Cuite au Feu de Bois in Nice, France

My friends Hel and P-Em took us to this hole-in-the-wall in old Nice town. The food was a Nicoise specialty and the pancake-like bread was cooked in a wood oven. The bread is usually eaten alongside deep fried foods like fried stuffed zucchini flower, fried stuffed zucchini, fried battered sardines and fried minced pork.

I can't say I'm in love this food because to me, it was a bit bland and lacking some moisture and texture. The deep fried foods were warm but not crispy and I found myself searching for some sort of sauce to dip my fried foods in. Maybe I was just spoilt after spending the past 6 months in India, eating freshly fried pakoras with spicy chutneys.




Stuffed zucchini flower

Stuffed vegetables

Pancake-like bread made in the wood oven.

Pissaladiere, a local "pizza" usually topped with sauteed caramelized onions and olives.

Apple tart.

Rating: Worth trying

Le Saut du Loup in Paris

Of all the days we could have gone to the Louvre, we decided to visit it on a Wednesday and it was closed. So instead, we went to the sister museum; Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Even though the museum was significantly smaller in size compared to the Louvre, we managed to spend too many hours there and by the time we were done, it was way passed lunch time and we were famished. So, here's Le Saut du Loup, a restaurant located in the same building as the museum.


Seared scallops with little pasta.

Pan roasted fish (I think it was bass) with snow peas.

Tiramisu reinvented.

Space food, Washington D.C.

I was in Washington D.C. last week and visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I loved exploring the space gallery in the museum and was especially interested in the food the astronauts ate in space.

I've never tasted any space food but "A" mentioned that he had tried freeze-dried ice cream (also known as space ice cream) and thought it was horrible. It was like artificially flavored water that dissolves from an uncomfortably cold icy-powder block, without any kind of texture.

Here are some photos taken at the museum of food carried during the first space shuttle mission in 1981. These are made out of wax, of course.

Bofinger restaurant in Paris

I read somewhere that Bofinger is the oldest brasserie in Paris and we can tell from the art nouveau interiors and how the restaurant operates that it has been around for a while, but considering how old and classy this place is, it's not as pricey as we thought it'd be.

Bofinger interiors.


Escargots; one of my favorite foods to eat in France. I know, eww... snails, but let me tell you, it's not what you think at all. It has a chewy texture and it's usually doused with olive oil and garlic either to mask or enhance a certain seafood-y taste. Delicious and highly recommended.


Langoustine; one of the must-eats while in France. Very mild seafood taste and less meaty compared to crabs but doesn't have the muddy taste of a crawfish.


Seared lamb, fois gras and fruits.


And for desert, the very traditional floating island; meringue floating on crème anglaise or vanilla custard topped with toasted almond slices and caramel.

Address: 5-7 rue de la Bastille; 75004 Paris

La Villa, a Corsica restaurant in Nice, France

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that is located to the west of Italy and southeast of France. Even though Corsica is technically a French region, it's cuisine is a pretty good mix of French and Italian. While we were in France, we visited my childhood bff Hel and her husband P-Em in beautiful Nice, who graciously took us to this wonderful Corsica restaurant.

Duck with ratatouille.

Lightly grilled baby octopus.

Corsica prosciutto.

Mushroom ravioli.

Corsica lasagna.


And to wash it down, a bottle of Corcica wine.


Creme brulee

Tiramisu

More on this restaurant, click here.

Le Moulin de la Galette Cafe in Paris

One of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris is Montmartre and it's not because Moulin Rouge is located at its foothills or where you can find most of Dali's work but because it's just plain pretty. And with the many attractions available in this area, it was a big challenge finding a restaurant that wasn't "touristy". Thankfully, we stumbled upon Le Moulin Galette Cafe, which turned out to be pretty darn good. Here's what we ate:


Fois gras served with fig and apple compote, served with a side of salad.


Roasted sea bass with risotto and pumpkin.

Osso bucco. I don't eat any parts of a cow, whether it's young or old. "A" ordered this and I have to admit, it looked too good to pass. I sampled a bit of the homemade pasta with the osso bucco sauce. Divine.

The restaurant entrance.

Address: Montmartre, 83, rue Lepic 75018 Paris - France