Flashback Friday: CAFE CONSTANT

It's been raining almost every day for a week here in Singapore and the dark, dreary weather reminds me of Paris in the winter, without the cold of course.  This type of weather makes me feel like having hearty simple food that feeds the hunger and warms the body.  Flashback then to a simple dinner we had in Paris at Cafe Constant - the casual neighborhood bistro on rue Saint Dominique, a mostly residential area in the 7th arrondissement.  One of the restaurants owned by ex-Crillon chef Christian Constant and the most casual of the five.

Cafe Constant has a zinc-topped bar, mosaic floor, rickety wooden chairs and tables set elbow to elbow which makes for a typical Parisian dinner.  There's a selection of wines by the glass, a blackboard prix-fixe and a separate la carte menu of bistro classics which are all reasonably-priced and served with a smile.  Convivial, cozy and delicious - the kind of place I wish we had here but seems to only work in Paris.

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Cafe Constant

139 rue Saint Dominique, 75007 Paris

Tel: +33 1 47 53 73 54

No reservations.  Open daily for breakfast 7-11 a.m., non-stop service from 12h -23h

Flashback Friday: MINI PALAIS

For all the bistros and scuffed tiles in the numerous bistros and cafes in Paris, therehas been a proliferation of non-hotel restaurants still serving bistro classics but in much more sophisticated setting yet still offering prix-fixe menus.  One of these is the beautiful high-ceiling dining room of the Mini Palais, located in the back corner of the Grand Palais right smack in the middle of the famed triangle d'or (golden triangle) of the 8th arrondissement.  Helmed by chef Eric Frechon (from the 3-star Michelin Hotel Bristol), the food is faultless, the atmosphere refined, the service unobtrusive and the crowd more bourgeois than bohemian.

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Mini Palais

Grand Palais,  Avenue Winston Churchill  75008 Paris

Tel : +33 1 42 56 42 42

Flashback Friday: CLOVER

On a cold rainy autumn evening in late November, we met up with friends for a drink at La Societe, St. Germain's sleek Liaigre-designed Costes-managed bar, while we waited out our reservation at Jean Francois Piege's year-old farm to table restaurant Clover.  

Located in a back alley off boulevard St. Germain, where the Parisian brunch institution Coffee Parisien used to be, Clover is filled with several rustic wooden tables set with just a crisp white linen napkin and a knife.  The elongated space seats about 40 diners elbow-to-elbow making it feel like one large communal table.  The previous bar area has been transformed into a sleek modern open kitchen with a glass-fronted fridge filled with local produce.  At the time we went, there was a beautiful display of large succulent-like green savoy cabbages and tiny dark brussels sprouts.

Clover has a daily prix-fixe menu, for lunch ( three-course €35 or five-course €43) and a more elaborate one for dinner (five-course €60 or six-course  €73) with a supplement charge of €8 for a plate of cheese served before dessert.  The restaurant showcases produce from the all over France like special quail  from Dombes in the southeast or ratte potatoes from Touquet in the north.  Most ingredients indicate their origins and the cooking is simple but sophisticated.  The food is served family-style so dishes areplaced in the middle of the table and shared between two keeping it all very casual.

That evening, we started out with some St. Jean de Luz tuna, smoked butternut squash, crispy crackers and horseradish - an interesting mix of cold tuna tataki-style offset by the spicy horseradish and warm creamy squash.  Next up was the chef's signature dish of Saint-Jacques cuite sur le pavé parisien - literally one large scallop in a half-shell placed on top of a sizzling hot Parisian cobblestone - a playful Parisian take on hot-stone cooking and gave the super sweet scallop just a tiny sear.  This was followed by cabbage, smoked herring foam, preserved lemon and chestnut chips which were the flavors of autumn on a plate - warm melted cabbage leaves with tangy bits of lemon rind and crispy chestnut chips for texture.  Main courses came next - the ladies had the fish which was a sautéed lieu jaune (pollock), topped with salsifis wildflower (goatsbeard), radicchio leaves and covered with an emulsion of bay leaves - the delicate white fleshed fish complemented by the bitter chicory and herb-infused foam while the gentlemen ordered the heartier roasted Dombes quail, trompettes de la mort (horn of plenty mushrooms), caramelized onions and mango vinegar.

