Park Inn Hotel's Three Course French Meal (France, Nancy)

Park Inn Hotel, Bar, Restaurant

We had our dinner, a three course French Meal at Park Inn Hotel's restaurant in Nancy. The hotel by Radisson Nancy is located opposite the train station in central Nancy. The restaurant is know for its traditional French cuisine. It was 830pm and there were no one in the restaurant except for the group of us. 

We were all waiting early waiting for our food as it was late. Service was extremely slow. 

The bread was served first. We polished them off although they were cold and hard. Supposed to be taken together with the soup.

Vegetable (Pumpkin) Soup

It seemed ages before the first course was served. Vegetable (Pumpkin) Soup! The soup was wonderful! Thick, robust and full of flavour. Heart warming dish, a perfect start to the meal.

After the waiter cleared the bowls, we had to wait eagerly (again) for the second course. We waited so long that, I had the time to causally walk back to my room to charge my phone before coming down again. It was nearly a 20 minutes wait from the time our bowls were cleared to the second course being served. 

Pork Loin with Plum, Tomatoes and Potatoes

The second course was the Pork Loin with Plum, Tomatoes and Potatoes which was outstanding. The portion might seems small, but after drinking that bowl of soup it was just nice. The pork loin was well-flavoured and surprisingly tender. The sauce which had a unique plum flavour was so impressive that everyone were trying to use their meat to soak up as much sauce as possible. The slices of potato that were served as a side nearly stole the show as well. They were soft and were coated with a immense buttery fragrant aroma.

Now that the second course was completed, we had to wait for the third (final) course. 

Ice Cream (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry)

We were shocked when the third meal was served. It was Ice Cream! 3 Scoops per person consisting of Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. Why were we shocked, well because it was winter during the time of visit, below 0 degrees celsius and it was snowing the day before. My personal favourite was the chocolate ice cream as it was made of thick bitter chocolate.

Overall, I quite like the food I ate although ice cream was served during the last course. The only issue I had was the slow service.

Side track to recommend one of their local tradition product which I quite like after trying: When you are in Nancy, I would recommend that you buy the Bergamots Nancy. The Bergamots is a small citrus fruit which is inedible when it is raw. In the 1850s, a candy maker in Nancy succeeded in creating the Bergamots Nancy Candy by extracting the essence from the Bergamots and mixing it with cooked sugar to form the candy.

Bergamots Nancy (in yellow boxes on the right)

It was a pity we purchase 2 boxes of Bergamots Nancy. The candies were pale yellow in colour and transparent just like a greased marble. The candy had a unique taste; a mysterious sweet flavour. Not overly sweet, just nice.

The shop owner, an elderly man told us that the photo shows a screen grab of the candy being featured in a French Movie called 'Amelie'. Not sure how true this is. If you are in the area and interested in purchasing such a candy, you may refer to the map appended below. (I am not receiving any benefits/commission, thought that its good to share as it was real good and unique.)

Park Inn Hotel's Three Course French Meal (France, Nancy)
Park Inn Hotel, Bar, Restaurant
11 Rue Raymond Poincaré
54000 Nancy, France
Tel: +33 3 83 39 75 75
Website
Location

A: Location of Park Inn Hotel by Radisson Nancy
B: The shop which I bought the Bergamots Nancy from

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Le Grill (France, Bussy Saint Georges)

Le Grill is one of the several chains of restaurants located in the pit stop / service station of the highways in France. We stopped over at Le Grill for lunch at one of the pit stop near Bussy-Saint-Georges while travelling along the A4 Autoroute aka autoroute de l'est from Paris to Nancy. The A4 Autoroute is a highway that is more than 482 km long and is also known as the Eastern Motorway.

It's concept is similar to our convenient stall (7-Eleven) with a cafeteria in it. The only difference is the size. It is so big. The section that is similar to our our local 7-eleven had such wide aisle. In addition, the cafeteria was spacious with lots of sitting capacity. It was a waste, I did not take photos of the interior as I was too hungry.

Potato Salad 4,90 € (S$7.68)

We ordered the Potato Salad from the Salad Bar. It was average. Looking back, this side dish is so pricey.

