bread, flaky rolled up things, pho, and macarons
- By Robyn Lee
- Oct 8, 2006
- Comments
Question: Which of the following sound is most appealing?
- Pouring a stream of coffee into a cup
- Popping open a can of soda
- Breaking into the crust of a fresh baguette de tradition
Answer:
- Seconds prior to killing it
I used to think that eating a whole baguette in one day was a bad idea. Luckily, my stomach appears to have gotten used to ingesting entire baguettes and has subsequently grown in size or increased its gluten digesting power so that I can look at a baguette that is a third of my height and think, "Pssh, easy."
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everything else
Upon Emily's recommendation, I went to Miss' Manon on Tuesday afternoon to get something sweet and tasty, but was distracted by the numerous other places also specializing in sweet and tasty things.
- Aux Desirs de Manon
- Blurry half-eaten pistachio thing
Since Aux Desirs de Manon was right outside the St. Paul Metro, I went there first and randomly bought a pistachio and chocolate roll (same structure as a pain aux raisins, but with pistachios and chocolate chips instead of raisins and green-colored almond paste rolled in the crevices) and some kind of seeded baguette thing that I ordered using the method of "confused pointing". The pistachio roll was awesome. Need. More. Pistache. The pistachio roll isn't common (I think I've been to enough bakeries here by now to figure that out), so try it if you find it.
- Hello my lovelies!
The next place of temptation on the same block as Aux Desirs de Manon was L'Atelier du Chocolat, a small store whose display case of chocolate-filled baskets jutted out onto the street so that people like me (gluttons) couldn't ignore the huge variety of sweets that looked like regular chocolate truffles and bon bons...on steroids. Each piece was 2.40 €, thus making it easy for me to limit myself to one piece. The smiling mademoiselle behind the counter carefully handed me a small paper pouch containing a feuilleté blanc and gave me an enthusiastic, "Oui" when I asked if I could prendre des photos. It's nice to have an experience that makes you want to go back to a place, eh?
- feuilleté blanc
My hefty feuilleté blanc consisted of a light, crispy milk chocolate hazelnut praline core encased in smooth white chocolate. If you've never had feuilleté praliné (which I didn't even know was called that until now), it's a praline "blended with pieces of extremely fine and crisp wafers to yield a confection that has at once the smoothness of praliné and the crispiness of a flaky pastry" (- moleskinerie). It's one of my favorite chocolate fillings for good reason. The faint crispiness is surprising amidst the rich and smooth praline. Think Pop Rocks, but with much, much less exploding power.
...So it's not like Pop Rocks. Nevermind.
- caaaakes
Back to Miss' Manon, the initiator of all this gluttony. While waiting in line, I stared at the dainty, pretty cakes and other visually appealing things (which was everything) without any idea of what to get. This happens at most of the bakeries I go to, meaning that I end up picking something randomly (perhaps something that I can pronounce without butchering the name too much).
- croissant aux amandes
Actually, I do butcher the name croissant aux amandes, but not badly enough so that the woman behind the counter couldn't figure out what I had said. (The first time I tried one in Paris I had asked for something else with the word "croissant" in it. Oops.) A croissant aux amandes is a re-baked old croissant after being coated in syrup, filled with almond paste, topped with slivered almonds and dusted with confectioner's sugar (C&Z has a much, much better description). It's like a deluxe croissant. With deluxe the calories. One thing that C&Z warns is that these babies are very rich and best suited for coal miners, which scares the shit out of me since I eat stuff like this (and worse) almost every day. Seriously. I think I must eat 2500+ calories a day the way I snack on butter cookies and salted nuts (aka "crack") and chocolate bars...
Oh, of course the croissant aux amandes was awesome. Sticky, crispy edges, belly of almond paste sandwiched between sweet, chewy croissant...halves. (Sorry, I'm coming up with particularly bad food descriptions today.) A nice plus about the bakery is that unlike most others, they have a few seats inside along the window so that you don't have to ungracefully walk while you eat or search for another bench or, god forbid, wait until you get home to eat whatever it is that you just bought.
And time for your Poujauran break
- pain aux raisins
At my beloved Poujauran, I picked up a baguette and a pain aux raisins in my slow domination of their entire menu. (Sadly, I'm never going to be able to try everything unless someone comes with me to split the goods 50/50. Come onnn, guys.) Like everything else I've had from there, it was above average in awesomeness, freshness, and inexpensiveness (cost 0.95 €, maybe). Poujauran has a way of giving these flaky pastries uber-crispy and delicate outer-most layers with the weight of air and innards that are soft, light, and moist. The center of the roll contained some custardy goo that I hadn't seen in other pain aux raisins. Mm, custard-filled bread nubbin, you are my favorite kind of nubbin. It's like finding a surprise toy at the bottom of a cereal box, especially if the surprise is custard goo. But that's kind of gross, so many not.
Whoa, another bakery? Oh, how I gasp with surprise.
