Archive for the '11th Arrindissement' Category

Pain, Vin, Fromage - a Wine and Cheese Bar

Published
by
Ted
on August 5, 2008
in 11th Arrindissement, Wine, bistro and cheese
. 1 Comment

Vin fromage charcuterie in ParisParis is filled with niche restaurants, cafes, and bars. You can find cafes that serve massages with lunch (No Stress Cafe), cafes centered around philosophy, technology (La Cantine), there was even a restaurant whose dining room was in complete darkness. Pain, Vin, Fromage is a new niche restaurant worth checking out for lacto vegetarians.

Pain, Vin, Fromage features 50 artisinal cheeses and 40 wines available by the glass or bottle. They also serve charcuterie (sausages, salamis, and other meat products). They are a new restaurant in the Marais/Republique neighborhood. It may take a little bit of searching but looks like a nice place for those that enjoy cheese and wine.

I didn’t have time to eat here the night I discovered it. However, the menu and restaurant looked interesting and unique. The prices were reasonable, the clients were happy, and the location is great. They also offer catering and group parties.

Pain, Vin, Fromage
9 rue Crussol (11°)
Metro: Oberkampf, Filles du Calvaire
06 15 33 58 46
Restaurant

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La Reine de Saba - Ethiopian restaurant in Paris

Published
by
Ted
on June 12, 2008
in 11th Arrindissement, African, Ethnic, Meat Eating Friends, Vegan Friendly, popular and vegetarian-friendly
. 0 Comments

La Reine de SabaIt’s hard to get people to join me for an evening of Ethiopian food. The food can most easily be described as mushy vegetables on a spongie crepe that you eat by hand. There’s typically an assortment of lintels, spinach, and other veggies. And to top it off, there’s sometimes a surprise dish that looks harmless but packs a powerful punch. What’s not to love about it?

I came across La Reine de Saba while dining at Tien Hiang, the popular vegetarian Chinese restaurant across the street. Luckily, my friend Will was visiting Paris and I talked him into joining me for an Ethiopian meal.

La Reine de Saba is only open at night and it’s a popular place after 9. If you are looking for a late night meal, call ahead for a reservation. You shouldn’t need one before 9.

The restaurant has the typical Ethiopian decor, it is clean, friendly, and they speak English. The majority of the menu is filled with goat, chicken, and fish. However, they do have some vegetarian options. Your best choice is the vegetarian plate. It includes salad, spinach, lentils, and another veggie dish. There will be ample crepes to eat with and no forks or knives.

The food was good. I would have preferred a bit more variety in the vegetable plate. I’ve been to several Ethiopian restaurants and usually get more than 4-5 variations. It’s also not spicy, which is a welcome relief the next day. If you know what I mean.

There is a special menu for groups of people. This group menu features lots of meat, but they should be able to do something for a group of veggies.

Ethiopian restaurants are more than a place to eat. There’s a convivial atmosphere and food is celebrated. La Reine de Saba extends this with live music on special nights. I think I’d go across the street to Tien Hiang if I were by myself, but La Reine de Saba is better for a group of friends who want to enjoy a festive night of mushy vegetables and spongie bread. There’s a lot to love about it.

La Reine de Saba
91, rue du Chemin Vert (11°)
01 49 29 99 68
Metro: St. Maur, Voltaire, Pére la Chaise
Ethiopian restaurant
  • Overall: 4/5
  • Location: 4/5
  • Taste: 4/5
  • Service: 5/5
  • Vegetarian Friendly: 4/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 4/5
  • M.E.F. Friendly: 4/5

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Tien Hiang - Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant in Paris

Published
by
Ted
on April 13, 2008
in 11th Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, Vegan Friendly, popular, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly
. 1 Comment

Tien Hang vegetarian restaurant in ParisThis 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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Chez Prosper - 11th Arr.

Published
by
Ted
on November 7, 2007
in 11th Arrindissement, bistro, popular, salad and vegetarian-friendly
. 1 Comment

Sometimes you need a stick to your ribs dinner. Sometimes you need a joyful place to eat with noisy locals and waiters with a sense of humor. Sometimes you need a place you can always count on for a good meal. Sometimes you need all of the above.

Chez Prosper salad chevalier
Chez Prosper is a busy bistro tucked into the corner of Place Nation. It sits in the shadow of an old tax collecting station from the old gates of Paris. It’s a retro-bistro that looks as if it has been serving the masses for the past 100 years.

It’s not a vegetarian restaurant but it does feature one of my favorite salads of all time.

The Salad Chevalier is simple, yet ultimately satisfying. It starts with a layer of greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Then a heaping layer of sautéed potato slices are added. Topping off this salad is a tartine with three melted cheeses.

Salad dressing is provided in an old coke bottle for you to use as much as you like. Personally, I pour on this sunflower oil/mustard dressing. I’ve never left Chez Prosper without being full, happy, and satisfied.

If your meat eating friends are like mine, they’ll enjoy the salmon in blue cheese sauce and the steak tartar. I also recommend the dark chocolate tart with extra crème anglais for the finale.

Pros: Chez Prosper is a great value for your dollar, the Salad Chevalier will cost around 10.50 Euros. No reservations are required. The bread is bottomless. The staff is contagiously happy. Chez Prosper has two sister restaurants with slightly different menus.

Cons: It can get crowded, noisy, and smoky indoors. But that is what you’d expect in a popular Parisian bistro.

Chez Prosper
7, Avenue du Trône, Paris France 75011
01-43-73-08-51
Metro: Nation
Bistro
  • Overall: 4/5
  • Vegetarian Options: 3/5
  • Vegan Options: 2/5
  • Value: 5/5
  • Location: 4/5