Assiette Jambon Cru 3,50 € (S$5.48)

Assiette Jambon Cru a french word means Ham in English. There were just three pieces of large ham that were thinly sliced.

Paella 8,90 € (S$13.95)

Paella a spanish dish consisted of saffron flavour rice cooked with meat and seafood. It was my first time trying the dish and I must say it was an eye opener. Overall, the dish was full of flavour and fragrant. Each grain of rice was well coated with immense saffron flavour and slightly moist. The more you dig into it, the more you would love it. If only more seafood (i.e. prawn) and chicken meat was given.

Steak Hache and Frites 7,50 € (S$11.75)

Steak Hache and Frites literally means Steak and Chips (Fries) to us. The term Steak Hache alone means a chop steak of quality and freshness. It is may be easier for us to think of it as a steak patty that is used in burger. But there are some differences. For example, the meat used is a prime steak meat that is minced and then formed into an oval shape without seasoning. It is then cooked with a little seasoning (salt and pepper) at the cooking stage. 

The Steak and Chips (Fries) was cooked upon order. Although I had to wait a fair bit for this dish, this was well worth the wait. The steak was delicious. As described above, the steak came in an oval-shape and there were little seasoning in the steak. One could easily taste the original flavour of the meat and it was so juicy. The fries were decent. Not cut too tiny and was not overly salty.

Le Grill is one of the many stop over restaurants located in the pit stop along the highway. We were not expecting fantastic food. Hence, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the mains at Le Grill. Generally, the food in Europe can be quite expensive, but in this case the mains were well worth the money. However, the sides were expensive. You would be better off not ordering the sides. 

Le Grill (France, Bussy Saint Georges)
Aire de Ferrières
77600 Bussy-Saint-Georges, France
Location

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Where is the Mona Lisa located at? (France, Paris)

Where is the Mona Lisa located at? Mona Lisa where are you putting up at?

I am a mountain tortoise. So before I went to Europe, this was what I googled "Where is the Mona Lisa located at?". Hence, this post is delegated to all mountain tortoise including myself anyone who may have the same question as me.

Today, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa painting is located at Musée du Louvre in Paris. The Louvre Museum can easily be accessible through the Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre metro station (line 1 and 7). As a result, we took the metro from our hotel. 

At Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station, look out for this sign (above) once you have alighted from the metro train. Sortie means exit. 

Once you have exit / 'tapped out' from the metro station you will notice this. From here onwards, you are actually in an underground link (similr to our Citylink Mall at City Hall MRT station). There are several signages that would direct you to the Louvre Museum.

Inverted Glass Pyramid

Once you see this inverted glass pyramid, you are very near the Louvre Museum entrance. All you need to do is to go through the security checkpoint, walk into the hall way and you are in the main area where you can purchase tickets. If you are a fan of Macarons, Laduree is located here! Just next to this inverted pyramid. Before you dash off to Laduree or Louvre Museum, remember to take some photos of the inverted pyramid.

The area which you purchase and enter the Louvre Museum is called Under The Pyramid (-2). If you intend to zoom in to Mona Lisa, find the Denon Wing entrance. Once there, you will notice that there are signs placed every now and then to direct you to the Mona Lisa painting. Mona Lisa is located at the 1st floor (1) of the Denon Wing. 

Even with the signages, it took us a long time to get to the Mona Lisa. Once you see this long corridor with its ceiling (lv 1 is the highest floor in the Denon Wing), you are on the right track and getting very close to Mona Lisa which is located in one of the rooms along this corridor. 

Diana à la Biche

We actually missed the sign and overshot the room with Mona Lisa's painting in it. Look out for Diana à la Biche. Once you see Diana à la Biche, stop and enter the room at the side. 

This is how the room looks like when you enter. Noticed the crowd? So many people gathered inside here all wanting to take a photo of Mona Lisa. Do you spot the Mona Lisa painting in the background? 

Mona Lisa Painting

*Drum roll..* Presenting the Mona Lisa Painting, one of the most famous painting in the world - Leonardo da Vinci's most celebrated art work!