- Colas Artisan
Colas is down the street from my most visited school building, but I've avoided it ever since the first time I went there and felt as though the woman who got me my sandwich would have liked it if I choked on the sandwich. However, the bread enticed me (it's the baguette I opened up this entry with), along with the basket of macarons. This time the young woman behind the counter was nice (although a little perplexed by my request to take photos, as though there'd be no reason I wouldn't be allowed to) and gave me my baguette and macaron au chocolat without giving me any death-vibes. I felt like a winner. Considering the yumminess of the baguette and macaron, I may even go back!...as long as the scary woman isn't there.
- Death of un macaron au chocolate
The macaron au chocolate was thankfully not as scary-huge or dense as Poujauran's. It was still a little denser than I would've liked, but the thin shell was nicely crisp and light. As to what the density was, think of...a brownie. Not a heavy brownie. But. Well. Nevermind. The brownie comparison comes to mind mainly because it's chocolate flavored. I can't describe food; that's why I take photos of it.
MACARONS ARE KINDA CHEWY AND LIGHT AND DELICIOUS. Yes.
I would love to try the other flavors that Colas offers, but I can't tell what they are from mere color and I'm too much of a poop to ask. The ones in the back hint of green, so perhaps they are pistachio? There's always pointing, I guess. Or just getting chocolate macarons for the rest of my life.
pho and macarons
"This might sound weird, but...I have a craving for pho. Would you mind eating it for lunch?"
I gave Annie a blank stare. No. Way.
"Are you KIDDING me? I WANT PHO TOO. Hell, I actually looked up pho places online last night. That is insane."
I seriously did look up pho places. The weird thing is that I never really crave it; Friday was probably the first time I had eaten it all year. How did our cravings align? How?
- Stuff for pho + big bowl of pho
Annie, a friend I made during orientation (the only one, pretty much) and I went to a small, homey Vietnamese restaurant near school to get our pho fix. It was just one choice on the menu with either beef or chicken. We both got the same large bowl with partially cooked beef (the soup continues to cook it while you eat) and after mixing in mounds of raw bean sprouts, piling on basil and smooshing in some limes, we dug into our noodle-and-broth buckets.
Hm. The soup was unfortunately bland. We squirted in streams of red hot sauce and mixed the soup some more. Better. But still a little disappointing. The portion was certainly enough to satisfy me, but the soup fell flat and I found the noodles a bit too soft. After paying 8.50 € I longed for Vietnamese food in NYC's Chinatown where awesome noodles can be found for $5. I'll be sure to check out the Chinatown here for comparison.
- Look for the sign that says PHO
I wouldn't write off this restaurant just from their pho, as their menu has lots of choices and they have a 9.50 € lunch set that sounded good. I'll just get my pho somewhere else.
Where do you go when your stomach is a-jigglin' with rice noodles and soup?
- Ladurée!
Ladurée, naturally. We visit the Saint-Germain-des-Prés location nestled among narrow streets with narrow sidewalks and more people than the narrow streets and sidewalks can hold.
"Each one costs 4.30 €!" gasped Annie.
"...What the huhwuh?!"
"Oh wait, those are for the large ones." Insert collective sigh of relief and return of blood flow.
"Thank god."
The small ones cost 1.30 € and the large ones cost...more. It's not really that unreasonable when compared to prices of macarons in the US, just more than what you would pay for macarons at any regular French patisserie for mere mortals.
The service in the shop was quick and friendly (yes, service with a smile!). After you order your macarons (or something else that they sell because they do make other stuff), you bring your bill to the cashier a few steps to the right of where you had just placed your order. After you pay, they hand you your minty green bag that they would otherwise hold hostage behind the register.
Macaron eating time
We walked to the pedestrian bridge Pont des Arts and shared our winnings while sitting over the Seine. I bought pistachio, lemon and salty caramel and Annie got pistachio and coffee. You don't really need me to tell you that these macarons are great and perhaps the best in Paris (I can't vouch for that until I eat more of them), but I'll describe them anyway. The cookies were exceptionally light and crisp with strong flavors and just enough sweetness (unlike Fauchon's macarons, which I found too sweet). The fillings were also light and creamy, except for the caramel macaron, which was filled with caramel instead of a caramel flavored cream.
- Salted butter caramel
The caramel macaron is not made for sharing unless you want to make a small mess out of it like I did and drop some macaron bits for a lucky pigeon. Actually, none of small macarons are really share-able considering how small they are, as one half of the small macaron vanishes into your digestive system after one second of chewing. My favorite macaron (and possibly Annie's) was the pistachio. The coffee was surprisingly sharp, but sweet enough so that I actually liked it (I don't like coffee normally). And the caramel, which seems to be on many people's "top foods" lists, was great/delicious/other not-very-descriptive word, but I think it suffered from overhype. I was expecting neuron-exploding deliciousness or something to that degree, which nothing can really fulfil.
