It's the weekend! and I've decided that at least for the near future, on weekends I'm going to feature Asian lunches exclusively.
You are never far from Chinese take out in Paris. As an example, today on my way to the grocery store (a five minute walk) I passed three and here they are:
This is where I got the delicious vegetable rice: Riz aux légumes
I haven't tried this one yet but I love the name: Delices Celestes - Celestial Delights!
And this is where I got today's Salt and Pepper Lunch. Jin Long, a very friendly place. I was inspired by a post over at mmm-yoso on Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings (Poulet Sel et Poivre) and decided to see what Paris has to offer.
Here they are:
What's this you ask, no green onion and garlic topping? No, I'm afraid not, just some green pepper and they were not crispy. It would seem that Chinese restaurants in Paris are not very good at crispy but perhaps this is a more a reflection on French tastes as it is true that Chinese restaurants seem to adapt to the tastes of the country they are in.
Also, this is not a dish I usually order so I'm not sure how it is really supposed to be prepared. In any case, they tasted good.
I also decided to sample the Salt and Pepper Shrimp (Crevettes Sel et Poivre). These were much crispier and very delicious but again they were not accompanied by any sort of garnish.
You may have noticed the word "traiteur" on the restaurant signs and please be assured they are not traitors. Traiteur just means caterer and is frequently found on signs for takeout places. It does not necessarily mean that they cater for parties, it just means that you can buy it there and eat it at home.
Now, I've been doing some research and it seems that there is a place in Paris' big Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement that serves duck's tongue (langue de canard) and it would also seem that this is a very sure sign of authenticity. Do I dare? Should I go and try this next weekend? Stay tuned to find out, in the meantime,
Happy Lunching!
ce sont mes préférées ..
Posted by: djerbaetmoi | 05 July 2006 at 16:47
Wow, duck tongue? It reminds me of a quote from Chow Yun-Fat in the Corruptor--"if you wanna be Chinese, you gotta eat the nasty stuff."
I'm Chinese and I've eaten my share, but that's a new one!
Posted by: jamieford | 13 April 2006 at 06:36
Hi bcinfrance and thanks so much!
Hi Kirk and thank you too, perhaps some high-end Asian place in CA will decide to give all their dishes French names - let's see how far we can take globalization!
Posted by: Emily | 11 April 2006 at 19:51
Hi Emily - Your photos are fab! What do think'll happen if I go to one of those American Chinese Restaurants and order Poulet Sel et Poivre? I've never had duck tongue - so you've got me on that one!
Posted by: Kirk | 09 April 2006 at 07:36
What a neat idea for a blog! I was just browsing through Typepad blogs and ran into this. It reminds me of how much great food is available in Paris. Anyway, I'm happy to run into another English-speaking food blogger living in France!
Posted by: bcinfrance | 08 April 2006 at 19:21