Bob’s Kitchen

I’d heard about Bob’s Kitchen a few ways. 1) From the original Bob’s Juice Bar (which I still have to go to), and 2) from the article my aunt sent me about Americans making their way into french kitchens. And after eating a very rich dinner the night before at a friend’s birthday celebration, I knew I needed some “clean food.”

Gordon, a frequent name on the blog, accompanied me once again after we checked out the latest exhibit at the Jeu de Paume museum.

Bob’s Kitchen has a very unassuming facade– the only way you’d know it might be what you’re looking for is if you see the little sign in the window:

Plus, if you actually look inside, you’ll see a bunch of hipsters.

I couldn’t have been more excited to see a GREEN SMOOTHIE. So of course I got that.

But I can never pass up a bowl of brown rice and hummus.

 

Gordon opted for a bagel with feta and tapenade.

 

We’d both like to go back, as we liked the food and the atmosphere, depsite the abundance of french hipsters. If you’re in Paris and looking for a break from all the butter, and just some healthy, clean food, hit up Bob’s kitchen! It’s not boring veggie food, I promise.

Bob’s Kitchen, 74 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003. Métro Arts et Métiers.

 

Photo credit: Gordon Wilkins and his iPhone.

Grand Appetit

No, I’m not referring to how incredibly hungry I am right now, though that’s totally true. Ouch.

I’m talking about a Parisian macrobiotic restaurant! Seriously, do I talk about anything else here?

I actually ventured over to the other side of Paris for this one, but we can attibrute that to my 2.5 hour doctor’s appointment for my visa.

Grand Appetit had been recommended to me by some friends a few months ago (aka, October), but let’s face it, I don’t usually have the time to journey over to the Bastille and back. Lame excuse, maybe, but I tend to have most, if not all, of my commitments on the west side of Paris. 8th and 6th, and everywhere in between. Sure, I get over to the Marais every now and then, but really only for yoga classes.

The restaurant is pretty basic. You walk in, look at the board, and pick which kind of dish you want. There’s a big plate, a little plate, and then a bowl– all come with a mix of the day’s offerings. There’s a ton of other stuff to choose from, but if you’re interested in sampling a little bit of everything the restaurant has to offer (or if you just don’t know what you want), go with one of those three.

The older man at the cash register will explain it all to you, too. After you order, you get your silverware and place mat and you pick a table. No frills, no fuss. Just simple and easy.

I went for the bowl option (cheapest of the three), but couldn’t resist getting a bowl of the soup of the day. I just saw on the sign that it has sweet potatoes in it, and I was sold.

I’m pretty easy to please. Just give me a sweet potato.

I didn’t go for any of the desserts in the display case because, well… they didn’t look that appetizing. I have no doubt they are actually delicious in a healthy way (and you know I’m all about that), but I figured I should be saving up my sugar for all the Parisian sweets that come out of the woodwork at this time of year.

Like mini Bûches de Noël? (buchettes.) Yes please!

Guen Mai

Yesterday was the last day of November. Which means it’s the first day of December, a month filled with cookies, cakes, chocolate, and generally about a gazillion other forms of sugar. Hey, I’m not complaining! I’m currently suffering from cookie-baking withdrawal. It just means that I’ll have to balance out my month of sugar with some healthy veggies whenever I can. Lucky for me, I love vegetarian restaurants almost as much as I love chocolate shops.

So I decided to check out a restaurant that frequently pops up on “Paris Vegetarian restaurants”  lists online. Guen Mai.

It’s a little restaurant in the 6th arrondissement that doubles as a health foods store– lots of vitamins, supplements, nut butters, seed oils, cleanses, etc. And what health foods store would be complete without a juicer?

Guen Mai is tucked into a little side-street right behind Boulevard Saint-Germain. It’s hard to miss it once you see it with it’s trellis-covered exterior, but you have to find the street first! I first stumbled upon it a few weeks ago when I was aimlessly walking through the 6th, so this time I had to make sure I knew where I was going!

