Vegetarian Experiences in Paris » vegan

V3GGIE.com – a vegetarian search engine

Ted — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:49:33 +0000

I’m proud to announce my latest creation: V3GGIE, a vegetarian search engine. I’ve used the power of Yahoo’s new BOSS Search API and focused the attention on vegetarian and vegan friendly resources. V3GGIE makes it much easier to find what you are looking for.

This means you can find a corn chowder recipe without wading through thousands of clam chowders. You can quickly find the buzz from vegetarian blogs, the closest vegan restaurant, and more.

The following is a short list of web sites that V3GGIE.com recognizes as experts.

V3GGIE is still a work a progress, please feel free to leave comments and suggestions for web sites to add as resources. I hope you find it as useful as I have. I especially like the Vegetarian Recipe Search.

Green Garden – Vegetarian Chinese

Ted — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:12:54 +0000

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

Le Potager du Marais

Ted — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:10:37 +0000

There’s something deeply satisfying about a bowl of vegetarian French Onion Soup. Traditionally, this dish features a rich broth of beef consume with onions sauteed to a dark color and a large crouton floating on top. All of this is smothered with melted cheese. The soup makes you feel like a warm embrace by your favorite grandmother; if it’s possible to have a favorite.

But alas, beef doesn’t sit well with the vegetarian in us. My favorite chef, Jacques Brosse, once created a heavenly French Onion Soup with a rich wine base for me. It was one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted. Jacques is about to open a new restaurant in Paris, so watch for the news.

It was with these high expectations that I ordered a bowl of Onion Soup from Le Potager du Marais. First off, the soup was good. It wasn’t great. It didn’t make me jump up and scream “Mother Trudy, come here and give me a big fat hug!”

Frankly, I don’t think jumping up would even be possible in this tiny table with a long community table. It would have been more like asking the person next to you to stand up, pull the table out, extricate yourself between two other diners, stand up and then yell “Mother Trudy, come here and give me a bit fat hug!”
The Onion soup had a rich broth but could’ve used more onions. Instead of a big hunk of crouton, the soup was dotted with smaller chunks. Frankly, the smaller chunks are much easier to manage. It was then covered with a thin layer of cheese. It was also a tad bit salty for my taste. The bread they served on the side was also a bit bland.

Don’t get me wrong, Le Potager is a popular, friendly restaurant that features a great menu of vegetarian and vegan food. There were several daily specials, including vegetable curry, broccoli soup, and pasta primavera. The other diners licked their plates clean. The lady next to me just about died when her nattily atired boyfriend held his curry plate up and licked the last drop off.

It’s just that the Onion Soup had a lot to live up to. It’s hard to beat a memory.

Le Potager du Marais is super easy to find. It’s just down the street from the Rambuteau metro. It’s a great place to get something to eat after spending a day at the Pompideu. Be forewarned, this restaurant is tiny and packed. It’s a good idea to make a reservation during peak hours. However, they are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Surprisingly, they do not accept Cheque Dejeuner (subsidized lunch tickets for those that work in Paris).

Le Potager du Marais: 22, rue Rambuteau (3°); 01 42 74 24 66; Metro: Rambuteau; Organic Restaurant; Cheque Dejeuner are not accepted; Wheelchair Friendly: This restaurant is not wheelchair friendly. It is very tight inside.

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

Gout Zen – Vegetarian and Organic Restaurant

Ted — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:24:39 +0000

Paris is full of surprises. There are little gems around every corner. The Parisian Sweet Bar in the 12th arrondissement is an example. You’ll also find small museums, art galleries, pocket sized parks, and chunks of ancient history.

This leads me to Gout Zen. I stumbled across this restaurant while leaving an unfamiliar metro exit (Bibliotheque). The street is subterranean, with car-filled bridges above, towering buildings, old stone steps to new areas, and a green beacon of light and energy.

Gout Zen is a restaurant, cafe, and organic market all wrapped into one. It reminds me of the No Stress Cafe, near Place de Pigalle. There’s more to just eating at Gout Zen. You can rent a heated wrap for your tired shoulders at 1 Euro for 15 minutes, use free wireless, and purchase some organic food and supplies. It’s a friendly cafe that is bright and comfortable.

I had the vegetable bruschetta at 6 euros. Although a tad salty, I enjoyed the snack and used the wireless until my laptop battery died. The cafe also features some interesting vegan alternatives. I’m dying to try the faux steak au poivre. The fixed price menus range from 8 to 15 euros and include a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.

Finding Gout Zen is a bit tricky. Take the Rue Du Chevaleret exit if you are coming from the metro line 14 or RER C. You can also reach it by climbing down the steps on Rue de Tolbiac, Rue Thomas Mann, and Rue des Grands Moulins. I’d suggest using the Rue de Tolbiac steps.

Gout Zen: 54, Rue du Chevalaret (13°); 01 45 86 26 23; contact@goutzen.fr; Metro: Bibliotheque; Restaurant and Epicerie; Free Wireless

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

Le Grenier de Notre-Dame

Ted — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:30:28 +0000

Once upon a time, a small vegetarian restaurant opened on a small street devoted to butchers. The irony couldn’t have escaped them and their growing clientele. Wheat and soy proteins have replaced the ghosts of cows, lamb, and fowl on this alley behind Notre Dame.

