Friends in the know gave me excellent recommendations as I planned my culinary adventure in France.  My mission was to find affordable, woman and single diner-friendly restaurants  where I could have memorable meals of exciting,  well-prepared food.  I succeeded brilliantly. This is my first report of dining in Paris in October 2017.

Julia Child was right of course. One day she told me that the assertive, spicy,tangy, mouth-filling flavors of the ethnic foods-Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Indian– that many diners in the US now prefer, have dulled palates and make it more difficult to appreciate the nuances and subtleties of French cuisine. I agree.

Last night, my first in Paris after a stressful journey, I wanted my first meal to be at the most-recommended restaurant  by different friends, Le Comptoir,  I was terribly disappointed.  The food was well prepared and presented but it was very one dimensional and not thrilling in the least.  Most, if not all, the diners were from the United States.

The soup, Noix de St. Jacques, bouillon de champignons de Japon, coriandre, was cold when it was first served but was actually very good once they sent out a new hot one. I couldn’t see well enough to see the price of the second course choice: Lobster, overcooked, with some sort of cinnamon foam on top and a 30 Euro supplement, and finally I ordered the hare just because I’d never had it and wouldn’t have ordered it  if I had noticed that it too had a $25 euro supplement. It was served in a chestnut puree with no seasoning. I couldn’t eat it.  The cheese course was fabulous and the dessert so-so.

If you decide to go, please note that the restaurant opens for dinner at 8:30PM!

Le Comptoir: 9,carretour de l’Odeon, 75006 Paris, Tel: 33 (0)1 44- 27- 0797

The next day I had one of the greatest meals of my life but it’s important that all my readers keep in mind that the opinions in the posts following are mine and mine alone. I am a chef with a very particular style and need exciting flavors to feel satisfied.

My WOW experiences were at Ze Kitchen Galerie  and its sister restaurant, Kitchen Ter(re) where I ate what might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten to date: a baby mussel Thai green curry soup seasoned with shiso and, among other some tropical fruits new to me (see pictures)! Chef William Ledeuil’s Thai-French cuisine is deeply thought out but not contrived.

Suzanne Hamlin once gave me a great gift when she wrote that eating my food was almost like discovering colors. Here each color is a flavor that presents itself in some sort of magical sequence. It’s the kind of food that makes you want to close you eyes to savor the flavors almost in a trance. It might not have the same effect on you but, for me, it was thrilling.

Great bread

Thai Green curry

Pasta shells                                                                                                         Pain Perdu