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March 2007 Archives

March 3, 2007

pork, sandwiches, ice cream, and more

[sniff sniff]

"This whole place smells like...pork."

Neither Tina, Julie nor I should've been surprised that Momofuku Ssam Bar would smell like its most well-loved ingredient. When you enter a bakery you're not alarmed by the scent of the airborne chemical products of warm frosting and cake, right? Imagine that with pork. Tender, fatty pork soaking in its own meat juices, the smell of which enters every open pore and orifice in your body. That's Momofuku. It's swell.

pork buns and ssam
pork buns and ssam

Each of us ordered an Original Momofuku Ssam, but Tina and I also split an order of pork buns in the name of our blogs. Or because we really like pork. Or because we're gluttonous. Whatever. I eagerly chomped down the messy bun, half ignoring the opaque creamy leakage of Hoisin sauce mixed with kewpie mayo on my hands as I focused on the soft, buttery shreds of berkshire pork contrasting with crunchy slices of pickled cucumber overflowing out of the steamed bun flaps. It's awesome. Oh yes. I've only noticed now that you have a choice between pork or chicken, but...really? The chicken can't be better than the pork.

Continue reading "pork, sandwiches, ice cream, and more" »

March 9, 2007

Quick rundown: cheese, Thai, brunch, and Indian

I was planning to write one last substantial entry before going on vacation, but of course my seemingly long afternoon turned into, "OH CRAP I ONLY HAVE HALF AN HOUR!" and now I will write a very insubstantial entry with 500% food porn.

HERE I GOOO!

4 cheese
mac n cheese

I finally went to S'MAC with two friends to gorge on little tubes of pasta smothered in cheese.

foood empty
eating...or eaten

It's not the most amazing dish in the world, but it's tasty and belly filling (maybe because it stops your digestion; I'm not sure). The small should be enough to hold you over...until dessert.

Continue reading "Quick rundown: cheese, Thai, brunch, and Indian" »

March 12, 2007

I'm in Paris!

eclairs other sign trio of bread eaters maccies poire belle helene crepe gelato confit de canard
things in Paris

This is a quick note to say that I AM IN PARIS and all is relatively well except that my voice started breaking today and my appetite isn't good. For those who don't regularly look at my flickr account, I wanted to point out that I am updating it as much as I can. All my blog writing time is sucked up by the never ending photo editing time that is crushing my soul. The amount of time I spend on editing photos is really dumb considering the low quality (compression-wise, not necessarily composition, although that sucks a lot too), but I do it anyway. And I want to die.

...So enjoy the photos! Please.

March 17, 2007

Last post in Paris

La Chope Daguerrevertical gyro with frites macarons I look like I'm in pain bread from Ferrandi macarons pretty much the same as before bread machine wuh? GUIMAUVES!
Paris, je t'aime!

Alright...I totally didn't have enough time to update this blog during my vacation. Each day was pretty packed from morning until night and most free moments were spent editing photos and battling the hell that is "PHOTOSHOP REFUSING TO NOT EFF UP THE COLORS IN MY PHOTOS" (I didn't really win or lose).

However, you can read a few short entries I made on Serious Eats, like this one, this one, this one and this one.

Next week will be PARIS RECAP. It will be beautiful. Like this vacation. I will reminisce and you will mildly care. Yessss.

March 18, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 1

RER
heading back into the city

While waiting for the metro at Denfert-Rochereau on the way to my old homestay from the airport I saw a woman across the platform in some kind of all-pink velour track outfit noshing on what looked like a just-bought baguette.

Mmm...I love you, Paris. It's almost like I never left you.

afternoon of fooding

Diana and I arrived at my old homestay near Trocadero at around noon after sweatily lugging our stuff on the metro for about an hour. After receiving a warm welcome from my old homestay mum, Bonnie, and dumping our stuff down in the room that would serve as our sleeping chamber for the next week, we quickly headed out again to meet everyone's favorite Virginian farm boy (visiting by way of London), Tristan!

"What do you guys wanna do?" I asked.

"Uh..."

"..."

No one had any particular place in mind that they wanted to visit. I looked into Diana's and Tristan's hungry eyes; their stomachs were gurgling with sadness (and residual air). I actually didn't have any appetite (which I later attributed to slight sickness and messed up internal body clock something-or-other), but since I was the guide I had to lead the way. And by "the way", I mean "to sandwiches".