The restaurant features two or three specials for the day, depending on the day. They’ll tell you what they have for the day when you walk in, but if for some chance you’re not really understanding French, the menu explains it as well. Out of the Wednesday choices– Cooked fish (macrobiotic restaurant), Tofu Ravioli, or Seitan brochette (assuming that means some sort of kebab?). I went with the Seitan brochette. Great choice.

As you can see, the plate of the day also comes with all of the other sides that are displayed in the case at the front of the store/restaurant. So I got some brown rice, tofu/rice noodles, millet, cooked onions and carrots, Dal, grated beets and carrots, and of course, the Seitan.

Naturally, I got some juice. Carrot ginger, and it hit the spot. Just look at that color!

I was starving before I went into the restaurant, so I had a hard time stopping after I finished the main plate– I was still hungry! So what to do? Get dessert, obviously.

They had a few selections of the day, mainly fruit tarts. Apple crumble, Apple/Apricot, Apple/Hazelnut, and cooked apples. I’m sensing an apple theme here, but maybe that’s just me.

I randomly chose the apple/apricot, not knowing exactly which one it was in the display case, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Very good, but very simple. I mean, don’t base your opinion of French desserts off of the tart. But if you’re in the mood for something simply sweet, light, and healthy, then this hit the spot! Also, the restaurant managed to pull off a great flaky crust. I was impressed.

It’s not the least-expensive place, but it’s also not the most-expensive place either. And if you’re someone who believes in putting their health before their wallet (okay, if you just love good, simple, healthy food), then it’s worth it. Entrées were around 5 Euro, as were the juices. Main plates were around 10-14 Euro (mine was 12.50), and desserts were around 5 Euro.

I got to the restaurant at 1:30, and it was already bustling, though I was immediately seated (I guess the benefit of eating alone?). The crowd was mainly (okay, all) women, except for the man waiting on the tables. Based off of the way they addressed each other, I gathered that the man was married to the woman at the counter, who was also keeping an eye on their little girl.

When I asked her what Guen Mai meant, she said it was a traditional ancient rice soup from Japan. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what she said. I made out rice, soup, and Japan.

So there you have it!

Guen Mai, 6 Rue Cardinale, 75006.  Métro Mabillon (10), Saint-Germain de Près (4).

A little Ethiopia… in France.

This weekend brought quite a few wonderful moments… among them, some finger food.

On Saturday night I had a date at the theater (say that in a snobby British accent) with some friends. Okay, it was for a class. It was mandatory. Tickets were prepaid. Less cool, but equally exciting if not more culturally enriching.

Anyways. Oh, the play was Cendrillon, if you were wondering. The french word for Cinderella. Very modern. I digress.

Upon learning that the play was to commence at 8 pm, my friends and I set about making dinner plans. The play was at Ateliers Berthier, near Porte de Clichy (pretty high up in the 17th). After googling “restaurants paris 75017″ (so specific, right?), I found an address that looked interesting. And after clicking on the website link, I quickly learned– due to the abundance of red, yellow, and green colors, that it was ETHIOPIAN.

I LOVE ETHIOPIAN FOOD. Here’s a summary. The Ethiopian cuisine is centered around Injara bread, a sponge-y, crêpe like bread made from Teff flour (gluten-free). The actual dishes are served on top of the Injara bread, which comes on a platter– along with an additional plate of Injara, if you’re lucky. There’s no silverware at the table; you rip off little pieces of the bread with your hands and GO AT IT.

Good, so know you know what to expect.

The name of the game is Menelik, a small restaurant right next to metro Brochart on line 13. It is located on a rather narrow street which explains why it was rather difficult to get a great picture of the exterior. But you get the idea.

I was joined by two amis, Kylen and Gordon, who, unbeknownst to me, had never been to an Ethiopian restaurant. I am so lucky to have such adventurous friends!

(shout out to my father and brother, who would be appalled at the lack of silverware.)

If eating dinner at 8 is early for the French, you can imagine why there were absolutely no people in the restaurant at 6:45. The host showed us too a table, and immediately brough out menus, three small glasses of sparkling rosé (is there a more French term for that?), and hand sanitizer. Which would explain why there was no silverware.

