EuroTrip ‘22 Part II: Paris, France

I dreamt of setting foot in France, kissing the ground to pay homage to the land of everything exquisite. A country where the pride for craftsmanship is adorned by the world, and a place where people can express how much passion they put in anything they create with their hands. France is one of the very few nations that still sets the standard for anything impeccable, and for this particular reason, I feel that I was born in the wrong country.

We are coming from Madrid. This is the second leg of our eurotrip, and we are just getting started.

Well, getting into the city from the airport wasn’t a fairytale. We decided to take the subway and got a hit of reality that we never expected coming. The subway was pretty packed and guess what happens when the door opens for the next stop? People try to squeeze themselves in like there’s no tomorrow. Funny enough, somebody had the strength of Samson from behind and just pushed everyone in. We got squeezed in like sardines in a jar, laughing our asses off in dismay, the journey continued like nobody cared. But how else can we experience life in Paris better than this?

Ahhhh Paris

I’ve been to France before, in the south. I was neither impressed nor disappointed.

BUT…

Everything changed when I experienced Paris. Yes, Paris is an experience. Paris amplifies your feelings with what you see, eat and touch—your cognitive processes all become secondary to what you feel. Does this even make sense? It basically impairs your mental state to induce a feeling of pure happiness. You just feel, feel and feel. In this city, there is sensory overload of all sorts-visual, auditory, olfactory and tactility.

Hotel St. Andre Des Arts

We stayed in the St. Germaine area, which was pretty strategic since it’s in the center of the city. Our hotel was very charming, although the rooms and bathroom were a bit small. Nonetheless, it did its purpose. Below, you will see the surrounding area.

With every step you take, Paris leads you to a deeper and deeper fantasy. All the quaint and charming shops, the humble restaurants along Rue St. Anne, the grandeur of Château de Versailles, the charm of River Seine and the parks and fountains where you can just sit and watch people, are all part of a dreamy enchantment that makes me wonder how such a city can accommodate all the things I seek to live a wonderful life.

When in Paris

Here’s my advice, when in Paris, you take your time. (It) Doesn’t matter if you’re staying for only two nights or just passing by. You. Take. Your. Time. Promise yourself that you will come back in the future. Don’t rush trying to get in the Louvre Museum just to say that you’ve been there, it doesn’t work like that. You come to the Louvre because you took the time to enjoy being there, that you took time to appreciate the paintings and sculptures.

When is Paris, you need to take advantage of the following things:

Gastronomy & Coffee

You will not run out of options to eat. Paris is home to some of the best food in the world—not just French cuisine. There’s plenty of restaurants to choose from, depending on your budget or craving. During our trip, we went crazy by booking a reservation at a three-star restaurant and a one-star restaurant (which is the best meal of my life), which is something that we looked forward to after working hard for a whole year. The reason why we do it is because of our foodie nature and for inspiration. As a chef, you always need to try something new and be introduced to exciting flavor pairings. Nonetheless, we had cheap, tasty food for the most part, and the Rue St. Anne was the place for asian food.

Rue St. Anne housed rows and rows of restaurants of varying asian fare. When in Paris, pass by this wonderful street and consider your options.

>Kamakiri Hakata Udon

For our first lunch of the day, we stopped by Kamakiri. The staff was so welcoming the moment you enter. They were also so polite when you order through the counter. You can see everything is being done fresh. I had a bowl of curry udon and kept my mouth shut the whole time. Sorry, erase that, what I meant was, I was busy eating.

>Didon

We had dinner at Didon on our first night. It’s a small neighborhood type restaurant ran by a former two Michelin star chef. The food was good but lacked seasoning. I was trying to get swayed by it, but I couldn’t find the umph factor.

>Le Pre Catelan

A three Michelin Star restaurant by Frederick Anton. Mr. Anton is one of the most renowned French chefs, probably in the entire world. If you would like to read my review of this restaurant, please click this link!

>Neige D’Ete

Summer snow, in english. A one Michelin Star restaurant by Nishi Hideki, which I consider to be the best meal of my life. Our time there was epic, words can’t explain. If you would like to read my review of this restaurant, please head over here.

>Tomo

A small Japanese-inspired coffee and pastry shop close to our hotel. It’s nice spot to sit down and relax. This is where you take your laptop out and just write something creative or meet deadlines.

>Ippudo Ramen

A very popular chain across the world. We just craved and got our ramen fix. I cannot stay in a strict western diet for five days straight. There will be times where Mr. Poon craves for something close to his roots.

>Coreen Hang A-Ri

When you see the ajumas flocking the restaurant, you know that the place is legit. Hang A-Ri was the perfect choice for a cold night. We craved for ginseng chicken and a bunch of other stuff and when we saw that there’s a lot of people coming in, we didn’t hesitate. Well, we got rewarded for choosing the right spot! Everything was just so good, or maybe we were just hungry?

>Cafe Kitsune

Another popular coffee shop with different locations across the world. It was close to a park, and we had a good time enjoying our chocolat chaud and coffee.

>Le Pincemin

A Michelin recommended restaurant close to Chateau De Versailles. We had to make a reservation because it gets packed. The place didn’t disappoint and we had a good lunch recovery after touring the famous castle.

