Asia Bo Bun

Here we go again with non-French eats while in Paris.  For lunch, we wanted to grab a quick bite before some touristing.  We hadn't done any Vietnamese so far and since we were in France (they colonized Vietnam at one point), we had to get some Phở right?  Our first option (Song Heng) was not open for the Summer, so we went somewhere nearby in
Asia Bò Bún.  Hey, they are highly-rated on Google, which sometimes means nothing at all.  So I guess we were about to find out if this was going to be good or not...

Things started off on the right food with Spring Rolls that featured a rice paper wrap.  Just to be clear, rice and wheat wrappers are both used in Vietnam, but for me, I much prefer the rice paper variety.  Why is that?  Well, the crispiness of the fried rice paper is very different than that of the wheat wrapper.  Whereas the wheat wrapper shatters and is lightly crispy, the rice wrapper has a bit of resistance and almost chew to it.  It also can shatter, but it is even crisper (just like using rice flour instead of wheat flour).  This one was good and the filling was moist and flavourful from the sweetness of the veggies, in particular, the onions.  They supplied us with lettuce and basil to wrap these spring rolls (the traditional way).

Onto the most important item, in my mind - Phở Dặc Biệt.  As per usual, I omitted the cilantro because I'm one of the rare people who thinks it tastes like soap.  Anyways, this gave me a better chance to taste the broth as it was meant to be.  It was mild and clean with a slight meatiness and background sweetness.  Pretty good!  The rice noodles were both al dente and plentiful.  I found the meats to be good too with rare be tender as well as the brisket.

My son had his usual in the Lemongrass Chicken with Rice.  No egg this time, but didn't really matter as the rice was chewy but not dry.  As for the chicken leg, it was bone-in and nicely grilled.  Skin was mildly-rendered and the chicken itself was brined enough to have a salty aromatic sweetness going on.  Furthermore, the chicken was succulent and juicy.  Add in some of the nuoc cham and this was a legit version of the dish.

For my daughter, she had the Bò Lúc Lắc and it was not filled with any filler.  Normally, you would find onions and peppers in many versions, but this was how we like it - with just beef!  This was subjected to a good marinade and wok fry where the meat was caramelized while still being juicy and tender.  Plenty of flavour from the meat (in a salty and aromatic way) but the tomato rice was pretty tasty too.  Good texture being chewy but not dry.

Viv also went for her favourite dish in the Chicken and Spring Roll Vermicelli Bowl .  Well, I'm not really sure what to say about this one as we had already eaten both the spring rolls and chicken in other dishes!  The chicken in this one was in strips, so it wasn't as juicy, but it wasn't dry.  You see, we had to get this dish anyways because the restaurant is called Asia Bo Bun (the beef version of this).  Like the rest of the food, the vermicelli was well-prepared.  Solid Vietnamese in the heart of Paris.

The Good:
- Solid eats
- Moderately-priced
- Well-portioned

The Bad:
- Service is friendly, but a bit sparse

Le Relais de l'Entrecôte

Going back to French food, we did a touristy thing and decided to check out Le Relais de l'Entrecôte.  You might of heard of it, you know, the place where they only serve one thing - Steak Frites.  Also, you can get more if you finish your plate, at no extra charge!  No, they do not take resos, so you'll have to go at opening to snag yourself a table.  We decided to take a chance at the Montparnasse location since it was further away from the busy areas.  It also helped that the metro station was right in front too.  Our plan worked as we got a table no problem at opening.

So with every meal, it starts with a Walnut Green Salad with a classic Dijon vinaigrette dressing.   Nothing complex with this as it featured fresh leafy greens with nutty walnuts.  A few slices of radish added some colour.  As for the dressing, it was sweet, tangy and a touch creamy.  This was a light start to our meat-focused meal.  In addition to this, we were also served a sliced baguette and butter.

