In Paris - First Night Out Exploring The Town

Location: Latin Quarter, Paris

I'm over a month behind on blogging about my visit to Paris, but it's been a crazy month with starting a new job and apartment hunting. My new job has been amazing, but the apartment hunt was such a stressful period. NYC is so crazy when it comes to looking for a place to live! 

Robert and I planned a last minute week-long vacation to Paris in April, since I had a break in between jobs. We stayed at a "cute, but I wouldn't stay there again" hotel in Saint-Germain-Latin Quarter. For our first night, after taking a red-eye from JFK to CDG, we decided to take it easy, explore the neighborhood, and find an authentic "French" place to eat. We stumbled upon this amazing tapas restaurant called Dans Les Landes. 

Robert and me

We walked in and the waiters immediately started speaking fast French to us. After studying French for 7 years from middle school to college, I just stared blankly back. WIth some hand gesturing and random phrases of French on my end and English on their end, I managed to tell them that we didn't have a reservation and that we wanted to sit outside. It was a beautiful night out, and we started off with a carafe of house wine. 

Cous du Canarde "duck neck"

Pate Spring Rolls - the best item of the night!

After the waiter realized that we couldn't read the menu and that we were just randomly pointing at items to order, he recommended the Pate Spring Rolls. OMFG! They were absolutely amazing! I am still craving this today. 

Pig's Feet - yes, we decided to eat things that we didn't normally eat back in NY

After dinner, we walked around the corner to Le Saint Medcro for dessert. 

Crepe avec Grande-Marnier (aka alcohol and fire)

Crepes are a must-have in Paris; we had them everywhere - both at restaurants and on the streets from food trucks. I have to say though that I love crepes from food trucks the most.

Where would you recommend as your first meal in Paris? 

A Fancy Birthday Dinner At Morimoto

Location: Meatpacking (btn 16th St. and 10th Ave.)

On Robert's actual birthday, he and I were flying to Atlanta for a wedding, so he celebrated the weekend after at Morimoto. I normally don't like Asian-inspired restaurants, unless it is cheap and in Chinatown, but Morimoto is an exception. It was so amazing that I don't even know where to begin. Everything surpassed expectations from the unique, trendy decor to the strong, yet delicious drinks to the savory Asian-themed food. 

Me and the birthday boy in front of the clearly lit wall of plastic water bottles

My fav drink of the night: lotus blossom (I think that's the name). It tasted like alcoholic ice cream! And don't forget to eat the lychee.

By the end of the night, we probably had all of the cocktails on the menu. The cocktail menu is a bit small, but each cocktail recipe was very creative and totally worth it. 

Shriya & Runie. And there's my fav drink of the night again! 

Me & Jocelyn in front of the infamous wall

Appetizers:

Toro tartare

Japanese lobster fritters

Oyster foie gras

Entrees:

Sea Bass with Japanese Eggplant - highly, highly recommend, even though it looks plain!!

ishi yaki buri bop - the waiter cooks it tableside

Braised black cod

duck, duck, duck - foie gras croissant, roast duck & soft duck egg

birthday surprise!

Arianne & Peter

Feroz, Ed & Robert

My only complaint is that when we sat down, the waitress casually asked us if we wanted edamame. I thought that edamame would be like bread & olive oil at Italian restaurants, so I was a bit surprised when the bill came and we were charged for it. 

Overall, I loved Morimoto! Next time, I want to sit at the sushi bar and watch the chefs at work. 

Oh, and before you leave, you must stop by the bathroom, even if you don't need to. There's a surprise!

craftbar

Location: Flatiron (btn 20th St. and Broadway)

A few weeks ago, I had dinner at Chef Tom Colicchio's restaurant - Craftbar. For those who need an introduction, Tom Colicchio is the judge on Top Chef (I'm addicted to the current All Stars series!), and he also owns Craft, Craftsteak, and 'wichcraft. Craft is his upscale restaurant in NY, Dallas, and LA. Craftsteak is, clearly as the name states, his steakhouse with locations in Las Vegas, NY, and Foxwoods. And 'wichcraft is his sandwich shop around NY (one in Bryant Park and another near KTown). 

We had a group of 8 people at dinner, and we loved it! It has a very chill, relaxing, yet elegant feeling to the place. And needless to say, the food was delicious!! 

We started off the night with a bottle of the Vernaccia Nera "Collequanto" from Italy. It was so good that we ordered additional bottle refills after we finished the first one!

Appetizers: white anchovy & soft cooked egg bruschetta and pecorino risotto balls.

Entree: Red Snapper. Yum!! It's already half-eaten!!!

Entree: One of the specials of the night. Duck?

The crew at Craftbar

After dinner, we had drinks at 230 5th - a rooftop lounge that offers a beautiful view of Manhattan. Since it was still cold outside, they offered us red robes to keep us warm!

 
Can't wait to try Craft next!! Which Craft restaurant is your favorite??