I have previously planned in my head to make sure I go visit a few of the most popular bistros, bouchons or casual dining places during this trip, but unfortunately many of the hottest joints are exactly just that – hot! They are more affordable than your 2-3 Michelin stars restos by far and this pricing advantage serves a greater part of the general population, which means they are even harder to make advanced reservations even with 2-4 weeks notice! Anyway my other problem is that I am a small eater, and since my other agenda is to try out some of the best pastry shops in Paris on top of the ones I’d previously tried, I think I will have to sacrifice a couple of meals I thought I had the capacity to fit in but perhaps not! Chez Casimir is a Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded bistro and was also mentioned to me by Parisbymouth.com, who runs one of the most extensive restaurant coverage on the latest Parisian dining hotspots and it is a very good reference for everyone needing to plan their meals ahead! Please take a look at her site.
Chez Casimir, Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The chef is from Brittany, and this side is their more casual restaurant.
Chez Michel next door is slightly more expensive, and also more refined.
Chez Michel, Next Door -
The sister restaurant with a slightly classier menu…
It’s a fixed 32 Euro for Entrée, Main Plat, Fromage Cheese and a Dessert for dinner -
Quite affordable. You can see other restaurants offering a set dinner from anywhere between 15 Euro to 35 Euro, but the menu here is much more interesting and less generic.
1/2 Carafe of Pouilly sur Loire Les Loges, Guy Baudin 2009 - €5
Table wine from Loire Valley, quite lemony dry.
Bread Basket -
I carried such a big grin on my face when I picked up a piece of bread...
This is what real bread looks and tastes like, who cares if it is served warm. It is so fresh and full of wheats and sourdough aroma, I could make a meal out of just eating bread here!!
Maquereau au Vin Blanc, Carottes Rapees -
The salad with carrots was seasoned perfectly with a vinaigrette, and the Mackerel fillets were plump and fresh and slightly marinated. Homely food cooked to perfection. ~ 8/10
Echine de Cochon, Carrotes au Jus -
Pork collar was perfectly grilled on all sides until it is slightly charred, but remained juicy and ever so slightly pink inside. The pork flavour was great, and it was tender and well marbled. What was surprising about this dish was the Jus of meat and carrots it came with, which had the natural essence and with the julienned herbs all complemented the dish so well. Another simple enough dish but just cooked perfectly. ~ 9/10
Fromages -
Included in the 4 Courses Dinner. The Cheese plate with 10 different cheeses to chose from, is left on your table and customers could cut and eat as much as you could possibly want..
I picked 5 Cheeses -
A blue, a goats cheese, a brie, livarot and one with sultanas. The quality of these cheeses were surprisingly good. In fact, they were perfectly conditioned and dare I say, better than some cheeses I eat in Michelin restaurants in HK. *Backed up by the fact that 2 hours ago I had just finished another big cheese platter at a 3 Star restaurant as I penned this, that were so prime in their condition and easily beats most cheeses I have eaten in HK. This was great. ~ 9/10
Compotee du Rhubarb, Glace Melisse et Fraises -
A very pretty dessert of strawberries, mint ice cream and rhubarb compote, the latter is the greener stemmed type and was very sour yet refreshing. This dessert worked really well together, down to the almond flakes. Lovely finish to a well cooked dinner for a simpleton. ~ 10/10
Price: Euro $37 Including Wine
Ease of Access: 4/5 (Close to Gare du Nord Station)
Food: ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 - ♕♕♕♕♕
Opening Hours:
Mon to Fri - Lunch and Dinner until late. Reportedly, opening times are random.
Sat to Sun – 10:00am – 19:00pm for All You Can Eat Brunch
Address: 6, rue de Belzunce, Gare du Nord, Paris, France
Ph: 01 48 78 28 80
No comments:
Post a Comment