Eating Nonstop

It seems that all I've done in Paris since I arrived was eat and eat some more. Today was no exception. For breakfast, I had a pastry from Eric Kayser Boulanger (okay, it's two days old but I overbought and am still working my way through it). Then I ran out to meet F for lunch near the Champs-Elysée (yes I slept in so there wasn't too much time between my breakfast and lunch...) Still feeling greasy from my meal the night before, I happily agreed to F's suggestion of going to a smoothie/sandwich joint, Paradis du Fruit, for something light. Their smoothie was delicious and their sandwich/salad combo plate was reasonably tasty as well. I would almost feel healthy if the portions weren't so huge. I thought one of the reasons French women stayed thin was the small portions? I have not experienced that at all. Every meal I've had so far offered more than generous portions. I really wonder what is the French women's secret to staying thin?

After lunch, F had to go back to work, and I wandered down Champs-Elysée. Soon enough, I passed by Ladurée, another institution known for their desserts and macarons. How could I not go in? I practiced restraint this time and did not get one of every flavor (they had more flavors than Pierre Hermé) and just got a half-dozen macarons. I finished more than half of them by the time I walked to the metro station. Time to go home to rest for a bit before the next round of eating.

I was meeting Y and W again for dinner. We first stopped off by Y's friend's apartment, where she gave us boxes full of chocolate and candies she made that day. Y's friend, S, is currently taking classes at the Ritz cooking school, where she is studying to become a pastry chef. She also trained at the Cordon Bleu academy and I found out that her boyfriend is actually a manager at the Eric Kayser Boulanger. Wow, this is the connection I need. She brings home boxes full of desserts everyday and she can't eat them all. We thought we'd help her out a bit... So we took a detour of eating chocolates and candies before we went to dinner.

S recommended this Indian/Pakistani restaurant near her apartment called Palais de Shah Jahan (15th; M: Charles Michels) and we thought we'd check it out. We learned this time that we shouldn't be too greedy and order too much so we just ordered three dishes (chicken biryani, shrimp masala, and a lamb curry dish - don't remember the name), plus some naan. The portions were pretty small (finally!) but given how much we have eaten already, it was plenty for the three of us. In the middle of our meal, S came by and handed us two large bags full of bread, leftover from Eric Kayser, and says to us, "for your petit-dejeuner tomorrow." There were about 10 large loaves in there. "Petit"? She's gotta be kidding.

We finished the night off with some coffee at Café Le Buci right at the corner of Rue Dauphine and Rue de Buci (6th; M: Odéon), which is one of the most happening streets near where I live. We'll eat more tomorrow.