The visit to Louvre Museum was an eye opener. The paintings and artworks were amazing. So magnificent, so captivating, so beautiful! If you are someone who is interested in such artwork, do cater a day or two as there are so many exhibits in the Louvre Museum.

Before we left, we went up to the open to take photos of the exterior of Louvre Palace and Pyramid.

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe which is located at one end of the Champs-Élysées (One of the most famous street with luxury shops along the street. The street is sometimes used for celebrations or gatherings such as after France won the World Cup in 1998. The Arc de Triomphe is a famous monument to honour those who fought and sacrificed their lives for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.

Eiffel Tower

At night, we visited the Eiffel Tower. The view of the Eiffel Tower from afar was magnificent. The view was also jaw dropping from underneath the tower. The whole structure is made of metal; puddled iron. How did they designed and built this structure back in 1889?

Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre)
75058 Paris - France
Tel: +33 (0)1 40 20 53 17
Opening Hours: Mon, Thurs, Sat & Sun from 9am to 6pm
                         Wed, Fri from 9am to 945pm
                         Closed on Tue, 1 Jan and 25 Dec
Website

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Pierre Hermé Macarons (France, Paris)

Most of us maybe familiar with Pierre Hermé and associate it to the chain of luxury pastry boutique shop well-known for their Macarons. Did you know that Pierre Hermé is actually the name of a person; the French  pastry chef who started the Pierre Hermé chain of shops. Pierre Hermé was also involved in the expansion of Laduree (famous for Macarons) and only started out Pierre Hermé in 1998.

I have heard so much about Pierre Hermé and Laduree but did not have the chance to try it. I have been wondering what was the fuss and hype with Macarons. This time as I was in Paris (France), I knew that I had to try the Macarons since it all started in France!

We thrilled to know that Pierre Hermé had an outlet at Galeries Lafayette and made a point to hunt search for it.

Side track a little: Galeries Lafayette is an upmarket French department store. Noticed that there were a lot of tourists. This is especially so when you step into one of the luxury shops such as Louis Vuitton or Longchamp.  I am sure you know what I mean since its cheaper to purchase such goods here compare to back in Singapore.

'Christmas Tree' in Galeries Lafayette

'Christmas Tree' in Galeries Lafayette. Beautiful right?

Pierre Hermé is located at the building called "Lafayette Coupole" (do noted that Galeries Lafayette is very big, with at least 3 standalone buildings). Lafayette Couple is in the same building as Galeries Lafayette Main Store. An easier method is locate Pierre Hermé is that it is at the basement (-1 floor) in the Women's Shoe Department near to the Chaussée D'antin La Fayette Metro station exit. Alternatively, this is the very same building which houses all the luxury goods such as Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Coach, Burberry, Cartier,   and Guess at level 0.

Cover of box

We bought a box of 7 Macarons for 17 € (S$26.6). That meant each piece of Macaron cost $3.8. 

Packaging of box

Box of 7 Macarons 17 € (S$26.6)

The Macarons were packed nicely with ample of space so that they would not be squashed.

The Macarons were heavenly! Delectable and beautiful! As you bite into the Macarons, it first provide a slight crunch followed by a melt in the mouth sensation as you reach the fillings. The two tiny shells (biscuit) that sandwiched the fillings were made perfectly. They each had a perfect texture with no cracks and were so incredibly soft. The outside of the shell was crisp which the inside (where the shells are in contact with the fillings) were soft such that it provides a slight crunch as your teeth sinks into it. As for the fillings, they were moist, not too creamy and with distinct flavours. The shells and the fillings complemented each other. Whoever came up with Macarons concept is a genius!

It was fun trying out the different flavours of Macarons such as Infiniment Caramel (Caramel au Beurre Salé), Mogador (Chocolat au Lait & Fruit de la Passion) and Crème Brûlée (Vanilles & éclats de Caramel). Most of which were impressive, but there was one or two that was too exotic in taste for us.

Now I know what all the hype is about. It was a pleasure sinking my teeth into these Macarons!

