Simone & Maurice Glacier (Dijon, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

After satisfying my craving for French pastries, it was time to get ourselves some frosty ice-cream to battle the heat. Simone & Maurice Glacier has been praised by locals and tourists alike for its natural flavors so we decided to drop by for a sweet treat.

Their ice creams and sorbets are 100% homemade without additives and preservatives. 

Like most artisanal ice-cream parlors, they offer a limited selection of flavors and do not maintain excessive stock.

Vanilla and Apricot (€4.5) – The vanilla ice-cream was really rich and creamy while the apricot sorbet provided a strong burst of acidity. Very stark contrast. 

Little nugget seemed to love this (but he loves any frosty ice-cream!).

I always love a small, artisanal ice-cream shop but I thought the flavors here are a little too heavy on the fruity side, which isn't entirely my cup of tea.  

Food Rating: 5.9/10

Price: €€

Address: 6 Rue de la Chouette, 21000 Dijon, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8043-8701

Website: www.simonemaurice.fr

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 6:30pm (Tue - Sat), 3:00pm - 6:00pm (Sun)

Maison Paroty Dijon Théâtre (Dijon, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

After averaging at least two pastries a day when we were in Paris, I have been shut out in Dijon so far. But I knew my fortune was about to turn around when I dumped into Maison Paroty Dijon Théâtre on our way to Église Saint-Michel.



Maison Paroty is situated on Place du Théâtre, a bustling spot in the heart of Dijon, known for its centralized location and proximity to some of the city's historic landmarks including the Museum of Fine Arts. 

I decided to step inside the boulangerie pâtisserie for a quick look.

They offer a nice selection of traditional French pastries, baked goods and ice-cream. Even have a small tea salon next to the pastry counter which would make a fine spot for a relaxing afternoon tea.

Baba Rhum Ananas (€3.5) – I missed out on the chance to taste the rum baba from Stroher who was credited with creating the French dessert back in the 1700s but here's my second chance.

My rum baba came with a small tube of pineapple rum infused syrup and apparently, it was up to me to decide how much liquor I wanted to inject into my cake.

I finally found a place to get this over with. I have always enjoyed simple desserts and this is as simple as it gets. We have got a light and fluffy yeast cake on the bottom, topped by a cloud of light whipped cream and the rum-infused syrup turned it into something that was moist and flavorful (fruity at the same time thanks to the pineapple flavor). Very nice!

So happy to get my sweet tooth started in Dijon! Hopefully, a sign of things to come for the remainder of this trip...

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: €€

Address: 3 Bis Rue Vaillant, 21000 Dijon, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 7936-5784

Website: www.paroty.fr

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 7:00pm (Mon - Sat)

BHV Brasserie de l'Hôtel de Ville (Dijon, FRANCE) ★★☆☆☆

We had a slow start to our day making a few stops on Rue de la Liberté before finally reaching Liberation Square, Dijon's main square and one with historic significance.



This is where you find some of the most prominent attractions in Dijon including Hotel De ville (Dijon's Town Hall) and Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne (what a long name for an attraction).

 

Little nugget just couldn't stop running around the water fountains with the other kids.

Of course, we had to find a lunch spot on Liberation Square to soak up this wonderful vibe.  

We ended up picking BHV (Brasserie Hotel De ville) cuz they were on the quieter side of the square and had a number of tables opened up after a large tour group has just left.

Gnocchi, burrata cheese, ham, tomato – Little one has been asking for pasta since early morning and this was the only pasta dish they've got on their menu. I thought the homemade gnocchi was a little soggy but the supporting cast of burrata cheese, ham, tomato, rocket leaves and tomato sauce was reasonably good. Not sure if the dish was meant to be this soupy.

Salmon, red pepper, polenta – By far the best dish here. The sous-vide salmon fillet, topped with chopped tomatoes and olives, was nicely matched with confit red pepper and polenta cake. Not bad.

Pork pluma, new potatoes, chimichurri – The pork was really rough and it felt like eating my car tires (Jelloman actually thought it was OK). Didn't like the chimichurri sauce.

Following the meal, this guy was back at it again "gliding thru" the water fountain.

With the nasty heat this afternoon, I bet everyone including myself would love to do the same as well.

