The French Stall

Never mind the unexpected setting. Fret not the heat and casual dining atmosphere. Expats throng this place, and keep coming back. It's not that strange a notion once one has tried the food here. Getting the price right is key to everything, especially in the credit cycle we're in today. The French Stall does just that, and does it really well too! Situated at 544 Serangoon Road (Little India), it's indeed a queer and the most unlikely place to find good and authentic french cuisine. 

At YS' suggestion, we celebrated Yan's birthday today at the French Stall. It was a surprised treat from YS, and we're grateful for the introduction to this restaurant. For appetizers, we ordered a bunch of things from the menu - rocket salad served with parmesan cheese, escargot, garlic bread, mussels cooked in white wine sauce and carrot soup. They were all very tasty, but of course, one can't expect michelin-star standard. My only slight regret is the presentation style for the escargots. Although at S$9.20 per half dozen, they're probably the cheapest escargots one could find in Singapore, the dish could have been better presented. 

The minced herb garlic bread was very tasty, but then again, it's a no-brainer. So were the mussels cooked in white wine, for it really is hard to get it wrong.

The carrot soup was light - more for diet-conscious people, I would say. I prefer it creamier and thicker, like how I would have made it.

As for the main courses, the most value-for-money choice on the menu for meat eaters would be the rack of lamb, as it comes in huge serving. 

However, the steak failed to impress. It was very average, and tasted rather like Han's cheap steak.

The birthday boy ordered something healthy for once - baked dory fillet served with spinach. As long as the fish is fresh, it's hard to get this wrong as well.

For a vegetarian like Yan's mom, it's not easy to eat out with a group of meat eaters like us. She had to order the only vegetarian dish on the main course menu - spaghetti in creamy mushroom and tomato sauce. This is a relatively safe dish to order, and it didn't disappoint.

For a gourmet like me (ehhmm), one of course will have to go for more refined and sophisticated choice - grilled duck breast served over a bed of risotto, and topped with orange peel. At S$21, this isn't exactly inexpensive, but overall I was rather pleased with the taste and the presentation. I consider this dish satisfactory. 

And the verdict? If you're looking for value-for-money and no-frills french food, this is the place!

Le Mont St. Michel - Day 5

The sight of Le Mont St. Michel looming in the distance was a welcoming relief after a nearly 4 hours drive from Paris in our rented Fiat 500. Situated out of nowhere, atop an island, the abbey offers a unique setting for a short getaway. Controlled by the rhythm of tides throughout the year, the place at times appears like an island surrounding by sea and at other times a hill surrounded by vast tracts of swamp land. Cars and tourist buses are parked along the bridgeway leading to the island entrance, as there's barely space to move once one is within the island walls.

As one nears the entrance door, one is immediately greeted by a medieval looking retractable bridge door.

At the foot of the abbey, within the island walls, a small community of Le Mont St. Michel lives in quaint stonewalled houses and cobbled stones narrow alleys.

Hotel Mouton Blanc is only a short distance walk away from the entrance. One will not miss it as there are only a few hotels on the island. Many tourists will come here for a day trip or stay just outside the island where there are larger and newer hotels. However, nothing beats the experience of staying on the island itself. The picture below shows the facade of Hotel Mouton Blanc, which is one of the oldest hotel at the foot of the abbey.

The hotel reception has a small reception counter with a wall adorned with copper pots and pans. What a cute sight!

Checking-in was a breeze as the hotel was organized and had all our details in advance. We were given a set of keys to Room 103 which is on Level 2. There was no lift in the hotel, as one could easily understand, given that it was built a few hundreds of years ago. Room 103 turned out to be a dream room. It wasn't anything fancy, but the quaint interior decor, reminiscent of an English old cottage home, really set up the mood. It's a room that looked like one lifted out of a Harry Potter film. I squealed in delight!

The picture below shows the view outside the room window.

It was about 4pm by the time we checked in and had a warm shower. The sky was once again cloudy and gloomy like in many winter days in northern France. We were reeling from our long drive, and all we wanted at that time was a good meal and some rest before the climb. The restaurant in Hotel Mouton Blanc could be conveniently accessed from our room, where we needn't step out into the cold. However, dinner would only be served only from 7pm onwards. We took a short nap in our hotel room, with "Mumbai Attack" continuous reporting on CNN - the only English-language channel available.

We were so ready by dinner time. I ordered mussels cooked in cream while Yan went for seafood platter as appetizers. Presentation was generous and the seafood was fresh.

I then had roasted leg of lamb served with french beans and green salad. Yan ordered his usual medium grilled steak. The food was average, but we didn't mind it at all. We were in great holiday mood!

We finished the meal with creme brulee.After dinner, Yan ventured outside the island wall to take a snapshot of a light-filled abbey.  It was an awesome sight. 

