After bringing mom to Caffè Florian, one of the oldest coffee shops in the world (1720) while we were in Venice back in 2017, it was time to introduce her to Angelina, the century-old Parisian institution on our second day in Paris. Not surprisingly, there was a huge lineup in front of their famous tea room on Rue de Rivoli. It's just business as usual.
I took some time to check out their patisserie counter while my teammates were waiting in line.
I knew it's 5:30PM but I thought there's still a long way to go before the tea room closes. Is that all they've got left (some lemon tarts, mille feuille and Paris-Brest)?
And finally, our turn!
It's my third visit to this coveted tea salon but only the first time taking things upstairs.
Well, not as glamorous as the ground-floor salon but the belle époque décor is very much alive here.
Old-fashioned hot chocolate "l'Africain" (€8.20) - They've got one of the best hot chocolate drink in Paris, probably right behind Ladurée's.
It came with a side of fresh whipped cream which I gladly spooned into my chocolate drink. It was velvety smooth and not too sweet. I couldn't help but slowly enjoy my every delicious sip.
White hot chocolate (€8.20) - This wasn't available in the Angelina tea salons in Dubai and Singapore so Jelloman thought it was a no-brainer for her. It was silky like my hot chocolate "l'Africain" but a lot sweeter without the deep bitterness. This one is for those who can't overcome bitterness in life. ha, just kidding.
Mont-Blanc (€7.00) - A trip to Angelina is not complete without their sumptuous Mont Blanc cake, I was once told.
After enjoying the deliciously decadent Mont blanc tart at Karamel this morning, I knew what everybody would say about this one. Yes, the chestnut vermicelli could have been a little bit softer and the fresh cream underneath could have been more foamy. But I guess it's not fair to compare something designed more than a century ago with what we've got now, because the techniques are all different.
Mom is obviously over the moon. It's going to get harder to impress her now that she has raised the bar high.
Note: If you don't want to wait in line for 30-40 minutes, follow this link to their online reservation system to save you time and energy.
Food Rating: 6.5/10
Price: €€€€
Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Closest Metro Station: Tuileries
Tel: +33 (0)1 4260-8200
Website: www.angelina-paris.fr
For years, Arnaud Nicolas has been a rising star in Paris's dining scene. His “gastronomic charcuterie” has put his namesake restaurant in the 7th arrondissement on the culinary map. Located near the Eiffel Tower, it combines a restaurant and boutique under one single roof.
At the front of the shop is their small boutique or take-out counter.
The classic French charcuterie, including different versions of Pâté en croûte is presented in a modern and refined way.
Some bar tables are available in the boutique section for a more casual ambiance.
But since we have enough time to spare, we opted to sit at the main dining room which is a little more polished and sophisticated. Now, it's time to check out the chef's “gastronomic charcuterie”.
La Couronne de Cochon aux herbes fraîches (Pork Pie with fresh herbs) - Arnaud Nicolas's bread and butter, and as our server put it, a must-try dish for anyone visiting the restaurant for the first time.
Their signature pork pie composed of pork, chicken and duck meat, all glued together with silky duck foie gras. And if it's still not enough to whet your appetite, try it with the aromatic onion jam. It's a lovely combination to set the tone for a wonderful meal.
Clams and seafood terrine with leek siphon - A real change of pace comparing to the previous pork pie as it was noticeably lighter both in flavors and textures. The combination of lobster, octopus, mussels, clams and cod fish could get any seafood lover off his seat in a hurry but I thought the leek cream did very little to enhance the flavors of the terrine.
Pork shank terrine with duck foie gras and truffle - In my opinion, as delicious as the pork pie if not better. This was primarily made with meat from the pig's leg area so it was supposedly more chewy but at the same time, it gave the terrine a bit more texture and flavors to work with. And I love the crispy pastry crust.
Scallop white pudding with cauliflower cooked two ways - Following a stretch of charcuterie, finally we switched back to something from the regular menu. This came from the set lunch menu, from a choice of three starters.
