Why Asian Food in Paris Sucks

So remember the post where I said I missed Asian food from New York? Apparently, I'm not alone. According to this article from the Atlantic (graciously shared with me by my friend Mollie), authentic asian is hard to come by in Paris for a few reasons, all of which surprised the author.

Reasons cited:

1. Hard to source the ingredients. I think this is a lazy excuse, however, it does explain why it would be so expensive here. However, in my opinion, there are some 'westerner' substitutes that can suffice and as long as the spices are there, the food should work. NEXT
2. The French are more about 'integrating' their emigrants into society, as opposed to just letting them maintain their heritage while living in France. This makes sense to me and I learned this in my multi-cultural training. If you live in France and you're an emigrant, you're French. The French encourage this (apparently it stemmed from when they lost so many lives in WWI and WWII trying to make up for population gaps. They still have the highest birth rate in Europe). Thus, when you're here it's VERY FRENCH despite being such a global city. In NY, we have china town, little italy, little korea, japan town, russian neighborhoods in brooklyn, etc in which you could live perfectly fine with only knowing you native tongue. Hell, I used to hear more Spanish on the subway than English. Not the case here (there are small patches of restos together, but rarely). This also stems to the food they are serving -- it's more 'french/asian' which means less spice, more sutble. Dont' get me wrong this happens in the US too (hellooo general tso's chicken), but in NY you can still find authentic food at a decent price (if not dirt cheap).
3. It's a developing market. French diners love French food. They didn't grow up with all the choices that we have in the US, so the demand isn't there. YET. From what I've seen of the Paris food scene so far, it's infectious and trendy, and I think all it takes is one great restaurant, serving delicious (and spicy!) food at a decent price to tip this over the edge.
4. Rent isn't that expensive apparently so maybe mediocre places can exist. So this isn't in the article and isn't corroborated, however, I learned the rent of a cute little resto in the 9th and was floored by how cheap it was. Like 1/10 what it would normally be in NYC. It was a fairly reliable source and it could be an exception, however, with the vacancy rates I've seen for businesses, as well as the number of seemingly crappy restos that stay in business (not to mention are barely open ...like from 10-2, tues-fri), I wouldn't be surprised.

From all of this, I see an opportunity. Parisians love great food...Asian food is great food, and the Asian food in paris is not great. Now if only I could convince my favortie Sushi, Thai, Indian, and Korean BBQ to open Paris branches, we'd all be bajillionaires. Project for 2012? 

Fun Fact

Did you know there are 16 ways to say the sound 'o' in French?

Eau, eaux, au, o, oh, aux, aus...that's all I can think of at this point. My intercultural trainer (what does that even mean???) shared this fun fact with us this last week as an example of how French spelling is so hard. You're telling me! She said it's because French is a very regional language and when they came together to make it one common language they took the different endings from all over the place (like the Bordeaux O sound, for example).

And the bad news is that the French are very particular about their spelling.... so I'm seeing a lot of flash cards for memorization in my future. YAY!?

Learning how to be an ExPat

I had an 'intercultural' training provided by work yesterday, which gave me about 1 million ideas for blog posts. It was an interesting day -- we had low expectations (thought it would be cheesy), but overall it was enjoyable and I learned a lot.

Some high-lights which are blog-worthy, but not post-worthy, include:

• Ordering soda with a meal is frowned upon in France. French people believe you should either have water (sparkling is okay) because it is natural and doesn't hinder taste, or wine which enhances. The sweetness of coke overpowers flavor and is thus, unacceptable.
• You should never cut your lettuce. Which is confusing to me when I have a big honking piece of iceberg lettuce on my plate. Instead, you must fold the lettuce (using your knife, maybe) and then eat. Also, you shouldn't cut eggs (and cheese? something else...) with a knife. They say you should cut it with the side of your fork.
• Parisians/French generally go home afterwork. It is very unheard of to socialize during the week. Thus,  this explains the importance placed on socializing at the coffee machine or at lunch, as that is the only time to really 'connect' with your co-workers.
• Did you know the French like wine? Because they really do. It was reiterated one nore time in the training. Once again, the trainer was impressed with my knowledge of the regions (thanks Andrea!).

Anywho, lots of interesting stuff which I'll share in the upcoming weeks. Most notably that 'France is a country of exceptions' which can be incredibly aggravating for us anglos. Anywho, hope everyone is having a super happy thanksgiving!!!!!! We're doing our Turkey in France tomorrow with some new friends...our Kitchen is getting it's first road test.

xxoo

Mexican food in Paris?! Oh my!

