Biba eats : Chez Andre

This is the 2nd time i go to this restaurant, Chez Andre, and i love it ! Just steps away from Place de l’Etoile and a really nice touristic avenue, Chez André opened in 1936 and has kept the same feel it had back then. As far as the menu goes, the dishes we know so well have been updated to yield a high-class yet traditional and refined cuisine. They offer a selection of wines served by the glass.

For starters i had the Scallops and sea bream marinated in lime, it was really good and then for main course i had the Frogs' legs pan-fried Provençal-style with a baked tomato, it's their speciality you need to try it ! My friend had the Confit duck leg, sautéed potatoes which was plat du jour, it was juicy and crispy. Their service was impeccable and the waiters were very friendly. The price range varies btw 25 and 30 euros which is amazing for the quality of food you are having.

Biba makes : Dacquoise

Today i had to make daquoise which is two layers of almond cake and praline buttercream in between, and i made the rose on top with pate d'amandes :) (usually used to decorate cakes )

Biba eats : Nutella crepe

I have been craving  nutella for a while so as we were walking in Odeon we found a stand that makes really good crepes ( salty and sugary ). I had a nutella crepe , it was delicioius!! And what's amazing about it is that it stays open till very late!

Biba makes: bresaola salad

I love mixing bresaola with mozzarella and usually avocado but unfortunately i didn't have some today. So i made 3 layers of bresaola, small tomatoes, mozzarella and replaced the avocado with green beans ( it was a really good mix specially when the beans are fresh and crispy). Between every  layer i add lemon juice and olive oil and at the end i drizzle some olive oil and my new found love: Balsamic glaze ! yumm

Biba makes : Nicoise salad

I just made my own version nicoise salad.

I mixed :

•  one can of tuna oil,
•  4 to 5 cherry tomatoes
• 4 to 5 mushrooms
• a handful of fresh green beens ( that i boiled with salted water for max 5 min )
•  sucrine salad ( which is sweet, a gem of a dense little romaine,bright green, bright taste, and the perfect base green for anything else you might have on hand to create a crisp)
• a handful of shredded mimolette cheese and emmenthal cheese

As for the sauce, i mixed olive oil with balsamic glaze ( which is a balsamic reduction, it has a sweet and tangy taste) a bit of lemon juice and mayo , and at the end, just another drizzle of the balsamice glaze.

It's light, fresh , healthy and delicious!

 La societe opened in March 2009 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, it offers you a world food cuisine. "La societe" has a lounge spirit. The decoration dark, bright paint in warm colours, the large volume, the works of art dressing the walls, sculptures, give a warm and cosy atmosphere for winter. They also have a very nice terrace outside so it's really nice to sit there and enjoy the beautiful sunny weather of Paris nowadays.

 I had as main course the chateau briand with bearnaise sauce and french fries. Oh myyy it was DELICIOUS ! one of the best steaks i have ever had ! The meat was cooked perfectly ( i like it medium/rare) and it was moist and so tender, the bearnaise sauce was perfect, light and even the fries were amazing, thin and crunchy.

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And my friend had " le tigre qui pleure" which is a steak cooked a la thailandaise with rice mixed with coconut milk and ginger it was yummyyy. They actually bought this recipe from a very known thai restaurant in Paris "Comptoir de thiou"

The service was impeccable and the price range varies between 50 and 70 euros.

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Biba makes: Mes palmiers

My very first palmiers :) It was actually the first time i make the pate feuillete from scratch. Usually at home i just buy it frozen from the grocery store and make the rest whether it's for a quiche or tarte tatin. Its easy to make but it is also a very long procedure. You need to be very precise with the tournage of the pate feuillete and very patient, but believe me it is WORTH the trouble, there's a big difference in taste, texture and smell when it's fresh !

Whoever feels like trying to make the pate feuillete just tell me and i will post up the whole recipe :)

Biba makes: macaroni aux trois fromages

For me cooking is very diffrent from pastry, you don't need to follow recipes, just cook from your heart and anything would come out heavenly. But in pastry you need to follow it very precisely , if not be assured you won't have a satisfactory result.
So today i decided to make some pasta, and again grabbed everything i liked, mixed it up and it was delicious !

• I boiled the macaroni in salted water ( a drizzle of olive oil ) for 6 min.
• In the meantime i grabbed some mushrooms sauteed them with butter, added a bit of cream to give it texture, cherry tomatoes ( 4 to 5 ) ,turkey chunks ( you can add whatever you feel like, bacon , ham..)
•  let it cook for 2 min
• Drain the macaroni but leave a bit of the starched water to add to the sauce to thicken it a bit.
• Add the sauce to the macaroni
• Add a handful of shredded mimolette cheese ( it tastes a bit like cheddar cheese)comte and a slice of brie ( again you can use any kind of cheese you like or have in your fridge)
• At the very end add some basil leaves ( so it would keep its nice green color and texture )

Et Bon Appetit :)

Biba eats : italian ice cream

One of the best gelati ice cream i have ever had ! Amorino which was established by two friends from childhood, Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi in 2002 who uses organic farm eggs, whole milk of high quality and their goal is to make the highest quality ice cream as naturally as possible with no artificial colours or flavourings.I had the chocolate and mango flavor and you should also taste their banana, pear and coconut flavors, it is heaven on earth ! And what i love about it is how they present their ice cream when served.

