To line our dessert stomach, we headed to the "best afternoon tea" in London, where high tea all started - the Langham Hotel. We opted for the Alice in Wonderland, and chose from their extensive tea selections. It was a lovely touch that we were able to change tea free of charge, if we did not like the taste we could have another one free of charge, though given the price of course it should be!!
The savouries were underwhelming and nothing "wonderland" about them - chicken and tarragon sandwiches were delicious, out of the 4 different sandwiches on the plate. Neither the salmon cream cheese nor egg sandwiches were extraordinary; and I don't get cucumber sandwiches. It is tradition - but if it doesn't give anybody fireworks on their tastebuds, why bother continuing that tradition?
Finally there were the scones and cream and fruit conserves - good warm scones, rich double cream and flavoursome jams. But we were too full to finish our scones - gasp! Oh well.
In hindsight we should have ordered from two different high tea menus despite the other one being £50. Next time maybe (not)? Overall we felt underwhelmed by the food - possibly the hype of the "best high tea in London 2010" award meant we expected a lot. The service was impeccable though.
Paris, here we come! It was exhilarating traversing the English channel and when we reached the light at the end of the tunnel, nous sommes arrivés en France! My first baguette, first plain (butter) croissant, first croissant aux amandes et chocolat, first macaron, first meal of cured duck breast fillet, were all big milestones. And I had it all in the first 24 hours! :D~~ The small boulangerie just down the road sells the best chocolate and almond croissant (not chocolate or almond, but chocolate AND almond), it's moist and fluffy at the same time. And the local patisserie 2 blocks from me, had beautiful macarons and baguettes. Cafe/bar just on the other end of my street, generous, simple and delicious cured duck breast salad. It would have been easy to live here and not venture out, I have my breakfast, second breakfast, lunch and dinner sorted!
Along my Paris experience were many boulangeries (bakers), fromageries (cheese), charcuteries (cured meats), patisseries (cakes and pastries), cafes and restaurants. I had many opportunities to stop and sample, as well as missed opportunities because it was not humanly possible to. But here are the few places of our dessert pilgrimage of Paris - including Laduree, Lenotre, and Pierre Herme - requiring special mentions.Chance brought me my first Lenotre experience - just walking along, contemplating whether to find a cafe to rest my feet, or catch the metro back to the hotel to rest my feet, then like angels descending on me - ok stop that melodrama - Lenotre. It was a beautiful patisserie, cakes were painstakingly constructed, everything made with love and respect. There were no tables so I had no choice but to buy something least likely to be damaged in transit - macarons. It was the first time EVER I ate 4 macarons in one sitting and not get sick from the sugar - they were so light! And each one had its distinct flavour, not masked by the heavy sugar (such as those often found in Sydney - Eugh!), it was only fair to say - PERFECT macarons, where you could only judge it by whether you liked the flavour.
Perfect macarons from Lenotre - lightly crunchy, melt in your mouth, light and fragile, feet that don't extend beyond the dome, and no air pocket under the smooth dome.
The next Lenotre encounter was also by chance - walking towards Avenue des Champs-Elysees and we noticed the Lenotre school and restaurant (Le Pavillon Elysee Lenotre). A very elegant establishment, the entry hall is filled with designer and specialty kitchenware (I could spend hours looking at them!!), cook books (ditto previous comment). Then, you make a turn, and enter the restaurant in the sun room. Or you could choose to sit at the balcony - weather permitting. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and elegant - ah this is the lifestyle I long for.
For dessert, we had an XXL millefeuille with bourbon infused vanilla creme patissier, served with raspberry coulis. XXL? Yep, and it was enormous! I have never seen a millefeuille this big (probably 25cm long!). Tasty it was! We also had 2 macarons (part of my set 3 course meal) - lemon and pink grapefruit - tres bon.
Another famous establishment that has (predominantly American) tourists queuing from about midday onwards - Laduree. They have many shops dotted around Paris and are famous for their macarons and pastry creations. I chanced upon Laduree many times, in the 1er, in the 6eme, on Champs Elysees (afternoon tea in their salon de the).
The ambiance of the Salon de The (tea room) was posh, but a little cluttered (to fit more tables?) and therefore noisy. The waiters were friendly, but because they were busy it was difficult to get their attention. We had the pistachio macaron pistachio creme patissier and creme chantilly, and a classic French desset Mont Blanc. The pistachio macaron dessert was practically pistachio on pistachio with pistachio - no doubt it was pistachio based dessert. Highly recommended. The Mont Blanc was a simple dessert of smooth chestnut puree on whipped cream and thin pastry. I would recommend this dessert if you like chestnut puree - which was 80% of this dessert.
I wasn't convinced that Laduree lived up to the hype. I enjoyed the experience, the desserts were tantalising, beautifully created, but somehow, either I've lost that initial "wow" I had on first arrival, or I had been having such wonderful pastries the standard had been raised.
How I will cope with the desserts in Sydney... let's worry about that later.
Pierre Hermes is another well-known establishment famous for his macarons. His signature dessert is (apparently) the rose Ispahan, an amazing creation of rose scented macarons filled with fresh raspberries. I had the fortune of just walking past one, without the infamous queue of tourists, and took the opportunity of grabbing the rose ispahan as well as a couple of other macarons - salted caramel (again not salty enough) and jasmine - which was lovely and fragrant, loved it. Cassis was also a hit with my companion - tangy cassis jelly cut the sweetness of the macaron.