Food I miss from New York:

• Mexican food (mainly chipotle, let's be honest)
• Sushi (there's a ton here, but I haven't found a good place...or a cheap place)
• Thai Food (same as sushi comment)
• Indian Food (apparently hard to come by)
• Hamburgers (I'm on the prowl, I think I've found a good place. Can Shake Shack travel?)

Basically, I eat a lot of bread and cheese. Which is FABULOUS. However, I need me some spicy food in my life. In honor of this request, Andrew made Fajitas last night using a handy 'french' fajita kit that looked eerily similar to Old El Paso. You know the one -- bright yellow, chicken just oozing out the sides (see above). Fajitas from a box may not be gourmet, it may not even be Mexican, but it is a tasty treat and just enough Mexican spice to kill my chipotle craving (who am I kidding, it's a fire that can't be extinguished!)

We also made our own chips (yay deep frying!) and guac. One thing I've never understood is why Mexican food doesn't travel well the further you are from Mexico (even those from Cali/Texas would say the New York food isn't 'really' mexican food). We had this issue in Asia whilst travelling-- mexican food just didn't taste right and I did not get it. All of the ingredients exist, hell, all the ingredients in all mexican dishes are exactly the same, yet it doesn't taste the same in other countries. One of the world's biggest mysteries, right up there with stone henge and the pyramids to be sure :-)

Macarons & Cupcakes: NY vs. Paris

I found another favorite NY vs Paris poster:

However, I believe the lines are blurring on this one. Ladurée, the amazingly famous macaron patiserrie in Paris, has recently opened in NYC and Cupcakes are increasingly popular in Paris. To be honest, Ladurée is not my favorite macaron....and if you want to know a little secret my favorite Macron isn't even in Paris (although all macaron places in Paris have not been exhausted). When I lived in Long Island City in Queens, I had a little bakery in the bottom of my building, appropriately named Little Oven. And honestly, these are the freshest, most delicious macarons you'll ever encounter. They also have very fun flavors (try the earl grey tea, passion fruit, and salted caramel for sure!). Also, my favorite NYC cupcake is not Magnolia...it's another little place called Baked By Melissa. Her cupcakes are deliciously miniature, with fantastic flavor offerings (my favorites are cookie dough and red velvet cake YUM).

I also have noticed cupcakes in Paris are on the up and up...There was even a cupcake camp recently...What is a cupcake camp? Good question. According to the website "nearly 500 people descended on Le Comptoir General to eat around 2600 cupcakes made by 60+ professional and amateur cupcakers." That sounds like just the right amount of crazy and yummy.

Alors, this post has made me very hungry for something sweet :) Bon Weekend!

Le Baron Bouge??!?!?!

So you may recall a post about one of my favorite bistros Le Baron Rouge a while back. APPARENTLY, according to my "Authentic Bistros of France" book, the Baron Rouge is actually called the Baron Bouge. This completely blew my mind so I have started an investigation. It began on the internets, in which case I've come across a trip advisor page for the Baron Rouge and the Baron Bouge, pointed to the same place. However, the Rouge one has 15 reviews, while the other 9...Point 1 for Rouge.

Further desk research, found this blog in which the blogger claims they changed the name due to copyright infringement from some "member of the public." However, according to my book, it's because the neighborhood was originally sort of bouge-y and the clientale fit the mark. It also is a clever play on words.

Looking closer at the picture, the B from Baron and the B from Bouge definitely don't match. The R was clearly changed to a B and if not it seems like an odd design choice. Who to believe?!?!?!



Really the only next step is to go and investigate myself...and perhaps have 6 oysters, a cheese and meat plate, and a bottle of muscadet 'just to make sure' everything is in order :)

Antoni Gaudi: Te Quiero

To say that I love the work of Gaudi is only one part of the story. I am incredibly inspired, moved, and touched by his work, more so than any other architect I've encoutered thus far (keeping my mind open!). Seeing the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, and Parc Guell were definitely the sites I was looking forward to the most in Barcelona, however, in many ways I was scared to go back because of how much I loved them 10 years ago. Boy, they did not disappoint.

