Asian | Vegetarian Experiences in Paris

Archive for the 'Asian' Category

Green Garden - Vegetarian Chinese

Published

Ted

on July 6, 2008

in 13th Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

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Eating in Paris involves many choices. The first of which is “where should I go this time?” This is especially true when you have great restaurants to choose from. For instance, where do you go when you want some good, vegetarian Chinese food?

Tien Hiang and Green Garden Restaurants

Tien Hiang is a great Asian restaurant in the 11th arrindissement. It is popular, affordable, and has a huge selection of vegan and vegetarian meals. But what if you are on the Left Bank and prefer something closer to home?

The Green Garden is a great Chinese restaurant near Olympiades in the 13th arrindissement. It’s a family style restaurant with a small market with an amazing collection of faux meats. I’ve never seen faux prawn or a complete faux chicken with wings and legs.

It is a small restaurant that can fill up rather quickly. The menu is extensive and the food is affordable and very tasty. I had the steamed dumpling menu for 10.50 Euros. This included 8 dumplings and a plate of fried noodles. I new I’d be returning when I realized the dumplings were gone and I wanted more.

The fried noodles also had some extremely fresh green beans, tofu, and sprouts. Several groups arrived in the restaurant and began ordering family style. The large variety of their menu would make this a great idea.

They are very proud of their menu’s lack of eggs, genetically modified ingredients, alcohol, and MSG. There are plenty of Vegan choices on their menu and many of the dishes can be modified upon request.

Back to the choices

Where do you go for vegetarian Chinese food? Tien Hiang or Green Garden are both a bit difficult to find for the average tourist. Your decision may be based on location. Green Garden is near the Porte D’Ivry metro station, which is also the end of the #3 Tramway. Green Garden is also more spacious and elegant than Tien Hiang. Tien Hiang is closer to Pere Lechaise and is a good post-cemetery stop.

Green Garden: 20 rue Nationale (13°); 01 45 82 99 54; Metro: Porte D’Ivry, Olympiades; Type: Asian Restaurant

Overall: 4.5/5
Location: 3/5
Taste: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
Vegan Friendly: 5/5
M.E.F. Friendly: 1.5/5

Tien Hiang - Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant in Paris

Published

Ted

on April 13, 2008

in 11th Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, Vegan Friendly, popular, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly

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This popular chinese food has your traditional Chinese vegetarian dishes as well as an assortment of creative “faux” meat choices. It’s a popular destination for vegetarian tourists and is located near four metro stops. Pere Lechaise and Voltaire are the easiest.

Tien Hiang review

I had been planning a trip to Tien Hiang to try their food and imagine my surprise one night when I walked past it on a warm evening stroll. Although I wasn’t hungry, I had to stop off for a meal. This restaurant is great fun for small groups and the menu is a smörgåsbord of vegetarian Asian food.

The Menu

While this restaurant is listed as Chinese in many guides, their menu is sprinkled with dishes from across the Asian spectrum. Vegetarians are used to deciding between one or two dishes on a menu. It’s difficult to actually choose between 50-60 dishes. Prepare yourself for ten minutes of indecision.

Tien Hiang has a good fixed menu to make that choice easier. You simply choose two appetizers, dinner, and desert from a smaller set of dishes. The menu prices are outrageously affordable. 10 euros gets a full meal!

I chose to skip the fixed menu and ordered a bowl of Thai soup and Vietnamese omelet. To be honest, I had no idea what I was going to choose and finally pointed at a random customer and said “I’ll have that.”

The soup was fantastic. It had coconut milk, pepper, tomato, fake chicken, and basil. It was a great mix and I’ll probably come here more often for just a bowl of soup. The omelet was good, but I was satiated after the soup and earlier meal. So, I wasn’t prepared to really evaluate the dish.

Popular + small = warm

Tien Hiang is a small, popular restaurant. The place was packed with a wide range of alternatives, hipsters, families, and hippies (faux hippies). In other words, it’s a casual, come as you are restaurant. However, it’s also a small place and it gets warm with all of the bodies. I can only imagine what it will be like during the late summer months.

Summary

I really enjoyed this restaurant. The menu is expansive and you’ll probably find yourself wanting to come back and try something else. The dishes range from Pho, clay pot, steamed dumplings, fried rice, and much more. You’ll find vegetarian versions of the most popular Asian dishes. The prices are super cheap, the service friendly, and the community unique. It’s not the easiest place to find, take a map with you. Unless you’re lucky like me and stumble across it accidentally.

Tien Hiang: 92 rue Chemin Vert (11°); 01 43 55 83 88; Metro: Pere Lechaise, Voltaire; Chinese/Asian Vegetarian Restaurant

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

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Thai Classic - Friendly Thai food in the Marais

Published

Ted

on March 30, 2008

in 4th Arrindissement, Asian, Meat Eating Friends, Thai, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly

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Some cuisines are more likely to offer vegetarian options than others. It is difficult to find a good veggie option at a German restaurant, whereas Indian cuisine is filled with tasty dishes. Asian food is hit an miss, it is next to impossible to find veggie Pho, yet Thai and Korean are rather easy.

I have tried a few Asian restaurants in Paris and their options have been limited. I even found an Indian restaurant with little for vegetarians. So, it is with great relief that I stopped off at Thai Classic in the Marais district.

I knew I was going to be in luck when the fixed price menu featured a vegetarian option. They also offer 8 vegetarian plates and 5 starters. Take your pick from the standards: Tom Kha soup, spring rolls, glass noodles, red and green curries with tofu, and stir fried veggies.

I ordered the fixed price menu. It starts with an aperitif, then follows with a bento-box like tray with egg rolls, fried rice, and salad. The food is delicious and satisfying. I also enjoyed the hospitality.

I arrived just after they opened and before the main crowd arrived. I shared the restaurant with a couple from New Zealand and the owner visited during the meal. Parisians typically eat in restaurants after 8 p.m.. Early diners will usually find less crowds, more attention, and a quiet dinner. You’re also more likely to have tourists to talk with.

This restaurant has a lot of competition for your vegetarian dollars. It sits near the very popular La Victoire, Falafel alley, Potager de Marais, and many italian and french restaurants with vegetarian options Try this restaurant when you are craving some Thai food. It also features a full meat menu, so your meat-eating friends will enjoy it as well.