Le Gramont, Paris / Poilane Bread

Visited in September 2012.

Chicken and Cheese-topped Poilane bread

Croque madame for the madame. :)

Parisians are serious about their breads and baguettes. While researching on their breads prior to my trip, I came across 'Poilane bread' one too many times that I just had to find out what it is. Pronounced pwa-lahn, it is the produce of a Lionel Poilane and is world-famous to say the least, being exported to the shores of Singapore and the USA (and costing a bomb, of course). 

The Poilane certainly lived up to its reputation. The sourdough I had was of a unique texture, well-aerated yet with the slightest hint of elasticity, and a touch of saltiness. Upon more research it turns out that sea salt is listed as one of the ingredients in the Poilane sourdough, along with other good quality ingredients. Best of all, the Poilane is produced in a wood-fired oven, thus explaining the rather solid (but crisp) crust with an earthy aftertaste.

I had my Poilane at the Le Gramont restaurant, which I found to serve excellent breakfasts alongside the mains that have been much-raved about. The topping on my Poilane was chicken, made deliciously creamy by the melted cheese on top of it. 

The croque madame is a French classic - a must try on any tourist's bucketlist definitely. A ham and cheese sandwich, grilled with more cheese on top and served with a sunny-side up. A breakfast I wouldn't mind having again and again!

Writing about this at midnight now is making me very hungry...

 Le Gramont
15 Boulevard Des Italiens,
75002 Paris, France
Tel: 01 42 97 58 50

The Little French Restaurant

I had planned The Little French Restaurant as the last stop of my Winter 2013 travels, and it was a pleasant end to my holidaying indeed.

In all honesty I came to this restaurant with subdued expectations. I had specifically searched online for a restaurant that was 1) in the Earl's Court area where the drop-off point of EasyBus (the airport bus transfer) was and 2) budget. I was not expecting that that combination of search criteria would produce stellar finds of any sort; I had merely desired for a dinner stop before continuing on yet another coach journey.

Hence my experience here proved to be a nice surprise. Lest you think that the positive review I give this place is just a result of the low expectations I came to this place with, I assure you that the quality of the food and the service standards of the restaurant will speak for itself.

Supreme de Volaille 'Farci Duxelloise'

Chicken breast stuffed with mushroom, served with mild Dijon mustard sauce

The chicken was done just right, firm yet still moist. The mushrooms in it were kept juicy as well, and the addition of the sweet mustard sauce was a nice balance to the savouriness of the dish. 

The cod fish was cooked to perfection. I really was expecting a thin cod fillet for its price but no, it was a generous, chunky cod fillet. More importantly, one could tell from the texture of the meat that it was a fresh catch.

Cod A'la Provencale

Pan fried cod fillet cooked with butter, garlic and served with fresh tarragon

Pure honest to goodness food, and might even leave you feeling in bliss after a long and tiring day, if I might add.

The food here is of good value; a starter, a main and a dessert set is priced at 9.95gbp. Although each diner is required to order a drink for that offer to be valid (it eventually worked out to about 13.50gbp per person in my case), this is still a place I find worth visiting. French/ Western fare in a cosy and casual environment. 

The Little French Restaurant

18 Hogarth Place, 

London 

SW5 0QY

Phone: 02073700366

Open 7 days a week, 12-3pm; 6-11.30pm.

Bone Daddies Ramen, London

Tonkotsu Ramen 

(Spring Onion, Chasu, Egg, Bamboo, Beansprouts in Pork bone broth)

The long queue at Bone Daddies might put some off, but the prospect of having proper ramen in the UK proved too attractive for me. I waited.

Bone Daddies attempts to replicate the ramen bar scene in Japan, where diners slurp up their noodles on counter tables shared with others. One difference that stood out starkly, however, was the empty seat that it left between each diner (except in the case of diners who came as a group of course). Perhaps this was to cater for a more comfortable dining experience... nevertheless, it certainly contributed to the long queue that had formed.

Service was swift and I was soon greeted by my bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen. First impressions do matter and it was a pretty sight indeed. Ajitsuke tamago with a bright orange, perfectly soft-boiled centre, slices of chasu pork served the traditional way with the lining of a layer of fat, thinly cut shallots fried to a crisp, and... dashes of soy sauce over it all. I was slightly puzzled at the sight of soy sauce, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt, since the dish did look aesthetically pleasing and the soy sauce played a part towards that.

My verdict? Soy sauce was a bad move. It did not work for me. It made the dish unnecessarily salty and masked the umami that I was expecting from the pork bone broth (which the restaurant claims to be the result of a 20-hour effort). I also half-wished that the fat lining the chasu pork could have been more melt-in-your-mouth, but perhaps that was too much to expect of a ramen experience some 5000 miles away from Japan made available at the very reasonable price of 11 quid.

All in all though, Bone Daddies is definitely worth a visit when you need your ramen fix in London town. The ramen noodles were springy and fresh - none of that instant ramen nonsense that some places in this part of the world do audaciously sell. The pork bone broth, too, came in a milky colour, and that to me, is potential. Perhaps ask to add the soy sauce yourself? 

Bone Daddies

31 Peter Street,

London W1F 0AR

12-3pm; 5.30-10pm

No reservations allowed, so go early to avoid the queue!