I decided to visit Le Grenier de Notre-Dame after reading several reviews on Happy Cow, a vegetarian travel site. The reviews were mixed, so I had a back up plan. Practically next door is Cafe Panis, a sister restaurant to Chez Prosper and Lili et Marcel. I figured I could always grab a great salad at Chez Panis if Le Grenier did not pass muster. I can wait on Cafe Panis, Le Grenier was a great restaurant that served unique vegetarian food.

I’ve traveled to many countries and always enjoy vegetarian alternatives to local dishes. Soyrizo at Ranchos in San Diego, curry vegetable popovers in London, Mock duck in thai restaurants, vegetarian Ghoulash,… I couldn’t pass up the vegetarian cassoulet for dinner. I didn’t know what to expect. It must have white beans and baked with tomatoes and bread crumbs. But what else will replace the fat and meat normally found in a cassoulet?
The dish was a filling, baked vegetable dish with two types of protein: tofu and seitan (a wheat based protein). It also had tomatoes, peppers, and lots of white beans. I have to admit the seitan was a bit strange for me. It’s the first time I have tried this tofu alternative. I would have prefered something a bit more substantial in the mix, such as roasted brussel sprouts or potato. But, alas, the dish was exactly what I had hoped for: a stick to your ribs, filling, novel dish that stands out from the week of salads and cheese sandwiches that somehow find their way into too many meals.

I also had the vegetable soup as an entree. This was also a hearty soup with strong vegetable flavors and a unique topper. I couldn’t quite place the vegetable floating on the top of the soup. It reminded me of baby carrot greens. The soup was also served with a dense whole-grain bread.

The couple next to me were in Paris to celebrate their engagement. They too had found the restaurant via reviews at Happy Cow. Their meal started with an avacado dish that looked surprisingly unique to someone that grew up in Avocado country. The avocado skins were re-used as containers for a blend of avocado, tomato, and yogurt. They were quite pleased with the dish.

I wouldn’t rate this too high for your Meat Eating Friends. They’ll be impressed by the selection of vegetarian dishes, but not the taste of seitan. It’ll probably make them think twice before trying another of your recommendations.

It should be noted that Le Grenier is a small, tight restaurant. Enjoy the company next to, behind, and in front of you. The service is very fast and courteous. Reservations would be helpful during busy periods.

I skipped the dessert, but they have the traditional items: chocolate mousse, fromage blanc, fruit tarts, etc. They also feature normal coffee and a decaf coffee-alternative. Personally, I’d suggest going next door to Cafe Panis and try their tarte chocolate with creme anglais or the berry crumble. I’ve eaten more than my share of these dishes at their sister restaurants. You are also just around the corner from the Berthillon ice-cream store. just look for the line of people in a small street of Isle St. Louis. Berthillon ice-cream is worth the hype and there’s nothing like buying it from the source.

Le Grenier de Notre-Dame: 18, Rue de la Bûcherie (5°); 01 43 29 98 29; St-Michel, Cite; Vegetarian Restaurant

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

Cocoon – a cozy vegetarian restaurant

Ted — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:27:30 +0000

This tiny restaurant hidden in the 17th arrindismont plays to the local lunch crowd. Just look for the small facade painted in an odd purplish hue with a line of anxious people out the door. There will equally be a stream of people leaving with bulging paper bags.

Cocoon is not your typical Parisian restaurant. It’s a throwback to the old cafeteria diners. Their menu is as small as their floorplan. You’ll walk in and see a display case of freshly made soups, drinks, and desserts. Grab what you like and make your way to the counter. There you will be greated by a friendly saladier who builds a unique salad to your desires. They also offer sandwhiches but everyone I saw had soup and salad.

To continue the small theme of this restaurant, your Meat Eating Friends can choose between tuna and tuna for their salads. Yes, this is a Vegetarian restaurant and that makes me happy. What’s even better? It’s cheap and just around the corner from my office.

Proximity is actually important for Cocoon as they have virtually no space to stay and eat. It’s also not easy to find. You’ll want to visit this place if you work or live in the 17th arrindissmont.

For lunch today, I had a very flavorful lentil soup, a small salad, perrier, and fromage blanc with raspberry confiture. This soup menu is 8,50 euros, tasted great, and is much healthier than most of the places in the area. Cocoon is open for lunch but don’t get there late. I arrived after 2 one day and they had already been cleaned out.

Cocoon: 3, rue Galvani (17°); 01.45.72.59.12; Pereirre; Fast and healthy

Overall: 4.5/5
Location: 3/5 stars
Taste: 4.5/5
Service: 4.5/5
Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
Vegan Friendly: 5/5
M.E.F. Friendly: 1/5

Pomme de Terrre

Ted — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:48:20 +0000

Pommes de Terre mean Apples of the Ground. These are potatoes and there are a million different preparations in Paris restaurants. You’ll especially be interested in combinations with onions and the inevitable cheese.

Vegetarian Experiences in Paris » vegan

V3GGIE.com – a vegetarian search engine

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Le Potager du Marais

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