Tag Archives: 10th arrondissement

Choco-Story: A Chocolate Museum in Paris

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Mayan tools for making chocolate, via FranceToday.com

No foodie visit to Paris would be complete without a visit to Paris’ own chocolate museum. Privately initiated by the Van Belle family, the first Choco-Story museum opened appropriately in the chocolate-centric city of Bruges, Belgium in 2004, then in Prague in 2008, and finally in Paris in 2010.

In this delicious new museum, located on the boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle near the southern border of the 10th arrondissement, visitors discover the 4,000 year history of cacao. In typical French fashion, the visit is broken into three parts:

 

Part I: The Mayans and the Aztecs

As early as 250 BC, the Mayans cultivated cacao trees and made a bitter drink from them combining roasted ground cacao beans, water and spices. Later, from around 1150 AD, the Aztecs continued this tradition and call the drink “divine nectar,” as it was considered food of the gods and was only allowed to be consumed by elite members of society.

The museum displays many vessels fashioned from fruit shells that were made for drinking “Tchocoatl.” These containers had a straw-like spout meant not for drinking the liquid but for blowing bubbles in it to create froth which was very popular within these ancient civilizations.

During this period, cacao beans were also used as currency and held a significant value. For example, a rabbit might cost 10 beans, while a slave cost 100.

 

Part II: The Europeans

 

In 1502, Christopher Columbus was the first European to taste the Aztec’s “Tchocoatl” in the New World, but he did not care for the taste and thus basically ignored it, to his misfortune.

It was the Spaniard Hernando Cortez, in 1527, who brought cacao to Europe. At first, the Spanish were not fans of this bitter drink, but after adding sugar, “chocolate” quickly became the preferred beverage of the Spanish royal court.

In the 17th century, chocolate spread to the royal courts of France, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom. The French courts found chocolate to be an aphrodisiac, and it was particularly favored by King Louis XIV and later by Marie Antoinette.

By the middle of the 17th century, tea and chocolate salons began to appear throughout Europe.

The museum has a magnificent collection of porcelain chocolate teacups and churning devices made from copper and silver used by the elite classes of Europe. There was even a type of cup made with an extra shelf of porcelain at the lip meant to protect gentlemen’s mustaches from dipping into the drink.

In the 18th century, chocolate became available in pharmacies to improve the taste of bitter medicine and to cure fatigue and constipation.

By the 19th century, the industrial revolution turned the artisanal creation of chocolate into large scale fabrication. Methods were perfected, and solid chocolate was born. At this point, chocolate became available in many forms: tablets, bars, figurines, milk, dark, etc.

The museum provides a colorful display of chocolate molds and advertisements from the first half of the 20th century.

 

Part III: Today

This section presents myths and facts about the nutritional value of chocolate, and breaks down the ingredients that go into the milk, dark and white varieties. One of the displays suggests that people “slim down” before enjoying chocolate!

The best part of this section is the demonstration, where a chocolatier shows visitors how to make praline-filled chocolates. For samples, we got to taste milk, dark and praline-filled chocolates.

At the end, I recommend ordering one of the six different types of hot chocolate on offer in the gift shop for three euros. The Aztec hot chocolate made with dark chocolate and chili pepper was pleasantly rich and spicy; the perfect ending to our chocolate adventure.

 

Choco-Story: le musée gourmand du chocolat

28 Boulevard de Bonne Nouvelle

75010

Metro : Bonne Nouvelle

www.museeduchocolat.fr/

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

Shebelé: Ethiopian Food in Paris

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Shebele restaurant via dragone.org

On rue Lafayette in the 10th arrondissement near the metro stop Louis Blanc, there is a restaurant with a neon message board flashing outside. Don’t let this deter you. Inside you will find one of Paris’ authentic and scrumptious Ethiopian restaurants: Shebelé.

The décor reflects Shebelé’s African roots: woven baskets, painted plates and traditional Ethiopian garments decorate the walls, while bright colored napkins liven up the tables. Faint African music plays in the background. Our waiter, an Ethiopian man with a bright smile, explained the daily specials to us in perfect French. We ordered le Beyaymehi which I recommend, a mixed platter of different Ethiopian dishes, and the spicy chicken. While we were waiting, he suggested a ginger tea to warm us up, which turned out to be spicy and satisfying.

The meal came in what looked like a giant upside-down hat, un chapeau. The bottom was lined with an enormous savory crepe, or galette, which could be eaten once the rest of the food was gone. On top of the galette were little heaps of stewed vegetables, salad, egg, different kinds of beans, and the spicy chicken in a savory red sauce. This was served with little folded crêpes which you pick up with your hand and use to scoop up the different foods. There were forks on the table if you took issue with eating with your hands. Everything was cooked and seasoned very well and we nearly finished the whole thing, giant galette and all.

For dessert, I enjoyed a slice of moist and flavorful homemade coconut cake, while my husband had a piece of chocolate cake served warm with a drizzle of crème anglaise.

Although Shebelé is already inexpensive (12-15 euros for a plat principal) you can save an additional 20 to 30 percent off your entire meal by reserving online ahead of time: http://www.lafourchette.com/Restaurant-Shebele-Paris/Reservation-restaurant-Shebele/4a_12069/reservation.html

Shebelé

207 rue Lafayette

75010 Paris

Metro: Louis Blanc

http://www.shebele.fr/

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

 

Pink Flamingo Pizza à Paris: Pas comme les Autres

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Pink Flamingo Pizza, credit to hotel Jules

My husband and I often walk south along Canal Saint Martin when we are searching for a restaurant. Sick of the same old pizza, I remembered that a friend had recommended a place to me with a quirky name: Pink Flamingo Pizza.