So onto the one and only main course - Steak Frites.  The medium-rare sirloin was quite tender.  This was true for all of our plates.  I've read reviews about it being chewy and that was not the case with our steaks.  It was drenched in their famous Café de Paris sauce.  I think their version has a combination of chicken livers, butter, cream, Dijon and other seasonings.  Hence, the richness of the sauce coated each piece of the tender meat.  It createed an umaminess that further enhanced the beef.  As for the frites, they were super crispy but still had some potatoness left.  We ended up getting 2 orders each and really that was enough.

Onto dessert, we ordered 2 including the Sévigné and Crème Brûlée.  The former is a chocolate cake served with vanilla ice-cream, hot chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream while the latter is the classic custard topped with burnt (torched) sugar.  We really enjoyed the chocolate cake as it was rich and definitely chocolatey but not overly sweet.  That sauce was a bit sweet though.  The crème brûlée was also really good where the sugar topping was torched expertly being crunchy, sweet and smoky.  Upon cracking it with our spoon, it revealed a creamy custard that wasn't too heavy but was rather sweet.  Could definitely taste the vanilla essence.  So in the end, the meal was about the steak frites and it was good in our opinion.  Sure, the place is a bit touristy, but worth a visit still.

The Good:
- Solid steak frites
- You can have more if you want!
- Desserts pretty good

The Bad:
- No resos, have to lineup
- Service was decent, but rather hurried

Sushi Club

Okay, laugh if you want.  Insult me if you want.  Heck, you can just stop reading right now if you want.  Yes, I actually ate AYCE (all-you-can-eat) sushi in Paris.  We actually spotted Sushi Club a few times as we walked around the Bastille area after we had our meal at Clamato.  Prices seemed reasonable and in reality, the kids just wanted something different (just like when we were in Rome and Pisa).  So after a long morning and part of the afternoon at the Palace of Versailles, we trained it back to have some late lunch.

For 14.80 Euros, we could eat all the mediocre Japanese food we wanted.  But sometimes, that is all it takes...  So we started with an assortment of fried things including Chicken Karaage, Fried Veggies and Japanese Chicken Spring Rolls.  Not really sure that chicken karaage should be coated in a panko, but it was good nonetheless.  Chicken was moist and the outside was crunchy.  Same could be said about the veggies as they were definitely crunchy.  Not a fan of the spring rolls as they were a little dense.  But they were also crunchy!

Next, we got some Salmon and Tuna Nigiri as well as some Maki Sushi.  I have to say that the rice was maybe a bit soft, but not overly mushy.  There was some chewiness left, but the rice was a bit bland.  As for the fish, it was actually decent having a nice sheen and fresh taste.  Love that they put cream cheese on top of the "Salmon Cheese".  I didn't like the rice-to-fish ratio as there was too much rice (of course they did, for AYCE).  The rolls were pretty typical and serviceable.

For a 5.50 Euro supplement, we were able to have 10 pieces of Salmon Sashimi (we had 2 orders of that for a total of 20).  I found these to be actually decent and worth the cost.  They were buttery and fresh-tasting.  Also on the lunch menu, we found Brochettes and we got chicken, zucchini, chicken wings, beef & cheese and chicken meatballs.  These were actually quite good with a nice char and being not overcooked.  We had 2 orders of these.

For dessert, we had some strange items in Canned Lychee, Canned Fruit Cocktail and Chinese Peanut Candy.  I guess these were fine as they did the job and were sweet things of some sort.  But whatever the case, the price was right and we just wanted to get something Asian without going high-end.  Sometimes we can't eat gourmet all-the-time and places like these serve a purpose.  Food was okay while the service was a bit slow.  It was friendly though.

The Good:
- Cheap
- Serviceable food
- People are nice

The Bad:
- Food is average at best
- Service was slow  

Clamato

Having already scored reservations for Septime on our last full day in Paris, we decided to check out their sister restaurant, Clamato, situated right next door on our first day in Paris.  Focused on fresh sustainable seafood, Clamato's menu reflects the daily deliveries from French fishing ports.  Unlike Septime, Clamato does not take reservations.  We arrived at around 6:45pm for their 7:00pm opening time and was easily seated (as well as most of the other people in line).  If you are any later, then you will need to leave your name on the waitlist and they will call you.

