Ann Mah's Blog, page 32
March 3, 2011
Water, water everywhere
When I wrote about being denied tap water at a Paris restaurant, I never imagined it would spark such a hullaballoo. But 32 comments later, it's clear that I'm not the only one who's thirsty around here.
Imagine my surprise a few days ago when my dining companion, Elizabeth, called to tell me she'd received a mysterious voicemail message — from the owner of the very same restaurant where we'd lunched with such thirst! I was traveling, so it took me a few days to call him back. But when I did, he seduced me with those three little words that are so rarely heard: J'avais tort.
Translation: I was wrong.
"After 50 years in the restaurant business, I had a little revolution. I verified everything and I was at fault," he said. "Vous aviez complètement raison. Thanks to you, I am now following the law. Je voulais m'excuser."
What can I say, mes amis? I was flabbergasted.
Monsieur then invited me to lunch at his establishment so that he could "spoil" me. It was a kind invitation but one my personal code of journalistic ethics prevented me from accepting. The next time I find myself hungry and in the neighborhood, however, I won't hesitate to sample his bistro again — anonymously. And if it's dinner time, I might even order a glass of wine. Pourquoi pas?
March 1, 2011
Le Top Chef
It's certainly no secret that I love Top Chef. And now that there are two seasons airing simultaneously — one American, one French – well, let's just say I spend more time watching the reality cooking show than I'd care to admit. How does the French version differ from the American series? Well, I'm glad you asked!
The judges mean beez-ness – In Top Chef Français, the judges are successful, famous and highly respected chefs who have paid their dues in the kitchen. A beautiful cookbook author like Padma Lakshmi would not be allowed on the show as a judge.
The contestants are teenagers – Well, not quite teens. But because the French system means starting in the kitchen at age 16, they're remarkably younger than their American counterparts — 23, 24, 25 with at least seven or eight years of experience under their belts.
Everyone knows how to filet fish – Breaking down a whole salmon is not a special challenge on Top Chef Français. Nor is killing and skinning an eel, or shucking a scallop. These are considered basic skills. Fishing a squirming eel out of a tank and using it in a dish that integrates beef chuck roast? Now that's a challenge.
Contestants are not judged solely on reality TV stunts – If they've failed a challenge of, say, preparing a two-course meal for 60 wedding guests on a boat on the Seine in three hours, contestants are sent to the "dernière épreuve." In this last-ditch-challenge, each prepares a dish (usually an entrée or plat) that demonstrates their skill; the judges sample them in a blind tasting. The chef who prepares the worst dish is sent home.
Length — Unbelievably, Top Chef Français is a whopping three hours. Which is a little much, even for me.
Do you watch Top Chef Français or American, mes amis? Please tell me I'm not the only one!
February 25, 2011
Five delicious things I've eaten recently
Happy Friday, mes amis! I hope your week has been delicious. In the spirit of the weekend, here's a little list of my favorite recent bites:
1. Artichoke pizza at Pizza Chic (photo above) — A golden crust spread with savory artichoke purée and topped with a bitter arugula salad and parmesan shavings. Miam!
2. Financiers — Tiny, moist almond cakes baked in the shape of a gold bar, available from a pâtisserie near you. Perfect for goûter.
3. Chocolat chaud from Jean-Paul Hévin — Voted number one in town by Le Figaro, the "tradition" is a deep, luscious blend that achieves a perfect balance between bitter and sweet. Enjoy it over cake and gossip in the salon du chocolat upstairs from the shop.
4. Jambon de Pays Basque — I liked my dinner at Les Papilles, but I LOVED the ham that preceded it. The paper thin slices had an impossibly deep, rich, sweet-savory, umami-esque flavor that I've never encountered elsewhere. (Seriously — if I'm using a poncy word like umami, you know it had to be good.)
5. Andouillette de Troyes — Okay, maybe delicious is a stretch. But I couldn't visit Troyes and not taste its famous tripe sausage. And, really, the flavor was quite inoffensive, akin to bologna. Just don't get me started on the texture…
Bon weekend, mes amis! What was your favorite bite of the week?