Overall, I must confess that I don't think I could really "get" the macaron eating sensation unless I ate at least two small ones. Or one large one, preferably. I'm not proud of my gluttony. It's not as though I don't get the flavor, but I don't feel like the macaron has enough time to seep into my brain. For instance, eating Levain Bakery's chocolate chip cookie, which is roughly the size of a baby's head, blew my mouth away...and possibly my gallbladder. Dainty, demure dessert, it is not. After finishing off my Laduree macarons, instead of "OMG AWESOME", I mainly though, "Well, I need to go back and get a large one."
I am what's wrong with this world. One of many things.
- Michel Cluizel
While walking along rue St. Honore, we came across Michel Cluizel. Someone must be quite taken by macarons to have invented the macarolat.
- Macarolats?
I suppose they're macaron-shaped chocolates. Does that mean a chocolate flavored macaron is a chocaron? A chocolon? Hm.
- Macaron tree
We also stopped by Toraya since I wanted a little peek. Hoo-man, it's pricey. I decided to get my fill of eye candy for the time being and visit again later to actually ingest something. They set up a tree in their window from which grew various bean jelly and rice based Japanese sweets, along with some Japanese flavored macarons. They looked even dantier than Ladurée's. Am I worthy of eating such precious cookies? ...Probably not. But I'll try it at some point.
It's 3:14 PM on a Sunday and I still haven't gone outside. It's beautiful; I just don't have anything in mind to do. Going out with other people makes me realize that either doing things on my own isn't as fun or that I don't like being around other people. It depends. Mulling over my asocial tendencies is a rant better suited for another blog, but a quick summary of my Saturday night during Nuit Blanche goes like so:
- walking around the Marais with my housemate's group of outgoing friends results in abnormal feeling of disconnection from everyone
- later walking around the Louvre and the Champs-Elysees by myself is slightly more liberating, but still results in odd feeling of disconnection from the hoards of people milling around me
- walking around one of the greatest, most beautiful cities at night alone isn't a sad experience, but I can turn it into one
I could write an encyclopedia about my inhibitions and paranoia and self loathing, but it wouldn't get me anywhere.
Also, I don't see myself ever getting used to the kiss-kiss French greeting.
addresses
Miss' Manon
87 rue Saint-Antoine
Aux Désirs de Manon
It's right outside the St. Paul metro stop on rue Saint-Antoine. Put on your bakery radar.
Metro: St. Paul (1)
L'Atelier du Chocolat
109 rue Saint-Antoine, 4th
Metro: St. Paul (1)
Poujauran
18, rue Jean Nicot, 7th
Metro: La Tour-Moubourg (8)
Colas Artisan
178 rue de Grenelle, 7th
Metro: La Tour-Maubourg (8)
Les Sapeques
This is either on rue Bosquet or passage de la Vierge off of ave Bosquet. You would notice the big sign that says PHO.
Metro: Ecole Militaire (8)
Ladurée
21 rue Bonaparte, 6th
Metro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés (4), Mabillon (10)
Michel Cluizel
201, rue Saint-Honoré, 1st
Metro: Tuilleries (1), Pyramides (7, 14)
Toraya
10, Rue Saint-Florentin, 1st
Metro: Concord (1), Madeleine (8, 12, 14)
last thing
- sock break
I drew some socks. In case you were wondering. (Probably not.) If that makes you think, "WTF", I should add that it was inspired by a stupid comment I wrote on livejournal. But then why did I write the comment in the first place? Because I am odd. Just not odd enough to draw socks for no reason whatsoever.
...Nevermind, I am braindead.
Also, I hope people didn't really think I didn't know what a barrier on a metro platform was for aside from a way to keep me from leaving the train. I thought it was notable since I hadn't seen them in other stations in Paris (and we don't have them in NYC). But knowing that the line was automated made it more sensible.
Comments
Take it easy. Every bright person finds times when they don't fit in with the throng. How do you think great novels, poems, and plays get written? By bright people wondering why they don't fit in.
Tell us a little about your school and classes. It would make a nice background to the food stories and pics.
Like always you're pictures are delicious, especially that white choclate bar with the praline center. Yummmy....
You ever going to go shopping, like not for food. I hear Paris is known for that sorta thing...
wow, that salted butter caramel macaron looks amazing . . . I can almost taste it . .
I'm the same way actually. When I'm alone I feel lonely, but when I'm with large groups, I feel like I'd rather be alone. =/ Thus, sometimes isolating myself? I think it helps if you hang out with one person you really like at a time. Don't worry. =)
Keep updating! Your blog is like crack.
I'm really pleased you're continuing to find all these places...and enjoying the macarons in St Germain des Prés! As they say in France when they serve you your next course, "Bonne continuation!"
I know these internet things can be a bit weird, but if you'd like to meet up someday and to have another friend in Paris - even just someone you know is there when you're feeling a bit low, I'm 20 year old girl too and living in St Germain. I speak French and could help you break down the barriers a bit. I am all too aware of what it is like to feel a bit alone, even if not lonely, in this city, If you want, I'll email you my phone number, you just have to say.