We skipped the cheese course and went straight for dessert - chunks of dark chocolate fudge cake, milk chocolate ice cream, tiny sweet raspberries, cranberries and grilled pecans.  Espressos were ordered and the coffee shots were accompanied by a large gooey chocolate chip cookie which we all broke into and finished.  Dining at Clover is fine dining without the formality, like a fun meal with friends at their kitchen table sharing good food and wine.  In other words, Clover feels like home, except there's a Michelin-starred chef who's in charge of the kitchen.

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CLOVER

5, rue Perronet, 75007 Paris

Telephone: +33 1 7550 0005

Email:contact@clover-paris.com

Open Tuesday to Saturday

Lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Dinner from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

TIPPLING CLUB

No better place to kickstart my blog than a meal at the Tippling Club - one of Singapore's best restaurants where Chef Ryan Clift has been impressing diners with his inventive cuisine since he opened his counter restaurant in Dempsey in 2009.  I had been once to Tippling Club in July 2011 and heard that since then, they had moved to a brand new location near Chinatown in late 2013.  Located in three adjacent shophouses in the bustling restaurant street of Tanjong Pagar, Tippling Club's new interiors are a unique mix of old and new - antique Peranakan floor tiles in the bar area and glossy green subway tiles in the large show kitchen, upcycled wooden planks for the ceiling, recycled timber for the floor, vintage lamps for the kitchen counter and a mix and match of lighting fixtures for the main dining area but keeping to the overall green color scheme.  The usual creative cocktails are still present along with a concise bar snacks menu of modern tapas, and there is now a monthly prix-fixe lunch menu (Two course at SGD$43++ or three courses SGD$58++) along with the usual dinner tasting menus (5-course Classic SGD$160++ or SGD$260++ with wine pairing, 10-course Gourmand SGD$265++ or SGD$420++ with wine pairing and an equivalent Classic and Gourmand vegetarian menu).  I went back recently for lunch and was impressed with the changes to the menu - less of the tiny plate molecular gastronomy stuff that used to be served to a more approachable version of modern cuisine - which made me decide to book a table for dinner two weeks later.

A and I arrived a bit early for our 8:30 p.m. reservation during the long weekend of jubilee celebrations for Singapore's 50th birthday and had time to look carefully through the menu while waiting for our friends to arrive.  We decided to order the chive croquettes from their bar menu which arrived soon after our friends were seated - five piping hot croquettes topped with roe and accompanied by a warm Parmesan foam dip.  We all opted for the five-course classic tasting menu and aside from one substitution for the appetizer, we were all ready for our degustation dinner which we were going to have with a bottle of Venta Las Vacas 2012 Ribera del Duero.

First up were the snacks, small plates of culinary inventions that has made Tippling Club famous.  We started with a dollop of warm tom yum flavored cream with basil tempura followed by the beef tendon cracker dusted with a tomato powder which was like airy pork crackling that tasted of a cheese-less pizza Margherita.  The third snack was their signature charred peppers and soy miso dip served on a slate with some large tweezers (I remember this one from 2011) and the final snack was their tomato lava lamp - a shot glass where oil and vinegar flavored tomato water is poured so that bubbles float up to the surface and make it look like a tiny lava lamp.  It was an entertaining and fun start to our meal which gave us a little taste of what they had in store.

The cold appetizer of eel, charred shallot, mustard ice cream seemed so straightforward after the molecular snacks but the flavors were very well-executed - jellied eel contrasted with the pickled pearl onions, crumbs, crisp shallot and mustard ice cream.  A opted for the foie gras instead of the eel and was presented with a dollop of hummus-like foie gras with cubes of apples, green grapes and an oven-dried apple chip.  A warm appetizer of scallops came next hidden underneath a black pasta sheet onto which creamy purple garlic soup was poured which almost dissolved the ravioli-like squid ink pasta and mixed in with the parsley root and almost raw paper-thin scallop layers.  Two main courses followed:  roast rockling fish on a bed of shaved beetroot topped with alternating thin slices of smoked ox tongue and fresh beet root, the tongue tasted like corned beef while the beets were sweet and went well with what would have a bland chunk of fish without the interesting ingredients added on; the meat course was a roast pigeon breast, confit of pigeon leg, cep puree, truffle macaroni and a truffle infused sauce Perigourdine.  There was an optional cheese course (for an extra SGD$20) which we would have ordered if we had more time but since A was leaving very late that evening for the Virtuoso Travel week in Las Vegas, we went straight to dessert - textured milk which was a dollop coconut milk tapioca, topped with frozen yoghurt and crunchy milk-flavored meringue - a light palate end to our decadent meal.  Last but not least was their tray of signature mignardises which accompanied the coffee.

