paris | Sugared & Spiced

2012/12/092015/08/05

[Paris] Kooka Boora

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Kooka Boora

Add: 62 Rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris
Tel: 01 56 92 12 41
Hours: 9am~7pm (open daily)
Price: [coffee] €3~6
Visited on: Dec 2012

An Australian-run cafe located up in the Montmartre neighborhood. In addition to glorious cups of coffee (you know them Aussies are serious about the beans), Kooka Boora also offers juices, pastries, salads, sandwiches, and other light fare. It’s smaller than Coutume, bigger than Télescope, and provides free wi-fi. The downside? The place is so popular that it’s packed even on a weekday mid morning. Be prepared to navigate through tables and chairs to find an empty spot, if there’s any left.

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2012/12/072015/08/05

[Paris] Septime

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Septime

Add: 80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Tel: 01 43 67 38 29
Hours: 7:30~11pm (closed Sun, Mon, & Sat lunch)
Website: septime-charonne.fr
Price: set menu €55
Visited on: Nov 2012

I already decided that I like Septime before dinner even started. The decor – generous use of natural wood and metal surfaces in combination with warm diffused lighting – is exactly the type I adore, and the charming waiters and waitresses were friendly to just the right degree. Then I took a look at the menu. Carte blanche for €55 – ah, so it’s going to be another one of those dinners where I don’t have to worry about what to order. Perfect.

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2012/12/052015/08/05

[Paris] Laurent Duchêne

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Laurent Duchêne

Add: 2 rue Wurtz, 75013
Tel: 01 45 65 00 77
Hours: 7:30am-8pm (closed Sunday)
Website: www.laurent-duchene.com
Price: €4.5~5.5
Visited on: Nov 2012

Where might one find the butteriest, flakiest, crispiest croissant in Paris, you might ask? As this is a question of utmost importance, a jury of professionals meets annually to elect a list of “best croissants of Paris”. In 2012, the number one spot belongs to Laurent Duchêne, a Pâtissier M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) with a simple shop in the 13th arrondissement.

But of course, other than croissants, Laurent Duchêne also has on display a range of other lovely products…

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2012/12/042015/08/05

[Paris] Du Pain et Des Idées

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Du Pain et Des Idées

Add: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Tel: 01 42 40 44 52
Hours: 6:45am~8pm (closed Sat & Sun)
Website: dupainetdesidees.com
Price: €2~6
Visited on: Dec 2012

With good bakeries penetrating every neighborhood in Paris, there really is no need to travel for bread. However! There do exist a few exceptional boulangeries that are worth trekking across town for, Du Pain et Des Idées being one of them. This rustic and charming corner bakery is owned by Christophe Vasseur, who decided, at the age of 32, to make a career change from fashion to bread making. His insistence on using fresh ingredients and traditional methods results in remarkably delicious breads, and in 2008 Vasseur was named “best boulanger of Paris” by Gault & Millau and “boulanger of the year” by Guide Pudlo. Now how’s that for an inspirational story?

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2012/12/032015/08/05

[Paris] Télescope

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Télescope

Add: 5 Rue Villedo, 75001 Paris
Tel: 01 42 61 33 14
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 8:30am~6:30pm [Sat-Sun] 9:30am~6:30pm
Website: www.telescopecafe.com
Price: [coffee] €2~5 [desserts] €2.5~5.5
Visited on: Dec 2012

It only just opened half a year ago in May 2012, but Télescope has already been applauded as one of the best places to get coffee in Paris. Its front window emanates the kind of cozy warm lighting that draws passerby right in, but the tiny shop accommodates no more than 10 people at full capacity. Come try your luck, or get a cup to go.

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2012/11/262015/08/05

[Paris] La Compagnie de Bretagne

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La Compagnie de Bretagne

Add: 9 rue de l’Ecole de Médicine, 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 43 29 39 00
Hours: 12pm~11pm (Sunday brunch 11am~3pm)
Website: www.compagnie-de-bretagne.com
Price: [brunch] €34~45 [a la carte] €20~30
Visited on: Nov 2012

Please note that this venue is now closed.

When meeting a friend at La Compagnie de Bretagne, a chic (and huge) crêperie in Saint-Germain-des-Pres, all I wanted was a simple combo of galette and apple cider. Little did I know that on Sundays from 11am to 3pm, this place only offers an abundant €34 weekend brunch consisting of a hot and a cold drink, an appetizer buffet, a viennoiserie/dessert buffet, a made-to-order hot dish, and a made-to-order dessert crêpe. A total overkill for me!