Certainly, you are not alone in your experience of not-quite-wanting or fitting into company and not-quite-wanting/finding comfortable solitude. That is an important part of travel; it sharpens your perceptions. If you do find yourself feeling inappropriately lonesome, do remember that your readers are with you in spirit (at least I am!) and are deeply appreciative of your reports.
tis moi, annie! thanks for playing with me and showing me the wonderful goodness of being a foodie. haha i enjoyed the spurts of dialogue in this entry. and yes, the pistache macaron was my favorite! next stop: japantown.. if we ever find it again :)
btw, i don't think i can used to the kiss-kiss thing either. see you soon!!
Hey. I'm back from a hiatus of non-blog reading, due to my own personal laziness. :( But when I came back today, I found that I am having just as much fun reading your blog as I did before...yay! I hope you're having a good time in France...it sounds like your tastebuds are!
From this blog, one might surmise that the French only make macaroons in their bakeries. Having never been, I would not know. I've been to Germany, but they seem to prefer the hard rolls over baguettes (equally crunchy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside, I might add). They also have delicious pretzels. You should make a stop over there and say hi to my exchange partner, lol. :D
Robyn! SO BEAUTIFUL - EVERYTHING! I'd gladly pay 8.5 Euros for a bowl of pho if it meant that I could be so close to alll the bakeries!
The bit on walking around in the city and sad experiences is definitely something I remember about NYC - there could be so much to do and so much life just all around, everywhere. But at the same time, I never felt so isolated. Or so alone. I find that it comes and goes in waves, good days and bad. But enjoy Paris while you're there, such an incredible experience! :)
The croissant aux amandes is positively sin - in fact, I think I'll head down to the neighboring Some Crust in Claremont now for a afternoon "snack" (although those are big enough to constitute a meal or two! We are unique people, arent we? Consuming the majority of our calories from baked goods and sweets? While we're young! :) Happy macaron-ing!
Such a luscious post Robyn. I'll go 50/50 at Poujauran definitely. I went into that very same L'Atelier du Chocolat in the Marais - they were so kind, it was unsettling. The visuals in Paris conquer any lonely feelings, though not the intimidation feelings.. You seem to be breaking down barriers Gurl..like what the hell is Nuit Blanche? Très sophisticated!
Hey Robyn
I notice in almost all of your outside photos how clean the streets and sidewalks are. Are you photo shopping the Gypsy's, stray dogs, and refuse out or is it really that clean? "I WANNA KNOW" plz?
rEd
The thing I love and hate about Paris (and really, most large European cities I've been to) is the fact that you literally are bombarded with GOOD PLACES TO EAT. I know in New York there's tons of restaurants on every street but here we eschew fat with such vigor that no place has such enticing windows as do European cities. But Paris most certainly wins the prize.
If there were any chance in hell of me getting to Paris, I'd totally go 50/50 with you ... You like good things.
And finally (and finally!) the salted caramel macaron looks like it might satisfy me for life, since I love love love caramel.
Hey girl, I really enjoyed ur food blog! I was searching "Japanese supermarket" and "Paris" in google and I found you!:) I was worrying a lot about the my weight before i came to Paris, since i've been loving baguette always~~~ Totally agree with ur "appealing sound theory" hahaha! Now your blog could be my guide of delicious in Paris,good! Merci, a bientot!
Ha, forgot one thing~ about the Pho, i know a place at Odeon, i was visiting an appartment there when i saw this Vietnamese restaurant, quite small, but the price is good, maybe you should try~~ c'est dans la rue des Grands Augustins:) Bonne chance!
That white chocolate looks like a bar of soap. Big bowl of pho!!! And you know I've never had a macaron before.
Robyn,
I love your blog! It's a freakin addictive drug to read about, especially your food photos. Anyways, the macarons look really yummy. I'm still dreaming of the pumpkin macarons from Bouchon Bakery. Oy vey.
Robyn,
Hey! Famous Fat Dave here sending love from across the pond.
Do they not have Yoohoo in Paris? They wouldn't would they? But if you are craving American food that will kill you quickly, go to Chez Haynes and get the honey fried chicken. I wrote about it for an inflight magazine and I've got it here:
http://www.famousfatdave.com/FoodWriting/SoulOfTheCityFFD.pdf
Also, I think you'd LOVE this French Basque big salad place in Monte Marte. I made a couple Parisian friends and they swore by it and now I do too. Big, delicious salads (some with a lot of bacon) and the energy there is frenetic like back here in New York (guys coming outta the kitchen with like 5 giant salad bowls on either arm). If you haven't eaten there already or no one there know what I'm talking about, email me back and I'll look up the name of the place in my 03 travel journal.
Oh man, what an awesome post! The half-box of Girl Scout thin mints I ate earlier today seems so incredibly pathetic by comparison...go eat a chocaron (or whatever those wierd glazed-looking macaroon things are) and then tell us about it. Your adoring fans need to know.
