paris | Sugared & Spiced

2015/04/072015/09/03

[Paris] Dersou

Dersou

Add: 21 rue Saint Nicolas, 75012 Paris
Tel: 09 81 01 12 73
Hours: [Tue-Fri] 7:30pm-12:30am [Sat] 12-3:30pm, 7:30pm-12:30am [Sun] 12-4pm (closed on Mon)
Website: www.dersouparis.com
Price: [lunch] €20-30 a la carte [dinner] €90-130/set
Visited: Apr 2015

Please note that as of this week, Dersou is no longer open for lunch on weekdays.

Last week’s lunch at Dersou. This neo-bistro in the 12th is the joint effort of Japanese chef Taku Sekine (Ducasse Tokyo, Fish, Saturne, and Clown Bar just to name a few) and cocktail specialist Amaury Guyot (Sherry Butt, Prescription Cocktail Club). Dinner here is an elaborate cocktail pairing menu (five courses for €90, seven courses for €130), but lunch or the after 9:30pm seating is a much lighter affair with a one-page a la carte menu, and that’s what we went for.

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The food here, probably best described as free-style, is a mix of the chef’s past experiences and changes everyday according to what he has on hand. Here’s the menu on the day of my visit to give you an idea of what you can expect. I really came for the Japanese curry with Chanllandais duck because I had seen a delicious photo of it on Instagram just the evening before, but alas by the time we arrived Dersou for our late lunch, the curry was already out.

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So instead I stole plenty of bites from my friend’s “Ma Po tofu, poivre de Sichuan” (€14), spicy tofu with Sichuan pepper served over rice. I probably ate half of this plate…could barely stop my hand for diving in for yet another spoonful.

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2015/03/312015/08/05

[Paris] Clown Bar

paris

Clown Bar

Add: 114 Rue Amelot, 75011 Paris
Tel: 01 43 55 87 35
Hours: [Wed-Sun] 12-2:30pm, 7:30-10:30 (closed on Mon & Tue)
Price: €40~60/person
Visited: Mar 2015

Clown Bar is a historical, Belle Epoque-style bar near Cirque d’Hiver, and it’s been a real hot spot since it was revamped last year by a team from Saturne. In the kitchen is Japanese chef Sota Atsumi (previously at Vivant), who sends out plates after plates of small bites, delicious and just creative enough to keep diners on their toes. The prices are not cheap, but the food is quality, plus this place is open on Sundays which automatically earns extra points in the Parisian dining scene.

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2015/03/292015/08/05

[Paris] Le Servan

paris

Le Servan

Add: 32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris
Tel: 01 55 28 51 82
Hours: [lunch] 12-2:30pm [dinner] 7:30-10:30pm (closed on Sat & Sun)
Price: [lunch] €25/three courses [dinner] €40~50 a la carte
Visited: Mar 2015

Le Servan is a bright little bistro in the 11th arrondissement, opened about 6 months ago by the Levha sisters. Inside the kitchen is Tatiana, a young chef previously trained at Michelin three stars L’Arpège and L’Astrance, while her sister Katia manages front of the house. The cuisine is modern French with Asian touches (the Levha sisters are half French half Filipino) and is directed by whatever is fresh in the market. Prices are reasonable especially during lunch time – €25 for three expertly executed dishes, in the company of friendly service and a beautiful space. Definitely somewhere to come back to.

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For lunch, a few small appetizers (called zakouskis on the menu) are available in addition the three-course set. We tried “wonton de boudin noir frits” (€8), fried blood sausage wonton served with sweet chili sauce, which was quite nice. The table next to us had a bowl of “coques, piment, basilic thai”, shells sauteed with chili pepper and Thai basil, which looked pretty amazing as well.

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Among the four entree options in the lunch menu, we first tried “maquereau cru, endives, orange, cacahuetes”, raw mackerel with endive, orange, and peanuts. A refreshing start, though the fishy taste was slightly strong.

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“Langue de veau, poireaux, sauce piquante”, veal tongue with leek and spicy sauce.