Since they feature only fresh ingredients, the menu that we were presented with was very different than the one found online.  We decided to start with the Cod Roe Tarama with EVOO.  This was deliciously smooth and creamy with the brininess of the cod roe coming through.  There was a background smokiness and the seasoning was on point with it being salty enough.  Loved the pool of EVOO in the middle as it provided aromatics and naturally the silky smoothness of olive oil.

Another seemingly simple dish was the Sardines with roasted lemon and smoked creme crue as well as a good smattering of EVOO.  Those sardines were texturally appealing with a tender meatiness.  They were tangy and briny while completely and perfectly accented by the tart lemon and the smokiness of the creamy crue.  This went especially well with the warm baguette served when we were first seated.

One of my favourite items was the Palourde Clams with green curry sauce and fig leaf oil.  Those buttery clams were delicate and so naturally sweet.  Loved the cook on them as they were perfect with a soft texture with a slight chew.  The showstopper was the sauce as it was bright and mildly rich at the same time.  It was cilantro-forward and tasted really green, but the coconut milk tempered that.  I had to soak up the sauce with the bread because it was so good.

One of the brightest dishes was the Pollock Ceviche with fermented peach and chipotle.  I literally spooned the ceviche liquid and ate it just like that.  A nice balance of acidity, sweetness and spice with the emphasis on mild tanginess.  Therefore, it wasn't strong enough to overwhelm the delicate pieces of pollack.  About that pollack, the slices were tender with a bit of firmness. 

Another favourite of mine was the Mediterranean Octopus with shaved fennel and roasted garlic sauce.  The fairly thick slices of octopus were beautifully textured with a very tender chewiness.  Loved that it was easy to eat but had a certain firmness still.  It was adequately seasoned with a balanced salty sweetness but the garlic sauce was delicious.  It was creamy and rich with all of the best things about roasted garlic.

One of the more interesting dishes was the Albacore Tuna with spruce tips and pickled blueberries.  Apart from the fact they were paring fish with blueberries, the dish worked in my opinion.  There was an earthy foresty thing going on with the spruce tips while the fish itself was already tangy from the marinade.  The blueberries were intensely sweet and acidic which made it pair much better than just plain blueberries.

Viv's favourite dish was the Heirloom Tomato Salad with trout eggs and basil oil.  Another seemingly simple offering but with superior ingredients, this was full-flavoured and super fresh tasting.  The tomatoes were bright and sweet while the tomato water only helped highlight the main ingredient even more so.  The basil oil added herbaceousness while the crunch of the croutons provided complimentary texture.  Let's not forget about the briny trout eggs too.

One dish that was only liked by me was the Bell Pepper & Smoked Haddock Carpaccio w ith langoustine-kimchi jus.  I thought this was genius as the rich cooked-down jus was aromatic and briny with a background tangy spice.  The haddock was lightly smoky and had just a bit of saltiness. Texturally, the slices of fish were a touch firm but still buttery.  Those roasted red peppers were sweet and deliciously tender.

Another dish that no one else seemed to like, but only for me, was the Fried Eggplant with kalamsio, kasuobushi and hazelnuts.  I thought the eggplant was perfectly textured with a slightly crispy and firm exterior giving way to creamy tender insides.  It was nicely flavoured with a fermented saltiness as well as some tanginess.  The crunch of the hazelnuts were definitely needed here.

Lastly, we had the Monkfish from Finistere with grilled zucchini and spiced mussel butter.  Loved the flavours here as the mussel butter was rich and briny with natural sweetness.  The intensity of the sauce was further amped by the background spiciness.  The fish was perfectly cooked being a touch rare in the middle.  The mussels were plump and buttery.  As you can see, Clamato dishes up some creative fresh, mainly raw, seafood dishes that incorporate different accompaniments and flavours.  I found them unique and most of them worked well in creating a delicious composed product.  A worthy sister restaurant to Septime.

