Adventure #232: Jeanne B (Paris)

After a great lunch at L'ourcine, we spent the afternoon wandering around Montmatre.  It was very touristy and I think I saw someone being pick-pocketed!  Glad all our things were intact throughout the trip. 

There were lots of restaurants in this area but somehow you get the feeling all were tourist traps.  Most of the restaurants we walked past were full to the brim but when you looked at the food that was on their tables, you were glad that you weren't having that for dinner.  Anticipating that, we did some research as to recommended restaurants in the area and decided upon a deli cum restaurant called Jeanne B, also off the beaten path and main tourist drag.  We didn't book ahead but they managed to squeeze us in for an early dinner if we could finish in an hour and the half.  We always do!

Loved the deli style layout.

The wine list. How creative!

Carpaccio de tomatoes. Small but refreshing.

Homemade foie gras.  We didn't have much of this during this trip, so maybe one before we leave.  Very rich!

The signature dish, lobster sandwich. Simple yet delicious.

Also ordered this rabbit pie.  Popular with the little one, as long as she didn't know it's rabbit.

Prune tart.  Love the fruit tarts in France.  The tanginess, yum.

Meringue floating on chocolate sauce.  Well, the kids literally took over this one.

A good and simple meal in a very relaxing atmosphere.  Good choice.  No way we will eat in any of the tourist joints we saw along the way.

Adventure #231: L'ourcine (Paris)

We finally arrived in Paris, the capital of gourmet food! We only have 2 and a half days here! So much good food, so little time.........

After much time spent on the internet, taking into account where we were staying and where we wanted to visit, G narrowed our food destinations down to a few places.  

Today, we ventured out to a restaurant in the suburbs.  When we got there, it took us a while to find it.  The people in the suburbs are so much friendlier as several people stopped to ask us if we were lost!  We were the first patrons for lunch and wondered if we made the right choice.  However, it soon began to fill up and by the time we left, the place was nearly full.  Not bad given that the restaurant was definitely off the beaten path.

Bistro style dining.  
No fancy decor here but we came for the food not the decor.

Amuse bouche made of carrots, bacon bits and croutons.  Mouth wateringly delicious. Can't wait for our first course!

Salmon with salad and octopus ink sauce.  Looks so colourful and appetizing and it tasted refreshingly fabulous.

Terrine of foie gras with pickled mushroom.  The pickled mushrooms went amazingly well with the foie gras.  It doesn't look like much but the juxtaposition of flavours and textures were exquisite.

Crab with avocado mousse (The crab is hidden under the mousse). 
Made from my two favourite ingredients!!!   Very, very tasty!!!

Pork with vegetables.  Pork was succulent. Not as amazing as the beef cheek below but still very good.

Braised beef cheek stuffed in tomato.  The beef was tender and moist and the vegetable mix was so fresh and cooked al-dente.  The tomato sandwich was a delightful twist.

Fish pie. This was meant for the little one but it was so delicious, I had quite a few mouthfuls!  If we all weren't so full from our own dishes, we would have gobbled this up as well.

A dessert made from melons, honey, ginger and lime. Delicious and a great summer dessert.  G loved the combo as he is partial to ginger and lime.

I went for my favourite cherries.

We were very glad we made the extra effort to trek out specifically in search of this restaurant.  It is not often that G does this but he made a beeline to the chef's kitchen and complimented their cooking.  They probably didn't fully understand what he was saying but I am sure they understood his thumbs up sign.  In terms of value for money, it's definitely one of the best lunches we have ever had. 

Adventure #230: l'Etape Gourmande (Villandry)

After the wonderful lunch at Villa Margot, we hung around the beach area for a while (at the insistence of the little one) and then drove to Carnac for a quick visit to see the stone hedges.  Once done, we then made the journey to our next destination, the Loire Valley.

The alignment at Carnac

   
Almost 4 hours later, we arrived at Villandry.

Our accommodation for the next 2 nights, a little place right next to Chateau Villandry. Small but with such a beautiful garden!

After the long drive, we thought we will take a leisurely stroll to the restaurant for dinner.......not realizing it was 1km uphill!!!

As with most places in France, most people prefer alfresco dining.  Us included.

Soft boiled egg with tomato, smoked bacon, cream with herbs and dips.  Different. Not too bad.

Stuffed piquillo peppers with herbed goat cheese.  I like goat cheese, so I enjoyed this more than G.

Confit rabbit with citrus fruit in sparkling Vouvray wine with orange juice.  It was good but that is all.  I expected something better.

Small round of veal, vegetable and apple dressing, tartar sauce. Both G and the older one ordered this.  It took a long time to come and it was really dry.  They didn't enjoy this at all.

Kids meal - chicken with mashed potatoes.  I think this was better than the veal!

Kids meal dessert

Apricot in a fruit jelly with rosemary, whipped cream, Vouvray sorbet and biscuit.  The best dish on the night!

The atmosphere and setting was nice but that's where it ends.  The food was disappointing.

Adventure #229: Villa Margot (Quiberon)

No gourmet food for a whole day as we drive around the countryside.  So, before we left Brittany for the Loire Valley, we tried to fit in another restaurant before moving on.  The next town with recommended restaurants is Quiberon. 

Quiberon is situated at the tip of a very thin peninsula and is a very popular holiday destination for the locals. Maybe that is why there are a number of recommended restaurants here.  We narrowed down to 2, La Chaumine and Villa Margot and finally decided on La Chaumine.  Unfortunately when we got there, it was not open........this happened a lot in France as restaurants close on different dates and some do lunches and some don't.  Anyway, no choice, we drove on to Villa Margot which is situated just off the main beach.

It was a really hot day but G never liked sitting inside. Luckily, with the shade and everything, it was actually rather pleasant outside.

Pea soup with mussels and langoustines. Usually not a fan of pea soup but the saltiness of the seafood and the sweetness of the pea went so well together. Delicious.

Skewer of sardines with roasted sesame and zuchini mouse.  A perfect summer dish for the very hot weather.

Fish with caviar and aubergine - the fish was succulent and the aubergine mixture refreshingly delicious.

Signature dish - lobster with rice. Very rare to have rice in French restaurant. But by now, honestly, we are all a bit homesick for food from home, so rice is a nice change to potatoes. And of course, the lobster were delicious.

As always, the older one ordered steak. She said it was perfect!

The little one had the fish too but served with her favourite - mashed potatoes. So no complaints there!

le petite choux with caremel, vanilla and chocolate filling - this was sooooo good.

Don't remember the name of this. Although good but no competition when compared to the le petite choux.

A nice cup of coffee to finish off the excellent meal.

Adventure #228: Tout Le Monde (Douarnenez)

From our base in Pont Croix, we drove to explore the surrounding sites. We spent the morning walking around Pointe du Raz, the western most point in France.  What a beautiful place!

After Pointe du Raz, we drove to Douarnenez, one of the larger cities in this area hoping to find lunch.  Dournenez used to be an old sardine port. It has a self-guided walking tour (the Sardine Trail) which shows the history of the struggles of the sardine workers, especially the women. 

We arrived at Douarnenez after the French lunch hour. Even though it is a large-ish town, most restaurants were still closed.  While on our way to the old port, we walked passed one of the creperies which incidentally is on our list of recommended eating places.

They were about to close for the afternoon but the lady said if we were fast to order and eat, she will accommodate us. That's easy!

2 La complete - a simple dish but very well done. the older one said this was the best she had so far!

2 crepe with sugar.

A quick and simple lunch.  Not the gourmet we were hoping for but for a crepery, it was super food.