Bliss.
My travel companions opted for something chocolatey - oh my. Chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, topped with pieces of chocolate. It was simply luscious, but even a chocoholic like her could not finish this!
It was hard to leave Paris. It was harder to accept that, despite the gourmet culture we have in Sydney, the level of sophistication is simply not comparable to that of France. They do take their food very seriously, and it is so ingrained in their culture that you don't have to go far to find satisfaction (or above). One thing though - would you French people learn to make espresso properly! That PLASTIC cup of watery espresso for take away is simply not acceptable ... Italy is your immediate neighbour - TALK TO THEM! At least, it was tolerable coffee - coffee from Belgium was simply not palatable.
So we leave you with more photos of goodness from Paris - and will come back to Sydney for DDT OCTOBER GOOD FOOD MONTH!
CS
This is deviating from the dessert theme but I must mention their 'fish sausage stuffed with minced mushrooms, served with chicken jus and spring vegetables. The flavours were very simple, I love the way the French let the ingredient speak for themselves - Nothing is lost through the cooking process. The salmon tartare was also a hit - served with green tea and mint foam - subtle flavour that just waltzed on the tastebuds!! It intrigues me that the flavours were distinct, but subtle, completely opposite from many other cuisines (such as SE Asian, Indian, Moroccan, Southern Chinese) which uses strong flavours that explodes in your mouth, this style to me is the ultimate in food sophistication - back to basics.
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| The amazing fish sausage stuffed with minced mushroom, served on a bed of spring veges and chicken jus; the salmon tartare, and green tea and mint foam. |
For dessert, we had an XXL millefeuille with bourbon infused vanilla creme patissier, served with raspberry coulis. XXL? Yep, and it was enormous! I have never seen a millefeuille this big (probably 25cm long!). Tasty it was! We also had 2 macarons (part of my set 3 course meal) - lemon and pink grapefruit - tres bon. |
| Coffee served in a cup with a lid, macarons, and giant millefeuille. |
Another famous establishment that has (predominantly American) tourists queuing from about midday onwards - Laduree. They have many shops dotted around Paris and are famous for their macarons and pastry creations. I chanced upon Laduree many times, in the 1er, in the 6eme, on Champs Elysees (afternoon tea in their salon de the). |
| Laduree salted caramel macaron, shop front, and their heart-shaped rose Ispahan |
Again, my comment for the macarons is that they were all perfectly constructed; the only variable to judge by was the flavour. I was not a fan of their salted caramel - it was a filling of rich caramel that wasn't very salty, quite different from my expectation (and comparison to La Renaissance in The Rocks). Other flavours that stood out in my memory was the green apple - slightly tart and fresh, a flavour I will attempt to recreate.
The ambiance of the Salon de The (tea room) was posh, but a little cluttered (to fit more tables?) and therefore noisy. The waiters were friendly, but because they were busy it was difficult to get their attention. We had the pistachio macaron pistachio creme patissier and creme chantilly, and a classic French desset Mont Blanc. The pistachio macaron dessert was practically pistachio on pistachio with pistachio - no doubt it was pistachio based dessert. Highly recommended. The Mont Blanc was a simple dessert of smooth chestnut puree on whipped cream and thin pastry. I would recommend this dessert if you like chestnut puree - which was 80% of this dessert.
How I will cope with the desserts in Sydney... let's worry about that later.
Pierre Hermes is another well-known establishment famous for his macarons. His signature dessert is (apparently) the rose Ispahan, an amazing creation of rose scented macarons filled with fresh raspberries. I had the fortune of just walking past one, without the infamous queue of tourists, and took the opportunity of grabbing the rose ispahan as well as a couple of other macarons - salted caramel (again not salty enough) and jasmine - which was lovely and fragrant, loved it. Cassis was also a hit with my companion - tangy cassis jelly cut the sweetness of the macaron.
Bliss.
My travel companions opted for something chocolatey - oh my. Chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, topped with pieces of chocolate. It was simply luscious, but even a chocoholic like her could not finish this!
Chocolate dome; various macarons; and the beautiful ispahan.
It was hard to leave Paris. It was harder to accept that, despite the gourmet culture we have in Sydney, the level of sophistication is simply not comparable to that of France. They do take their food very seriously, and it is so ingrained in their culture that you don't have to go far to find satisfaction (or above). One thing though - would you French people learn to make espresso properly! That PLASTIC cup of watery espresso for take away is simply not acceptable ... Italy is your immediate neighbour - TALK TO THEM! At least, it was tolerable coffee - coffee from Belgium was simply not palatable.
So we leave you with more photos of goodness from Paris - and will come back to Sydney for DDT OCTOBER GOOD FOOD MONTH!
CS
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| Gerard Mulot in 6eme |
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| Delicatessen and fromagerie in 6eme; and the busy Gerard Mulot |
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| Lenotre *LOVE* |
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| Mariage Frere's tea house - famous for an extremely extensive tea menu. SNOB salad - very snobbish, very delicious! |
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| Grand Marche at the Lafayette department store. Foodie heaven! If I die here, I die happy. All sorts of goodies you only imagined - and they exist! |
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