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 1" »

March 19, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 2

signage
Line 3 has a map that lights up! Like whoa!

"Where's the bus station?" I asked Tristan as we walked up the stairs at Point de Levallois-Becon, the last stop on line 3.

"I don't know. This doesn't look familiar," he mused in a manner that was much more calm than I would've taken on in his position.

"Ummm..."

"Uhhh..."

"...Uh...er..." I'm roughly as helpful in times of need as a hamster in a blender. Yeah, know what I mean? (It's okay, I don't either.)

"I'm going to ask for directions."

A nice man at a nearby car dealership recognized the name Eurolines and pointed us to what he thought was the right direction, even drawing us a map in the process. We got back on the metro and went a few stops to Porte de Champarret. And then the cycle continued.

"This still doesn't look familiar."

Although Tristan didn't give any signs that his blood pressure was reaching unhealthy, life-crushing heights, he definitely wasn't feeling calm as we tried to find his bus back to London with less than half an hour to go before it was supposed to leave. Another nice man at a gas station gave us the same directions as the man at the car dealership. Surely the chances of two people (who spoke good English) giving wrong directions to the same place would be slim, right?

...I think you know where this is going.

After much harried walking and thoughts of, "Oh my god where is this place?" we found the bus station-esque parking lot that the strangers had directed us to. Sooo not the right bus station. A man at the ticket counter went on the Internet to help us find information about Eurolines. New destination? La Defense.

We hopped back on the 1 train, but as soon as we got out of the station Tristan knew it was wrong.

"Let's go to the Pompidou. I can use the Internet and find out where the station is."

We made our way back to the land of free wi-fi where Tristan confirmed that we went to the wrong end of the 3, not that the lack of Euroline buses didn't already give that away. Back on the metro we went.

When we got off at the other end of line 3 in Gallieni, we were immediately met with signs proclaming, "EUROLINES, THIS WAY, DUMBASS" (or something less harsh). It's funny when you have a 50/50 chance of going the wrong way and you end up going the really wrong way. But I can't say it wasn't a little fun to (accidentally) go to the opposite ends of Paris and freak out a little. Probably more fun for me than Tristan.

I'm probably on the puter
Tristan doesn't like this photo, but it's not as though I look all that hot either

After Tristan bought another ticket back to London for 11 PM we went back to my apartment to chill out, eat many bowls of Bonnie's "gazillion kinds of vegetables" soup and show Diana that we were both alive and relatively well since she had probably been worrying about my afternoon disappearance and wondering why I had unintentionally deserted her. During the downtime Tristan convinced Diana to go to London with him just for a day since she had never been there before. If I didn't already have plans I may have been inclined to go also, but I didn't really want to ride a bus for 6+ hours.

If you want to test the strength of a friendship, just get lost on the metro for a few hours while trying to catch a bus to another country and see what happens. Still feel awesome/don't want to kill each other by the end of it? Then you're probably good. [pats you on the back]

It was a good experience on multiple levels. But let's not doing it again.

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 2" »

March 22, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 3

Last Monday I hobbled out of bed at around 7:45 AM to make sure that I'd be conscious enough to take the line 6 metro at 8:30 AM to Nation where I would meet Jiny, her friend Svenja, Alex, and his friend Charlie. While blankly staring out the window of the mostly elevated 6 train, I felt stupidly glum and blah, the effects of an emotional hangover from the night before. (I've never had a physical hangover, but assuming that's worse than an emotional one, I think I'll pass.) When I arrived at Nation half an hour later I hoped it would be easy to run into the others at the RER A platform.

A few seconds after stepping onto the platform, there he was! ALEX BREEEEEEY! SAVING MY SANITY! And there was Charlie who I would soon find out was a bundle of awesomness. And then the smiling Jiny and Svenja arrived behind us! Like whoa, so many humans! My emotional hangover poofed away in the presence of awesome happy people. I traded Jiny a box of Fruit Roll Ups and a bag of Reeses Pieces (apparently these things are hard to get in her home in Germany) for a armload of German chocolates and odd edible things of German origin. And then we went on our merry way to the happiest place on earth, European style.

welcome to disneyland
bag check

Okay, that's not the real entrance to Disneyland. That's the point after you get off the RER where they check your bag to make sure you're not packing explosives or other dangerous un-Disney-like things.

hotel at the entrance
Disneyland Hotel

Ah, that's more like it. The coral pink Disneyland Hotel sits right at the entrance of the park. There are loads more hotels around the park, all with their own special theme (this one is just like being in NYC!), but they're more of a hike away from the park. I know because when I was 7 years old my family stayed at the Sequoia Lodge and my feet felt like prickly, stinging death every night after walking through the Disney Village.