Pizza Chic
13 rue de Mézières, 6e
tel: 01 45 48 30 38
Jean-Paul Hévin
231 rue Saint-Honoré, 1er
tel: 01 55 35 35 96
Les Papilles
30 rue Guy Lussac, 5e
tel: 01 43 25 20 79
February 22, 2011
Signs of the times
There's more English spoken in France these days, I really have noticed it. As a language student, I truly applaud anyone for learning a foreign language — especially one so littered with spelling minefields, like anglais — but sometimes, I see signs on the street that make me laugh. I can't help it.
There is the phenomenon of the extra "s." Okay, yes, clearly happy hour is never singular. But what about…
Un parking. Deux parkings. Obvy.
In a bakery window, someone forgot a vowels.
Isn't this what Americans think French people smell like?
February 17, 2011
Not a drop to drink
Yesterday I went out for lunch with a friend I'll call Elizabeth. We were the first customers at a neighborhood restaurant and we ordered an entrée + plat for Elizabeth, a plat + dessert for me. And then the server paused with a flourish. "Qu'est-ce que vous voulez boire?" he asked.
I rarely drink wine at lunch — it ruins the rest of my work afternoon and I'm already far too prone to naps or internet distraction without any chemically induced aid. I also rarely order bottled water because I think it takes a toll on the environment, and, let's be honest, I don't mind saving a few pennies by drinking tap.
One of us ordered une carafe d'eau — a pitcher of tap water."Non, ça marche pas ici," said the waiter. He proposed a half-bottle of flat or sparkling. I must have been weak from hunger because I didn't question him. We ordered a large bottle of fizzy.
But later that afternoon, I started thinking. Is it legal for a restaurant to deny a customer tap water?
I asked my friend, Alain, who owns a café, Le Mistral, in the 20e. "C'est pas gentil," he said. But he didn't know if there was any law preventing it.
And then I posted on Twitter. Thanks to my friend Katia's crack research team, I discovered a helpful website, which details this 1967 decree: A restaurant is obligated to provide bread, regular water, spices or condiments, dishes, glassware, napkins, etc. As a result, a restaurant cannot charge for a carafe of water when it accompanies a meal.
I phoned the restaurant, Le Caméléon (6 rue de Chevreuse), to ask if they had a comment. "If customers don't drink wine, I can't earn a living if they don't even order a small bottle of water," the owner, Jean-Paul Arabian, told me. "If you don't take any wine, at least have the kindness to order a bottle of water." He added: "I am someone who is known to be very reasonable with the prices."
What about the decree of 1967? I read it aloud. "We didn't charge for tap water," said monsieur. Ah, semantics.
Our lunch was 58€. I don't remember the breakdown, but that included one entrée, two plats, one dessert, and the aforementioned large bottle of water.
"I have the best rapport qualité prix in the whole quartier," said monsieur. "I offer lunch for 24 euros, pour faire plaisir. Did you enjoy your lunch?"
I hadn't, particularly. I told him the bread had been stale, and my risotto raw. He promptly invited me and Elizabeth to lunch there — tomorrow — to "recapture our interest," an invitation that I had to decline.
Besides, what would we drink to wash it all down?
February 15, 2011
Greek, Chinese
These two languages don't have much in common except, perhaps, a reputation for difficulty… and also their editions of Kitchen Chinese arrived the same week! I'm so excited to share them with you, mes amis!
Here's the Greek edition, published by Harlenic Hellas. The cover is slightly modified from the original version — I wonder if it's meant to make her look more (or less?) American?
It's especially moving for me to see the book in Chinese, published by Fish & Fish in Taiwan. The book is in traditional characters and opens right-to-left (that is, opposite from how we read English-language books). I only wish the publisher hadn't changed my Chinese name, which should read 马兰 (the first character, ma, means horse; the second, lan, means orchid).Thank you for allowing me to share this news! I'm so thrilled that these editions are out in the world!
February 10, 2011
French felines
If you were a cat, could there be a better place to live than France? The 35-hour work week means your owner is around more for cuddles. The national love of foie gras makes for excellent snacks (authorized, or not). Yes, as my photographic research shows, I think any French feline would declare life here pretty much purrr-fait.
City benches are a good place to wait for a mouse to pass by.