As for me, if I ever see one of those feuillete things in my neck of the woods I will devour it immediately--they look (and sound) awesome.
As someone who spent a not inconsiderable portion of young-adulthood wandering ALONE around European cities in varying states of anomie, can I just say that all the disconcertedness you're feeling is part of the package? That is, you're totally NOT weird for feeling the way you do and, the longer you're there, the better you'll get at knowing yourself well enough to know when (and how) to cherish the weightlessness of solitude and when (and how) to seek out company (even company that goes against your grain).
Keep on truckin'!
I've realized that I've never had macarons *gasp*. This must be remedied immediately. The sociability thing, to me, always seems to be heightened in big cities and abroad. But then suburbia has its own downfalls eh? I almost went to Mitsuwa today b/c my friend was going to take me there but she changed her plans and now I am sad and macaroon-less. tear-tear-tear
I love feuilleté praliné. :D But I don't get to eat it that often being in the Philippines and whatnot.
Haha, I can't imagine eating a whole baguette by myself. Seriously. It must take practice.
And your socks drawings are cute. :)
I think it must be law that every asian restaurant in the world uses those big blue-and-white Chinese bowls - I've seen them all over the place :)
Re asking about macaron flavours, try:
"C'est quoi le saveur de celui-là?" and point to the appropriate colour.
note: real francophones, pardonnez s.v.p. ma grammaire honteuse :)
Me again! I'm glad you finally got to post again. I've been checking every day since the last time I left you a comment, hoping for a glimpse of more delicious foods, and finally my prayers have been answered! I hope when I finally get my digital camera, I can leave you some delicious pictures of my own from Japan. Never as good looking as yours, of course, but it might be fun?
Whenever I think "macaroon" I always think of the Jewish foods that are eaten on passover made of coconut. Sometimes chocolate or chocolate chip flavored. Not these monsters that look like cookies! They do look horribly delicious, though. The cakes in the shop that you took a picture of remind me very much of the sort of cakes you see in all the bakeries in Japan, so I'm guessing that they stole the idea from France, not surprisingly. They're all so small and dainty and I want to eat them all. There's a bakery with a full glass front that I have to pass every day on my way to and from the train station and every day I gaze in longingly.
I've been sampling different breads from the bread store near my work place, and today I got to try this bread that's a very mini loaf of white bread but with sugar on the top. So tasty and only 100 yen! It made the perfect lunch with an apple and coffee from McD's. In my scoping out of the various melon pan in the area, I found some large packaged deals, one that's green and another with chocolate chips, a sunrise, a green melon pan from up north...and that's it for now. I need to make my way to ginza at some point because apparently it is the capital of Japan for melon pan. My heart melts!
And one last question: you mentioned you have a livejournal. So do I! I would love to friend you if this is alright. What is the address?
Annie: I haven't banged out a good novel/poem/play yet. OH MY GOD I'M BEHIND [hyperventillates]
[huff huff]
School! Oh man. Yes, the thing that takes up 5 days of my week and then some. I'll talk about it in my next entry. There isn't much to say, for better or worse. Maybe that's because I'm not studying enough. :|
Amy:/b> Non food shopping? Wha...what is that? THERE ARE OTHER THINGS?
Oh yeah. Hm. ...Hm. Well there was that time I bought school supplies. Food is the main "Oo this is awesome and different from home" thing. I have looked for clothing, but not seriously. Went to Zara a few times and thought, "I can go to Zara at home!" I need someone knowledgeable to shop with. :P
susannah: It's not always that I'd rather be alone when in a large group, but I feel awkward for...not feeling like i'm a part of the group. "Dammit, Robyn, assimilate!" I isolate myself a lot. Thank god I live in an apartment with a family or else I'd never see humans. I'd be mute by the time I leave Paris. Optimally I only meet one person at a time...then we must interact and hopefully like each other.
Marsha: My perceptions feel dull! Like...[insert something un-sharp]...wow, I couldn't even come up with anything.
I shall feed off your spirit. :)
Kristin: Tastebuds are feeling awesome! Fat percentage growing wildly out of control! Hoho!
Oh my god I wanna go to Germany. I've heard about the bakeries. Good things. Rolls are pretty awesome...more easy to carry around than a baguette at least. :)
Now, need to find me some German friends.
Kathy: Oh my god WHY WEREN'T WE FRIENDS WHEN YOU LIVED IN NYC?! Gaaah if only...there wouldn't have been any of this loneliness you speak of. I think I spent a number of Sundays just sitting in my room feeling useless. :|
A croissant aux amandes is like half of a snack, man.
Red: Yes, they're just that clean! At least the areas I've been in.
Ilana: I dunno, I don't do much fat eschewing in NYC. ;) The mainly thing holding me back here is my lack of French speaking ability...without that I would eat even more! Which is pretty damn scary.