Do note the Macarons have to be kept in a cool place and is best eaten within 3 days. If you are buying it back to Singapore, buy it on your last day and hand carry it up onto the plane.

ps: great news for fans of Macarons. Laduree has opened a branch in Singapore at Takashimaya Shopping Centre / Ngee Ann City. Laduree's Macarons are all made in Switerland and then flash freeze before being shipped to its outlets worldwide.

Pierre Herme (France, Paris)

Basement (Floor -1) Galeries Lafayette

40 Boulevard Haussmann

75009 Paris

Tel: +33 1 43 54 47 77

Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 930am - 8pm

                         Closed on Sun

Website 

Location

The locations are as follows:

A - Pierre Herme in Galeries Lafayette

B - Croque Saveur & Galerie Kebab

Blue area shows Galeries Lafayette

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Galerie Kebab (France, Paris)

We were still at Galeries Lafayette when it was dinner time. We decided to head back to the same street and try Galerie Kebab. 

Galerie Kebab is located along Rue Joubert; less than 5 minutes away from Galeries Lafayette. It is located just directly opposite Croque Saveur. Galerie Kebab is a restaurant specialising in Middle Eastern cuisine, to be more specific, Turkish cuisine. 

It is a small restaurant with limited sitting capacity with simple and no frills decoration. Ironically, their kitchen size took up a quarter of the total restaurant size. If they had made the kitchen smaller, they could sit even more customers.   

The food took a very long time to be served. As I was hungry, I decided to pop by the kitchen to see if I could find out the reason. Well, the meat skeers were cooked only upon order. I guess we Singaporeans are too used to our fast-paced lifestyle. I really should take things slow. Feels good to know that the food was freshly cooked, not heated up or cooked a second time. 

The staff were all Middle Easterns, not Europeans. They were friendly and always with a smile.

A quick look at the menu.

Luckily besides French, the menu had English translation at the bottom! Yeah! This makes it so much easier to decide what to order.

Thé Turc (Turkish Tea) 1 € (S$1.6)

We were not keen on ordering any drinks until we saw 'Thé Turc' which is in French, when translated to English, it means 'Turkish Tea'. We had no idea how Turkish Tea would tasted like. Hence we decided to order this.

The Turkish Tea was served in a very small cup. The height of the cup was almost the same as the packet of sugar you see in this photo. As for the taste, well... it tasted exactly like English Breakfast Tea! 

Brochettes De Poulet (Chicken Skeers) 9 € (S$14.1)

The partner ordered the Brochettes De Poulet (Chicken Skeers) which was served with salad, fries, wheat and chicken meat on metal skewers. This was well worth the wait. The chicken chunks on the metal skewers were cooked to perfection. So tender and juicy on the inside. On the outside, the it was crisp with some parts charred that provided a different texture and also a smokey fragrance. Heavenly! The wheat and fries complemented perfectly and were delish. Not oily too!

Do be careful as the metal skewers are hot.

Brochettes D'Agneau (Lambs' Skeers) 11 € (S$17.2)

I ordered the Brochettes D'Agneau (Lambs' Skeers) which was also served with salad, fries, wheat. The lamb was also cooked just right. The lamb skeers compared to the chicken skeers was slightly tougher. Nevertheless, the chef grasped the cooking time perfectly. Moreover, it was well marinated. What a great meal! 

Bread

The bread was served after we were halfway through our mains. It was hard and tough to chew. By then, we were too full and left the bread untouched.

Although the service tended to be on the slower end, the staff were friendly. Overall, the mains were well executed and it was an enjoyable meal.

Next post on Europe will be on Pierre Herme!

Galerie Kebab (France, Paris) 

8 Rue Joubert
75009 Paris 9
Île-de-France, France
Tel: +01 48 74 13 09
Opening Hours: Mon to Sat 11am - 1030pm
Location

The locations are as follows:

A - Pierre Herme in Galeries Lafayette

B - Croque Saveur & Galerie Kebab
Blue area shows Galeries Lafayette

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Croque Saveur (France, Paris)

As mentioned in an earlier post, this is the start of a series of overseas posts covering meals consumed in Europe (France, Switzerland and Italy) and United Arab Emirates (Dubai). These posts are 5 months overdue as it took place in December 2012. In some of the posts, I might side track to mention some of the must visits. 