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2015/03/282016/10/13

[Paris] Le Comptoir Général

paris

Le Comptoir Général

Add: 80 Quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris
Tel: 01 44 88 24 48
Hours: 11am-2am (open daily)
Website: www.lecomptoirgeneral.com
Price: free entrance, coffee €2-5
Visited: Mar 2015

Discovered Le Comptoir Général last week, and what a space it is. An art museum dedicated to ghetto culture, Le Comptoir Général showcases the creativity that springs up in poor or marginalized places all over the world, especially in Africa. There are movie production and screening, exhibitions, themed attractions, a record label and a radio, shops (record shop, second hand store, library, toy shop), events, workshops, shootings…With ample sunshine flowing in from the skylight, this place is almost dream-like. Explore the two-floor space, linger for a cup of coffee, or come for drinks and music after dark.

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2015/02/082015/08/05

[Shanghai] Quan Er 荃二

paris

Quan Er 荃二

Add: 1, Alley 764 Changle Lu, near Fumin Lu / 长乐路764弄1号, 近富民路
Tel: 18621651927
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 8-10pm [Sat-Sun] 3-10:30pm
Visited: Feb 2015

Just opened in Nov 2014, 荃二 (Quan Er) is a tiny little boutique on Changle Lu filled with stylish knickknacks collected from Japan. I met 文林 (Wen Lin), one of the three shop owners, right before leaving for Paris through a magazine interview. A soft-spoken man from Sichuan, Wen is the Associate Director of the lifestyle section at Bund Pic and travels often to Japan for work. Throughout the years, he and his colleagues have accumulated an impressive collection of miscellaneous goods, which led to the birth of Quan Er. The point is not to really make money, otherwise they wouldn’t be open during such short hours – 8-10pm on weekdays and 3-10:30pm on weekends – but simply a way to share their collections with like-minded others. As to who comes and who buys…it’s all just “going with the flow.”

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2015/01/292015/08/05

[Shanghai] Farine

paris

Farine

Add: Ferguson Lane, 1/F, 378 Wukang Lu, near Tai’an Lu / 武康路378号1楼，近泰安路
Tel: n/a
Hours: 7am-8pm
Price: [pastry] 25-40 RMB [viennoiserie]14-20 RMB [coffee] 30-40 RMB
Website: www.farine-bakery.com
Visited: Jan 2015

Franck Pecol knows how to create little corners of France here in Shanghai. I was a fan of his Franck and Le Petit Franck when I lived in Shanghai a few years back, and soon after I moved to Paris I heard that he opened an excellent bakery called “Farine”, also located in the same block. Apparently he produces the best baguettes and croissants in town thanks to imported ingredients from France and artisanal know-how. Perfect, I thought, this means that when I’m back in Shanghai, I will have a little piece of something to remind me of the good old days in Paris.

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Farine is “flour” in French. “In flour we trust,” as is written on the wall, seems to be the mantra at the shop. On an unrelated note, I like this slightly eery and awkward-looking baker boy in the window.

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The space is small, with a display of pastries, viennoiseries and breads on the right, counter and coffee machine at the front center, and some bar stools on the left. There is an outdoor communal table out on the patio for days with pretty weather, which are unfortunately not so common right now in Shanghai.

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2015/01/212015/08/05

[Shanghai] Doe

paris

Doe

Add: 105, 88 Tong Ren Lu / 铜仁路 88 号 105
Tel: 6180 8378
Hours: 10am-9:30pm
Price: 24~46 RMB/coffee
Visited: Jan 2015

I wouldn’t have ventured into DOE if not introduced by a friend. The shop is primarily a streetwear boutique featuring its in-house label DOE 餖, as well as familiar names like Nike, Jordan, Converse and selected brands from Japan, U.S., and Europe. Not really my type of place to visit, until I discovered that it also doubles as a cafe serving quality coffee. What I love about the space is its tiered stadium seating instead of the typical table-and-chair setup, making it an extra chill and comfortable hangout spot.

