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Friday, June 24, 2011

Le Quartier Japonais

Japanese pastry watercolor by Carol GillottCreme Bavarois Fraise Japonais, 9" x 11"Japanese pastry by Carol GillottCreme Bavarois Japonais, 9" x 11" I recently got a copy of Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris - I've been reading it non-stop even while walking in the street... If anyone knows Paris' food, native Clotilde Dusoulier of the famed blog, Chocolate and Zuccini does and it's great fun to follow Clotilde into the patisseries, restaurants and marche wherever she goes and learn from her experiences. I opened the book to a section on Le Quartier Japonais (p.18) and was reminded.
Of my walk up rue Sainte Anne with French Girl one Friday night.
I'm sure you're thinking I am NOT going to Paris to eat Japanese food! But rue Sainte-Anne is lined with affordable, fun restaurants and the streets are filled with young French people out for a good time for little $.
We went to Restaurant Aki (not on Clotilde's list) but I saw bowls of Soba noodles on Flickr and was salivating besides pastry.
Restaurant Aki We sat at the bar and watched.

The chef throws together dishes faster then I don't know what

Plus we could watch the scene downstairs on his giant screen.

I was chastised by Fr Girl for getting a boring salad but I LOVE the orange-carrot-ginger-sesame dressing even if it is on iceberg lettuce 

Fr Girl got the more interesting seaweed salad and eggplant thing + miso soup.

And then Aki's famed dish, Okonomiyaki omlette - maybe she ordered too much.

And I had the fab Soba noodle soup. I wouldn't mind a bowl right now. Don't hesitate to eat Japanese on rue Sainte-Anne if you'd want to give your palate a rest and do take Clotilde's guide with you. It's the right size for travel and fine for a bit of armchair traveling.
BON WEEK-END et
BONJOUR LE QUARTIER JAPONAIS!

28 comments:

  1. You did it again:
    Fabulous post and gorgeous paintings!

    I have read Chocolate and Zucchini since way back then, before she published a book. Always refreshing to read.

    I'd love to have some of that Japanese food right now.

    (Good news, btw!)

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  2. What a wonderful tip. I'm all for Japanese food in Paris. Miso, please. Great post and I love all the pink in your pastry w/c's .
    Pink and pastry definately go together.
    xx
    julie

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  3. Oh my. Those pink Japanese goodies look so good! Hey, guys can like pink!

    Now for two questions:

    1) Where is this Rick guy getting those Macaron boxer shorts?

    2) What's your recommendation for the best but "easy" book on making macarons? I know they aren't easy, but I think I've got to try it! (Oh. I like lots of pictures in my cookbooks.)

    Thanks! :O)

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  4. I also love the two WCs at the top.
    Luscious pics of what I'm sure was a great meal.
    Ignore Paris girl's comments.
    The food goes past your taste buds, and into your tummy, not hers.

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  5. Been enjoying your Food posts and your Art work too. The macaron shorts are a hoot! Love a sense of humor.. lol

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  6. Yum! Carol, thank you for le paris breakfasts. I am delighted each day to find them in my mail and rarely do I come over here to say hello and big thank you!
    Warmly,
    Lisa

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  7. Fabulous little gems up top here, Carol! I am getting hungry just thinking about all this good food. Off to lunch now. Toodles

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  8. ooh the soba noodle soup has me salivating ... you are a mine of wonderfully useful information, Carol - thanks for another interesting and fun post.

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  9. Dear Bill,

    1) Rick is NOT selling the macaron boxers.
    I had to remove the picture from the post.
    He was getting bombarded...
    He happened to see them in a shopping mall and the rest is history

    2)I think MAD ABOUT MACARONS by Jill Colonna is a good book but I'm biased. She is a home cook and says you don't need a Kitchen Aid.

    Plus she's awfully nice and will answer yr questions on her blog
    Let me know if you make some macarons Bill!

    Carolg

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  10. What a wonderful blog and you are so very talented! Bookmarked o return and I am on my way to view your Etsy shop!!

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  11. I want one of every label on every bottle at the bar!!!! Simply gorgeous! Why do foreign labels look so wonderful...I always thought it was becasue they have better designers until I read a blog by a European praising the design of our Land-o-Lakes butter cartons! A prophet in his own country?

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  12. Anonymous4:32 PM

    I love this girl. She is amazing and has great tips. It's funny, there were so many options in Paris. Japanese was defnitely an optiion, my friends And I de died that while in France - it was French food but ---- I did have sushi at
    Bon marche for lunch. Mmmm

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  13. I love the opening watercolors, Carol.
    The Japanese restaurant and the neighborhood look like a fun place to go for something different.

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  14. Love your watercolors and comments. Excellent blog!

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  15. Ooh I love that book! Must read for Paris.

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  16. I just adore your art! It is so beautiful and the colors always make me smile:) I also recently picked up Clotilde's book for my next trip to Paris. How fabulous you are already there & the Japanese food looks delish - Cheers!

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  17. Adorable post, but I think you erroneously added an "e" to the name of the neighborhood. Please don't take it the wrong way, but it should be "le Quartier Japonais." Anyways, I just thought I would help out a kind person and hope someone would do the same for me.

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  18. THANK YOU Julien for the correction.
    I'm semi-dyslexic so usually I flop numbers and letters rather than add-on but anything is possible
    Big Merci
    Carolg

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  19. Delish.....Have a wonderful weekend Carol....xv

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  20. Great post! And now I am craving soba!!!

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  21. uummm.....

    {{ a bit surprised
    by the iceberg lettuce }}

    still
    isn't life grand!

    {{ watching bits
    of Kings of Pastry
    for my low~cal dessert
    each night...

    craving cream~puffs
    right off the bat... }}

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  22. Love those sketches!

    Pam

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  23. Always something yummy at Paris Breakfasts ...

    xo

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  24. Glad I found your site. This is very inspiring. I love the photographs and your food photos.

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  25. I just loooove what you do88 Amazingly talented!!
    If some day, I write a book or open a shop, I'll hire you for the paintings!

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  26. Oooh, what a wonderful post. I was lucky enough to stay on Rue St Anne a year ago. I love Japanese food, and was quite desperate to try some during our visit. My husband kept saying that we shouldn't go to France to eat Japanese food. We never ate at any of the wonderful restaurants that we were walking past every day. I still feed sad about that.

    I love Chocolate and Zucchini. I've seen the cover of Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris, but had never really thought about the contents for some reason! I think it's a must have for my next trip to Paris whenever that is....

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  27. Thank you, Carol, I'm so glad you find my book useful, and how fun to hear about your Japanese/Parisian adventures!

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  28. Suis dans les bonnes résolutions, les envies de cuisine saines...et de Zen... bref, ta recette me tente bcp et me parle bien !
    Dis, c'est quoi le Garam massala
    Des bises !
    Agnès

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