astradele

This time I’m sure: the restaurant that I intended to go to no longer exists! It has been replaced by another! Sadly, due to my slavish loyalty to my travel guide map, it took me 45 minutes to discover this fact. On a strict schedule for my flight tomorrow, I was unable to venture far afield.

After the travel guide’s recommended cafe turned out to be packed on a Saturday night (go figure, huh), I finally lodged myself at a Japanese restaurant.

Run by Chinese. Sigh. I should’ve followed the example of the Japanese tour groups to another restaurant I had marked.

Still, food is food, especially in my hungry state!

North of Opera Garnier closer to the centre of 9eme, is the delightful No Stress Cafe. I hesitated at an establishment in France where the wok stir fry is recommended… But who am I to second guess my travel book’s recommendations? Especially a travel book with a Chinese co-authour.

I’m glad, almost elated, that I walked in. The wait staff are handsome and “cool” as the book described, and English was not a problem. One even offered to translate the menu for me, a first in Paris. The music is urban hip (like Gap, but less cheesy).

The bread is the best I’ve had. I’m plotting ways I can sneak the entire basket out with me. The crust of the baguette segment is crispy and flaky, the centre soft, speckled with seeds of some kind. Unlike much of the other bread I’ve had to use force to tear into and washed down with water, every bite of this is a treat.

The duck and sesame stir fry is enormous, and packed: perfectly al dente noodles, onions, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, white mushrooms, wood fungus, coriander, cabbage, celery, and of course, duck and sesame seeds. I can’t remember the last time I had a stirfry so good!

I don’t think I can fit dessert!!!