Romantic. Charming. Rejuvenating.
Between adventures, food trails and the pleasure of exploring all things beautiful, I experienced a heart-stopping journey of romance in Paris, the City of Lights. This was something he had always dreamed of, and despite a short transit, he was determined to soak up the essence of culture in a sophisticated and beautiful city. Paris I love you! This was the Oh la la moment I had been waiting for and it was the moment to show my principles of ‘aime beaucoup’, which means ‘Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly’ and here was the opportunity to demonstrate my ideals!
I think every tourist loves to visit ‘Gay Paree’, a city with a 19th century urban landscape, cultural and so cosmopolitan. Historic and timeless, the atmosphere of Paris is brimming with romance, art, design, luxury fashion, entertainment, media, music and food trails. Was he excited to be here or what?! As a chef with aspirations to sample rare and exotic cuisines, he was about to experience the second largest number of Michelin restaurants in the City of Lights.
The Bon Appetit Experience
What can I say about my first time in Paris? I am delighted! As I walked the boulevards lined with monuments, bistros, museums, galleries, maison de haute couture, charming wine bars, boutiques, and leveraged with tech startups, I was struck by the romantic atmosphere of the tree-lined avenues and the camaraderie of the French. Having heard so much about the iconic icons of Paris, I visited the famous Eiffel Tower, the iconic Louvre, and Notre-Dame. Through Paris flows the famous Seine, a 777-kilometre-long river known for its inland river traffic and the subject of divine songs and poems.
With every fiber of me screaming for the luxury of popular and delicious Parisian dishes, I walked down the cobbled street or ‘rue’ to find the delicious offerings of one of Europe’s most talked about culinary hubs. Although my trip was short, I was determined to fulfill my Parisian fantasy by at least exploring the tip of a culinary iceberg. The chef and foodie in me came along for this mussel fries gastronomic journey which is steamed mussels and fries, Bordier butter with baguettes, falafel sandwiches and galettes. Satisfying the taste buds with incredible encounters, Paris offers a mouthwatering array of deliciously crafted French dishes, including sea snails, oysters, venison, wild boar, shellfish, lamb, veal, beef, and pork.
Indulging the senses in an abode of delights
My sweet stay took me to a paradise of delights with Kouglof, Moroccan pastries, pain au choclat, cream puffs, puff pastries, Berthillon ice creams, caramels, crepes and other amazing concoctions. Oh, I could go on forever in this food lover’s paradise! My taste buds danced with joy over Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches, Gelato, Crepe and Creme Brulée, Pistachio, Giunduja with Chocolate and Hazelnut, ‘dessert soups’ and Paris-Brest with choux pastry and praline flavored cream especially from La Patisserie des Reves.
My time was filled to the brim as I visited the renowned restaurants and cafes of Paris to revive my sense of good food and joie de vivre. This was a complete paradise and repository of gourmet delights! I managed to taste Ham (Foie Gras and Roasted Pepper), Skewers with Balsamic Reduction, the inspiring Chateaubriand, Ham and Artichoke Cream over Waffles, Roast Chicken and Macarons at Pierre Herme.
As echoes of ‘Sante’ filled the air in the amazing wine bars, feast your senses on popular wine brands and listen in awe to the language, French, customs and culture. Filled with countless bakeries, Paris offers the world famous cheese or fromage, bread, croissants and other daily staples. But I could continue with the dishes that the French cook with their famous culinary intelligence that evolves over some of the Ashkenazi Jewish dishes, escargot, tapas and cold meat dishes. Paris restaurants are brimming with delicious dishes from around the world, such as A Pho, a Vietnamese dish, Kimchi Ramen, vegetable stew, noodle bowls, tacos, and a spectrum of culinary delights.
Just as I was entering the Age of Enlightenment, it was time for me to go and I occupied my wandering thoughts with gifts to collect, including a painting of the Seine by a talented street artist. But without a doubt, this was the place to be and rejuvenate with the dazzling lifestyle in Paris.
Travel with Binoy Nazareth to Color Life with the Culture of Paris