Biba eats : La locanda

Today we were walking around in St Germains des pres, and we spotted a very cute italian restaurant and decided to have lunch there. La Locanda ,which was created in 1997 by its current owner Martino Grossi and installed in a building of the 18th century located close to the Church of Saint Germain des Prés in Paris, you will be surrounded in history and beauty (old stones and girders to six metres above the ground). I had for starters the salmon/sea bass carpaccio which was very interesting and new to me since i never had both together; followed by spaghetty with 1/2 lobster in a red sauce with chunks of tomatoes, it was DELICIOUS!

The overall experience was nice, the owner was very friendly and helpful. The price range varies between 35 and 50 euros per person.

Biba eats : chez Diep

Yesterday i had dinner at Diep, it's a chinese/thai restaurant established in 1985 by the Diep family,known for the refinement and subtlety of its dishes, restaurant Diep welcomes you in an elegant setting. I had for starters vegetable spring rolls and chinese dumplings with shrimps, it was okay, nothing out of the ordinary. As for main course i had the " brochettes de bar "  or grilled sea bass which was really tender and moist especially when you dip it in the sauce followed by a bit of their cucumber salad.

And i also had the imperial style shrimps" ( spicy ) and fried rice with shrimps which was also very good especially if you mix the rice and shrimps together and add a bit of their spicy sauce.

For me the whole experience was nice, i loved the atmosphere, it was packed and apparently it has always been like this, and their service was good and fast BUT i also think it was overpriced and overrated. The price range varies between 60 and 80 euros per person.

Biba makes : Mushroom steak with garlic poatoes

                                            mushroom steak with sauteed garlic potatoes

 You just grab any kind of meat you have (i had ground beef), grill it with a bit of butter, 5 min on each side ( i like it medium). Then in another saucepan sautee the mushrooms, add a bit of cream, chicken broth, salt and pepper and its ready to serve with the meat.

As for the potatoes, you boil them in salted water for approximately 15 min ( stick a knife in one of the potatoes to check if they are tender ), then take another saucepan, add a drizzle of olive oil, 1 tbsp of butter, 1 garlic glove, cut the potatoes in wedges and sautee them for 5 min.  It's easy fast and yummy!

Biba makes : Caprese salad

Here's a very simple salad that you can make in less than 5 minutes and enjoy every bite of it.  You slice up a piece of mozzarella di bufala, 2 tomatoes, add some basil leaves, salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and voilaa !

Mozzarella di bufala

Mozzarella di bufala

Mozzarella di bufala Mozzarella di bufala

Biba eats : Les Cocottes

Today i had lunch at Les Cocottes sacred "best counter 2007" by Le Figaroscope, Christian Constant , restaurant was designed by Luis Alleluia, in a contemporary space in length in a wired version of an American "dinner". Frequented by a chic clientele that loves the new concept of Constant. I had as an entree " ravioles de langoustines, mousseline d'artichauts " which is basically artichoke mousse topped with ravioli filled with langoustine, it was delicious !

Then as a main course i had " saute de veau au basilic, pommes de terres rissoles" which is sauteed veal with potatoes. It was good but a bit heavy for lunch and this kind of dish is better to have when it gets really cold and wintery.

The service was good and fast. And the prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food. You can get an entree, a main dish and a glass of wine for less than 35 euros

Biba makes : Saint Honore

My  very first classical Saint honore !! I had to make everything from scratch starting from the pate sucree, pate a choux, creme chantilly and caramel. And i decided to top it off with "des fils d'anges" which is basically very thin threads of caramel :)

Chef of the week : Christophe Michalak

I decided to post every week or so about chefs who inspire me especially in pastry. My friend is also in the restaurant industry and she is doing her masters at Paul Bocuse so she obviously knows a lot about who's in nowadays and advised me to check Christophe Michalak and he is just AMAZING!! he is an artist who decorates his work in the most beautiful way. Just by looking at his creations u can feel the love, the passion and pure talent. He is only 36 years old and has become one of the most renowned pastry chefs in the industry. Whoever is slightly interested in pastry should really check his work and get inspired. I can't believe how he managed to turn a simple cliche chocolate tart to something so beautiful. Here is the link of his website check it out!
http://fr.christophemichalak.com/creations.html

Biba makes : Tarte aux pommes

My 1st apple tart at le Cordon bleu !!

this is the classical french apple tart.

 

 

Biba eats : French burger

I call it French burger !

So i  grabbed everything i had in the fridge and that's what i came up with. Buttered  toast with a bit of boursin, tomato slices, a big juicy meat cooked to meduim, topped with mimolette cheese, delicious creamy mushroom sauce and pickles.

 

 

 

Biba eats : Coffee parisien

 

A really good chicken club sandwich at Coffee Parisien which is a bit like a french diner. It's casual and you mostly find students there. And the most convenient for me was that their last service is at 11 pm. They also have good burgers and Tikka club sandwich which my friend had, and what's interesting about it is that they use curry chiken with sour cream and cucumbers, which is a surprisingly delicious mix. And their coleslaw is pickled which is also new for me and interesting to taste. Their price range are between 20 to 25 euros including a drink.

Biba eats : italian steak tartare

This was actually my first meal in Paris, in a very cozy restaurant next to my house, Charly Birdie.

If you ever fancy a burger in Paris this is the place to go ! Apparently they have really good burgers and after my experience delicious steak tartare.

Italian steak tartare with pesto sauce, dried tomatoes, and a bit of pecornio romano cheese which is a bit like parmesan cheese.

First week in Paris

So i have been in Paris for a week and it has been amazing so far. Im attending le Cordon bleu there and super excited ! This blog is actually going to be like my food diary and it is mainly for FOOD LOVERS just like me, Who are passionate about food, who LIVE TO EAT AND NOT EAT TO LIVE.