Bonjour mes chers!
France is famed for its food, and although I am a skeptic (I mean how can you beat Malaysian food?!), I was truly excited about delving into their patisseries!
Here are some food reviews of the dishes I've had the pleasure of trying.
My first introduction to duck liver. Pate is made of 50% foie gras and though the raspberry reduction and black pepper bits were flavorful I felt the pate was too overpowering for me.
Food markets are the best places to get local produce! Cheap, huge and juicy strawberries here!
This meal was the gastronomic highlight of this trip! First of all, foie gras- though I do have ethical concerns, and deliberately chose not to order it, I tried some of Darick's (because I'm in France for God's sake!) and it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Now I understand the French craze for it, it truly lives up to its reputation. The other local specialty in the Dordogne area is duck and hazelnut so I had both. Its great to see the pride they take in their local produce and regional specialties.
This is a typical breakfast for me in France. Orange juice and croissant or chocolate pastries. The croissants there are
divine. You eat it on its own, no extra flavors needed. Buttery and soft with a delicate crunch.
Sadaharu Aoki, not just a pattisiere extrodinaire but an artist too. One of the powerhouses of french pastries, his selection looks modern and sleek (can only comment on the looks as was unable to try one, too full!). I mean wasabi macaron, only Sadaharu Aoki can pull that one off!
Laduree is another pastry powerhouse, perhaps the most internationally famous. Delicious sweets spread and great french toast too.
The ubiquitous french crepe, it's sold on many street corners in France. Loaded with nutella, or cream, or fresh fruits- a perfect and sinful snack!
I love how vast and varying France is, there are many regional specialties and the pretzel is one of them. This is popular in the Alsace region, culturally they are similar to the Germans. A simple salted pretzel is usually 1 euro but they have fancy ones loaded with different toppngs like cheese, spinach, meats etc. They also have sweet pretzel that is basically a fancy doughnut.
Tarte flambee is an Alsatian specialty. Its similar to a pizza but the crust is extremely thin and its quickly cooked in high heat so it becomes crispy. The sauce is a cream type sauce. The classic tarte flambee has onions and bacon but I opted for a vegetarian one of mushrooms and tomatoes. This was huge. I struggled to finish half.
Salted caramel gelato, this was deliriously delicious. Enough said.
Ah Pierre Herme, the Rolls Royce of pastries. I wasn't impressed by the chocolate pastry above, it was too bitter and rich for my liking and I thought the salted caramel wasn't prominent enough. It's dark chocolate outer shell shadowed the other flavors. However the litchi rose croissant was an interesting delight, but I do prefer my croissants unsweetened. His macarons are top class though!
Oh the lines for these famous falafels! For only a few euros you get this massive handful of flavors! So tasty!
So what is my final conclusion? Have I been converted? I must admit the French food went above and beyond my expectations. The flavors are subtle, unlike the robust flavors we are used to in Asia, but well thought through. The french take pride in freshness and balance. Not only is it delicious, it is an
experience, one to be savoured and appreciated. The food is fantastic, delicately and ingeniously balancing a palette of flavors. Trop bon!