Paris wins for bakeries, no contest. You just expect to find them everywhere here like Starbucks in NYC.
I love caramel too. Which reminds me, I should buy some!..yesss.
Freda: I think my weight exploded over the weekend. PANTS DON'T FIT LIKE THEY DID 7 DAYS AGO. I really did pig out...er...just don't eat like, a bucket of nuts. I don't think baguettes affect me too much, nor itty bitty macarons.
Thanks for the pho rec!
Gordon: Tasty, tasty, soap.
Go get a macaron! At least they have em in NYC!...well, a few places. I need to properly post my macaron list (in no real order): Financier, Bouley Market, Bouchon Bakery, La Maison du Chocolat and Fauchon. (I've seen them in some small bakeries, but those are the main ones.)
Tina: I'm so glad I'm addictive! ...Kinda!...as long as there aren't withdrawal symptoms.
Sometimes I don't know why I like macarons so much. Why must they look so cute?
GEC: For the good of the human race, I should get a chocaron...macarolat...somethin.
I'm not good at doing things by myself if I feel like I should be with other people. And skipping through European cities seems like one of those things best done with others. Waarh. I'm not very independent, unless I have to be. (I wish that were different.)
Buuut whatever, it's cool, I'm pretty happy...and not dead! Yahoo! Life! Awesome! Okay!
Janet: GO GET THEE SOME MACARONS! Places in NYC with macarons: Financier, Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, Bouley Market, and Bouchon Bakery. And maybe other places, but those are the main ones.
We should have a day at Mitsuwa when go back. FUN TIMES!!
Daisy: You have SO MUCH AWESOME FOOD over there, you must be fine without feuilleté praliné. ;)
Practice, or a malformed stomach. Eating whole baguettes isn't much of a skill!
Thanks, perhaps I will draw other semi-shapeless inanimate objects. It's fun!
Alexa: Not just restaurants, families too! I have those bowls at home in a smaller size. They're my cute rice bowls. :)
Thanks for the French lesson. I bet I'd say it wrong and just wildly point and gesture in the end, haha.
Once again you are one step ahead of the NYTimes. Last time, Sofia Coppola brooding Paris. This time, salt caramel in Paris. I'm starting to think someone there reads your blog.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/magazine/08food.html
It's good to hear that people are being nicer to you. I think whatever it takes to win over ParisPeople is acquired by an osmotic process.
And not to crush your hopes, but I'm finding the kissy greeting is becoming de rigeur in NYC too. Just not double, or god forbid, quadruple kissy, thank goodness. Always made me dizzy and disoriented.
Hey =) i don't know if you remember me i wrote an email to you about the norway trip when you were feeling frustrated?
Anyway i just wanted to say how much i'm enjoying your Paris blog and all those pictures of macaroons (!) (want one.... NOWWWWW) And that i can totally relate to the whole wanting to be alone but still missing the crowd thing - well 'crowd' as in the group of people i really really like who hang out with me and whom i click with...
Will you be visitng any Michelin starred restaurants? I've always wondered if all those reviews and accolades make too much out of those posh places. I'm pretty sure you'll give an honest and (as always) entertaining review of one of these places.
Continue having fun in Paris and eating for the rest of us who aren't there =)
Cheers!
Hi Robyn,
this is my first time posting here but I come here a lot. You're so lucky, all of the food you post up all beautiful and delicious! I decided to post because of your entry about the Pho you had. Sorry you didn't have a tasty one (you should visit Boston sometime, we have the best ones here :-P ). Anyways pho isn't suppose to be serve with mint!! It should've been served with asian basil and another green which I don't know the name in English. Sorry about the rant, keep posting! ''xoxoxo
Cô Ba Sài Gòn
181 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré
75008 PARIS
Phone : 01 45 63 70 3
I ate my Pho here when I was there. It was very satisfying, but it's different from the US Pho (the broth has more spices and is richer).
Paris=Happy Stomach!
god i always feel like that. I need to be more outgoing =/ i often feel like no one gets excited about the things i get excited about (::ahem:: bakeries). Perhaps thats why I like this blog so much.
i was wondering if theres anything you miss from nyc. sugar sweet sunshine maybe? I think I would, or maybe the macarons and baguettes would keep me satisfied. =)
i drove past the soda pop shop in montclair today and i remembered your post about it and even though i've njever met you, i was like "robyn's been here!" small world.
Hi Robyn,
Have you visited Fauchon yet? I wonder if they have better cakes than the one we have in NYC. I really enjoy reading your blog and try to go to the restaurants that you listed on your blog.
Take care!
Fauchon Junkie: Haha...maybe the NYT and I have a common brainwave! But I didn't really talk about salted caramel; I just happened to eat that macaron. Yeeah. I love me some caramel.
I think I'm coming across the nice people by pure luck. PEople who work in bakeries and chocolate shops should be nice anyway though. Cos...they're working around such awesome things.