Yes, I do have quite a history with Disney theme parks. If you're a Disney hater, just leave me be. I don't love Disney to death (the last time I went to Disneyland in California I was sadly disappointed; it just wasn't the same as when I was kid), but I've enjoyed going to the parks since I was 5 and it's loads more fun when you get to roam the parks with friends than with your own family. If you've been going to the parks since childhood you might understand.

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 3" »

March 24, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 4

Ferrandi

Last Tuesday morning I visited École Grégoire-Ferrandi to meet Stephanie Curtis, the head of the culinary school's bilingual program. After having met two students on separate occasions from the bilingual program (who were actually in the same class; it's a small world, dude) who emerged from the school knowing lots about how to make tasty treats, I thought that maybe baking school could be a part of my yet-to-be-determined future since...you know, why not?

...I mean, aside from the obvious problem that I'm much better at eating said tasty treats than making them? While Stephanie explained the rigorous program to me I thought about how it could be fun ("Sweet Jesus, I get to hang around bread and pastries beginning at the crack of dawn!") and/or potentially soul sucking ("Sweet Jesus, I have to hang around bread and pastries beginning at the crack of dawn?"). And there was also the thought of being totally incapable of just learning how to turn on an oven or mix flour and water. I'm quite sure that post-May when I become fresh meat out of college the discipline to dedicate myself to the program will be nonexistent, but later on in life, it might appear (hopefully sooner than later). Kind of like the ability to learn another language. I hope that when the urge to go to culinary school in Paris kicks me in the face, so will the ability to speak French.

labo
labo!

The kitchen facilities are very peachy. Large. Spacious. Clean. Sunny (well, if the sun is out). Places that you wouldn't mind being in for a gazillion hours a day, which is good since you won't have a choice.

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 4" »

March 28, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 5

You know that Lenny Kravitz-approved falafelrie in the Marais that seems to get all the ladeez attention even though a superior falafelrie sits right across the street? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? Falafel lovers, explain yo-selves.

Mi-Va-Mi
Mi-Va-Mi

L'as du Fallafel's contender is Mi-Va-Mi, whose bright fluorescent signs scream at you to GOUTEZ et COMPAREZ and FALAFEL COMPLET 4€, among other relevatory prose. As soon as she knew I was going to Paris, Meg, who ate many falafels at Mi-Va-Mi (the exact number is unknown), insisted that I TASTE and COMPARE to further question how Lenny Kravitz's taste buds became the gold standard in the world of Parisian falafels.

sammiches and stuff
sammiches and stuff

Last-last Wednesday, Diana and I ordered the same falafel pita sandwiches and glasses of lemonade to wash down the fried chickpea matter for our lunch. We unanimously decided that, mmm, this is some very good falafel.

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 5" »

March 31, 2007

Spring Break in Paris: Day 6

Le Comptoir
Le Comptoir

After spending the early afternoon at the Louvre with Diana and watching her crumple in horror after she found out that the wing she most wanted to see was closed (meaning that she will now hate the Louvre forever), I met up with Charlie for a late lunch at Le Comptoir du Relais and left Diana to run wild and free in the Musee d'Orsay. (I went there once last year and was so overwhelmed by the art entering every one of my pores that I quickly felt ill...or maybe that was due to wearing too many layers, but we'll never know.)

interior
interior

If you want to easily grab a seat at Le Comptoir, go at a strange time when most stomachs feel sleepy. Like 4 PM. Charlie planned it out that way to ensure minimal waiting time (as in zero minutes), although that also meant that our tummies were quite growly by this point as we hadn't eaten much beforehand. I absolutely loved the interior of the restaurant with its warm yellow walls, huge mirrors, and shelves of...alcohol? I can appreciate the sight of a bunch of alcohol bottles as long as I don't have to drink from them.

Continue reading "Spring Break in Paris: Day 6" »

About March 2007

This page contains all entries posted to The Girl Who Ate Everything in March 2007. They are listed from oldest to newest.

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