Aux Merveilleux de Fred

I don't know who Fred is...or how merveilleux (marvelous) he is...but his damn pastries are!

I don't think this is Fred unfortunately...

Originally from Lille, the shop expanded to the right bank in the heart of Passy (16th district).
The shop is tiny and its successful among the neighbors. The shop creates a range of specially and freshly made products (their specialty is meringue) right before your eyes (the pastry is made at window display). 

Meringues are made in four different sizes - from small, individual ones to meringue “cakes” that feed eight.

Meringues are not very easy to make - you need to beat white eggs with sugar and cooked the correct temperature - perhaps the tricky part as it cannot be rushed - for a long enough period of time to create the perfect meringue. 

A must-try is Le Merveilleux - air beaten meringue with a chantilly middle rolled in chocolat and chocolate chips and powdered with icing sugar

Or even L’Incroyable - aie beaten meringue with speculos with a chantilly middle and rolled in white chocolate chips 

In the Viennoiserie section, they offer Le Cramique - A sugary Flemish brioche sparkled with pearled sugar with either chocolate chips and sugar with raisons - sold like a buttered toast


Others include Sugary tart, brioche, flan, pain au chocolat and croissant, chocolate ganache and Flemish waffles. 


The Meringues are usually crispy on the outside with a soft with a light and soft middle - but these are something else. I saw long lines during the Christmas holiday time and I can vouch for them, that they are worth standing in line for. 

If you don't believe how good the pastries are, go check it out for yourself! 


Aux Merveilleux de Fred
29 rue de l'Annonciation, 75016
Tel: 01 45 20 13 82


They also have a sister shop in the 15th:

129 bis, rue Saint-Charles
Tél. : 01 45 79 72 47

La Chaumette

La Chaumette is one of those hideaway restaurants only known by locals of the neighborhood that they keep secret themselves from others in the 16th arrondissement. You won't find tourists here, just friendly neighbors serving traditionally french dishes that one's grandma might make on a Sunday afternoon. This bistro reminds me of a grand aunt’s living room, with cookbooks and French classic literature on the shelves, wood paneling and shaded light fixtures making you feel just like at home.  

The tables are  adorned with Chaumette branded china.  Of course, the wait staff bring fine French silver for each course, depending upon what is ordered.

The tables are cozy and small, and closely positioned side by side to the one next to it. Just like your own family, the staff could not be more charming. They were helpful, smiling, and spoke English. 

The best thing about Chaumette, however, is the food.  Focused on traditional French cuisine, La Chaumette brings mama’s and grandma’s dishes, French comfort food that is always satisfying and full of flavor, to the table.  

Côte de bœuf (roasted cut of beef) with classic bearnaise

Blanquette de veau (Veal stew)

Filet de Canette au foie gras (Seared duck in foie gras sauce)

Vegetable dish - pot-au-feu style

Desserts:

Crêpes Suzette

Verrine aux marrons, mascarpone à l'Amaretto

A quaint restaurant in the 16th district. You might enter as a tourist but you will come out as a local. 

La Chaumette

7 Rue Gros, 75016 (Metro: Passy - Ligne 6 ou Boulainvilliers - RER C)

Tel: 01 79 97 32 66

L'Astrance

Tonight we enjoyed a meal at Pascal Barbot's 3-Michelin star restaurant, L’Astrance, a small and 25-seat venue in the 16th arrondissement. Formerly from L'Arpège, Barbot's kitchen brigade contains many Asian influences, particularly Japanese, Thai and Chinese, which comes out in each and everyone of his dishes. Moreover, there is no menu, Barbot decides what they are but each dish is thought out carefully, creatively and is prepared and presented in the utmost precision. 