There's al fresco dining in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Neighborhood watch keeps the streets safe from dogs and other dangerous activity.
Who needs the supermarché when you can go dumpster diving?
PS Can you spot the third kitty in the photo above?
PPS View more French felines, and also their canine counterparts.
February 8, 2011
Hello, beauty
For as long as I can remember — even before we moved to Paris, when we used to visit and dream about living here — Saint-Sulpice church has been under scaffolding. But, when I walked by last week, I was so surprised and delighted to find the famously mismatched towers uncovered! Finally, after eleven years!
According to this article from La Croix, the towers have been covered since 1999 because of danger from falling stones. They needed the time to raise the 28 million Euros necessary for the restoration.
Saint-Sulpice is famous among Da Vinci code fans, but here's my favorite fact about the church: Its five bronze bells have names–Thérèse, Caroline, Marie, Henriette, and Louise.
February 4, 2011
North African in Paris
One of the (many) nice things about living in Paris is the splash of North African culture that brightens the city's bland Frenchness. You can sip mint tea at La Grande Mosquée, have your dry skin scrubbed away at a hammam, or — my favorite — sink into sharp flavors: vibrant spices, or tangy preserved lemons. I've yet to visit North Africa, but I'm already fascinated by the food.
Happily, I was able to recently satisfy my curiosity at two restaurants:
L'Atlas is a tiled behemoth of a restaurant, an Oriental palace on the Left Bank. They seduced me right away with little hors d'oeuvres of olives and spiced potatoes and carrots (I hate cooked all carrots unless they're doused with cumin and garlic). The assortiment de petits délices marocains (photo left) was really just vegetables and may not have warranted its 12€ price tag. I also discovered that I do not like fleur d'oranger — orange flower water — which was sprinkled liberally on cooked carrots and tastes like soap.
Tagines were more successful, especially the one of fork tender lamb and sweet figs stuffed to bursting with crushed walnuts (22€). I'm generally a sucker for the sharp, tangy bite of preserved lemons, but the chicken tagine (22€) was too salty.
Chez Les Filles is the opposite of L'Atlas, a sweet and shabby-chic tea room in the shadow of Le Bon Marché. A friend told me that it's run by four women, all related, and indeed the food is cozy and homey, with plats du jour featuring tagines with homemade meatballs. I like the vegetarian platter (photo above), 10.50€, which offers a selection of spiced veggies that changes daily. Afterwards, fuel your afternoon with a spot of sugary mint tea. One word of warning if you dine chez les girls (and I hope you do!): Be sure to visit during the day — the restaurant is open only for lunch.
L'Atlas
12 bd St-Germain, 5e
tel: 01 44 07 23 66
Chez Les Filles
64 rue du Cherche Midi, 6e
tel: 01 45 48 61 54
February 1, 2011
Happy hoppin' new year!
Happy Chinese new year, mes amis! Or, rather, I should say — gong xi fa cai! This Thursday, February 3, marks the dawn of the year of the rabbit, which just happens to be my zodiac sign (if you're good at multiples of 12, you can figure out how old I am).
As it turns out, according to Chinese lore, it's kind of unlucky when your sign rolls around. To counteract the bad juju, the truly superstitious wear red — all year long. But wait, you're saying, red is a bright color — what if it clashes with my other clothes?
That's where the red underwear comes in. According to this article, Chinese sales of red undergarments skyrocket around the lunar new year. In case you're wondering — yes, I bought some. I may not be superstitious, but I'm not foolhardy either.
Whether or not you're in need of red underwear, you may also want to consider eating noodles (for long life) and dumplings (for wealth) on New Year's Day. In Paris, Les Pâtes Vivantes pulls their own handmade strands (I like the #4, smothered in sesame sauce). For drums and lion dances, you'll have to wait until Sunday, February 6 when Paris's dueling Chinatowns (in the 13e and Belleville) each host their own parade (details here).
And if you're searching for the perfect Chinese New Year gift, might I suggest a copy of Kitchen Chinese?
May the Chinese year of 4709 (or 4708, or 4648 depending on your preferred calendar) bring you much happiness, health, and prosperity — not to mention great food shared with great friends!
