2008 September | Vegetarian Experiences in Paris

Monthly Archive for September, 2008

Chez Alexandre - French cuisine by my favorite chef

Published

on September 27, 2008

in 9th Arrindissemont, French cuisine, Vegan Friendly, popular, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly

. 1 Comment

I still remember my first amazing meal in Paris. It was at a small restaurant in the Marais and I was with my friends Jim, Jean-Pierre, and Philippe. Jean-Pierre knew the chef, Jacques Brosse, and told us we were in for a treat.

I asked Jacques for a plate des legumes as a vegetarian dinner. I was given a wonderful plate of side dishes, but there was one item that I still taste when I close my eyes and remember. It was an extremely simple dish of the juiciest cherry tomatoes. I can’t tell you what Jacques did to them. I imagine he hollowed out the little guys, chopped up the tomato “meat”, mixed it with salt and herbs and filled them again. These tiny little treats absolutely blew my mind. I had no idea so much flavor could be packed into such a tiny bite.

After the main course, Jacques presented us with the molten lava cake that has become so common in expensive restaurants. This was about 14 years ago and I’d never heard of the dish. It came with a raspberry sauce and was literally to die for. We returned the next night for more of the cake.

Creative and fantastic vegetarian food

Over the years, I’ve followed Jacques as he moved from one restaurant to another. He’s made some of the best vegetarian food that I’ve ever eaten. One night, he served a special version of French Onion soup for me. It was made with red wine instead of beef stock. I still bug him for that again.

He’s also created a wide assortment of mediteranean and French cuisine. The hits keep on coming.

I just remembered a medley of about 10 wild mushrooms, the best hummus, guacamole that was far better than anything I’ve had in California…and I grew up with Avocado trees every where you look.

Chez Alexandre

So now you know how much I admire Jacques’ skills as a chef. He has a new restaurant and I stopped by today to say hello. Chez Alexandre serves traditional French cuisine in a large space a block away from Galeries Lafayette.

There is a twist, the restaurant’s main clientele are Chinese and Russian tour groups. They have a large dining room upstairs for these groups and individual diners enjoy the space downstairs.

I asked him today about the vegetarian choices at Chez Alexandre. Interestingly, a significant portion of their visitors are Buddhists, for which Jacques creates vegan dishes every night. Tonight he had reservations for 10 vegans amongst the various groups. Their main dish will be stuffed vegetables with vegan risotto and chopped vegetables.

Reservations are suggested if you’d like to try a vegan dinner. You can always request a plate des legumes and you won’t be disappointed.

While I’m one of Jacques’ loyal followers, I have not eaten at Chez Alexandre yet. I stopped by today while they were closed before dinner. I plan on returning very soon and will update this with a full review of the meal.

Menus are available in many languages. Jacques is fluent in English, French, and Chinese. If it’s slow, don’t be afraid to see if you can visit with him and say hello. Tell him Ted sent you.

Chez Alexandre: 16, rue La Fayette (9°); 01 47 70 01 91; Metro: Chausee d’Antin La Fayette, Auber, Opera; French cuisine

Food Network features new Vegetarian recipes

Published

Ted

on September 24, 2008

in resources

. 0 Comments

The Food Network just launched a re-designed web site. The site features easy to use recipes (Vegetarian Paella by Robin Miller), details of shows, and better organized topics. While the Vegetarian topic only features 100 recipes at this point, you should the selection grow significantly over the next month or so.

disclaimer: While I did not work on this site, I know some of the engineers and have been looking forward to the change. Food Network’s Vegetarian topic is also used as a resource in V3GGIE, the vegetarian search engine.

Famous Chefs Cook Vegan for New Cookbook

Rani Mahal and Indian Restaurants in Paris

Published

Ted

on September 21, 2008

in Uncategorized

. 0 Comments

I’ve been on a search for a really good Indian restaurant in Paris. I’m hoping to find something that is affordable, properly spicy, unique flavors, and great renditions of the standard Indian meals. I’m comparing these restaurants to my experiences in India, London, San Francisco, and San Diego. Each of these cities have restaurants that inspire the diner.

I’ve had a hard time finding this in Paris. I spoke to a former restaurant owner the other day. He said the Parisians, as a whole, do not appreciate spicy food and are not adventurous enough to try odd Indian combinations. This forces the Indian restaurant owner to mellow the palette and focus on food for the Parisian clientele. Unfortunately, this sacrifice also means the dishes are on the bland side and lack the pizazz you’d find in other cities.

Rani Mahal was listed in Happy Cow and features some nice reviews. I was looking forward to visiting this restaurant and headed out on a Sunday evening. I passed several interesting restaurants (Old Jawad) in the vicinity before finally coming to the exotic exterior of this restaurant. Red textured wood slats adorn the facade with trinket filled windows. Unfortunately, they were not open until 8 p.m., so I visited with some nearby friends to kill time.