NONO, I don't want to go to NYC and return to kissy shizz. I'M A HUGGER! YES.
YX: I'm glad you're enjoying the posts! I feel like all of us "missing the crowd" people should get together...for what would probably be an awkward experience. Okay, maybe not.
I'm not planning to go to any Michelin starred restaurants, as that would require some company. I definitely wouldn't want to go alone and I don't think I'm going to find many people willing to come with me. Anyhoo, my heart is set on bakeries and little places. Not that I would mind going to a Michelin starred restaurant. [sigh]
Oanh: Basil and another green...I didn't know that, eek! But mint is damn tasty too. Gimme both! Maybe the next pho place I go to will serve it more correctly. :)
idlehouse: Thanks for the rec! I'll try to eat there.
Ani: Oh my god, I want to make that into a tshirt.
susannah: Ohh, there are definitely a lot of bakery obsessed people out there...scattered. Around the world. I have luckily met a handful of these lovely human beings; they are so much fun. :)
I don't love cupcakes to death, but I miss knowing that I can get them. Also, they don't have cute bakeries like Sugar Sweet Sunshine here where you can hang out with a slab of cake. Then again, there are plenty of cafes...
..but it ain't the same. Hohum.
SODA POP SHOP! I wanna go back there!!
Murni: Yup, I did visit Fauchon! Check out this entry. I never tried the cakes in NYC and all I had here so far were macarons and an eclair, neither of which was really AWESOME...at least not as awesome as I thought they would be. I should go back for something else though, like a pretty cake.
My mom always tells me she could LIVE off of a baguette and a hunk of good cheese! Looks like you are living the dream!
Hi Robyn,
Just wanted to say bon jour and oh la la. Eat me some ortolan if you can find some at the corner shop.
You're awesome.
Your photos make me want to weep with longing. I want to come to Paris and eat. I want to go to a lot of places and eat. Waah!
That caramel macaron resulted in me making a weird sound which roughly translates too: "Must eat macaron".
The "macaroon tree" photo is very very good!
I'm guessing the diet is kaput?
Kaitlin: Oh yes, I am living the American-student-in-Paris dream! :) Chocolate would go well with the bread and cheese.
Eddie: Ortolan! Haha!...I dunno if that is a common cornershop item. ;) But I'll keep my eyes open in deep-end-dining fashion.
Awesome? Toi aussi!
mochene: I want to go EVERYWHERE and eat. Except maybe Antarctica, where I'd just wanna see penguins.
Cathy: I know that sound. It's kinda like, "Mraarharhbmdfmguhuh", right?
Liz: DIETING IS NOT ALLOWED IN PARIS! I made up that rule. Yes. It's cool.
Belive it or not, you are a goddess. You are a bright, and thoughtful human being. You blog is such a breath of fresh air, always a treat to share in your adventures. Be confident in who you are, you are more amazing then half the selfish people you come into contact with each day. And please- qoutes like "What is the opposite of Butter? Sadness?" Seriously- brilliant. Anytime you come to Cali email me, I'd lov eto meet you and show you around my neck of the woods. You rawk, don't ever think otherwise.
yummm that white chocolate thing looks really good!
btw, do macarons get stuck on the roof of your mouth?
i'm embarassed to admit, i've never tried one...
Wow. Those pictures make me, She Who Does Not Like Chocolate Because Of A Mild Allergy, want to stuff my face, both because of the place itself and your framing of it. Lovely. Also, you've inspired me to write a post about eating in Scotland (without pictures, sadly), if I ever get to it.
So you finally made it to Laduree I am as glad as a proud mother (which is undeniably weird), also because you chose the two top ranked in my macaron chart, pistachio and caramel, now you must try rose petal because it might be like eating perfume, it's so pretty and has a heavnely aftertaste.
"Japanese flavored macarons"?
That's like that Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man". (It's a cookbook!)
;P
I've never commented on your blog before but I absolute love reading about your food adventures and your pictures are the best food porn.. haha. I've been reading for quite awhile. I was doing food studies/management as well at NYU but I kinda dropped out... whoops. Good luck with everything in paris!
Robyn,
The lovely lady at Chocolate and Zucchini is having a food blog meet up tonight in Paris:
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/
There's someone who would probably love to go fooding in Paris with you!
Sara:Aw, thank you. :) WHERE IS MY ZIGGURAT?!
Ohh I am selfish...[sigh]...but let's not go there. Let's think about the butter! I could turn that phrase into a tshirt. With a drawing of a stick of butter. Seriously..[scratches head]...
My confidence is very looow. Other friends could back me up on that. :\ I hope that changes someday cos even though I'm used to thinking that I suck, it kinda...sucks.
But I'm grateful for encouraging words from people like you. :)
mona: Nope, they don't get stuck! Go get a macaron in NYC (I need to officially post this list): Financier, Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, Bouley Market, and Bouchon Bakery should have em.