The scallop mousse dome had a very light and soft texture, a texture that wasn't totally unlike those of the seafood terrine. This was really tasty, and the two-way cauliflower was a simple but solid addition to the dish.
Codfish with clams, seafood and vegetables - Mom had the roasted cod fish with clams and seasonal vegetables as her main course, with an umami-rich broth serving as the finishing touch.
Browned farm chicken with truffle juice - I love French chicken (and poultry) so this was a brainer. The chicken was done two ways with its thigh roasted and breast poached. It was served with Jerusalem artichoke cream, baby carrot, turnip and micro celery.
They finished it off by showering the chicken with truffle juice. This wasn't bad. I thought the thigh was really succulent, tender, juicy and flavorful at the same time. The breast was a bit on the firm side and it didn't get to absorb the truffle juice well enough.
One of the reasons we came here was their kid's menu. It's not often that a gastronomic restaurant offers children's food so we looked at it as a huge bonus (coz Jelloman didn't need to cook for the little guy). It was the same cod fish mom had moments ago but with a slightly different supporting cast - macaroni.
Arnaud Nicolas's gastronomic charcuterie is not just any French charcuterie. It's modern and sophisticated with a fine touch of tradition. No wonder it's been featured in some of Alain Ducasse’s bistronomic restaurants.
Food Rating: 7.4/10
Price: €€€
Address: 46 Avenue de la Bourdonnais, 75007 Paris, France
Closest Metro Station: Ecole Militaire / La Tour-Maubourg
Tel: +33 (0)1 4555-5959
Website: www.arnaudnicolas.paris
After spending 10 years at Ladurée with the most recent five as their International head pastry chef, Nicolas Haelewyn was ready for a new adventure when he opened his own store dedicated to caramel near the Invalides in the 7th arrondissement.
Karamel is a tea salon, pâtisserie and chocolatier all under the same roof. The charming little place is tastefully decorated with wood, gold, copper and shades of charcoal. There are even vintage furniture, and an old record player at the entrance making it look more like an old furniture shop than a dessert café.
At Karamel, everything is more or less about caramel. That includes their pastries, viennoiseries,
biscuits and chocolates. It's every caramel lover's dream.
The tea salon overlooking Rue Saint Dominique takes a minimalist approach.
Most of their popular pastries and viennoiseries won't last after noon hour so we considered ourselves very lucky today.
Kara Rolls, Le Mont Blanc and Oro Verde.
Oro Verde (€6.90) - Pistachio dacquoise, crispy feuilletine with praline and creamy caramel topped with some intensely grilled pistachio and dabs of light cream made with pistachio praline.
A very delicate and elegant dessert with interesting flavors and textures coming out of each layer.
Le Mont Blanc (€6.50) - Chef Haelewyn's imaginative interpretation of the classic Mont Blanc came on a crunchy sweet dough with chestnut cream, whipped cream, Bourbon Vanilla caramel and toppings of lip-shaped French meringue and candied chestnuts from Ardèche.
Kara Rolls (€3.50) - a brioche feuilletée with Karamel's signature runny “karamel”.
Some said the Kara Rolls have changed how we look at a croissant forever and that was quite an accurate assessment. It was very buttery and has just the right amount of flakiness. Very addictive (especially with that runny caramel sauce).
Karamélisée bars (Free!) - We were offered some free dark chocolate bars stuffed with runny caramel from the good guys (and gals) here. So yummy!
Unfortunately, their Le Kara-Brest (Paris-Brest with caramel sauce), which is another one of their social media darlings, was already sold out. That makes a return trip to this sweet haven for caramel lovers imminent.
Food Rating: 7.7/10
Price: €€€
Address: 67 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, France
Closest Metro Station: La Tour-Maubourg
Tel: +33 (0)1 7193-0294
Website: www.karamelparis.com