Simple and elegant table decor

First Amuse-Bouche: Toasted pain de siègle soup

Second Amuse-Bouche: Almond brioche with white disc of Green apple and Praline accompanied by White truffle chantilly with pistacchio and cracker

Entrée

Galette of Foie gras, Apple and Champignons de Paris with lemon confit and hazelnut oil

Poissons:

Sea scallops, shrimp and oyster with milk foam, dried and bitter congu with oyster leaf

Lobster and satay sauce with komlava accompanied by roll of chili, basil on a bed of raw peanuts

Caramelized codfish, condiment of pear and ginger with fish eggs

Wheat polenta, french toast in tempura form and truffle

Viande: Saddle of lamb with black curry, aubergine and chili from Brazil

Mystery hot-and-cold creation: Before the arrival of our desserts, we were given a mysterycreation and asked to guess its ingredients. We thought it was a sesame ice-cream and the faint acidity a kind of yoghurt concoction. 

It ended up being Vanilla ice-cream, mash potato and fromage blanc sorbet

To clean our palate: (hands-down the most interesting thing I've tasted) a Chili, Lemongrass and Ginger Sorbet. The chilli gently warmed the back of the throat and the sorbet was of snow-like quality.

Desserts

Vanilla and miso ice-cream, almond biscuit and genmai

Caramel in coffee cream (a play on tiramisu) and almond foam

Chestnut cake and orange chocolate

Fruit platter

Jasmine eggnog

Chestnut madeleine

What a 3-star experience! Barbot is a true culinary force. The staff were very attentive and not stuffy at all. It was a very adventurous and enjoyable meal, with lots of texture and flavor that jumped out of the dish and prepared with the utmost finesse.

Ps. right after I walked into the restaurant, who comes for dinner? None other than Adeline Grattard (former Ferrandi student, former cuisinière of L'Astrance and now 1-star Michelin chef of Yam t'cha (also on blog). She even recognized me from my visit and said hello!)

L’Astrance
4 Rue Beethoven, 75016

Tel: 01 40 50 84 40

Metro: Passy

L'ARC Paris

L’Arc Paris Restaurant, Bar and Nightclub is the place to be seen in Paris nightlife.  This refurbished restaurant has a progressive interior design for the swankiest of Paris and lies in the shadow of the Arc de Triomph. The view while eating the meal of Chef Antony Germani (ex- of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon) is spectacular, as it has clear 180 degree views of the famed monument. Below the restaurant lies L'ARC nightclub; expensive cocktails, leather furniture and walls adorned with retro-art. 

The restaurant has no interest in Michelin stars whatsoever, it lives on being a popular place and in demand by a rather mixed crowd. The food though was well presented and creative, with a modern twist.

Entrées

Crème Brulée de Foie gras, Confit de Butternut, et Salade d'herbes acidulée (Crème Brulée of Foie gras with Butternut confit)

Le Nem de Poulet "Menthe et Coriandre", Sauce Aigre douce (Chicken spring rolls with sweet-and-sour sauce)

La Burrata et Tomates Cerises (Burrata Cheese and Cherry tomatoes)

Le Velouté d'Hiver (Fall/Winter soup)

Plats

Le Dos de Bar Juste Rôti, Poelée de Champignons, et Ecume de Truffe (Roasted Bar with Sauteed mushrooms, Truffle écume)

Tartare de Boeuf Aller-Retour, Pommes Pont-Neuf (Beef Tartare half-cooked)

Le Pigeon Entier Rôti, Cèpes Marinés, Poelées de Salsifis (Roasted pigeon, with marinated cepes mushrooms)

L'Incontournable Sole de l'ARC, Riz Noir (Sole fish with black ink rice)

Desserts

Le Moelleux au Chocolat Bio et Glace Vanille de Tahiti (Chocolate cake et Tahitian vanilla ice-cream)

Le Crazy pot de L'ARC (Vanilla ice-cream, Mango and Raspberry Sorbet)

Salade de Clémentines, Gelée de Muscade, et Granité Champagne Moet et Chandon Rosé (Clementine salad with Moet and Chandon Rose Champagne)

It was a very nice meal, which was then followed by a trip to the Bar with free Champagne (as our table was given to the second seating (but no complaint from me) and then what was first a 'quick 5 min look' at the club downstairs...it ended up being a 4-hour look :)

L'ARC

12 Rue de Presbourg
75016 Paris, France
Tel: 01 45 00 78 70

Metro: Charles De Gaulle Etoile