Les Petits Plats
June 10, 2011 I must admit, while Paris is an international food destination there are plenty of places to disappoint my eager taste buds and fleece the wallet. Perhaps my palate has been fine-tuned in recent years, or maybe I've grown a bit jaded? Either way, returning to my beloved City of Light has been interesting in many ways.
Credit: Giovanni Nakpil
However, one of the many things I do miss in Paris is Les Petits Plats, an unassuming bistro located within a relatively non-touristy area. The menu features traditional French bistro dishes but the chef likes to add a few modern twists to keep it fresh and creative. It's the best Parisian food experience I've had on this trip. Their prices are not astronomical and the service is charming and efficient. Most importantly, the food is very good - just like it should be!
One of the highlights was their white asparagus "velouté." Delectable slivers of raw white asparagus and Tomme de Brebis (sheep's milk cheese) are mixed into a rich, velvety base, then topped with a generous dash of grassy olive oil. Absolutely heaven on earth on a warm Parisian night.
Other favorites were the expertly grilled St. Pierre (John Dory) fish, as well as the Marinière de Coquillages, a seafood stew stuffed with all kinds of local shellfish. I especially enjoyed the long, tubular razor clams that are native to Europe. The tiny bits of sweet, firm flesh were a revelation.
The food was so good that we went back a second time for their decadent côte de boeuf. Made to order for two people, the beef is sourced from the most famous meat purveyor in Paris. The staff told us the purveyor also provides meat for the French president - oh là là. Frankly, this dish is big enough for four to six people. As if the meat wasn't hearty enough, it also came with bone marrow as a garnish.
The famous Gariguette strawberries were in season so I had to order this tartelette. The Gariguettes are a beloved French variety that yields small, aromatic fruit, and the market price shows how precious they are (15 euros/kilo). The delicately floral aroma of the berries made me swoon. I was also impressed with the tart crust. It was quite thin and not too sweet, yet it managed to hold up the custard and fruit without getting soggy.
Another dessert we loved was the "dacquoise" with crispy white chocolate meringue wafers, coconut, almond and light-as-air sour(?) cream. It was presented in a petit pot, parfait-style, which was totally genius. As you can tell from this photo below, we inhaled this within minutes.
I really want to thank our gourmande friend Amelie for sharing this neighborhood jewel. It was waaaaay more intimate than the trendy and pretentious establishments that we had visited. I hope their cuisine will be just as stellar the next time we go back!
Image credits: Giovanni Nakpil & Tami Yu
Reader Comments (4)
Whoa! So, that's the hunk of meat you guys went to town on, huh? I'd have to lay down and take a nap for two days after eating that, too. But sure looks worth it. Yum!
It was GIGANTIC. I could probably hibernate on that delicious hunk of meat. :)
I could eat all the food and have each of the desserts you mentioned twice! so yummy!
Natalie, you should totally go there next time! ;)