We came back to the restaurant, anxious to try some new dishes. The place was fairly empty, giving the owner plenty of time to make sure we were comfortable and had the table of our choice.

The menu is pretty basic for Paris. You have a selection of entrees, dinners, and desserts. Probably 3/4 of the choices are lamb, chicken, or fish. The selections were also fairly standard and did not reflect a regional choice, that my inexpert eyes could tell.

For an entree, we split three choices. We ordered Samosas, fried onions, and a fried object that I believe was zucchini or potato. Sadly I couldn’t tell the difference. The samosa was good, I would recommend getting that and skipping the other choices.

Vegetarians will want to try their Vegetarian Thali. Thali’s feature a selection of small dishes. You can expect some Raita, lentils, curry, and rice. Thalis are typically a good value and give the restaurant the opportunity to try seasonal dishes.

Value, taste, and creativity

Rani Mahal is a higher priced, elegant restaurant. I’ve eaten at less expensive places and this raises my expectations. What should I expect from a fancy Indian restaurant in Paris? I would assume the chutneys are home made, the flavors are distinct, the presentation imaginative, and a feeling of satisfaction.

This is a samosa from one of my favorite Indian restaurants: Samosa at Turmeric in Sunnyvale Turmeric in Sunnyvale, California. The samosa is artful, tastes great, and makes an impression. This is what I’m longing for in Paris.

I don’t want to say Rani Majal was bad. Other than the disappointing appetizers, the food was good. It just wasn’t spectacular. It wasn’t better than restaurants that charge half the price. It is, however, in a posh neighborhood and it is understandable the value is not as good.

Rani Majal has two other Indian restaurants in the general vicinity. It may be worth trying out Old Jawad or Restaurant Indien Gandhi Opera

The Spicy Vegetarian Social Club are vegetarians in Paris that meet for spicy food. They had a meeting at Ganesha Restaurant near Gare du Nord last year. That may be my next trip.

Rani Mahal: 9 Rue Saint-Augustin (2°); 01 42 97 53 24; Metro: Quatre Septembre, Opera, Pyramides; Indian Restaurant

Overall: 4/5
Location: 4/5
Taste: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value: 3/5
Vegetarian Friendly: 4/5
Vegan Friendly: 4/5
M.E.F. Friendly: 4/5

Le Fierbois Yogurt

Published

Ted

on September 21, 2008

in Groceries and markets

. 0 Comments

Last week I noticed a small bottle of Lemon Le Fierbois yogurt in the fromagerie stand at my local market. In a fit of whimsy, I added it to my order. It sat in my fridge for a few days and I remembered it while looking for breakfast yesterday.

This was an eye opener! I’ve had premium yogurts before. In the US, they are typically creamier and the fruit is not swimming in a sugar sauce. But nothing like this yogurt. It has bite. It has character. It has chunks of lemon peel and fruit.

Needless to say, this yogurt is filled with taste.

It comes directly from the farms of Touraine, in the Loire Valley. You can purchase this online from FoundIt4Food in the UK. Expect to pay around 1.10 Euros at your local fromagerie in France.

I also like the glass bottles with resealable lids. These will be great for water jars while painting in the field.

Old Jawad, an elegant Indian/Pakistan restaurant

Published

Ted

on September 9, 2008

in 2nd Arrindissement, Ethnic, Indian, Meat Eating Friends, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly

. 0 Comments

I came across Old Jawad the other night while trying to find a recommended Indian restaurant (Rani Mahal - look for a review very soon). I was seriously tempted to skip the original restaurant and try Old Jawad instead. It’s a very elegant restaurant tucked into a corner near the Opera.

The menu included the basic Indian dishes, with a mixture of meat and vegetarian options. The interior is beautiful and the menu promises a fusion of traditional and modern touches. The prices were also very reasonable. You should be able to have a good meal, minus wine, for under 20 euros a person.

I found a few reviews; the following one in French summarizes the attention to luxury and food.

Très bonne impression

Idéalement situé face au théatre des Bouffes Parisiens, le Old Jawad est un indo pakistanais de qualité. La décoration, chic juste ce qu’il faut et moderne, donne une ambiance chaleureuse et cosy. On jouit largement de l’espace avec des tables bien disposées où on ne profite pas de la conversation des convives voisins. Le service est très efficace et sympathique et en plus l’apéritif et le digestif sont offerts. Une bonne adresse avec un rapport qualité/prix excellent.

RestoAParis.com

Old Jawad: 1, Rue Monsigny (2°); Metro: Quatre Septembre, Pyramides; 01 42 96 16 61; Indian/Pakistani Restaurant

Vegetarian Experiences in Paris

Monthly Archive for September, 2008