We headed down to the footbridge and crossed over the water to rue Bichat, where a tiny pizzeria peaked out from the sidewalk. The menu made it clear that this place was indeed not like the rest: La Bjork, a pizza with smoked salmon, crème fraîche and lumpfish roe, L’Obama, a cheeky way of naming their Hawaiian pizza with grilled bacon and pineapple chutney, or La Basquait, with gorgonzola, figs and prosciutto. Check the menu for more choices. The toppings are all fresh and the thin crust is made with organic flour and sel de Guérande, an organic French salt. If you like, you can make your experience more traditional by pairing your pie with a frosty Peroni.

There is a small room with seating next door to the order counter and a couple tables outside. If it’s warm enough, you can order your pizza and then go sit by the canal. They will give you a pink balloon so that the delivery guy on the pink bike can pick you out along the quai. How’s that for a pizza picnic?

Pizzeria Pink Flamingo

67 rue Bichat

75010 Paris

Check website for additional locations:

http://www.pinkflamingopizza.com/

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

Le Valmy, Your Neighborhood Cafe in the 10th

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Le Valmy on Canal Saint Martin

When the Parisian grey skies and winter rain begin seeping into your skin, look no further than Le Valmy on Canal Saint Martin for a little haven from the storm.

A friendly server greets you as you come in the door, and you’ll find a place at one of the numerous worn wooden tables. The walls are lined with bookshelves and covered with artwork, the bartender is laughing with some locals at the bar, and every table is full of friends chatting over a drink.

You feel instantly among friends, and you could join in with the group at the bar if you wanted to, seriously. It’s that friendly. We sat at the bar once to try the Beaujolais Nouveau and ended up having a long conversation with the bartender about Montana, cowboys and Jack Daniels.

The drink menu is extensive yet inexpensive, with all of your basic aperitifs, beers, wines and digestives, plus an impressive list of infused rums (cinnamon, apple, coffee) and cocktails, including the best gin and tonic we’ve found in Paris. While all of Le Valmy’s prices are reasonable, the cocktails, while typically quite pricey in Paris, are an especially good deal at only 5 to 6 euros each, and well made at that.

Le Valmy Drinks Menu

The fare here is simple, high quality, and comes at a fair price. The owner apparently makes a trip to Rungis, the world’s largest and best wholesale food market located just outside of Paris, every day. Like that of a typical brasserie, the menu includes mostly red meats, such as rumsteck, accompanied by thick seasoned fries and salad. You’ll definitely want to order a bottle of Minervois to go with that.

Feel free to soak up the relaxed ambiance and spend the entire evening here like most people do. After dinner, order a coffee or even better, a Baileys, to savor an evening spent among friends.

Le Valmy

145 Quai de Valmy

75010 Paris

http://levalmy.free.fr/

© 2011 Pasa’s Paris

A Thanksgiving Sunday in Paris

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Le Chaland on Canal Saint Martin

I had been sick for the past several days, and was tired of lying on the couch doing absolutely nothing. Above all, I was devastated when I had to miss the American Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday night because of it. I took my loyal husband down with me, who stayed home to feed me chicken soup.

On Sunday morning however, I felt much better. I visited the markets in the morning, picking up carrots, mushrooms and mint from our local fruit and vegetable market and confit de canard from the neighborhood butcher. There’s nothing like a dose of the marché to lift one’s spirits.

Next, we went to church. The pastor’s positive sermon really spoke to me as he focused on the idea of staying awake, being conscious everyday about what you are doing and not sleepwalking through life. It made me thankful that after days and days of sleeping off sickness, I was finally able to come out into the world again and appreciate all the little gifts in life: the way the sun illuminated the stained glass in the church windows, the beautiful music played by the live band and the harmony of everyone’s voices singing together, seeing friends at church and catching up on each other’s lives.

For lunch, my husband and I walked south from our apartment on the quai de Valmy along Canal Saint Martin to a little bistro called Le Chaland. We sat by the window with a view of the canal. The trees weren’t completely bare yet, and blotches of green, gold and fire colored leaves still clung to the branches. It was a cloudy day, like almost every day in Paris, but the last bits of sunshine dappled the currents in the water as if in a painting.

The plat du jour turned out to be turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, so we both ordered it avec plaisir along with a carafe of Côtes du Rhône and had our own Thanksgiving meal after all. We sat for what seemed like several hours, savoring our meal and watching the families outside walk along the canal. On Sundays the quai is closed off to cars, so couples old and young, grandmothers with their dogs, cyclists, and small children with their parents come from all over for their Sunday stroll.

We finished our meal with coffees and a crème brulée to share. Meanwhile, our waiter read his paper nonchalantly at the bar while munching on his steak tartare and washed it down with a glass of red. When we finally got around to asking for the check, my husband struck up a conversation with the waiter and found out that he had spent some time living in LA and spoke very good English. We told him we lived just down the street and would be back again soon. He wished us a bonne fin de journée, and off we went for our own Sunday stroll along the canal.

Canal Saint Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2011 Pasa’s Paris