Pâtisserie Sébastien Gaudard - Rue des Martyrs (Paris, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

Once a humble market street in the 9th arrondissement, Rue des Martyrs has quietly become one of the coolest places to shop thanks to its gourmet boutiques, bakeries, cafés and produce stalls. On New Year's Eve, every Parisien was scrambling to finish his or her grocery shopping early and head home for celebration. I was doing exactly the same thing on Rue des Martyrs all by myself with Jelloman and little nugget settling down in a café nearby.

It was absolute joy walking around a market street like Rue des Martyrs, even for someone who barely knows how to cook (like yours truly). One of the familiar names I happened to run into was Pâtisserie Sébastien Gaudard, a popular pastry brand that we just visited a few nights ago.

These were all ready to be taken home for New Year celebration.

Knowing well that little nugget was due for his afternoon nap, I quickly wrapped up my shopping, met up with the gang and headed home on a cab. Next thing I knew, I was setting up our own party in the kitchen. Before I started laying out our food, I noticed the hotel staff had sneaked in with a few surprises. A bottle of champagne, box of chocolate, macaron and a "Happy New Year 2018" card. That's a nice touch.

Guess what I've prepared for tonight's dinner? Rotisserie chicken.

Some local strawberries.....

Something sweet to finish our New Year's Eve feast on a sweet note – Montmorency griotte-pistache from Pâtisserie Sébastien Gaudard. Silky smooth pistachio cream delivered some strong nutty flavors while matched with the sharp acidity from the montmorency cherries. Pretty interesting combination of flavors.

Looking back, this had to be one of the most memorable New Year's Eve for little nugget. Spending Christmas and New Year in Paris. It must be quite an adventure for him.

And he seems to be enjoying himself very much. I guess he's born to be a wanderlust!

Food Rating: 6.4/10

Price: €€€

Address: 22, rue des Martyrs, 75009 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: Saint-Georges / Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

Tel: +33 (0)1 7118-2470

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 8:00pm (Mon - Fri), 10:00am - 8:00pm (Sat), 10:00am - 7:00pm (Sun)