Gordon and I, being vegetarians, opted for the vegetarian platter, while Kylen, ever the carnivore, went with the “wide assortiment of Ethiopian dishes.” The poor girl had no idea what to expect. We didn’t either.

Twenty minutes later, we were presented with a huge platter of Injara, upon which were placed all three meal orders. The server showed us, using invisible lines, whose was whose. Gordon and I just knew to stay away from the meat.

 

So you really understand:

Yes, I found it necessary to show just how the plate was divided. Plus, it gave me a great way to further procratinate this doozy of a French paper that’s due Friday morning.

Some highlights from the night:

Kylen trying to figure out just how to go about eating this…

Gordon thoroughly enjoying his meal…

And me. In the middle of eating.

Excuse the awful restaurant lighting, and treat yourself to a great experience!

Le Menelik, 4 Rue Sauffroy, 75017. Métro Brochant, line 13.

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Anada

I’ve been slacking on my Paris tour of vegetarian restaurants, so yesterday I decided it was time to get back on my game.

After meeting up with my friend Jen at Paris III (one of the many universities in Paris), located in the 5th arrondissement, we headed out to a vegetarian restaurant close by that I’d heard about, but had yet to discover.

It being Friday and the end of a very hard week, we both decided we were in the mood for comfort food.

And what does comfort food mean to us?

TEMPEH. SEAWEED. BROWN RICE. TOFU. VEGGIES. QUINOA. GREEN TEA.

You can keep your fried chicken and mashed potatoes, thanks anyways.

I wish I took this picture, but I didn’t. I was too focused on taking pictures of the food!

There are tons of things on the menu that interested me: Miso soup, brown rice, seaweed, tempeh, tofu (I’m just basically repeating the list from above). All really good, yummy-looking things.

And I didn’t even get to the dessert menu!

Jen and I both opted for the tempeh plate, which came with brown rice, quinoa, gingered-tempeh (DELISH), and a side salad.

Sorry for the food mess. But it was better that way.

The menu was a little pricy– 15 Euros for each of our meals– but it was well worth it for the quantity and quality of what we ate.

Don’t expect anything fancy… it’s a simple restaurant in a neat area. But it gets the job done (I’ve definitely used this phrase before in the same context) and definitely serves up a delicious meal.

Next order of business: returning for dessert!

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Anada, rue Cardinal Lemoine, 75005. Métro Cardinal Lemoine.

Afterwards, we saw the movie 50/50. It is not, contrary to what you might think, called “Cinquante/Cinquante” in France. They still call it “Fifty/Fifty.” But man, what a great movie. Impeccably done, and I’m not even sure how they pulled it off with the subject matter.

A Joy in Food

OK. You know how I’ve shared a lot of great restaurants with you all so far?

Yeah, forget those. GO HERE.

Perhaps it’s just because I’m an ex-vegan-turned-vegetarian-ocasionally-pescetarian (we’ll talk about that later) that I appreciate it so much. I have a special place in my heart for hippie food. But I think one of my goals in life is to prove to people that there’s no such thing as “hippie food,” it’s just good food.

And to prove that, I am telling you all to go here. A Joy in Food, 2 rue Truffaut, 75017. 

This place has been on my LIST OF VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS I MUST TRY BEFORE THE YEAR IS OUT.

So I got to check one off today. And it will be really hard to beat it.

Right on the corner of Rue des Dames and Rue Truffaut, the restaurant automatically sticks out with its bright blue exterior.

The woman behind the counter (which separates the restaurant from the tiny kitchen) greeted me warmly. From what I’d read, she is the sole proprietor and the only cook– which is why the restaurant is only open for lunch. Did I tell you that already? Ok, it’s only open for weekday lunch.

I think a continuous theme on this blog should be my constant need for vegetables. Not in general– I’ve never had this issue before. But everytime I go out to eat, I make it my personal mission to eat as many non-bread/cheese things as possible.

So I ordered the fruit salad, which was more of a vegetable plate that included apples.