BHV was never our first choice to begin with. Michelin-starred Loiseau des Ducs, just a few steps off the square was. Opened in 2013, Loiseau des Ducs was named after Bernard Loiseau, a highly acclaimed French chef awarded with three Michelin stars back in his days. He passed away in 2003 with reports claiming that he took his own life after deeply affected by rumors that his restaurant might lose one of its three Michelin stars. The news sent shockwaves through the culinary community and sparked discussions about the intense pressure and stress that many chefs face in the pursuit of culinary perfection.

In fact, this was not the only restaurant in the world which was named after the great chef. We had the pleasure of dining at Bernard Loiseau Signature Éo in Osaka back in 2015, another restaurant opened in memory of the chef.

Going back to our lunch experience for a moment here.....

Our dining experience at BHV was a disappointing one without question. We were rushed through the meal, partly due to the constant attacks by a group of bees. Coupled with the subpar quality of the food, it culminated in an overall underwhelming experience.

Liberation Square, Dijon at night.

    

The light show at Liberation Square is a captivating spectacle that illuminates the historical centre of the city with a dazzling display of lights and colors. This night event helps to transform the square into a magical paradise that draws locals and visitors alike.

Food Rating: 4.6/10

Price: €€€

Address: 22 Place de la Libération, 21000 Dijon, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8041-8150

Opening Hours: 8:30am - 10:00pm daily

Paul Bakery Rue Musette (Dijon, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

Finding a breakfast spot in Dijon continued to be a challenge for us, even though we were staying very close to the city centre. Since I was responsible for picking up our take-away breakfast this morning, I decided to go to a familiar spot for some baked goods – Paul Bakery on Rue Musette.

While it was our first time in Dijon, I have known Paul, the long-standing French bakery chain founded in 1889 for years. They are best known for their traditional French bread, pastries and other baked goods. Just before this trip, I have already pinned this location on my Google Map.

Plain croissant – Something simple for my little one. While this likely won't pass my cross-section test, it was a nice and hearty way for him to start the morning (with his milk).

Pistachio macaron – An unlikely candidate for my breakfast but I've always been a fan of Paul's jumbo macarons. So, why not!?

I have had a lot of macarons from Paul before and there was always a nice harmony between its delicate shell and flavorful ganache filling. This should get me through the morning.

Price: €€€

Address: 21/23 Rue Musette, 21000 Dijon, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 5928-9853

Website: https://paul.fr/

Opening Hours: 7:00am - 7:00pm (Mon - Sat)

BCHEF - Dijon CV Godrans (Dijon, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

Dijon has long been hailed as one of the most exquisite historic towns in France, renowned for its exceptional architectural heritage shaped by its long and rich history. To truly appreciate its beauty, one must immerse themselves in the experience of spending at least a few memorable days here. And that's what we'll be doing in the next couple of days.

The historic center of Dijon is a treasure trove of architectural wonders and historical significance. Place François Rude and the remarkable Fountain of Neptune were excellent starting points for our exploration of this enchanting city with the iconic Église Notre-Dame de Dijon and Place Notre Dame next on our agenda.

By the time we finished our first day of exploration in the city, it was already 8pm and most restaurants were already packed. 

After a long travel day, we were not really keen on having a serious dinner so a quick bite was something that was on everyone's mind. 

BCHEF right in the heart of the historic centre of Dijon was the easy choice for us as there was no lineup in front and we were immediately served upon our arrival. Honestly, I am not sure if burgers were the first thing on my mind right now (a simple pasta dish would be fine with me) but a quick meal would allow us to head back to the hotel and crash early.

Le Fêtard ("Party Animal") – Toasted brioche with double beef patties, double (melted) emmental cheese, caramelized onions and finished off with BCHEF's "Happiness" sauce. This was served with crinkle fries.

I was wondering why this burger was significantly cheaper than the next one but after the first bite, the answer was pretty obvious. This was really their basic burger with two really thin beef patties and not much ingredients in between so it tasted no better than a MacDonald's double cheeseburger. 

Le Cheddar & Bacon – This was way better. 

It featured the same toasted brioche but with double fresh steak, cheddar, grilled bacon, fried onions, arugula, and a relatively light barbecue sauce sandwiched in between. Same crinkle fries.

They called these "fresh steak" rather than beef patties and apparently boasted more superior texture and flavors.

