salad | Vegetarian Experiences in Paris

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Exki – fast, ecological, and tasty meals around Paris

Published

on October 24, 2009

in 13th Arrindissement, 14th Arrindissement, 2nd Arrindissement, cafe, French cuisine, organic, popular, salad, soup, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 1 Comment

Exki is one of the many new healthy fast-food restaurants that have opened in Paris recently. There are several locations in the city to get a quick salad, juice, and meal for lunch.

Exki has a strong commitment to organic food. Here’s a snippet from their web site:

Nous sélectionnons pour vous les meilleurs ingrédients saisonniers.

Nous refusons l’usage de tout additif.

Certains de nos produits sont labellisés BIO. Par exemple le pain, confectionné et cuit artisanalement sur pierre, sans aucun “améliorant” artificiel. Pour garantir sa fraîcheur, nous terminons sa cuisson, chaque matin, dans nos restaurants.

Sont également BIO : le lait, le yaourt, les jets de légumes, des tartelettes, des biscuits, des confitures,…
Exki philosophie

I have not visited this restaurant yet, so I cannot give a review.

Exki: 9, boulevard des Italiens (2°); 118, avenue de France (13°); 82, boulevard du Montparnasse (14°); 01 42 61 06 52

The Best Miso Soup in Paris

Published

Ted

on June 6, 2009

in 2nd Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, organic, popular, restaurant, salad, soup, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 2 Comments

You’ll find a small collection of Asian restaurants between the Opera and the Tuilleries. Centered around rue Sainte-Anne, the neighborhood has become a magnet for Asian tourists. You’ll find pho, sushi, noodles, and soup restaurants that range from the quick and cheap to trendy and bustling.

Taisho Ken – Miso Soup Bar

In the center is a small Japanese miso soup restaurant that I’ve been finding myself eating at more and more. It’s a simple place with an open kitchen, large pots of boiling miso broth, and a friendly, bustling atmosphere. This is a simple place that may remind you more of a roadside diner than a French bistro.

Miso soup normally brings to mind a small bowl of broth with a few small chunks of tofu floating amongst green herbs. I was greatly surprised when I ordered the vegetarian soup bowl and was presented with a Texas sized spoon and a big bowl of broth with fresh vegetables and noodles. This is a meal by itself, you won’t need any rice or dumplings.

Paris is a great place to have a big lunch with friends and a simple dinner of soup or salad. I’ve added this place to my list of regular stops. It’s especially nice on a cold rainy night when the windows fog up and you are surrounded by the smell of the broth.

Taisho Ken: 40 rue Sainte-Anne (2°); Metro: Pyramides, Opera; 01 42 61 11 59; Wheelchair Friendly: It’s a small, tight restaurant with a small step to enter

Overall: 4/5
Vegetarian Options: 3/5
Vegan Options: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Location: 3.5/5

La Chope Champerret brasserie

Published

Ted

on March 18, 2009

in 17th Arrindissement, brasserie, Meat Eating Friends, popular, restaurant, salad and wheelchair friendly

. 1 Comment

What do you get when you cross a traditional French brasserie with excessive American portions? You’d get La Chope Champerret, a restaurant in the 17th arrindissement.

It was shocking to see these huge salads for the first time. Not that it stopped me from ordering them, mind you. There’s enough cheese on them to sink a battle ship! And my gut is a combination of a frigate and a destroyer!

But this is France and food is about quality over quantity. So I’m happy to report the salads are just as tasty as they are huge. I’ve had the Sequine with a poached egg and chevre tartines, as well as the Parisienne (without the ham). The Parisienne’s cheese count was downright obscene and I loved every minute of it.

I’m still on a damn diet so I haven’t tried the crème brûlée, but I’ve been told it is to die for. I’ve also seen someone with the cafe gourmande that looked decadent.

La Chope Champerret is right next to the Porte de Champerret metro exit (line 3). It has patio seating and only a small step to enter. I don’t know what the bathroom situation is like, but it seems pretty wheelchair friendly.