Paris - Day 4

Having been to the highlights of Paris, it was time to explore the city itself. The temperature this morning was probably in the low single-digit deg C. It was a little uncomfortable for me, and I found myself wishing for some sunlight. After a heavy breakfast in the hotel, we took a slow stroll around the Invalides neighbourhood. The picture above shows the Golden Dome of the cathedral at Hotel Nationale Invalides. We understand that Napoleon's tomb lies beneath this dome.

A short distance away just across the bridge, we arrived at Avenue des Champs-Elysee. This is the famed tree-lined up-market shopping street in Paris.

Flagship stores of huge international luxury brands are not located exactly on this street itself, but around this area. LV's flagship store is situated at one corner just off Ave Champs-Elysee. See picture below.

It was past noon by the time we reached the upper end of Ave Champs-Elysee. The Arc de Triomph at Place Charles de Gaulle, stood majestically across the busy cross junction.

It was time for lunch, and Laduree (the Avenue Champs-Elysee outlet) seemed a great choice. I've always wanted to try macarons from the originals, and I read somewhere that macarons originated from Laduree.  With a history of over a hundred years, the outlet at Avenue Champs-Elysee retains much of the old charm. 

There was a long queue at the pastry section and photo-taking was forbidden. Somehow, Yan managed to snap a shot of the famous macarons. There were many flavors, and we bought one of each. The restaurant section was also crowded and many lunch-goers were turned away. We were fortunate to be able to find a table.

Table setting was simple but professional. I ordered foei gras (yet again) for appetizer and grilled veal loin for main course, while Yan went for something healthier - baked cod with mashed pumpkin. The food here is decent, but nothing much to shout about. We came primarily for its famous macarons which didn't disappoint.

Versailles - Day 2

Tuesday, 25th November : It's a great feeling waking up to the smell and sight of a well-presented breakfast. Though far from 5-star standard, the breakfast spread at Hotel Muguet was decent enough given its EUR8/pax rate. It has everything typical in a Parisian breakfast - croissant, baguette, cheese, cold meat, hard-boiled egg, fruits, cereal, yogurt and coffee. Beside the room rates and its location, I loved the fact that it's a small boutique hotel where hotel staff is attentive and wifi internet access is free in all rooms! 

Today, our plan was to spend a leisurely day at the world's greatest museum, the Lourve. However, much to our dismay, we arrived there only to discover that it's close on every Tuesday. A signboard bearing "CLOSE" was displayed at the pyramid entrance.

We took some pictures of the museum exterior (see above), made a swift decision to reshuffle our itinerary around, and quickly headed off to Versailles. The train ride from Paris to Versailles took about 45 minutes. It was around noon when we arrived there. Versaille is a small touristy town situated on the fringe of Paris that thrives on tourism, with the Palace of Versailles being the central attraction. The palace is located a short walk away from the train station. It's not hard to find one's way there. Almost every passenger who arrived at the train station from Paris is a tourist. One just have to follow the walking crowd.

A visit to the Palace of Versailles is like a tour of a show house. But with the rich heritage and history that lies within, it's definitely worth a visit, particularly if one is a fan of Marie Antoinette.  

Below is a photo of the famed hall of mirrors - the largest and arguably the most beautiful room within the palace. It owed its name to the 17 mirrors on one side of the hall facing 17 arched windows at the opposite side.

There is a room dedicated to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The famous Coronation painting adorned an entire wall.  See below. An identical painting can be found at the Lourve.

The works of Jeff Koon, a contemporary artist, can be found in almost every room within the palace. These modern pieces seem so out of place here. They must have raised some eyebrows, especially the old-school historians, who may see them as distractions. Whether one is old-schooled or more culturally accepting, one thing for sure - these modern art do bring the place alive.

To understand Jeff Koon's mind, one just need to look at some of his works, I guess.  Take this porcelain statue of Michael Jackson. He added a monkey named Bubble to the statue, and the two are not necessarily unlike each other.  Go figure!

There were just too many things to talk about, if one is a history buff. With that, I end this tour with a photo taken on the way out of the palace. Can you see a large red heart-shaped structure in the background - that's also Jeff Koon's creation.

It was late evening by the time we returned to the city of Paris. We went back to the cathedral of Notre Dame for some night shots.

There is nothing better to look forward to after a long day of sightseeing than a hearty French meal. Tonight, we had a very satisfying French dinner at Le Florimond, a traditional restaurant near Hotel Muguet. 

Yan's appetizer turned out to be a real surprise. It looked like a dessert offering - strawberry triffle of sort - but it was not! What looked like strawberry puree was actually beet root puree.  The white foam was not some sweet-tasting cream but seafood flavored foam, and the last layer contained the prized mussels. What a creative presentation!

For the main course, Yan ordered from the beef menu. It came in two forms. The first was stewed beef served with raspberry sauce, and the second was grilled steak served with polenta and baked potatoes.

I had crispy duck confit served with green salad. It was heavenly, to say the least.As for dessert, Yan went for sorbet, and it came in three different flavors.I was more adventurous and was rewarded with a pretty presentation of mango mousse.This is a picture of the cosy restaurant (taken the next day when we walked past).