It wasn't my first time having a French-style burger in my life. I remembered long long time ago when Big Fernand was still around and I wasn't impressed. Their steak was always very meaty but very dry (not nearly juicy enough) and that was the case again with our two burgers tonight. Perhaps they could learn a thing or two from American-style burgers, which are always packed with a variety of ingredients like lettuce, tomato, onion, and a delicious sauce,

Food Rating: 4.4/10

Price: €€€

Address: 94 Rue des Godrans, 21000 Dijon, France

Tel: +33 (0)3 8049-2822

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 9:00pm (Mon - Thu), 11:00am - 10:00pm (Fri - Sat)

Menu Palais La Vallée Village (Serris, FRANCE) ★★★☆☆

After spending four days in Paris, it was time for us to head south and get some sunshine. But there was still one more stopover to make before our drive down south, La Vallée Village in Serris.

While Jelloman immediately headed for her shopping spree, yours truly decided to bring little one out for a quick bite.

There wasn't a whole lot of choices around the designer outlet when it comes to food so instead of getting picky, we ended up settling down at Menu Palais, a casual diner in the heart of La Vallée Village serving a simple all-day menu. 

We got to chill out a bit while waiting for Jelloman to finish her shopping. 

Some cold drinks to start us off first during our wait.

Cod fish and chips with tartare sauce – Well, I ordered this for myself but my son swiftly scooped it up without my blessing! 😡😡

Baked rigatoni with Comté cheese – Now, I understood why he had to abandon his pasta. This was way too cheesy, even for daddy.

The plan was to spend about an hour and a half at the outlet but we wound up spending twice the time per our original plan. I guess I really need to step on the gas petal to cut down on our travel time now, or else it would be dark before we arrive in Dijon.

Food Rating: 4.6/10

Price: €€€

Address: 3 Cours de la Garonne, 77700 Serris, France

Tel: +33 (0)1 6043-2673

Website: www.lavalleevillage.com/fr/cafes-and-restaurants/menu-palais/

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 8:00pm daily

Hakata Choten Opera (Paris, FRANCE) ★★☆☆☆

Less than a week into our trip to France, little nugget has already voiced his displeasure on having French food everyday on a number of occasions. So, I decided to change things up tonight by treating him to a Japanese ramen dinner at Hakata Choten Opera.



When visiting a ramen shop named "Hakata" (based on the district of Fukuoka, Japan), you can expect a strong focus on tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen, a specialty that Hakata is renowned for.

Tonkotsu Special + Chasu (€20.5) – One of the signature tonkotsu ramen here, combining the secret ingredients from their Tonkotsu Red (broth infused with a secret spicy sauce) and Tonkotsu Black (broth infused with scorched black garlic sauce) recipe. This came with 3 slices of barbecued pork, a soft-boiled egg, fresh chives and bean sprouts (no bamboo shoots!). 

As usual, I sampled the tonkotsu broth with a quick sip but it fell way short of expectations. There was no depth of flavors coming from the broth and instead, just a lot of saltiness (kind of like the broth of instant noodles made with seasoning powder). The red sauce apparently  added some mild spicy kick to the broth but nothing too overpowering there.

The soft-boiled egg.......well, became a hard-boiled egg. 😔😔

Right after the meal, we took a relaxing walk around rue Sainte-Anne and Avenue de l’Opéra. This is where you find all these little Asian restaurants (mostly Japanese and Korean). We also stumbled upon Gyoza Hohei, a Japanese restaurant that used to be called "Izakaya Taisho Ken 3" in 2017. It was there that my little boy was having his breakdown screaming and yelling after our meal (Who could blame a 2 year old kid having a meltdown on his first trip in Europe). This brought back a lot of memories for us.

Once again, this ramen dinner highlighted how fortunate we are as Hongkongers. The diverse range of foods we have the privilege of savoring in Hong Kong, be it Japanese, French or Italian, comes with authentic flavors that transport us to the very essence of these same dishes as enjoyed in their respective native countries.