Service throughout was courteous, friendly and unobtrusive and the added touch of having different chefs come out to explain each of the courses as they were served, made the meal more interesting.  Tippling Club obviously isn't a bargain but with the quality of the produce, the innovative cuisine and the good-sized portions, it's a dinner worth saving up for.  In any case, there's always the equally good set lunch menu if you'd like to give it a try (photos of my recent lunch below).

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Tippling Club

38 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088461
Telephone: +65 6475 2217  or Email: enquiries@tipplingclub.com

Open Mondays to Fridays for lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 6 p.m. till late; Saturdays for dinner from 6 p.m. till late

Bar is open Mondays to Fridays from noon to midnight and on Saturdays from 6 p.m. to midnight

Closed on Sundays

Public parking lot at nearby Duxton Hill or coupon street parking on Tanjong Pagar

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1919 at the Condado Vanderbilt

The historical Condado Vanderbilt hotel in San Juan was built in 1919 by Frederick William Vanderbilt    and reopened recently with 323 rooms and a gourmet restaurant 1919 (named after the year the hotel was built).  1919 showcases the cuisine of Puerto Rico using organic and local ingredients.  The kitchen is headed by chef Juan Jose Cuevas, a Puerto Rican and C.I.A. graduate who worked in Spain at El Raco de Can Fabes with chef Santi Santamaria and in New York at Essex House with Didier Elena and Blue Hill at Stone Barns with Dan Barber.

I was looking through Open Table for a new restaurant when I stumbled upon the listing for 1919 which had only been open a few weeks.  I immediately booked a table for dinner that Friday.  We arrived to a half-full dimly-lit restaurant with modern interiors.  We were led to a table near the large picture glass windows which would have had a full view of the sea at lunch, but as it was in the evening we had the indoor garden and a coqui making its' nightly noises as company instead.  Luckily, the restaurant filled up soon after and the coqui got drowned out by the restaurant bustle.  Service was impeccable and seamless, the waiters were attentive and knew the menu well and the general manager was present to check that everything was going smoothly.

The dinner menu is labeled simply first (salads and starters), second (pasta and risotto), third (fish and meat main courses) and fourth (desserts) with a supplementary cheese course ($12). It is recommended to order the prix-fixe four-course menu ($70) but the dishes may also be ordered a la carte.  (There is also a three-course prix-fixe menu for lunch.)  We opted for the dinner prix-fixe and substituted the dessert course for the cheese course.  The wine list is on an iPad and was fun to look at with the numerous bottles and labels listed.  We settled for a glass of 2009 Fog Dog Pinot Noir for myself glass of 2009 Chablis from Joseph Drouhin for A.  Wines by the glass come served in a small carafe which makes for a generous measure.

For our first course, A had the white eggplant confit and I had the taste of tuna.  The eggplant confit came in a salad of sprouts and was topped by a crispy slice of jamon Iberico and green gazpacho - a creative dish with fresh flavors.  The taste of tuna was a trio of raw tuna prepared three ways - one with mozzarella caviar, another with pine-nuts and capers and the last with octopus and preserved lemons. This starter was less interesting than the eggplant confit as it was the typical raw tuna plate plus it was served so cold that I couldn't distinguish much of the flavors and all three pretty much tasted like cold raw tuna.

Second course was the local calabaza (squash) risotto for A and scallop a la plancha for me.  The risotto was sweet from the squash, tangy from the spinach and rich from the braised veal cheeks - a balanced enough dish but heavy as a mid-course.  My scallop a la plancha (scallop cooked on a griddle) came on top of local bok choy and an aromatic broth.  Although the single scallop was sweet and succulent, it sadly lacked the umami component as it didn't have the caramelized crust formed by searing in a hot pan.

