Monday, May 09, 2011

Shanghai Cafe Paris

Do you eat Chinese in Paris? It's probably not the first choice that comes to mind, but M. loves this place so I gave it a whirl for lunch. It's just down from Pierre Herme at La Maison de la Chine - 76, rue Bonaparte 75006 (Métro Saint-Sulpice)
I always study the menu outside.
Do notice the 'OU' when you're getting la formule in France. Basically it means a first course + a main (what most Fr people order), OR a main + a dessert. I got 3 courses because I forgot to notice the 'ou'/or.
The salon de the is inside the Shanghai Tang boutique...
 It's very serene. One must keep an eye out for the occasional dose of serenity when tearing around Paris.
 Looking at menus but is irresistable.
 Chic and simple decor.
A tiny amuse bouche arrives with the green tea.
After a crawfish thing, a curried something arrives.
Delish bien sur.
An interesting dessert - I'm still not sure what this is but it sounded and tasted very nice. Rose de Shanghai, crème légère avec coulis de framboise et concassée de pistaches.
After lunch it's fun to browse the luxe merchandise at Shanghai Tang. Daily Connoisseur mentions owner Sir David Tang's etiquette columns in FT. Very useful if you want to know whether to request a doggy bag at the London Savoy.
  BONJOUR SHANGHAI CAFE!

22 comments:

  1. Foodwalker10:42 AM

    We often eat Vietnamese food when we become over fed up with the French food.
    xxxAnnie

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  2. Justine10:44 AM

    I LOVE the cheesy 'Shanghai' soup you get in any corner chinese resto in Paris.
    I throw in their cabbage salad + carrot salad and figure I'm getting my 5 veggies a day that way.Miam miam
    But this place DOES look divine.

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  3. No, I have never eaten Chinese in Paris, because very unfortunately, I have never been to Paris. I'm afraid, though, if I ever get to Paris, all I am going to eat morning, noon and night are macarons! Well, maybe some eclairs and tarts and . . .

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  4. Love Chinese if it's good Chinese.

    That would be "light cream with raspberry sauce and chopped pistachios," Carol. Sounds good.

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  5. Sounds and looks like you had some sort of 'raspberry soup' with pistachio... a delicious pairing every time!

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  6. I have eaten Chinese food in Paris .. not this place though .. and it was brilliant .. lots of locals eating lunch which is a good sign too,

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  7. Carol,
    you will never stop to amaze me! You pull out of your hat so many different sides of Paris, I am starting to gasp for breath. This place looks so inviting and the Rose de Shanghai so sophisticated!

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  8. BEAR Admirer12:52 PM

    Bear leads the GOOD LIFE nonstop.
    I would like to be in Bear's shoes..

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  9. Anonymous1:07 PM

    I did a few times. There was a small Chinese take-out place around the corner from my hotel. They had a dish that translated as 1,000 Perfume Chicken. It was the most amazing thing ever. I've never found it here in the U.S. I wish that I had asked for the recipe.
    Stephan

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  10. That "rose, pistache, framboise" combo must be the
    "dessert du moment" in Paris. I had a meringuey thingy with those ingredients at the café of the musée Jacquemart-André when I went to the Caillebotte show.

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  11. Looks delicious!
    I found a great looking Chinese food place in Venice after eating at the restaurant called Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie. It was renowned for being the oldest restaurant in Venice however the food wasn't so nice. The Chinese food looked so appetizing compared to my whole fish that tasted gross.
    Just goes to show that sometimes the unexpected may be the tastiest selection.
    The Wanderfull Traveler
    canadianculinarytravel.blogspot.com/

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  12. Stephan
    PLEASE do tell what street corner one has to go to for the 1,000 perfume chicken?
    I want it right now!!
    merci
    Ms. Piggy

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  13. I like the looks of the food in the first shot - it looks like what I'm used to for Chinese food!
    Good old BEAR! I hope that he had good time with his Asian dish :)

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  14. I am channelling Bill - or was he channelling me?

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  15. Anonymous1:34 AM

    Loved your thoughts today on different things to eat in Paris. Métro Saint-Sulpice- is basically my metro! So this might be a go. I will choose carefully from that menu. I have to say that Asian desserts are not usually a favourite. I would rather fill up on savoury.
    It's all happening so soon.....12 days and counting....*sigh*

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  16. We used to go to Man Lung (off of Passy) all the time... or at least any occasion centered on the old man!

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  17. sounds good to eat something in chinese rest in Paris esp sweet and sour dishes which I like most.
    actually no matter what you eat, eating with chopsticks makes me happy :)

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  18. I was particularly desperate to try the French take on Japanese food when in Paris last year. Especially as we were staying right in the heart of the Japanese district. I love Japanese food, and so does my husband, but he just wanted to eat French food in France, and we have a son who doesn't eat anything much except pasta and pizza- needless to say I didn't get my Parisian Japanese food. But maybe I'll win out next time? Here's hoping.

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  19. I'd like to have that for lunch, right now, please.

    Although when I'm in Paris, I usually stick to the croissant, soup a l'oignon, hot chocolate types of foods. You know.

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  20. In 1969, I ate Vietnamese food in Paris.
    Things I'd never seen before having grown up in Charleston, WV, where we had The New China restaurant with egg foo yung etc.
    Still The New China turned me on to Chinese food. My traveling companion and I looked for really good Chinese food all over France and Spain.

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  21. Rose de Shanghai:

    It is a light custard with pureed raspberries and coarsely chopped pistachios. (Creme refers to custard or whipped cream, legere is light or airy, coulis is basically puree, and concassee is coarsely or roughly chopped.) Looks good!

    All the Best,
    Linda

    Really need to find the accent marks on this computer!!

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  22. Anonymous8:06 PM

    I don't remember ever having seen a Shanghai TAng boutique in Paris. Is it new?

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