif and some delicious escargot at Chez Plumeau, in Montmartre.  Next we headed to Espace Dali, one of my favorite museums in Paris.  I expected to love Dali's Don Quixote works, but I liked his Alice in Wonderland series even more.  The descriptions of Dali's life and thoughts behind his masterpieces were very informative (and in English!) and the gallery even had a few pieces for sale.  

After Dali, we took a stroll back down through the 1st, looking in all the windows of the fancy boutiques.  We eventually found Willi's Wine Bar, a famous haunt for Americans.  We were unimpressed with the decor, the uncomfortable bar stools and the awkward quiet of the place.  We WERE impressed by the expansive, and not too expensive, wine list.  

Next we stumbled upon a bar called Le Nomad, a very cozy and welcoming place with a kind of safari theme.  The Hemingway vibe made us crave the Ritz's Hemingway Bar, so we went off on a mad search.

Once we got to the Hemingway Bar, we found two seats at the end of the bar.  Luckily, we got the attention of the famous head bartender Colin Field.  He was extremely helpful all night.  He is known for being able to read people and know what kind of cocktail they might get.  He got us both dead on for several rounds, anticipating perfect cocktails and dreaming up fanciful concoctions.  All the while, he kept us entertained with his vast Hemingway knowledge.  This was by far, the greatest bar I have ever visited.  

Cheers!

Above is a picture of us in Montmartre and another of the view of the rest of the city.

Dinner at L'Atelier; Quite an Experience

On Wednesday night, Chris and I decided to try the culinary MUST, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.  They only take reservations at 6:30 so we braced ourselves for a wait at the bar of the Hotel Pont Royal (the restaurant is run out of the hotel).  The restaurant is a basically a huge bar, set up around an elegantly modern open kitchen.  After a pretty miserable 2 and a half hour wait, we were seated, and starving.  I had been dreaming of the discovery menu for months, so we decided on that, along with a few wine pairings.  We had course after course of decadent and interesting treats.  One of our favorites was the asparagus cappuccino, which was deliciously foamy.  

A great culinary adventure, but if I go again, I think I will just stick with an unfashionable 6:30 reservation.  

The Fattest Tuesday Ever

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday and the chefs at Le Cordon Bleu were in the celebrating mood.  They made all sorts of fried pastries and a mountain of crepes.  I also had two very tasty practicals; in pastry we made passionfruit-raspberry mousse cakes and in cuisine we made cassoulet with sausages and duck leg confit.  It was all delicious, but I left my creations at school to avoid having to schlep everything on the metro.  

After all that, a bunch of us went out to dinner at Odori, a wonderful Korean barbeque place near La Motte-Picquet.  It was a veritable feast, with lots of bibimbap and kimchi.  Since being in Paris, Korean has become one of my favorite cuisines.  All of us at school need regular breaks from the French fare.  

Today, during a cuisine practical, we made bacon-wrapped monkfish, braised artichoke hearts and a cauliflower gratin in Mornay sauce  It was my first time working with monkfish, which was very exciting.  I also got a chance to try out my new ring molds and the chef was very pleased.  

Bon Appetit!

Refuge Des Fondue

After a great Friday at school, Katherine and Austin and I decided to go to Refuges des Fondue for dinner and wine.  Located in Montmartre, this place is very popular with study abroaders.  The waiters are loveably rude and there are only 2 long tables.  When you get there, you think there won't be any room but the waiters have people smush together and make half of your party climb over the tables into the booth.  Then he brings everyone Kir cocktails and a plate of antipasto.  You can choose either red wine or white wine, both served in glass baby bottles.  Not only is it totally fun to drink out of a baby bottle, but it prevents the inevitable spilling that occurs when people climb over the tables. Then comes the tasty fondue; either meat and potatoes in oil or crusty baguette in cheese.  Writing on the walls in strongly encouraged.  

I love making fondue at home, Whole Foods has a great selection of cheese that are perfect for fondue, and there is usually a helpful cheese expert.  

American Saturday Night, French Monday Night

After a long week, a few of us decided to go bowling on Saturday night.  Someone found open lanes near Montparnasse and made a reservation.  To make the night completely American, we went to Joe Allen beforehand, a fantastic place in the 1st that serves the best burgers in Paris.  Both dinner and bowling were fabulous.  The bowling alley was hysterical, filled with French teenagers singing along to American songs they didn't understand.  Joe Allen was delicious, we even had a minor celeb spotting.  (So minor in fact that I don't recall the starlet's name.)  

Yesterday, as a treat after getting our mid-term grades, my friend and I went to the highly recommended Chez Janou in the trendy Marais.  Chez Janou is famous for its selection of Pastis.  The place was packed, especially for a Monday night.  We waited a bit at the bar, where the friendly bartender brought us yummy snacks and my new favorite, Campari and OJ.  Everyone in the restaurant looked like a cast member from Gossip Girl and everyone was having a ball.  We had a delicious Provencal-style dinner and will have to return soon.  We made the tragic mistake of filling up on starters and entrees and didn't save room for the "unlimited" chocolate mousse. Apparently, when you order it, the waitress brings a HUGE bowl to your table and you help yourself to as much as you want.  

Dreaming of chocolate mousse...

(Not Very) Experimental Cocktail

All through the past week, a group from school had been planning a night at a hip bar called The Experimental Cocktail.  Jameson's World's Best Bars website lists it as a great place to go have fun, funky cocktails.  We made reservations for Saturday night and were giddy with anticipation.

Last night, we showed up for our reservations and were greeted by a bouncer in front of  a posh-looking red curtain.  He asked for our names and reservation and we were whisked in to a beautiful bar.  Unlike other bars in Paris, this hip, 2nd arrondismont scene wasn't crowded at all.  High ceilings and exposed brick walls added to the cool atmosphere.  Bartenders were friendly without being overbearing or overly familiar.  Once we got situated at our table, we were eager to see the list of exciting drinks.  We got the menus and pored over them in excruciating detail.  They were all very fun, but none as exciting or "experimental" as we expected.  I had the "Tobacco Sour" followed by the "French Pearl", both of which were delicious, just not as off-the-wall as I had hoped.  

After the bar, my friend and I wandered looking for a taxi and like magnets were drawn to the legendary Au Pied de Cochon.  This temple for classic French fare is open 24 hours a day and a haven for intoxicated foodies.  Perfect!  As the name suggests, it is most famous for its pigs feet dish, something I've never tried.  The restaurant a little touristy and the food isn't the best you can get in Paris, but after a few drinks, the boisterous atmosphere and the French onion soup or anything with bearnaise sauce is just what the doctor ordered!

Cheers!

Photo - Katherine and I at the Experimental Cocktail