I usually do not like posting nasty restaurant revues in this blog, but too much is enough...
I took my girlfriend yesterday evening (Valentine's day) to the Murano 30 bd du temple. It's a place I've been 2 years ago when they opened and my recollection of the diner was rather good. Yesterday was anoter story.
First of all, the reservation desk forces you to give your credit card numbers over the web (or the phone if you're clever enough not to send your card details in an email), and your email to confirm the reservation. Then, for Valentine's day, they offer a fixed menu set @ 130€ per head which is not exactly my idea of cheap, but the place is trendy and I wanted to show my only love some attention.
Here comes the painful bit. The Murano restaurant is part of the hotel Murano Urban Resort, a new international stop over. Dedicated to a 21st century art de vivre, this hotel "resort" subtly mixes luxury with relaxation, classicism with modernity. the design is realy good if you like white and the staff was very nice...
Too bad the menu was a HUGE disapointment. A modern appetizer made of sugar frosted rose's petal with a Foie gras lollypop (not 100% real foie gras if you ask me) then after waiting for 15 minutes the entree: on the menu it stated "poached oysterS with ginger beads" I emphatized the final S to OysterS as we only received 2 oysters (one for each of us) not really tasty but way too little in our stomach anyway. both tables around our had very nice couples going through the same disappointement... After waiting another 20 minutes the scallops ( 2 scallops in 1 shell for each of us - a real feast) another wait for a glass of vodka with rasperry jelly as a "trou normand" which wasn't really necessary considerig the amount of food we had since then. Another 20 minutes to receive our main course (the couple on our right waited over 45 minutes for the same course) consisting of 2 "ping-pong" size balls of Quail and Lamb (very nicely cooked) and a dash of some vegetable I wasn't able to recognize (when I say dash it means a little finger long streak of veggies in the middle of your plate). To conclude this gargantuesk feast of food the "love apple" which was nearly the most enjoyable and consisitent piece of the all evening accompanied by a glass of champagne.
To make a long story short, Avoid the Murano restaurant or have a drink at the bar to enjoy some nice design and stare at some trendy parisians. Stay away from the restaurant unless you're on a serious diet (the only very consistent piece was the bill = 494€ for 2 incuding wine (Very nice Chassagne Montrachet 2005)
There are plenty of grat place in Paris and this one isn't really worth a visit.
February 15, 2008
February 10, 2008
Likafo
Cantonese "best kept secret" restaurant in Paris
This adress I'm about to disclose is one of my secret adresses in Paris. It took me a while to share it with you guys but let me tell you why it was worth the wait...I live in the 13th borough of Paris, known as the Paris' chinatown, for about 15 years and it took me nearly the very same 15 years to discover a genuine cantonese restaurant. I'm not talking about the chinese tourist outlet (usually a vietnamese one) you'll find every 10 meters on avenue d'Ivry or de Choisy. I'm talking about the real thing...
A traditionnal chinese cuisine restaurant that doesn't cost an arm and deliver on its promises. Do not expect to find a trendy sophisticated spot though... it doesn't look a tenth good as it taste but I've been there twice since and every time, diner was pretty damn good. A friend of a friend told me about this brilliant Cantonese restaurant and he was right. He told me his parents (chinese living in Beijin) said this place was OK which was a fantastic compliment considering the fact that they believe every chinese restaurant in Paris were crap!
The cooks know what they are doing in the kitchen, and the food is dished out on aged melamine plate, served on paper-covered tables- no brushed plastic Ikea chairs, chandeliers or quirky flatware or gasp, the little stand for chopsticks, this joint strenuously avoids all unnecessary frills. And still manages to pack in the crowds. This is as good as it gets if one hankers for anything resembling decent Chinese food in Paris. 
They do staples like noodles, tofu and roasted meats well but what made me really happy was to see claypot dishes on their menu. Dishes like the claypot rice with minced pork patty and salted fish not to mention the house tripes are awesome.This dish requires a 15 minute wait, which is a good thing because it means they cook the dish from scratch like it should be made. Add some chilli oil and you got yourselves a homely comfort dish, good to the last grain of charred salty rice.
Likafo
39, avenue de Choisy
75013 Paris
Phone : 01 45 84 20 45