A surprise third course was sent out by the chef which was the best dish that night - wild white salmon placed on top of broccoli, guanciale (unsmoked bacon made from pig cheeks) and green tomato jus.  Here the barely-cooked fish was perfect and the jus and vegetables that accompanied it were delicious as well.  A dish that was deliciously simple and simply delicious.

The main course was served next - terres major wagyu beef (supplement fo $10) for A and the evening's special, not on the menu, cochinillo for me.  The wagyu beef short ribs came with onion cream, stir-fried okra and a side dish or organic grains.  The meat was tender and flavorful and the accompanying okra and onion cream complemented the simply grilled meat.  The organic grains though, were hard to chew and tasted like uncooked wild rice.  The cochinillo was a quarter of a suckling pig with almost black crackling (a bit overcooked for my taste) and was good but not great while the accompanying charred baby lettuce was a nice way to cut the richness of this dish although it could have done without the accompanying bacon wrap as the whole plate was already filled with a large chunk of pork.

The cheese course came last - three cheeses: a hard manchego-like cheese, a soft local goat's cheese and oddly enough - fresh mozzarella (I've never seen this served as an after-dinner cheese course).  There was also a dollop of sweet guava jam and two types of bread: crusty bread (similar to pain de campagne) and a super sweet nut bread almost like a spiced banana nut bread which did not go with the cheese at all.  We ended the meal with espressos - overly roasted and bitter - which we didn't finish and left sated but unimpressed.  Perhaps another visit might prove to be more promising and we do intend to go back once the restaurant has been open for several months to give it another try.
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1919
Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
1055 Ashford Avenue
San Juan 00907
Puerto Rico
Phone: +1 787 724 1919
Reservations via Open Table
*Open for lunch Tuesdays to Fridays from 12 to 3 with a 3-course prix-fixe menu
*Open for dinner Tuesdays to Saturdays from 6 to 11 with a four-course prix fixe menu
*Closed Sundays and Mondays

KABUTO

Every year I visit Las Vegas, a new tiny off-the-strip Japanese restaurant opens in the same nondescript Chinatown mall.  First was Raku - robatayaki (grilled skewers) and classic Japanese cuisine, then came Monta - classic ramen (noodles) and now, Kabuto - omakase (Japanese for "I'll leave it to you") which basically means it's a surprise meal created by the chef right then and there.  It's a Japanese culinary adventure and one that I highly recommend to lovers of Japanese food.

Kabuto is small with just ten seats at the bar, two tables of four and only two set menus to choose from: the $48 nigiri menu (10 pieces of sushi) or the $80 omakase menu (sashimi, miso soup, six pieces of nigiri and a grilled item).  It is Japanese minimalism at its' best.  Interiors are blond wood with the only color coming from the numerous chunks of fresh fish displayed in a glass-topped box ready to be sliced and served. There is no sushi refrigerator case on top of the bar to destroy the aesthetic and further proof that this meal is all about fresh fish, straight from the box, placed on top of warm vinegared rice and set in front of you like a piece of jewelry meant to be admired for a second then eaten immediately.

