My first experience of French Cuisine

In France, the cuisine is an art rather than being just food. Why else would the UNESCO declare French cuisine in its cultural heritage list?? Yes UNESCO declared French cuisine as ‘World Intangible Heritage’ in 2010 celebrating the French multi-course gastronomical meal.

The French love their food and it is quite evident when you see the cafes and arty restaurants filled with Parisians cherishing every bit of their food.

Parisians celebrating their food

We went to France last week, unfortunately we did only Paris, but I did experience a little bit of the French cuisine and a peek at their food culture. There are about 5000 restaurants in Paris alone..too many choices ..too little time :)

A street full of restaurants in Paris

Breakfast:

The French have a small breakfast which usually consists of freshly made croissants and coffee. We had a breakfast buffet at our hotel ‘L Atlier Montparnesse’ which had a wide selection of items to choose from. (Considering the tastes of their European guests)

Our breakfast was a cup of coffee/ orange juice with a selection of croissants – Croissants,  Pain au Chocolat (chocolate croissants), Pain Raisin (raisin croissants) oeufs brouilles (scrambled eggs) ,butter and Toast,, marmalades, fromage (cheese) Jambon (Ham), Bacon, sausages. There was also fresh and fruit yogurts.

Breakfast at the hotel
(Pic Courtesy- the hotel website)

The Breakfast Buffet at the hotel
(Pic Courtesy- the hotel website)

Lunch:

After such a heavy breakfast and the limited time to explore Paris, we usually skipped our lunch or had a quick small meal – a Baguette sandwich mostly and a dessert (the desserts in Paris are to die for- they are light, rich, subtle yet sublime in taste.

Baguette Sandwich from Paul's

Chocolate Pastry at Paul's

Ham and cheese on Toast

Snacks:

After wandering about on the streets of Paris, astonished by at the rich heritage of arts and architecture of the city and standing in awe gazing at the different tourists sites, a quick snack was much needed.
For the snacks, we had Crepes, Waffles, Ice creams , a quick bite of a dessert. Anything which was easy to carry around and eat.

Chocolate Croissant 

Savory Chicken Crepe 

Crepe filling: Chicken,Cheese,Tomato

Amaretto and Hazelnut flavor Gelato

Dinner:

We decided to go for a 3 course meal-
We had a choice between salad and a soup- We decided to go for the traditional French Onion Soup.

French Onion Soup

This soup is quite popular in France and is made of a meat broth with onions and then gratinated under the grill with croutons and Gruyere cheese. It was served in a ramekin with slices of baguette in the side. It had the most delicate flavor of onion with lightly seasoned broth with melt in your mouth cheese. The baguette slices added the crunch to the soup.  A truly mild yet flavorful soup.

Next for the entres we decided to try Escargots- a French delicacy.

Escargots  (Snails)

This was my first time of eating a snail and yes I was quite apprehensive. But when it was served I could smell the garlic butter and the herbs (nothing obnoxious about it) After trying it I can say – I loved it!!!

Escargots served in their original shell

Tiny bits of chewy meat masked with a strong flavor of garlic butter and herbs.

For the mains we had Chicken in Paprika sauce with fries.

Chicken in Paprika sauce with Fries

The chicken was cooked to perfection and the béchamel sauce had a slight hint of paprika. The fries had nothing french about it just an accompaniment to the dish. Overall the dish was quite average- I wish there was more sauce in it and yes more paprika of course :P

The Quintessential French Wine

No French food is complete without its wine.We tried the red wine from Burgundy. I am not too much into wines (though I plan to do a small course on wines soon) but I can say it was a good wine.Gentle on the palette, it was light and had a fruity bouquet.

For the dessert we had Chocolate mousse.Again quite an averge dish- simple presentation, light ,spongy texture, perfect on sweetness.

Chocolat Mousse

Overall experience was very nice.The restaurant itself was quite a peice of art with black and white images and wine bottles displayed on their walls.

So whats my take on the food??

The artistic Decor

The great presentations

Food Culture- A way of Life in Paris!!

The French cuisine is an experience rather than just food- it is the culmination of the decor, food presentations, the language on the menu card, bringing together all your senses to experience and celebrate good food!!!

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Meza - A journey into the Culinary wonders of Lebanon

Meze - Lebanese Kitchen
(Pic Courtesy- Yelp)

If I had to describe this restaurant in one sentence it would be ‘A hidden Gem full of authentic dishes.’After staying in London for 3 months now I am all up for experimenting with food and teasing my palette with the assault of flavours that this city has to offer me.

Lebanese cuisine in India is still in its nascent stage and is limited to hummus, falafel and tabouleh. In fact I am not sure if there is any ‘Lebanese Only’ restaurant, as it is collectively grouped with the Greek, Mediterranean and Middle East cuisines.

So technically this was my first experience of the rich Lebanese cuisine and boy I was excited.

Meza is a small restaurant started 3 years back with its owner and his mother dishing out some authentic Lebanese delicacies. The recipes are perhaps passed down from generations in the family.

No wonder the taste of the food is so original and homely.

The Experience:

I left my house with great zeal and eagerness only to reach Meza and find out that all their tables were booked. It was Friday and this tiny little restaurant was packed with people. So please ensure you book a table in advance.

I could see fresh food, Lebanese wines, lovely people and great dinnertime conversations. It is a shame we could not get to experience a sit down meal in its full glory.

We ordered a take away  :(

The owner suggested we order four mezzes and a main course among two people. But we decided to go for 2 Mezzes and a main course. (Which in my opinion was enough for us two- as we are small eaters- So thumbs up on the quantity of food served)

We ordered Mosaka’a Bantenjen Sautéed Prawns, and Kafta Djaj. The food smelled heavenly almost as if enticing us to take a dip in its rich flavors. 

A Lebanese Fare

The Prawns were sauteed in a light tomato gravy served on a bed of delicately flavored rice with vegetables. The description of the dish did say on a bed of saffron rice but I could not smell any saffron in their rice. But never the less it was a good prawns dish- mild in flavor and delicate in aromatic.

Sauteed Prawns

Mosaka Bantenjen is a tangy preparation of eggplant chick peas and tomato gravy. Onions and spices were thrown in to add on to its texture and flavor. Honestly it was a bit too tangy for my taste (I am not sure if I would eat it on its own) but my husband Mitesh absolutely loved it to an extent that he declared, that it was the best mussaka he has ever eaten. 

Mosaka Bantenjen

The Kafta Djaj was my favorite Minced meat chicken meat grilled on skewers and seasoned with some exotic spices. It was served Khobez  which is a Mediterranean flat bread which is traditionally baked in stone clay oven. A garlic dip and a fresh salad was served alongside the Khobez. It made for a perfect wrap.

Kafta Djaj

Pros- Homely food, good service,good on the pocket.

Cons- Small space,need a prior booking on weekends.

Recommendations- Mosaka Bantenjen.

Meza
(Pic Courtesy- Time Out London)

Verdict- The meal was heartily enjoyed and finished in no time. And thus my journey into the exotic world full of rich flavors was complete with promises of a lot more to come soon.

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