It's interesting because back then I could not articulate how, or why they moved me--I just LOVED the buildings and could spend hours there. I remember taking picture after picture (rolls of film at that time, can you imagine? ha) and although I always loved photography, the details that I kept finding and the angles I was using taking the photos were unlike anything I had done before. Gaudi had inspired me. Although I've never considered myself an artisic person, I like to think I'm a perceptual artist. I can appreciate art, design, and am interested in it, but never feel entirely compelled to create. However, Gaudi changes all that in me and I've walked away from this weekend incredibly energized.

In my day to day, I am helping to support and inspire innovation. Gaudi, like other geniuses, is an innovator. He didn't invent the Catholic cathedral, but he innovated it, much like Jobs didn't invent the smart phone, he just made it better. The Sagrada Familia has all the elements that you would associate with a brilliant cathedral, but he's turned most of them on their head. Cathedrals are generally dark, somber places -- Sagrada Familia is filled with light. Cathedrals are generally inspired by the church ("it's a grander church"), whereas Sagrada Familia was inspired by Nature. Gaudi saw God everywhere, particularly nature, and tried to bring that into the structure. He also thought about all the amazing details, from acoustics, to the symbolism of every statue, to the the celestial proportions. All of this really makes me look differently at 'a bloody cup of yogurt' (as a previous manager has said) with a new light asking "What rules can I break, but keep the essence of yogurt?"

It's amazing to me when my personal interests and what I get paid to do intersect. I feel really lucky that with 99% of my day to day I'm doing things that I actually enjoy. All geniuses, like Gaudi, Picasso, and Jobs have one thing in common - and that is passion. And although I never strive to be a genius, I do strive to find passion in what I do. And I thank Gaudi, among others, for the inspiration.

Here are some pics iPhone using Instamatic. I'm quite obsessed with that App.

Picasso: He's not like us

Apologies for the lack of content this week ....I've been overdosing on jamon and manchego cheese in Seville at a conference for work. I swear if I didn't have salted meat until the new year I'd be totally okay with it. There I said it.

Anywho, I'm extemely excited that my amazing friend charisse from new York is joining me in Barcelona this weekend for her early 30th birthday activities. I'm in Barcelona now anxiously awaiting her arrival. In an effort to pretend I'm cultured I just spent a couple of hours at the picasso museum (side note: does it really count as you going to a museum if you don't tell someone? ). It's actually a really awesome exposé on his life and work. There are some oil paintings he did whilst he was 12 which will blow your mind. (I believe my mother has kept some of my artwork from my childhood...abstract may be an appropriate way to describe it)

Anywho, one of the coolest things I saw was a video of some of paintings towards the end of the museum. It showcased the original las meninas painting by valezquez that picasso based an impressive 57 painting on. The cool thing was it overlayed picassos work on the painting so you could see the inspiration and get a glimpse into picassos brain.

Im doing this on my phone so I'm not sure how the pics will upload but I'm hoping you can see the picture of the little girl and then picassos interpretation. It's quite extraordinary. I'm sure I'll have more Spain stories to tell but so far Barcelona is as amazing as I remember and am looking forward to the weekend!

Ps for those of you wondering why I'm not working, it's remembrance day in France. Yay holidays.

Bikes in Amsterdam

How many bikes are fished out the canal in Amsterdam?

Answer: A LOT

Look at that claw!! It's huge, sort of like those games at the carnival.

I have never seen as many bikes as I've seen in Amsterdam. And where do they park them all?

Answer: In a bike parking garage of course.

Incredible. I love that city.

Wine poker

So I'm in Amsterdam for an innovation summit the past two days...this city is amazing. I can't believe I haven't been here before.

Anywho, the important story is how I won 'wine poker' last night. We were at a 'bonding' event (love corporate culture ha) and one of the games was to correctly identify 6 wines made by the same grape. Full disclosure; it was multiple choice. HOWEVER, I'm quite proud that I got all 6 right. Around the table were 3 guys from France, a girl from Belgium, another from Austria and one from England. One of the French guys got all 6 right as well so we had a 'smell off'. We were given three bottles with different scents and we had to properly identify them. The first was vanilla (easy) the second was toast (I said chestnut) and the third that gave me the win was pineapple. I'd like to go ahead and thank the country of Thailand for introducing me to that beautiful fruit.

The Europeans were unimpressed that my palate was a tad more discerning than theirs. Apparently Cabernet Sauvignon is tough to identify (for some ha). And in typical American fashion I gloated the whole night about my win. My parents would be proud.

What I'm doing this Weekend....

