The 5 best things I ate in France: April 2012

You know what? This month was kind of disappointing on the food front.

It’s probably my fault. Paris and I have definitely exited our honeymoon phase, so I don’t go out to eat very often — in fact, I’m really enjoying cooking for myself these days. In all the cities I lived in and traveled to in Asia, it was cheaper to eat out than to buy groceries and prepare meals at home. Paris has been the first city where it’s more wallet-friendly to stay at home for dinner — and it’s also the first time I’ve lived on my own. So my stove and oven are getting quite the workout (yes, I have an oven! China expats, I can feel your envy through the internet)!

Regardless, the show must go on. This month’s post includes not just Paris, but also features dishes from my week on the Riviera, in a tiny town called La Londe Les Maures. 

The top 5, in order:

1. Osso Buco (homemade)

Do homemade dishes count? I suppose they should, so long as it’s cooked by someone else. This osso buco was prepared by the employers who brought me down to La Londe for the week. I’d never tried this Italian dish of braised veal shanks, though I’d always wanted to after it featured in one of my favorite episodes of The Office. Turns out — it tastes exactly like my mom’s pot roast. And my mom’s an amazing cook as it is, but her pot roast is phenomenal. All this dish needed was some potatoes and celery, and I could’ve been sitting at my kitchen table in York, listening to Shanghainese instead of French….

2. Marmite du Pêcheur at Le Lagon

Also known as Fisherman’s Pot, marmite de pêcheur is basically a stew with a variety of fresh seafood thrown in: mussels, prawns, squid, and of course, fish. While the soup was decent, the best part of the dish for me was the accompanying rouille — that rust-colored (for rouille means rust in French) glob in the corner of the photo. Basically it’s a spicy saffron mayo that’s meant to go well with fish soup: spread it on the crouton, drop that into your soup, and you’ve got a satisfying seaside meal.

3. Cochon from a local pâtisserie in La Londe

 Cochon means pig in French; something I did not know until after I’d already consumed half this little guy and thought to research what the silky sweet, dried-fruit-laced almond-y filling was. After consulting with some foodies on instagram, we determined it was marzipan. But I’m still not sure…I suppose I’ll just have to do some more marzipan research in the future.

4. Café Éclair from Le Moulin de la Vierge

And we’re back to Paris. “An éclair?” you might be saying. “That’s hardly original.” No, it’s not, but I have eaten many a pastry since arriving in Paris, and recently discovered that this shop next to the Sèvres-Lecourbes metro station does the best eclair I’ve tried so far. The coffee flavor is intense in both the icing and the filling, and the dough isn’t too soft or hard. Trust me, it’s worth it to hop on the line 6 just for this.

5. Hot chocolate at Angelina

Like the falafel as L’as du, Angelina’s Chocolate Chaud L’Africain was a “Paris staple” everyone said I had to try when I announced I was moving to Paris. I’ll admit it did kind of taste like it came straight from the Willy Wonka Chocolate Waterfall (which is why it’s on this list). But to be honest, it didn’t wow me. I can understand why everyone else raves about it — the chocolate is obviously quality, and Angelina’s dining room is high-tea-at-the-Queen’s classy (I can only imagine). But it was way too rich for my taste…and at almost €8 a pop, I mean that both figuratively and literally.

(Sidenote, since I’ve probably angered some Angelina fans already, I’ll just continue for the foodies who are interested — the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had was at O’Conaill’s in Cork, Ireland.)

Next month: It’s my BIRTHDAY and I will be going all out.

Know of a better éclair in Paris I should try? Have a suggestion for where I should have my birthday dinner? Let me know in the comments!