The Good:
- Fresh seafood
- Impactful and unique flavours
- Approachable and casual

The Bad:
- Pretty popular and they do not take resos
- Menu is pretty focused and it worked for us, but it may not work for everyone's tastes

Brasserie Georges

With all the choices for dinner in Lyon, we decided to hit up a historical one in Brasserie Georges.  Operating since 1836, this expansive dinning hall has served some pretty famous people.  There are even plaques attached to the seats commemorating their visits.  Another reason we decided to dine here is that it is one of the few places with continuous service.  That means we could have an early dinner at 5:30pm.  Most places do not open until 7:00pm.

After being seated at one of the seemingly hundreds of tables, we set down to ordering.  We did so in French and our server seemed to understand us.  One of the first dishes to arrive was the Piperade with poached egg, basque-style sauce and Serrano ham.  This was like an eggs benedict of sorts except for the base being peppers and onions rather than a bread or other carb.  This was rather rich and filling due to the velvety sauce and soft-poached egg. 

Next, we had the Terrine of Pork & Chicken Liver with porto and a side salad.  This was a quite a big slice and it was more than enough for my son as he had this as a starter for the Menu Lyonnais.  As you can see in the picture, this was quite rustic with discernible chunks of meat and fat mixed in with the liver.  It was definitely meaty and aromatic while being sweet.  We could definitely taste the port wine, but it stayed mainly in the background.

One of the most delicious, yet inconspicuous dishes of our meal was the Rockfish Soup with a side of rouille and croutons.  This was so flavourful and concentrated with the aromatics of saffron.  It was naturally sweet with some background fennel notes. Almost a bouillabaisse except without the shellfish. Naturally, we found some creamy rouille on the side that we could spread onto the croutons and dip into the soup.  So much aroma and textures!

For my son's Menu Lyonnais main dish, he chose the Local Pork and Pistachio Sausage in a white wine sauce served with mashed potatoes.  This type of sausage is a Lyon specialty (as we also had at Muzette).  This was also under-the-radar tasty where the sausage was plump, full of meat texture and juicy with the nuttiness of pistachios.  The white wine sauce was lightly creamy and cooked down properly.  It went very well with the starchy, yet smooth potatoes on the side.

Next, we found more of the flavourful summer veggies of the piperade accompanying the roasted Tender Pork Breast with rosemary.  This piece of pork featured crispy skin that stood up to the jus.  It was aromatic and nutty.  Underneath, the pork was not overly fatty with plenty of tender meat.  Definitely got the woodsiness of the rosemary, but not strong enough to take over the natural sweetness and umaminess of the pork.

My daughter had the Grilled Fillet of Sea Bream with herb vinaigrette, roasted eggplant and tomato.  Texturally, this dish was pretty much uniform, but it wasn't a problem though.  The eggplant was tender but not mushy while the tomato added a bright acidity.  The sea bream was cooked perfectly being moist and flaky.  With an herbaceous tanginess, this made the dish more bright than it appeared.  The olive oil added even more butteriness to the fish.

For myself, I went for the Veal Calf’s Liver with wine vinegar and shallots.  This was a big piece of lightly floured liver that was cooked to a medium-rare.  Hence, it was still juicy and a bit gamy-tasting in the middle.  However, I'm all about that flavour, so it was great.  It ate fairly tender except some of the less cooked portions.  Keeping things from getting too heavy, the sauce was almost like a gastrique where it was acidic but had a touch of sweetness. 

Served on the side of my veal was some Cheese Penne that was a bit dry, but was okay after I mixed it with the cheese sauce.  I originally wanted some French Fries and I totally forgot to order them.  So I decided to use my rudimentary French (that I used to order in the first place) to add them to our list of dishes.  Our server nodded in understanding, so I guess I did okay?  Well, the fries were good, being hot and crispy.