An interior designer friend recommended to me an interesting find at the Louvre. She suggested that the next time I'm there, skip the Mona Lisa and head straight to Napoleon's Apartments. She knows me well-- I would much rather immerse myself in gaudy interiors than fight a crowd for a peak at a painting. Hints of former French opulence can be seen all over Paris (the Opera house right by work, for one), however, I'm excited to see it up close and personal. I also heard there's a nice restaurant around the corner from the apartments -- another thing I love is eating at musuem restaurants (better in some cases than going in them).

If you're interested, here's a youtube video of the large dining room. Much cheaper than the 20 euro entry fee and flight to Paris. Technology these days.

Bon Weekend!

Relish & Quaff: Le Baron Rouge

I told you it was worth its own post, so please head over to Relish & Quaff for a full revealing of the Baron Rouge -  one of my favorite wine bars in Paris (well, so far).

My new favorite place

If it's Saturday and I'm in Paris, this is where I'll be found playing Parisian-- Marche D'aligre. It's a huge market about a 10 minute walk from my house and it's amazing.

Markets are an institution in France and everyone shops at them. It's a family event and it's incredibly popular -- and I can understand why. Shopping at a market is such a fun experience, the products are fantastic, and finally...the prices are CHEAP. Everything is expensive in France, except for produce from the market. Andrew and I went here a few weeks ago and left with two bags full of fruits and vegetables after spending only 10 euro. Let me tell you what we got for the equivalent of 13 dollars....1 HUGE thing of mushrooms, a handful of figs, leeks, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, an avocado, and I"m sure there is something that I've forgotten. We were amazed at the value and the quality was top.

We made this incredible soup -- cauliflower leek, using Thomas Keller's recipe found here (Recipe). I highly recommend (we even made our own croutons!). 

Oh and if you're nearby and want some amazing oysters you should stop by the baron rouge...but it's worth another post in itself so I'll leave that for later.

Paris Syndrome: A truly bizarre affliction

If you're looking for a chuckle and a WTF moment, I suggest you peruse the following article from the Atlantic titled Paris Syndrome: A First-Class Problem for a First-Class Vacation . Apparently, there are documented cases of tourists visiting Paris, having it not live up to their expectations, and basically having a panic attack.

"The shock of coming to grips with a city that is indifferent to their presence and looks nothing like their imagination launches tourists into a psychological tailspin which, in at least six cases this year, necessitated the patient being flown back to his or her country under medical supervision. Usually, though, bed rest and hydration seem to take care of the problem within a few days. The Japanese Embassy, though, has had no shortage of people who, in the throes of the Syndrome, call or visit to be reassured that the city is not going to collapse in upon them."

Really?? Some people are too funny. I mean, sure, you can be disappointed but having to be sent home because there isn't red wine flowing through the streets and accordion players on every corner? C'est bizarre, n'est-ce pas? 

Having had 'the dream' of living in Paris since I was a wee tot (I even had a Paris themed bedroom, the remnants of which can still be seen in my parents house), I can share in their disappointment somewhat. The fact is usually when you have such high expectations for something it can never possibly live up to your imagination -- and that's exactly where those types of fantasies belong. In some ways, it was one of my hesitations of moving here because I've always had this dream and I didn't think it could be as good. And to temper those expectations I did a lot of research before I came, reading blogs and speaking to co-workers from France. Living somewhere is very different from visiting and I tried to grasp those differences before setting foot on european soil. (New York on the other hand, I knew very little about before moving and was BLOWN away by how cool it was after moving. Different strategy)

So in that way, I think I've come out on top. Living here has been great so far -- it may not be a fantasy, but it is fantastic.

Death By Chocolate

So I had planned to write an 'ode to the history of french chocolate' but according to about.com French chocolate is a relatively modern development, with actually the Spanish, Germans, and Belgians leading the way here. Hmmm It does say we can credit the French for its "chocolate for breakfast," (otherwise known as Pain au Chocolat). Apparently, the regent for Louis XV, Phillipe D'orelans, invented it. Merci!

Bored with the history of chocolate? Me too, so let's get to the good part. I think French chocolate is delicious, far more so than its American imposter, and am planning to go the prestigious La Salon Du Chocolat this weekend. La Salon Du Chocolat is a chocolate festival! Did you hear that? A FESTIVAL FULL OF CHOCOLATE. According to the website, it's the festival to discover the world of chocolate and cacao. It has everything from hot chocolate, to bars, to chocolate novelties and more. YUM
And if you're in Paris next time might a recommend a chocolate walk? Or you can do it yourself thanks to the blog Paris by Mouth with their incredibly useful map of chocolate shops. Bon Appetit!