Food Rating: 3.8/10

Price: €€€

Address: 53 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: Opéra

Tel: +33 (0)1 4020-9888

Website: www.hakata-choten.com

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm (Mon - Fri), 12:00pm - 4:30pm (Sat - Sun), 6:00pm - 10:00pm (Mon - Sun)

Le Violon d'Ingres (Paris, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

Today’s main event for us is a visit to the Eiffel Tower. I don’t know about the others but personally, I am pumped every time I come across this symbolic landmark of Paris. For our own convenience, I thought it was important that we found a lunch venue near the tower so we could soak up the vibe in the 7th arrondissement neighborhood which is best known for its historical sites, charming neighborhoods, and vibrant cultural scene.

That brought us to Le Violon d'Ingres, an upscale neo-brasserie helmed by highly regarded chef Alain Solivérès, formerly of the prestigious fine-dining institution Le Taillevent, and Jimmy Tsaramanana.

I knew a big part of Le Violon d'Ingres' kitchen (including pastry chef Ryota Ozawa) is Asian but didn't realize that its client base is predominantly Asian as well.

Lunch got rolling in a hurry with some cheese gougères and seasoned almonds (I thought with matcha).

Heirloom tomatoes, pine nuts, burrata, olive oil – Some of us kicked off the meal with an assortment of heirloom tomatoes which have been seasoned with sherry vinegar. This came with very refreshing, clean flavors working well with the roasted pine nuts, pistou and burrata cheese.

Fine cream of peas, sheep’s curd – I ordered this for little nugget simply for the fact that it's the perfect dish for the summer. The chilled green peas soup was nicely garnished with crispy croutons and a cloud of sheep's curd in the middle. Just couldn't ask for a more refreshing start to the meal (except for the heirloom tomatoes perhaps).

Escalope of duck foie gras, seasonal fruits – As much as I loved to start things off with a refreshing dish, I just couldn't pass on the chance of having a superbly seared duck foie gras. Look at the size of these two thick-cut foie gras and their caramelized crust. The execution was simply faultless and the collection of seasonal fruits including the roasted fig, peach, apricot and pear were the perfect match made in heaven. Yeah, my self-imposed ban on the consumption of duck foie gras was temporarily lifted for a few hours. 😆😆

Free range pigeon in a puff pastry Wellington style, salmis sauce – Our first main dish was pigeon breast from Landis stuffed inside a puff pastry Wellington style.

The pigeon breast cooked to amazingly rosé was elegantly enveloped inside the puff pastry and finished off with a creamy salmis sauce. For a brief moment or two, I did regret not ordering this myself.

Duck breast, polenta, olives, rosemary – I had the roasted duck breast from Chalosse. Duck from the Chalosse region is touted for its exceptional flavor and tenderness, and it was in full display this afternoon. The duck breast was nicely accompanied by a slice of polenta cake topped with olives and rosemary. Yet another plus dish from the talented kitchen.

Snow eggs, crème anglaise with Bourbon vanilla, pink pralines – This consisted of layers of fluffy and airy egg white which was beautifully crowned with pink pralines, nuts and edible flowers. A nice pour of custard cream made with Bourbon vanilla, eggs and milk put the finishing touch on the delicious dessert.

Traditional Mille Feuille, light vanilla whipped cream – One of the best millefeuille I have ever had in my life (I have a few of these on this trip). The pastry was so so light, almost feather-like but it's got enough butter for the nice, buttery texture to match up against the vanilla whipped cream and chocolate sauce (did I taste caramel there?). I love a simple dessert that was done right. 

We were so full but I won't miss the mignardises for the world, especially the mini lemon tarts which came with a sharp burst of acidity.

That was a really relaxing lunch without the pressure of a fine-dining setting. Service was certainly up to par for a Michelin starred restaurant and I liked the classy modern interior which wasn't meant to be flashy or pretentious. If I ever live in Paris, this is a place I would love to come back time and time again.

We didn't forget why we were here in the heart of the 7th arrondissement. Unfortunately, sections of the park were off-limits due to Summer Olympics construction, which meant we couldn't capture any picturesque shots of the iconic tower.

This photo taken in 2013 remains the best shot we have of the tower (with us). I doubt we'll ever surpass it.

Food Rating: 7.7/10

Price: €€€

Address: 135 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France

Closest Metro Station: École Militaire / Pont de l'Alma

Tel: +33 (0)1 4555-1505

Website: https://leviolondingres.paris/

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:00pm, 6:30pm - 10:00pm daily