But still delicious!

For my main plate, I ordered millet and vegetables, a daily special.

I couldn’t help thinking of my mother, who would have LOVED this. (get that, mom?)

Add a banana milkshake…

And some free tea… (I asked the woman what flavor it was, I only gathered it was some kind of German tea. But it was amazing.)

A photo of the cute spice jars on the table…

And top it off with a slice of a beautiful looking fig tart.

The tart was so simple, and I could definitely tell it was very naturally made– not a lot of sugar or butter, if any. I’m not sure about the crust, which was more… mushy than I would have liked. I’d be very curious to know how it was made. The pièce de résistance was definitely the millet plate.

Millet is becoming my new thing. If you’re getting sick of rice or quinoa, eat millet. Just eat it in general, no reason needed. Super good for you, and as I found out tonight, very high in calcium and B-vitamins. And who doesn’t need more of those?

This was a wonderful way to start off the week, and I will definitely be returning. And so should all of you!

And an important note– it’s not a vegan restaurant! It is vegetarian, since it offered a macaroni-and-cheese-like dish. So if you’re one of those people that scoffs at purely vegan restaurants (I’m sorry, but a pox on your house), this shouldn’t be as scary. There’s dairy products.

Le Potager du Marais

This past Thursday might have been my low point. No explanations available, but just know that it was awful. (Though everything was better the next day!)

As I thought about what I wanted for dinner, I knew I would need something really… nourishing. Vegetables, especially. And after meeting up with my friends Gordon and Jen, we all agreed we were in the mood for the same thing.

And leave it to Jen to break out her “Dining Guide to Paris” the moment we started walking!

All three of us love the Marais, the Jewish quarter of Paris that bridges the 3rd and 4th arrondissement. So Jen flipped through her book to a special section just for vegetarian restaurants, and found one that sounded interesting.

I’d heard of Le Potager du Marais before, but had never actually been. Tucked in between two other storefronts on rue Rambuteau, the restaurant looks very unassuming from afar– but after seeing the advertisement for organic vegetarian fare on their outdoor awning, I knew I was in the right place.

The waitress was incredibly friendly from the moment we walked in, and while we spoke in French, I noticed she was just as friendly to an American table next to us.

The menu offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Jen ia gluten-free, Gordon is a vegetarian, and I am an ex-vegan (who can’t wait to return to it), so we were in good hands.

Gordon ordered the Chili sin carne…

 

Jen ordered a salad with hot chèvre, honey, and gluten-free toasts…

and I ordered the Seitan Bourgignon. 

I apologize for the photo quality, they were taken by Gordon’s iPhone, as I forgot my camera. But they’re much better quality than if I had taken them with my cheap little French phone!

I can’t forget the basket of gluten-free bread that the waitress brought us after guessing, based off her order, that Jen was gluten-free. Jen said it was some of the best gluten-free bread she’s ever eaten!

Le Potager du Marais, 22 rue Rambuteau, 75003. 

 

 

In Search of Vegetables

Due to a startling lack of vegetables in my diet (and anyone who knows me know how wholeheartedly I support my “Eat More Kale” sticker), I have made it a weeklong goal to… eat more. Duh. It’s not like I refuse to eat vegetables, it’s just that my host family doesn’t tend to place any real importance on them, other than if they’re tomatoes (technically a fruit) and they’re inside egg and cheese dishes. Lunches usually consist of a sandwich or a grain salad at a boulangerie, since it’s quick and I’m usually on the move. And I’ve never been a veggies-for-breakfast kinda gal unless it involves… tofu scramble. Tofu– now that’s another thing I miss. Which is why, on a recent Tuesday, I went in search of ASIAN FOOD.

I’m not sure what cuisine in particular specializes in tofu, but I was aiming for a mix of Thai and Chinese. Armed with a side-kick well versed in the arts of gustatory and gastronomical delights, I set out in search of The Mandarin in the ever popular (though tastefully toursit-y) Saint-Germain de Près, located in the 6th arrondissement.

My friend gordon, a fellow vegetarian (though really a pescetarian, let’s be honest here.)

