It was my turn to choose this month so I decided on Baan-Lek, a small, Thai restaurant in the Marais near my apartment. The card says Cuisine de Siam, so one would think the food is authentic. Yes, it is and having eaten there a few times now, it has become one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Paris.
We went on a Friday afternoon at about 12 and pretty much had the place to ourselves. The interior with two side by side dining rooms is modern but warm and the wall behind us was made to look like a abstract painting. The formule is 13.50 euros for three courses and the choices were limited to two dishes for the entrees and plats , and one for dessert. I chose the clear vermicelli noodles with chicken, yam woon sen kai, and Lynn chose the spicy seafood soup,poh taek. Mine was fresh and fragrant and the slivered chicken bits were moist and tender. Lynn's soup had a nice tang of lemongrass along with good, solid vegetables including baby corn and big mushrooms and and a few large plump shrimp. Lynn wasn't too crazy about her salmon curry with fresh basil and coconut milk, chuchee pla, and she found the sauce too rich and creamy. I liked the curried pork, moo phat prik,which was simpler with earthy flavors. I liked the fact that the dishes came with rice which usually costs extra at Thai restaurants. Grapefruit and mango sorbet were most refreshing and welcome after our spicy dishes and served in a lovely jade colored bowl on a stand, which I was tempted to swipe. Service was pleasant and low-keyed.
I liked my meal better than Lynn, and would for sure return to Baan-Lek for its good value lunch.The prices a la carte run about 30 euros per person for two courses including wine.
7 rue de Jarente, 4th arr.
Metro: St. Paul
Tel. 01 42 77 49 35
Open 7 days
Spicy seafood soup,poh taek
Pork curry,chuchee pla
Mango & grapefruit sorbet
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
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