The three of us (my brother-in-law C, my ten-year old son J and myself) settled into our highly-coveted bar seats and chose - omakase for C & I and the nigiri for J, his first all-sushi surprise meal.  All they asked was if we were allergic to anything and just like that one of the best meals I have ever eaten began .  First up was a tiny shot glass of cold mango-flavored sake served with a tiny salad of sliced cucumbers, seaweed, shiitake mushrooms and clams.  This was followed by the sashimi course, two types of expertly-sliced fresh fish and slice giant clams with a tiny bit of fresh wasabi and some of their aged artisan shoyu on the side.  Next came the grilled course: vegetables wrapped in a thin-slice of beef tataki (raw beef seared on the edges), miso-topped white fish and salmon.  Assorted nigiri came next, individually prepared and set on a granite plate one by one: masaba (Japanese mackerel), katsuo (bonito) and suzuki (sea bass).  Then came a tiny portion of rice topped with ikura (salmon roe), a freshly-made warm rectangle of branded tamago (a Japanese puffy omelet traditionally served plain or over rice) and a freshly-grilled anago (sea eel).  Before our next course of a hand-roll was served, we were asked by the chef if we wanted some more nigiri a la carte.  How could we refuse?  We each had the uni (sea urchin), freshly-flown in from Hokkaido and coming in a lined wooden box like chocolate truffles - four petals of orange sea urchin over a dollop of rice and a tiny dot of wasabi - heaven!  We also each had the suzuki (sea bass), the kamashita toro (fatty tuna), the harasu (trout belly) and my favorite, the o-toro (premium fatty tuna).  (No guilt as it was all good cholesterol)  The hand-roll came next - chu-toro (medium fatty tuna) rolled with rice in a crisp square of nori (dried paper-thin seaweed) just like a cigar and not in the usual cone-shape.  Fresh miso soup was offered next, either with fish bones or with tofu and seaweed and finally dessert: house-made mango sorbet topped with gold leaf for me, the multi-layered strawberry crepe cake for J and the mochi trio for C along with some piping hot green tea and it was all over.  It was one of those dinners that leaves one both sated and craving for more, the way gastronomic meals are meant to be.  Kabuto definitely goes straight onto my list of Las Vegas musts.

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Kabuto, Edomae Sushi

5040 W. Spring Mountain Road, #4

Las Vegas, Nevada

Tel: +1 702 676 1044

*Open Mondays to Saturdays for dinner from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

MILOS

One of the best meal deals in Las Vegas is the $20.11 prix-fixe lunch at Milos in the Cosmopolitan.  I knew Milos from when we lived in Montreal and wanted to try their new Vegas outpost and for just $20.11, how could we resist?  Milos is a fine dining Greek restaurant which specializes in simply prepared fish and seafood.  The interiors are modern and the tabletops classic - white tablecloths and thick linen napkins, simple white plates and the tables arranged around large columns.  There is also a lovely covered terrace for al fresco dining.

My mom, sister and I booked a table for 12:30 and arrived to a semi-empty restaurant.  We  had a quick look at the lunch menu and made our choices quickly.  There were a few appetizers unavailable on the menu that day (the scallops and the smoked salmon) which was disappointing as that left us with just four dishes to choose from, two of which had a supplementary charge of $10 which sort of defeats the bargain $20.11 price.  We finally settled on our three choices each.

The MILOS 2011 Lunch Menu

$20.11

Appetizer

 your choice of

Greek Meze Plate

Tarama, Tzatziki, Htipiti,

manouri cheese, olives & cherry tomatoes

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Cambridge House Scottish Smoked Salmon

with Santorini capers

-

Scallops

with citrus and mint salad

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Tomato Salad

Feta cheese, seasoned with Greek herbs & extra virgin olive oil

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Grilled Octopus

Sashimi quality Mediterranean octopus, charcoal-broiled.

($10 supplementary)

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Fresh Maryland Lump Crab Cake

with marinated gigantes beans & mustard emulsion

($10 supplementary)

Main Course

 your choice of

Lavraki

grilled Mediterranean Bass

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Honjake Salmon

with steamed vegetables

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Fresh Gulf Wild Shrimp Saganaki

with tomato & feta

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Chicken Brochette

organic chicken breast on a skewer with

grilled mushrooms and onions, served over pita

-

Colorado USDA Prime Lamb Chop

french fries & asparagus

Dessert

 your choice of

Walnut Pie

with Kaimaki ice cream

-

Yogurt Martini

-

Fresh Fruits of the Season

 Absolutely no substitutions. Minimum $20.11 per person

After we ordered, a bread basket and olive oil was set down on the table.  Our appetizers were served quickly - the tomato and Feta salad for my mom, the Greek mezze plate for me and the grilled octopus for my sister.  The first two appetizers were fine but it was the grilled octopus that stood out and was well worth the extra $10 charge - simply grilled succulent octopus slices tossed in olive oil.  