And our food. 

I ordered the vegetarien cassoulet, which was a dish of stewed vegetables and baked tofu.

Gordon ordered something with shrimp, which he said was good, and together we shared a plate of broccoli. All in all, the lunch was enjoyable, though neither of us would consider it worthy of the prices.

A side note: While I ordered a vegetarian dish, the menu states that the restaurant is happy to accomodate vegans and vegetarians, and one should ask for a non-vegetarian dish to be made with tofu, if one wishes.

I think Gordon and I will explore other options in the field of Asian cuisine, perhaps where we can spend less money for more food. Just a thought. But both of us were happy with our respective dishes, and would easily classify this restaurant as good. Not anything spectacular, but good. It worked.

The Mandarin Saint-Germain, 5 Rue Montfaçon, Paris, 75006

“The French San Francisco”

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos. I forgot the camera. Apparently, it was hiding under a sock, which is why I didn’t see it. My room is a little messy. Must clean.

But while I don’t have any photos, I had a wonderful evening and would love to share a part of Paris with you all… hopefully it’ll entice you to check back for when I have pictures from a return trip?

If any of you have seen Le Destin Fabuleux d’Amelie Poulain, you already have an idea of what the Pigalle looks like. It’s a neighborhood located in the 9th arrondissement, home to the Moulin Rouge (and a multitude of other much more modern sex shops). Bu don’t let that stop you. It’s on the way up Montmartre (should there be a preposition there? Is Montmartre the ”mountain” or the place on top? Things I should know, living in Paris and all), and if you’re headed there to see the beautiful Sacré Coeur cathedral (though I personally think the view is worth it in itself), be sure to dedicate some time to exploring the vibrant neighborhood on your way there. Sure, there’s a lot of tourists, but only if you’re right next to the Moulin Rouge or on the summit of Montmartre itself.

In fact, I heard one tourist say (in English, of course), “It’s like the French San Francisco.” And he’s totally right– no wonder I love the neighborhood so much. Hilly, beautiful views, tons of great boutiques, restaurants, and people– there’s definitely a lot of musicians and artists in the area.

While I wandered into quite a few boutiques (I always overestimate my walking time), I didn’t buy anything. I held off! (That’s for you, mom.) But I saw some great things. Like a really pretty black dress. I need a black dress. No but serioulsy. Every girl needs an LBR, and I happen to have left mine in the States (I really like how “mine” covers both singular and plural objects. Convenient here.).

So since there’s nothing interesting to talk about there, (take that back, I did buy a chocolate bar at a super cute chocolate shop. Weakness for chocolate and hazelnuts. Nutella is my crack. And the store-clerk asked if I came from England because of the way I spoke French. First time I haven’t been immediately pegged as an American. Score 1 for this kid), I’ll move onto the food.

I guess chocolate counts as food so that incredibly verbose aside was unnecessary. But I’m not really in a “back-spacing” mood.

World… I FOUND A VEGAN RESTAURANT. Without even knowing it was there. Just by luck. Do you know how rare that is in France?

I didn’t eat there. My friends can only take so much Veganism from me in the states. But I will eat there. Just you wait.

But I guess that just goes to show you how eclectic the neighborhood really is. There was a pizzeria right next door, a ton of cute brasseries and cafés, and a really interesting couscous restaurant. (Don’t remember the name. Must go back. But should you find yourself in Paris in the next few days, it is located on the Rue la Vieuville (Metro Abbesses), and sports a blaring neon sign– with neon arrow included– that says the restaurant does, in fact, serve couscous and pizza. So until then, said restaurant shall hereupon be referred to as the “CouscousPizza Restaurant.” Now you know.)

I had amazing vegetarian couscous, which comes as a bowl of plain couscous, followed by a huge bowl of vegetable soup, essentially. You mix both in a third bowl, which comes to the table empty, and then you have heaven. Especially if you’re really hungry. From the climb up Montmartre, the climb down, the climb back up Montmartre after realizing you have descended the hill on the opposite side of Paris, and then the climb back down.