Rhi: I'm so glad I conjure up feelings of face stuffage. THAT IS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE ME. Constant face stuffage and piggery. I predict a short life span.
I've love to hear about Scottish food!
Ivan: Okay, that came out kinda wrong...hm.
Lauren: Thanks for reading! Dropped food studies? OH NOOOOO COME ON ITS AWESOME!...although I don't know if I'd do it for graduate studies, hehe. Eh well, as long as you're fooding it's cool.
Monique: Oh my, I already went out and did stuff tonight. All bloggable! Cos I ate! Yes! You'll read about it soon. :)
I am worried that you are going to get rickets - do you eat any veggies? I mean I LOVE the carb diet, but girl, I hope you are getting some veggies - or at least some vitamins. :)
NICE! They don't get stuck!
Thanks for the list, I love Bouley Market =)
I discovered your blog a few days ago by reading the Parisist blog, and it's awesome! The pictures are great, and you really know how to keep us readers interested.
I'm kinda jealous because I'm french, born in Paris, and I've got the feeling that I haven't tried the quarter of all the bakeries you already went in! Ok I'm living near Versailles, but hey that's not an excuse!
But there's a more weird thing about me... I've never eaten any Macaron in my life!!! Can you believe it?! But now that I am aware that I was born in a Macaron Kingdom, I have to try it!
Thanks to a New York girl for having me convinced!
About the automatic doors, sure it's to avoid suicides and to protect the automatic lines, but on station Invalides or Saint Lazare for example (line 13) it's to gain time. These stations are very crowded and people are often trying to get in the train by forcing the doors, and the train loses precious seconds. The other main problem is that some people are walking on the lines (not only tramps). Again loss of time, danger, etc... So by using that kind of automatic doors ("portes palières") which keeps people safe on the platform, the RATP wants to accelerate traffic and improve regularity. (Btw, Line 13 is one of the most hated lines by parisians, because it's very long and has a lot of traffic problems, the automated Line 14 is fantastic and you never have to wait more than 3 minutes to get a train, even at night times).
Actually on Line 13, it's a test. They will remove the doors on the 2 stations at the end of the month. But if the test improved traffic they will later extend the doors on other stations of the line. They're also chosing between 3 models for the line 1 which is going to be automated by 2010.
(I've just read it on wikipedia, I'm not working at the RATP ;)
Ok let's forget about the dirty metro and don't be afraid by not-so-nice cashiers in bakeries. Here it's a classic. I don't know what's wrong with that corporation, but they seems to be sometimes in a very bad mood. Parisians are also not very fond of waiters in the cafés, they've got a baaaad reputation for poor service.
Wow. gorgeous. speechless. hungry. I hope you don't mind that I have linked to your blog from mine. I am obsessed with food porn, and you have taken it to a whole new level! The croissant aux amandes looks heavenly, like the almond crescents in Little Italy, but, well, flakier.
Oh, it's funny what you say about not getting used to the kiss-kiss greeting, because here in the U.S., I've tried instituting it among my friends, and sometimes they put up with it, sometimes they look at me like I'm an alien. What are you gonna do?
Bon weekend!
it's just been a few weeks since i started reading food blogs. gosh! i didn't know what i have been missing all these years till i discovered great pages such as yours. i've seen your page under lori's (dessertfirst) but haven't had the chance to visit it. it's just now that i accidentally have landed on it. was searching for macarons since i come to love this dessert the first time i tasted them when a friend bought me 8 pcs of different flavors from bizu patisserie in manila and asked me to eat them in one sitting. just yesterday, the same friend and i attended a baking class featuring macarons. and here i am now glued to any information i can learn about french macarons. boy! am i just glad that i discovered your site and when i checked your username, it's "the girl who ate everything"! i remember just now too that i have read your blog a couple of months ago.
thanks for posting this entry. your pictures are awesome! i have dreamt of going to paris, much more of studying culinary courses there. for now, this would satisfy me for it's like being closer to my dream. :)
Easy: "Pouring a stream of coffee into a cup."
Any day of the week :)
First time I've read your blog, & I'm fascinated -- don't worry about feeling alone ina crowd -- that's common -- me too.
That other green in the pho is cilantro -- at least here in Texas. I've never had pho anywhere else. Could be the Mexican influence, but it works. I'm now in a small town with not much variety in food, but whenever I get back to Dallas (where I lived for 50 years) I always have a big bowl of pho -- really too big for me. We have a large Vietnamese population, & all the cafes I've been to have probably 20 different varieties of pho -- some you don't really want to try !!!
No chance for macarons here -- sniff, sniff.
i'm working backward through your posts, so not sure if you will have posted about this....yadda yadda... how long will you be in Paris for? I'm moving there for 2 months next september, but will be there sometime in the Spring for a scary being alone test, and I would love to accompany you to a macaron eating marathon.
I also have a secret desire to visit Michelin starred restaurants, but no one is interested! Boo!
Hello! Very interesting post this one about places to have sthing in Paris.