>Cafe Des Ministeres

Prior to our trip, I asked a french chef of mine if he can recommend spots to try. He mentioned this restaurant because his friend owns it. It’s a tiny 30-40 seater restaurant ran by a husband and wife tandem. The husband runs the kitchen and the wife runs the floor. I couldn’t believe how a single lady can handle all the work on the front as it got packed! She is the epitome of good and fast service.

Bistro style cuisine, very close to roots type of menu. All the french classics are present and food was good. It was scallops season and they were sweet and juicy! The house Paté with house pickles were one of the highlights. They are famous for their vol-au-vent, the wife mentioned that they recently won another vol-au-vent competition, but we skipped it. I’ve been regretting ever since.

>Les Deaux Magots

Another Paris institution. You cannot miss coming here for coffee, croissant and people watching. Come early, so you’re secured to have a nice table outside before it’s too late.

>Angelina

I wouldn’t bother coming back here, but whatever. Angelina is a trendy breakfast & high tea cafe in Paris, famous amongst influencers. I don’t understand the hype, but I just went with the flow.

The Parks, Outdoors & Everything in Between

>The River Siene
What a mighty river this one is. I really appreciate how the French are able to utilize the river for tourism, commerce and livelihood. For my next trip to Paris, I want to try the dinner cruise along the river. Tip, spend time to stroll down the banks and walk along the river in the afternoon. There’s plenty to see and it doesn’t hurt to just sit down either. You have plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and bars that are next to it.

>The Louvre & Other Museums
Note: The Louvre’s purpose varies depending on the time of day. In the daytime, the Louvre is a museum that you need to visit to check out all the cool relics and antiquities that they house. In the evening, the Louvre acts as the perfect backdrop for a stunning “Hey, I’m in Paris” kind of photo. Be careful though, you might catch yourself taking photos for hours and hours. Don’t get laws in the saws.

Louvre In The Daytime

Louvre In The Evening

> Recreational Parks

European countries are so good at finding balance in the way they design a city. Parks act as a sanctuary for retreat from the noisy and chaotic city life. It’s a favorite past time amongst Europeans, I do too. Who doesn’t love admiring fountains, sitting down to feeding birds or what sorts of creatures that approach you? Serenity. Go ahead and grab a chair, put your feet up to the fountain and sip your problems away with your choice of beverage, you have time.

>Sacre Coeur, Churches & Overlooking Spots

They’re all scattered within the city. You need to catch a breathtaking view once in a while. Paris gives you that vibe, if you know where to go.

>The Eiffel Tower

Just like the Louvre, the tower has different purposes depending on the time of the day. In the daytime, the tower provides a recreational spot to do picnic and whatnot. In the evening, the tower serves as a wonderful backdrop for the “it” photo. Come by at 10:00pm or 11:00pm and watch the Tower light up and become a dazzling spectacle.

We were walking for twenty five minutes to get here, after our dinner from Cafe Des Ministeres. It was exactly 9:59pm when we arrived. A minute later, this started to happen.

>Chateau De Versailles

When in France, you visit the Chateau. The Chateau is the symbol of how France is all about extravagance and timeless luxury. We enjoyed touring Versailles and even rented a golf cart to explore the insanely huge garden. It was so rewarding and awesome.

Funny enough, we took the train to get here early. Little did we know that they almost didn’t want to open that day due to a transportation rally. Bus drivers and other public operators were demanding to receive better wages and some of the employees of Versailles got stuck driving and some couldn’t come to work at all. There were at least 10,000 people waiting outside. Tour buses started flocking like crazy, unloading eager tourists. We waited outside for an hour and a half to two before they let us in. We just needed to get to the other side of the gate!

You just can’t stop to admire all the relics, artifacts and paintings that they house here.

What struck me the most was the garden and the courtyard; massive and plenty of areas to explore. They let you rent out a golf cart that guides you through the whole entire area in a very organized way. You will see dramatic tree set ups, well manicured plants of various kinds, statues & sculptures, cottages and mansions that have been transformed into smaller museums, and a boatload of history. We really enjoyed our time here. I wish took more photos but we were busy laughing while driving.

Shops That Make Sense For You

>Old School Kitchen Equipment and Tools, E. Dehillerin

We all have hobbies and interests of our own. Luckily for you, Paris will have whatever you seek. As for me, I went to E. Dehillerin, a kitchen supply Mecca that have stood the test of time, in the heart of Paris. For my experience here, please read my article entitled, E. Dehillerin, Click Here!

>Bernardaud

I love french dinnerware and home decor. For elegant and statement pieces, there’s Bernardaud. I have nothing to say. If you know, you know.

To Sum It All Up

We had a good time in Paris. It has been my favorite destination of all time. A charming and romantic city, it has all the things that you need—food, views, shops, history and recreation. Explore by foot, for it is a wonderful walkable town that you will admire, every step of the way. Find magic during the evening, as the city lights up like no other.

When in Paris, live life in a slower pace, do not rush things and savor everything that you experience.

When in Paris, find your bearings again and let the creative juices flow back to your head.

Every artist and creative flourish here, nobody is left behind. If you’re one of those people who take pride in what you do creatively, go visit this city and realize that it’s only been waiting for you all along.

But when all else fails, there’s nothing that a cup of coffee and a freshly baked croissant can’t solve.