The Galeries Lafayette is a popular upmarket French department store located on the Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.

We were in Galeries Lafayette looking for a place for lunch. There were restaurants with serving, French, Western, Italian, Chinese and Japanese Cuisines), fast food (Mcdonalds) and a food court. We decided to venture out of Galeries Lafayette and see if we could get good local and maybe more authentic food.

After walking for some time, we saw this little restaurant called Croque Saveur. We decided to give this a try.

Croque Saveur is a local French restaurant located in the heart of the Opera District a stone throw away (5 mins walk) from Galeries Lafayette.

Croque Saveur was a small restaurant (can fit around 20 people), nicely decorated with no frills. A local restaurant indeed.

Menu

Part of the menu

Selection of food

Selection of food

We were spoilt for choice as there was a wide selection of food. We had a hard time deciding what to eat. In addition, we resorted to using hand signs and English to converse what we wanted to order as the owner were more comfortable with French. Come to think of it, we are quite fortunate. The owner was so friendly and patient trying his best explaining the set menus and also what is nice.

Ordered the Set Menu - Menu Lasagnes. Which comes with Choice of Salad, Lasagne and Choice of Dessert.

Bread

The bread was as hard as a rock! How come Europeans like their bread hard? Back home in Singapore, we are so used to softer bread.

Vegetable Soup

For one of the salads, we chose Vegetable Soup. Instead of a bowl, it was served in a cup. Brownish-green in colour, it did not look exactly appetising. But well, do not judge a book by its cover. This was a bowl of hearty Vegetable Soup, full of flavours with a ting of sweetness. Delectable!

Bulgar Wheat Salad

The Bulgar Wheat Salad was recommended by the owner. We decided to order this as we have not tried this before. The Bulgar Wheat is a type of cereal food made from different types of wheat with high protein and nutritional values. It had a chewy texture and a nutty flavour. Complemented well with the salad. A refreshing and healthy start to the meal

Meal Lagsagnes 

While there are several theories on the origins of Lagsagne, there is no doubt that Lagsagne is one of the most famous baked dishes in Italy. So much so that, it is also widely known as an Italian cuisine worldwide that is available in Europe (French), United States and even Asia (Singapore). 

Lagsagne

Do not underestimate this plate of Lagsagne. It was well-executed. Layer upon layer of soft wide flat pasta with grated cheese, spices, tomato, bolognese sauce and minced beef and pork. Covered with a thin layer of cheese crust, intense flavour burst out with each mouthful. So savoury and so perfect! Delish! A classic Italian Lagsagne. 

Creme Caramel

For dessert, we chose the Creme Caramel; a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. Unlike the Creme Brule we ate at Tao's restaurant which comes with a layer of hard caramel top (charred/burnt).

Creme Caramel

The Creme Caramel was light and soft with a smooth and silky texture. It did not taste overly sweet nor eggy.

Pommes Au Four  (Baked Apple)

Pommes Au Four (Baked Apple) is a typical dessert in Normandy, France. This was recommended by the owner too. It was a pity the sweetness of the apple was not brought out. Instead, it tasted sour. Is this how it should taste? Anyway, this did not suit our taste bud.

Overall, I would say Croque Saveur was a great experience. The food was cheap, great and fast! In addition, the owner was so friendly. With the ambience and environment, it gave us a warm homely feeling. If you are at Galeries Lafayette, Croque Saveur could be one of your options. After lunch, we headed back to Galeries Lafayette to continue exploring the department store.

Croque Saveur (Paris)
7 Rue Joubert
75009 Paris 9
Île-de-France, France
Tel: +33 1 42 82 15 21
Opening Hours: Daily 1130am to 4pm
Facebook
Location

The locations are as follows:

A - Pierre Herme in Galeries Lafayette

B - Croque Saveur & Galerie Kebab

Blue area shows Galeries Lafayette

View FoodieFC's Europe Map in a larger map