Vegetarian Experiences in Paris » Asian

The Best Miso Soup in Paris

Ted — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:35:43 +0000

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

Tien Hiang – Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant in Paris

Ted — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:19:56 +0000

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

Ted — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:15:54 +0000

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.

Thai Classic: 26 Rue des Lombards (4°); 01 48 87 22 04; Metro: Hotel de Ville, Chatealet-Les Halles; Thai Restaurant

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