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Restaurant Tibetain Dolma in Rennes

Published

Ted

on January 9, 2009

in Asian, Outside Paris, popular, restaurant, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 1 Comment

Crêpes filled with cheese, crêpes filled with ham, crêpes filled with potatoes drenched in a cream sauce, crêpes, crêpes, crêpes. This is what I expected to see in Rennes. And while there were certainly crêperies on every street; the city also features a wide variety of ethnic restaurants. You’ll find Indian, American, and luckily a Tibetan restaurant in the city center.

Restaurant Tibetain Dolma provided one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long time. It’s a small, intimate restaurant filled with charm… and that includes the people. The menu is a cross between Asian and Indian food; the flavors of India with the preparation of China.

I found the restaurant after walking around the city for hours and needed a place to plop down and eat something warm. I hardly got a chance to plop as the service was so warm and the food so interesting.

I started with a large pot of Chai tea. This is the real stuff, not the frappe-sweet version from Starbucks. It’s spicy, hot, and not too sweet. It was the second best chai I’ve ever had. The first was in the lunchroom of Yahoo! in Bangalore. The third was in a tea shop behind Pikes Place in Seattle.

The entree sounded like a curry. The menu described it as potatoes and peas in a curry flavor. What arrived were two racquetball sized, fried dumplings filled with potatoes and peas and seasoned with curry and other spices.

On the side was a home made chutney. Watch the chutney, there are some hard spices that could break a tooth. They look like raisins but are more like solid pepper seeds. Just don’t chomp down on them.

This was followed by two steamer baskets of spinach and cheese dumplings with another custom pepper sauce. The dumplings were great and quite filling. The waitress probably guessed I was American and thought I’d enjoy some chili sauce. After asking, she brought over some thicker pepper sauce. While I like the heat, the first one was more complex and tasted better with the dumplings.

The final course was home made yogurt with honey. This was the perfect finish to a fairly light lunch in a city filled with heavy crêpes. I planned on returning the next day but got sidetracked by a trip to Mont St. Michel. Which was definately a good idea.

Don’t miss this restaurant when you travel to Rennes. You’ll find warm service, great food, and a memorable meal.

Restaurant Tibetain Dolma: 36 rue St. Melaine, Rennes 35000; Metro: St. Anne; 02 99 36 84 63

Overall: 5/5
Vegetarian Options: 4.5/5
Vegan Options: 4/5
Value: 5/5
Location: 4/5

l’Epicerie Verte – Organic groceries and lunch

Published

Ted

on December 1, 2008

in 17th Arrindissement, Groceries, organic, popular, salad, soup, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 0 Comments

L’Epicerie Verte is a popular, small shop behind the Ternes farmer’s market on rue Saussier Leroy. They sell high quality organic groceries and serve light meals from lunch to early dinner.

I discovered l’Epicerie Verte while returning to work from lunch at another restaurant. So I have not tried it yet. However, the reviews on several French web sites has been promising. Here’s a short review from Annuaire-Parisien.Com:

Cette boutique de produits biologiques devient le midi un snack où vous pourrez commander tartes et salades à des prix tout doux. Une unique table avec des tabourets hauts vous permettra de lier connaissance avec d’autres végétariens.

Restaurants végétariens Paris 17

Across the street is Etik, a store that sells global, ethical, bio-diverse gifts and merchandise. You can eat organic, shop organic, and support the independent workshops in one little block.

l’Epicerie Verte: 5 rue Saussier Leroy (17°); 01 47 64 19 65; Metro: Ternes; Organic groceries and light meals

Chez Alexandre – French cuisine by my favorite chef

Published

Ted

on September 27, 2008

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

. 4 Comments

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

La Taverne du Nil – Lebanese on Ile St. Louis

Published

Ted

on July 13, 2008

in 4th Arrindissement, Ethnic, Lebanese, Meat Eating Friends, popular, Turkish and vegetarian-friendly

. 2 Comments

Vegetarians that don’t eat at Lebanese restaurants are missing out. While much of Lebanese cuisine is centered around lamb, it is also filled with Mediterranean vegetarian options.

Gridskipper, a travel web site describes the special connection between France and Lebanese culture

Those in the know will visit Paris for excellent terroir cuisine to be sure, but they will also know to look for certain regional fare such as Meditarranean food. In that category (a diverse lot ranging from North African to Greek and Jewish cooking), Lebanese cuisine is a heavy hitter and a favorite amongst the locals. Narrow historical ties between the two countries (Lebanon was a French UN mandate from the end of WWI until WWII, earning Beirut the nickname of “Paris of the East”) have led to a steady influx of Lebanese immigrants into Paris, which of course has translated into a vibrant and bountiful restaurant scene.
Best Lebanese Dining in Paris: La Taverne du Nil

I visited this restaurant with a meat eating friend. We chose the Mézzé platter at 43 Euros to share family style. This is a selection of 9 small dishes. There was an assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, from Hummus to sausage. We simply asked the waiter to bring a variety of mostly vegetarian and a couple meat dishes. You could also request purely vegetarian or vegan options. They have enough to chose from.

While this is a collection of small dishes, it certainly was not a small meal. The platter was seemingly bottomless. It’s a pricey meal at 43 Euros, but not a bad value. The food is fresh and well prepared. The service was great, the environment was great for conversations, and the location is central.

La Taverne du Nil: 16, rue Le Regrattier (4e); 01 40 46 09 02; Metro: Pont-Marie; Lebanese restaurant

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

Pierre Hermé – Patisserie to the Stars

Published

Ted

on June 28, 2008

in 6th Arrindissement, books, Fruit, Gifts, Patisserie and popular

. 1 Comment

There’s nothing particularly vegetarian about this patisserie. In fact, the place is known for its bizarre macaroon combinations that have included foie gras as a filling. However, Pierre Hermé is an amazing place to indulge in, regardless of your vegetarian/vegan/macrobiotic/organic leanings.

Legend has it: Hermé worked for Gaston Lenôtre, the world famous pastry chef. They are known as the masters of macaroons and this historic patisserie has been serving the aristocracy for decades. However, Hermé felt the urge to move on and opened his first place just down the street on Rue Bonaparte.

Where Lenôtre is about classic French taste (etoile patterns, delicate macaroons, pastels…), Pierre Hermé is bold, experimental, funky, surprising, and above all delicious.

It’s enough to get the true French Queen, Catherine Deneuve, to wait in line for morning pastries. At least that is the story I’ve heard and desperately want to believe. I love the idea of standing in line for an almond croissant with such a legend, chatting about the latest macaroon, working with Luis Bunuel, and the muggy weather.

I was surprised by the reasonable prices. The almond croissant was the same price as the flat, spongy thing seen in more common patisseries around the city. The macaroons were beyond description. I tested the passion fruit and chocolate creation. I also bought his signature chocolate balls. Unfortunately, I didn’t eat them fast enough and they grew mold. That’s what you get when you expect your food to be filled with preservatives and someone hands you a touch of purity. Oh well, I’ll just have to make another trip.

There’s a bunch of photos on Flickr from people that enjoy the goodies at Pierre Herme. They’ll give you an idea of the passion these morsels create. If you are looking for a delicious dessert, a quick pick me up, or a great gift to bring back home: visit Pierre Hermé.