Onto dessert, we had the Frozen Nougat with candied fruit and red fruit coulis and the Macaron with fresh raspberries.  Really enjoyed the frozen nougat as it was like a semifreddo where it was creamy but slightly firm.  The candied fruit added both texture and sweetness while the pistachio provided nuttiness and texture.  As for the giant macaron, the shell was pretty good with a crisp exterior that shattered into a soft and chewy centre.  Inside, the raspberries provided tartness to balance the sweetness.

One final dessert belonged to my son's Lyonnais Menu with the Crispy Chocolate and Praline Cake.  This was really chocolate mousse with crunchy and sweet pralines inside.  The mousse itself was creamy and rich with purposeful sweetness.  Loved the velvety dark chocolate ganache on the outside.  Overall, the meal at Brasserie Georges was solid and well-priced.  Sure, it wasn't the best food I've ever had, but it was consistent across the board.  That suited us just fine.

The Good:
- Lots of choice on the menu
- Consistent across the board
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Expansive dining room has its appeal, but for those looking for a quiet meal, this ain't it

Muzette

Having to find some lunch after our stroll through Parc de la Tête d'Or in Lyon, we decided to make the walk over to Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.  The place is a great place to grab a bite or to shop for things like chocolate, fruits and vegetables and seafood.  We came on a Sunday and be aware that many spots shut down at 1:00pm.  But before that, we hit up some casual eats at Muzette (open until 3:00pm on Sundays).  It is both a grocery store and restaurant, serving up food that is in season and available in the market.

Our starters for the meal consisted of a Cold Cut Platter and Burgundy Snails.  The cold cut platter consisted of truffle ham, rosette, chorizo, dried pork, duck rillette, 1/2 pate croute slice, butter and pickles.  Paired with a baguette, once again, we were enjoying the creamy butter, pate and rillette.  Naturally, meats were great too but we like spreading things.  As for the snails, they were laced with a herb butter that was aromatic and nutty.  Yes, we dipped the baguette into that too!

My son went for his usual in the Burger Muzette with smoked bacon, onions, cheddar and burger sauce.  This was one delicious burger!  We've been having some great burgers in France...  Anyways, the fresh beef patty was thick, juicy and seasoned.  There was plenty of melted cheese on top and the grilled onions were sweet.  Can't forget that bacon as it was meaty and added extra saltiness.  As mentioned, the burger was juicy and literally made a mess, but that was a good thing!

If we ordered a burger, why not go for the Hot Dog Lyonnais too!  This monstrosity was constructed with a pistachio sausage (a Lyon specialty), beaujolais onions, mustard, pickles and home-made sauce.  This was definitely a fork & knifer!  Really enjoyed the sliced sausage as it had a nice rebound texture and was seasoned enough.  The mustard seed sauce was a natural compliment with its tanginess.  The wine-cooked onions offered up some sweetness and more acidity.

Our last item was the Beef Kefta with eggplant, zucchini, small spelt, ketchup and tahini.  The beef kebabs were juicy and tender with a nice sear.  Good spice on them and the mess of things on top added to the overall flavour and texture of the dish.  The creaminess of the tahini helped balance the ketchup.  Naturally, the spelt added some chewiness and the eggplant was soft and tender.  When it was all said and done, we thought the meal at Muzette was definitely interesting.  We didn't know what to expect when we decided to eat there, but was pleasantly surprised.  Food was great and in really large portions.  Nice people too!

The Good:
- Tasty
- Large portions
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Really tight seating (but that is normal here)

Spelt

Spelt has been on my wish list for quite some time.  After I was tipped off by a friend, I had my eyes on this hidden little gem in the commune of Tourrettes-sur-Loup to the north of Nice.  The place doesn't have a Michelin star, but really, it should have one.  They only serve a tasting menu and considering how expensive things are, especially in France, it is reasonably-priced at 85 Euros.  I actually got in at 75 Euros, but the price has gone up since (like everywhere else).