By the time our main courses were served, the restaurant was already almost full.  My mom had the grilled Lavraki (Mediterranean bass) which came whole but sliced open with just lemon and olive oil, again simply grilled with the freshness of the fish making the dish special.  My sister had the tuna burger (not listed on the menu above) and was pleasantly surprised at the meatiness of the patty.  Tuna chunks mashed together and topped with shredded onions and served with crispy zucchini fries.  I chose the lamb chop (a classic Greek dish) which came with a few asparagus spears and some fat fries. The meat was deliciously charred on the outside yet tender on the inside.  I could have eaten a few more chops as one really wasn't enough.  Finally, we had one of each of the desserts (they should make at least four choices) - fresh fruit, a refreshing yogurt and berry martini and the walnut pie with Saganaki ice cream.   The food was very good and well-worth the price and a taste of what Milos has to offer.  Next time, we'll definitely do dinner.

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Estiatorio Milos

At the Cosmoplitan Hotel

3708 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas NV 89109

Telephone: +1 702 698 7930

*Open daily for lunch and dinner

L'EPI DUPIN

Scenes from the prix-fixe L'Epi Dupin in the 6th arrondissement.

Our fourth day in Paris coincided with the beginning of the spring sales at all les grands magasins (department stores) so we went back to Le Bon Marché to take advantage of the reduced prices. I found some good bargains at Gerard Darel, Paraboot and also replenished my stock of moisturizers and face products from Lancôme and my perfume from Annick Goutal.
Since two of our dinner reservations at Le Bis du Severo and 21 were cancelled by the restaurants deciding to close for Easter, we decided to make a lunch booking at a restaurant we had been to before. As we were in the Bon Marché area, we thought it would be convenient to eat at L'Epi Dupin, one of Paris's first reasonable prix-fixe restaurants. Loaded down with our purchases, we crossed over to tiny rue Dupin and settled into our cramped table. As always, the place was packed mostly with locals but also a few Americans.
L'Epi Dupin is a great bargain in the 6th arrondissement. The place is cramped, the tables are way too close to each other and the service is rushed but the quality of the food and the low prices can't be beat. Set lunch is 25€ for a two-course meal (entree and plat or plat and dessert) or 34€ for a three-course lunch. There is a choice of about five starters, six main courses and five desserts plus a daily cheese plate in case you would rather have cheese than dessert. There are several well-chosen wines by the glass at 7€ and a pretty decent list of reasonably-priced wines by the bottle.

The prix-fixe three-course lunch menu

We chose quickly as we were starving. We were served a loaf of their homemade bread to accompany the amuse-bouche of sweet potato and carrot soup with a bacon and herb cracker. Our half bottle of Sancerre rouge 2005 from Gerard Boulay was served at the same time. The soup was warm and sweet and the crispy, salty cracker was added a nice texture to the dish. For our starters, I chose the velouté of celery root with orange sorbet to start and A had the scallop and artichoke purée foam with boudin noir (black sausage) on toast. My soup was cold, which was unexpected, and it seemed a bit bland after the flavourful amuse-bouche. A's scallop foam was a warm taste of the sea complemented by the pureed artichokes and the excellent boudin noir.

The main courses arrived soon after - the roasted sea bream with crushed potatoes for A and the lamb seasoned with sariette and crispy gnocchis for me. The fish fillet came wrapped in caul fat (the same thing used as sausage casings) to keep the flesh firm and the potatoes were like a chunky mashed potato. Mine was two pieces of tender savoury lamb with jus and several pieces of browned gnocchis, the first time either of us had crispy gnocchis.

My husband had opted for cheese instead of dessert and was given a large slice of Tomme with some arugula and a peach jam while I had the banana marmalade with mango sorbet and coconut foam. The cheese was ripe and firm while my dessert reminded me of something I had as a child - the same sweetened bananas that we would eat with vanilla ice cream this time made a bit more sophisticated with the addition of the tart mango sorbet and the sweet-salty coconut lukewarm coconut foam. We ended our satisfying and reasonably-priced meal there and decided to walk towards St.Germain for our after-lunch espresso.

L'Epi Dupin is a true bargain in Paris. There have been some not so good reviews recently but only from those who don't understand the concept of a real bistro where food is served quickly and there's not much time to linger over a meal. If you don't want to be rushed, book a second seating table for lunch (2:00 p.m.) or dinner (9:00 p.m.) then you can keep your table for as long as you like. besides, they must be doing something right since they've been packed serving customers for thirteen years now.