Courtesy of Parisbymouth.com

Things I don't like

One thing I dislike about living in France is that there are no dryers (or Europe really). I know, I know, it's probably better for the environment, our electricity bills are lower, blah blah blah.....but it's so incredibly annoying to hang your clothes everywhere and then they have that crinkly, rough feeling (especially the towels!!!). It's probably just the influence of American marketing (well done P&G), but there is nothing better to me than a towel that's soft and fluffy just out of the dryer.

This guys knows what I'm talking about

Le Sigh. Clearly, this isn't the end the world, but since I've been pretty positive towards living in France I figured I should show both sides of the coin :-)

Also, when I googled "fluffy towel out of the dryer" looking for an image this one came up. Thought it was quite a coincidence. It's even spelled correctly!

This has nothing to do with France, but I need to vent. I also HATE when I opt out of an email list and then they send me a confirmation email. I am opting out because I hate your crappy email, please don't send me another one! Thanks for letting me write that, I feel much better.

....And I'm back

So this whole 'no internet in your house' thing is really cramping my blogger style. (First world problem much?) Anywho, the internet is still not connected (apparently "1 week" is open for interpretation in French culture), so I'll continue to squeeze in time to blog during breaks at work (SHHHH!).

If you are in France sometime in the near future, RUN, don't walk, to Bordeaux. Bordeaux was such a lovely city -- beautifully quaint, good food, awesome vibe and of course it is SURROUNDED by delicious wineries. YUM. I've only ever been to wineries in and around San Fran (sonoma and napa), which are superb, but there is definitely a different feel while touring wineries nearby a typical french chateau. I learned all about the wine making process and the types of grapes that are found in the bordeaux region. One fun fact unkown to me was why they put rose bushes at the end of each row of vines -- apparently the roses get the same 'diseases' as grape vines, but 2 weeks in advance so they can diagnose before it ruins the vine. Tada!

We also toured the adorable town of St. Emillion. It's a bit touristy, but makes sense seeing as it's so beautiful.

Things I love about Paris: THE METRO

Coming from a city with a fairly stellar public transporation system, I feel like it's hard to impress me. But I must say, the Paris metro is superb. I have now taken the metro for an entire work week from the new place (metro stop Voltaire, as pictured). I've taken it at various times between 7:30 and 9:30....and I've gotten a seat every single time and have never had to wait longer than 2 minutes (and I know this because there is a countdown clock). The Paris metro is clean, fast, and thorough... I am a HUGE fan. (Same timing going home at night anywhere between 6pm and 10pm ...always a seat!)

Another cool thing is that my work is required to pay for half of my travel costs. Thus, my monthly pass is ridiculously cheap. YAY French Gov't!

Speaking of other yay french gov't tactics, work is also required to subsidize and pay for half of my lunch. We have a cafeteria (which is also superb), which means my lunch is around 3-4 euro a day. For others with no cafeteria, you buy tickets from your company for 50% of the cost. So they give you a 10 euro ticket, you actually only paid them 5 and you can use them at restaurants around the city.

How do I say awesome in French?

RIP Steve Jobs

I was sleeping when it happened, but during my waking hours yesterday as Steve Jobs was dying I said these exact words to the question what do you miss most from living in the US? "my iPhone." I love it so much, I yearn for it. (I know, I know...I can get one here, but it's complicated and I don't have it yet and I feel like I'm living in 1999).

It may be a sad thing to admit I miss most (I mean, showers with curtains could be a more appropriate answer..or Shake Shack), but it's true. Steve Jobs has revolutionized how I communicate, how I keep in touch, and most top of mind for me how I discover a city. I desperately need google maps, Yelp, and all my other apps which help me explore and get the most of where I live. Thanks Steve, for everything.

I leave you with this quote I found on my awesome friend Ashley's blog -- A little Dash of Ash

I truly believe this and I try to follow it everyday. Thanks for the motto.

Things Parisians Like: STRIPES!

This one is sort of an obvious one, but it's sterotypically true! I see them everywhere and luckily stripes have been "in" other places in the world lately so I own a few striped sweaters already.

Wanted to share this adorable picture from the blog Mrs. Lilien Styling House ... So cute and I love how she uses the bread as an arrow and says croissant is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. True!

Also, the scarves is another obvious thing that Parisians Like :-) (and my friend Andrea...tee hee)