So to start, we were presented with selection of small bites including Parmesan Gourgeres, Lemon Butter Radish, Marinated Tuna and Cheese & Sardine Sable.  The savoury choux pastry was on point with an airiness and plenty of pungent parmesan.  Whimsically plated, the radish were fresh and crunch while coated in a tangy lemon butter.  Presented on a tapioca crisp, the marinated tuna was accompanied by avocado and pickled onion.  It was a clean bite with balancing flavours.  Lastly, the sardine sable featured little cookie crisps sandwiching a briny sardine mousse.  Good textural contrast and focused flavour.

Next, we were served the Confit Tomato in tomato water.  On the side we were served a texturally wonderful tomato brioche. That tomato water was intense with the natural and concentrated flavour of tomato.  It was sweet in a tomato way (if that makes sense). To complete the dish, we found goat cheese, balsamic, EVOO, basil and granité of tomato. This resulted in layers of flavour that included more tomato, but also tanginess and aromatics. Right after, we were served a palate cleanser on a wooden spoon.

Not looking very interesting, we had the Potato covered with haddock cream, peanut crunch and lemon zest butter.  This seemingly simple offering was actually quite delcious.  First of all, the tender potato was the main part of the dish, but the root vegetable was flavoured with a fish cream that was subtle and slightly sweet.  Nice role-reversal here.  To add some texture to the dish, it was smartly topped with an aromatic peanut crunch.

One of their signature dishes is the Spelt Lobster Risotto made with, well spelt!  The restaurant is named after this grain which is similar to wheat.  With the husk on, the spelt maintained a firm chewy texture.  It had a nutty almost fruity flavour that took a seat to the dominant creamy lobster essence.  This was such an aromatic dish that was full of umaminess.  The complex marriage between the spelt and lobster bisque meant this was both a textural and taste experience.

Moving along, we had the Fish Tartare with miso seaweed sauce, lemon, herbs and avocado.  In reference to the meal progression, this was a nice departure from the richness of the risotto.  The sauce was an umami bomb with the fermented richness of the miso and the taste of the sea from the seaweed.  Naturally, the addition of lemon added the necessary acidity that helped keep things bright.  The fish itself was fresh, buttery soft and was not overwhelmed by any of the ingredients.

Keeping with the theme of fish, we had the Turbot with eggplant puree, balsamic, capers and fried garlic in a sauce of tomatoes and pickled shallots.  The piece of turbot couldn't have been prepared any more expertly.  It was soft and flaky bordering on buttery.  There was a light crispy sear that also yielded enough seasoning.  However, the combination of tomatoes and creamy eggplant made for a cross between bright and tangy with smooth and mild.  Nicely balanced dish.

So in between the turbot and the Smoked Lamb Rack, we had some fritters and zucchini bites.  I couldn't tell you much about them because I didn't take notes on it!  But I can tell you that the lamb was excellent.  It was smoked with lemon & thyme where I could definitely taste the earthiness.  The lamb itself was medium and succulent.  It was served with a zucchini puree, seared zucchini and almond cream.

Onto the first of two desserts, we were asked to walk over to a "lemon tree" where we could choose our own Kalamansi Dessert shaped like a lemon.  Looking rather inconspicuous, the thing was a tangy and sweet flavour bomb.  I've had something similar before and this one was even better.  Beyond the white chocolate shell, the creamy filling was best to be eaten in a few bites as it was impactful.

Our last 2 items consisted of a Chocolate Tart as well as some Mini-Madeleines.  With the tart, we found several layers of chocolate in terms of texture and flavour.  The chocolate tart shell was firm with a background bitterness.  Inside, the chocolate was not too sweet while the chocolate sauce was silky and also semi-sweet.   As you can see, the food at Spelt is next-level and worthy of much more than they are charging.  Combine it with stellar service and a charming location in Tourrettes-sur-Loup, it is a must visit if you are ever in Côte d'Azur.

The Good:

- Outstanding food that is made with precision

- Thoughtful dishes

- Well-priced

The Bad:

- Unless you have a car, not the easiest place to visit if you are not from the area

- When you get there, parking is limited