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L'Epi Dupin

11 rue Dupin, 75006 Paris

Tel: +33 1 42 22 64 56

Closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday lunch and the first three weeks in August

***** Food - Excellent prix-fixe seasonal menus for both lunch and dinner and the rapport qualité-prix (quality-price ratio) can't be beat.

**** Service - Rushed but efficient, when I decided to change my main course after already having the amuse-bouche, they didn't mind at all

*** Ambiance - Cramped and not that comfortable, get ready to eavesdrop and be eavesdropped on as the tables are very, very close to each other
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P.D. June 2011
I had dinner at L'Epi Dupin in early May.  We were given the last booking for that evening, two bar seats at the very end of the counter and right beside the kitchen.  The place was packed as usual and bustling with mostly foreigner, never a good sign in Paris.  Our three-course meal was disappointing to say the least - my white asparagus starter came in an orange-flavored foam and was served cold, somehow the flavors just didn't come together and my main course was honey-roasted pork was fine but again, nothing special.  My mom's duck pastilla was a modern version of a typical Moroccan dish and was fine, her fish was okay but the portion was quite small.  Instead of dessert, we opted for cheese which was a ripe Livarot, the best thing that evening which they actually didn't prepare in the kitchen.   I've been to L'Epi Dupin several times over the years and this time the experience was really unsatisfactory.  I don't think I'm going back.

L'ENTRECÔTE

Steak-frites with the secret sauce at L'Enrecôte on Rue St. Benoit

One of the restaurants we visit every time we are in Paris is L'Entrecôte (also known as Le Relais de L'Entrecôte). If you haven't been then it's one to try - there's only one thing on the menu: a green salad with walnuts in a mustardy dressing and the famous steak-frites - two servings of perfectly-cooked entrecôte served with the secret sauce and as much crispy french fries as you can eat.

We arrived at half past seven and were seated only at 8:15 in a table meant for two that we begged to be given anyway since we were technically just 2 1/2 with our six-year old in tow. We both ordered saignant (rare) for ourselves and a point (medium) for our son. As we were all starving by this time, we started on the salads immediately served with crusty chunks of baguette. Soon after, our steaks arrived. We were curious to see what our son's reaction would be - he asked for ketchup (there is not ketchup or mayonnaise served here), and when told they didn't have any, he didn't flinch at all but dug into his steak-frites, sauce and all. He managed one serving of steak and two servings of fries while we had our double servings of both.

The dessert menu is longer with at least twenty items listed from a cheese plate to fresh strawberries, chocolate mousse to creme caramel. We had two: the profiteroles (choux pastry filled with vanilla ice cream and smothered in chocolate sauce and slivered almonds) for the boys and a café Liégeois (coffee ice cream with coffee sauce and a mountain of whipped cream) for myself. It was our son's first taste of profiteroles and it looks like it will be the first of many as my husband could hardly get a bite.

Here are some notes on how to survive the L'Entrecôte experience:

• There is always a line of people waiting at the door so unless you arrive exactly on the dot at noon for lunch and at 7 p.m. for dinner, you will have to wait it out in the long queue which is usually filled with very hungry, pushy customers, some of whom will squeeze their way through anything to get a table ahead of you. So remember to stand firm, keep your place in the line and be patient.
• It looks disorganized but the waitresses in their French maid outfits of black mini dresses and white aprons know exactly what is going on and will seat you eventually and honestly, once you're seated and having the super steak and savoury sauce, the wait would have been worth it.

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Le Relais de L'Entrecôte

**** Food - excellent steak-frites: tender meat, crispy matchstick fries and the secret sauce that will have you coming back for more

**** Service - Very, very efficient, quick and courteous; they know what they are doing

*** Ambience - a bit like a train station with people shoving at the door and high noise levels but excellent for a quick meals and they don't mind children (as long as your kids are patient enough to wait)

20, rue Saint-Benoît, 75006 Paris (+33 1 45 49 16 00)

other branches on 15 rue Marbeuf (+33 1 49 52 07 17) near the Champs Elysees and another in Geneva