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2015/01/192015/10/07

[Shanghai] Aimé Pâtisserie

paris

Aimé Pâtisserie

Add: 1008 Middle Huaihai Rd, near South Shanxi Rd/ 淮海中路1008号, 近陕西南路
Tel: 6481 0558
Hours: 12-9pm
Price: 32-45 RMB/pastry, 18 RMB/macaron
Visited: Jan 2014

When I was still in Paris, someone on weibo sent me photos of a shop called Aimé Pâtisserie which recently opened in Shanghai, and asked if it has anything to do with Pierre Hermé. I was confused as I browsed through photos of its products, which are so similar to those of Pierre Hermé in terms of flavor combination, design, and even packaging, but they are clearly not from Pierre Hermé himself. What’s going on? I later found out that this is a flagrant case of copying. From what I heard, the French owner hired an ex-employee from Pierre Hermé Japan, who brought along PH’s original recipes, and basically reproduced many of his products here in Shanghai.

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I heard through the grapevine that Pierre Hermé himself found out about this, and actually came to Shanghai to tell off on this Japanese pastry chef who copied his creations, and the Japanese chef subsequently left Shanghai. Apparently Pierre Hermé was so angry that he also told all of his ingredient suppliers to not supply to Aimé Pâtisserie. I don’t know what actually happened since I heard all this through industry gossip, but if it did, it must have been a pretty ugly scene.

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2015/01/082015/08/05

[Paris] Tea Time at Shangri-la

paris

La Bauhinia, Shangri-la Paris

Add: 10 avenue d’Iéna, Paris 75116
Tel: 01 53 67 19 91
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 3:30-5:30pm [Sat-Sun] 4-5:30pm
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Price: [tea set] €39/one person, €70/two persons [a la carte] €12-14/pastry, €12-16/tea
Visited: Jan 2015

I kind of fell in love with La Bauhinia at The Shangri-la the moment I stepped in. Crowned with a gorgeous glass cupola, the entire two-story space is bathed in soft natural light, its mint green walls and royal red sofas in soothing harmony with one another. The tranquil ambience has an immediate calming effect, and when paired with the perfect service – warm, attentive, but not in the least bit intrusive – this has got to be one of the loveliest venues for afternoon tea in Paris.

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As it is January, François Perret (head pastry chef of Shangri-la Paris) has galettes des rois ready for guests. I didn’t try any this time, but there was a clementine marmalade galette that sounded very tempting.

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2015/01/062015/08/05

[Paris] Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain

paris

Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain

Add: 155 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 75006
Tel: n/a
Hours: 10am-10pm (open daily)
Website: www.cafe-pouchkine.fr
Price: [pastries] €7.90~10.20 [drinks] €6.10~6.40
Visited: Jan 2015

I’ve never been a fan of Café Pouchkine. Like I wrote in a previous post, the pastries here are real attention grabbers with their dramatic colors, sensual forms, and lavish use of gold leaves, but I personally find the taste to be rather disappointing. Having said that, its third and newest location in Paris, situated on the very posh Boulevard Saint-Germain, is rather attractive as it’s not just a boutique, but a salon de thé as well. Since most pastry shops in Paris don’t offer seats to customers, Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain naturally becomes one of the more interesting options.

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There are about 35 seats in the 80m² cafe. It’s not an especially spacious room, but tables are placed at a comfortable distance from one another for Parisian standard (read: slightly better than elbow to elbow). I visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the space quickly filled up around 4pm.

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One thing I loved about Café Pouchkine Saint Germain was the friendly and attentive service, despite it being a full house during my visit. From taking orders to refilling teapots with hot water, the staff always served with a warm smile.

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The pastry selection is exactly the same as those at Cafe Pouchkine’s Printemps and Marais boutiques.

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Category: paris

[Paris] Dersou

[Paris] Clown Bar

[Paris] Le Servan

[Paris] Le Comptoir Général

[Shanghai] Quan Er 荃二

[Shanghai] Farine

[Shanghai] Doe

[Shanghai] Aimé Pâtisserie

[Paris] Tea Time at Shangri-la

[Paris] Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain

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