La Chope Champerret: 143, Avenue de Villiers (17°); 01 43 80 80 64; Metro: Porte de Champerret; Brasserie

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

Gustav’s a Good Choice for Lunch

Published

Ted

on February 23, 2009

in 17th Arrindissement, salad, soup and vegetarian-friendly

. 1 Comment

Fortunately, it is pretty easy to find a healthy lunch in Paris. Sure there are dozens of bistros, cafes, Turkish fast food, and pizza joints in every part of the city. But keep your eye out for the small soup/salad/pasta shops that deliver great vegetarian food at a reasonable cost.

Gustav’ Good Choice is a small restaurant on Boulevard Pereire in the 17th. The location is central, but there is very little foot traffic in this part of the street. Gustav has to work even harder to keep bodies walking through the door. This hard work is evident in the small details.

The menu is small but well conceived. You have your choice of salad, soup, pasta, or the plate du jour. Fixed price menus may combine these choices with an optional dessert. Today’s choices were a vegetarian vegetable soup, a green salad, pasta with Gorgonzola and bacon, Eggplant Parmesan, and a chicken and rice dish.

The food is prepared in advance and heated upon ordering. This keeps the service quick and friendly. I had the eggplant dish with a fromage blanc and herbs combination for dessert. Gustav’ provides Eric Kayser bread; just one of the details that make this restaurant a step above.

Gustav is wheelchair friendly. There is a very small step to enter. However, there are no outdoor seats and the interior is rather cramped. I don’t know if they have a public bathroom. Most people take the food back to work or home to eat.

Similar Restaurants

Keep an eye out for these small restaurants. You’ll find a great lunch, fresh food, and friendly service.

Parisian Sweet Bar – near Bercy
Judicious Vegetarian Restaurant – near Bastille
Cocoon – around the corner from Gustav
Bubbles – near St. Paul/Marais
L’Epicerie Verte – near Thernes
Foody’s Soup and Salad – rue Montorguiel
La Ferme – near Opera
Gout Zen – behind Bibliotèque Francoise Mitterrand metro station

Gustav’ Good Choice: 154 Blvd Pereire (17°); 09 63 52 01 72; gustav-good-choice@orange.fr; Metro: Pereire, Porte de Champerret; Lunch restaurant; Wheelchair Friendly: very small step to enter, cramped interior

Overall: 4/5
Location: 3/5
Taste: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Vegetarian Friendly: 4/5
Vegan Friendly: 3.5/5
M.E.F. Friendly: 4/5

Enjoy a stress-free dinner at the No Stress Cafe

Published

Ted

on January 31, 2009

in 9th Arrindissemont, Asian, cafe, French cuisine, Mediteranean, popular, restaurant, salad, soup, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 5 Comments

The No Stress Cafe received international attention for combining fortune telling, massages, and food in a simple Paris cafe. It sits down the hill from the sin-soaked Pigalle area facing a pleasant terrasse fronted by restaurants.

The cafe has matured over the years. The massage chairs have been replaced with more dining tables and an increased attention towards dining instead of dozing. However you can still get your fortune told and enjoy a no stress dinner.

Chef Dean to the Rescue

I’ve mentioned my favorite chef in Paris, Jacques. What I may not have mentioned enough was his partner and sous chef Dean. The two of them created a menu that kept the No Stress Cafe from becoming a one line joke, “hey did you hear about the cafe with back rubs near Pigalle…”. Jacques has moved on to other restaurants and Dean is now the chef of the No Stress Cafe.

I can tell you from experience that Dean is a masterful chef. He has an international approach from his Asian heritage and years of cooking in Paris. His menu at No Stress is a fusion of Mediterranean, French, and Asian recipes.

Vegetarian Options

The standard menu features several vegetarian and vegan options.

Lasagna Vegetarienne
Salad La Vegetarienne
Salad La Chevre Chaud
Wok Vegetarienne

However, you can also request the Tapas menu to be vegetarian. This is what I had the other night and it was excellent! Dean gave me a bit extra but you can expect an assortment of tempura, pickled vegetables, lasagna, and other seasonal vegetables.

Dean also makes a killer bowl of vegetarian french onion soup. He uses white wine instead of stock and it blows away the french onion soup at Potager du Marais. It’s not on the menu, but he’ll make it the soup of the day if you make your reservation a few days in advance. Tell them Ted sent you.

Eating at No Stress cafe reminded me of sharing a dinner at chez Jacques and Dean. Ample portions of food from around the globe served family style with great affection.