Appetizer buffet: cold cuts, smoked salmon, cauliflower salad, cheeses, scrambled eggs, sausages…

Oh, and oysters!

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2012/11/232015/08/05

[Paris] Carl Marletti

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Carl Marletti

Add: 51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 31 68 12
Hours: [Tue-Sat] 10am~8pm [Sun] 10am~1:30pm (closed on Mon)
Website: www.carlmarletti.com
Price: €4.2~5.5
Visited on: Nov 2012

In Carl Marletti’s small and only boutique, jewel-like pastries spread out in neat and seemingly endless rows. Oh, it’s simply impossible for me to decide which of these beauties to pick! If you are like me, ask the friendly store staff for explanations, and be prepared to come back multiple times to try them all.

If this Marie-Antoinette (€5.10) reminds you of Pierre Hermé’s Ispahan, you are most certainly right. The two are similar in construction – both are macarons sandwiching fresh raspberries and rose cream – but Marie-Antoinette is composed of raspberry (instead of rose) macarons, lacks the lychee flavor in Ispahan, and has an extra dose of raspberry in the form of confit.

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2012/11/232015/08/05

[Paris] Sola

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Sola

Add: 12 Rue de l’Hôtel Colbert 75005 Paris
Tel: 01 43 29 59 04
Hours: 12~2:30pm, 7~10pm
Website: www.restaurant-sola.com
Price: [lunch] €48 [dinner] €88
Visited on: Nov 2012

There’s a small army of Japanese chefs cooking away in Paris. Their particular way of handling food, oftentimes a creative fusion between French and Japanese traditions, has garnered some notable acclaims here in the capital of haute cuisine. A few that have been Michelin-approved include Passage 53 (2 stars), Kei (1 star), Hiramatsu (1 star), and Sola (1 star). Having had a lovely lunch at Kei, I decided to give the rest a try as well.

When making the reservation, I was asked if I prefer the “French room” or the “Japanese room”. Having no idea what each entailed, I chose the Japanese room, which I later found out to be located in the basement in a cave-like setting, where guests are requested to remove their shoes before entry. The French room, on the other hand, is just typical restaurant seating.

Like at Kei, guests are offered hand towels upon arrival.

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2012/11/212015/08/05

[Paris] Cafe Pouchkine

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Cafe Pouchkine

Add: 64 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris
Tel: 01 42 82 43 31
Hours: [Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat] 9:30am~8pm [Thu] 9:30am~10pm (Closed on Sun)
Website: www.cafe-pouchkine.fr
Price: [dessert] €5~8
Visited on: Nov 2012

The resplendent boutique of Cafe Pouchkine, located on the ground floor of Printemps, is not at all overshadowed by the luxury fashion brands surrounding it. Its line-up of pastries, mostly French classics infused with a Russian flair, attracts passerby with their dramatic colors, sensual forms, and lavish use of gold leaves. Real jaw-dropping, I tell you.

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2012/11/192015/08/05

[Paris] Eggs & Co.

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Eggs & Co.

Add: 11 Rue Bernard Palissy 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 45 44 02 52
Hours: 10am~6pm (Thu 11am~11pm)
Website: www.eggsandco.fr
Price: [a la carte] €9~23 [brunch] €22~31
Visited on: Nov 2012

We all have our own particularities when it comes to how eggs should be cooked, and Eggs & Co., a small cafe in St. Germain-des-Pres, has got them all: en cocotte (baked), au plat (sunny side up), brouillés (scrambled), à la coque (soft-boiled), omelette, Benedict, Norwegian, Florentine, in a burger, served with red wine sauce…

The cafe first floor is tiny with only a few bar seats, but the second floor is more spacious with two rooms, one of which has a cozy loft-like atmosphere. VERY popular on weekends, reservation highly recommended.

The decor is consistently egg-y.

All brunch sets (€22~31) come with fresh orange juice, coffee/tea, eggs of choice served with oven-baked potatoes and mixed greens, pancake, and fruit salad. My friend chose eggs Benedict, poached eggs and bacon drizzled with Hollandaise sauce, served over grilled muffins. Not bad, not bad.