au revior Paris, bon jour Singapour.

I didn't know that I will actually miss Paris this much - the pace, the sights, the gardens, the food and the people. Finished reading Stephen Clarke's "A Year in the Merde" and it made me actually wanting to be caught in the middle of the merde. I think I became a little too Parisian for my own good.

While sitting at the garden near the Lourve, I find myself critising the effects of capitalism and how the throngs of tourists actually spoil the whole atmosphere. Being a socialist doesn't seem taboo to me anymore - it is perfectly okay to sit down and soak up the little sun during your lunch break. The capitalist will be rushing about, trying to gain time by wolfing down his lunch while updating himself with the latest financial news etc etc.

Taking a slow meal at Cafe de la Paix, I think I have finally adapted to the Parisian's way of eating - slow and relaxed, eating each mouthful of food that remains on your plate. Well it does help that the food is really expensive, so you had better sit back and enjoy every morsel that goes into your mouth.

Upon arriving home, I rediscovered all the muscle memory leading to the lights of my room, the stairs, the porch, the toilet and the kitchen. While things seem vaguely familiar, I still felt like a dolphin in a shallow pool - being in the grey area between comfort and discomfort.

Pressure starting to build up again, with expectations and hopes being raised up like the sail, with hopes that it will catch some wind, and perhaps the boat will start to move with her at the helm. I think I will take the life boat with the oars, and row the other direction instead.

MY COMP IS DEAD!!!

HELLO EVERYONE! MY COMP IS OFFICIALLY DEAD!

So there will be no updates coming up. And sms me instead of emailing me.

Jardin Du Luxembourg

This is one of the things that I really like about the French - Sunday is a day where the whole family will go out to a park or somewhere to just chill. Love the whole father and child interaction that takes place.

National past-time of the French - kissing

Little boy waiting for the nod of approval to jump into the pile of leaves

Nodaiwa Tokyo-Paris

So i decided to try my hand at being a food blogger. Inspired by Vinnythemarv and after reading the blog he recommended, I decided it was high time to eat out and eat good! So referring to umami, i decided on this Japanese restaurant that serves grilled eel. It was also featured on the bestrestaurantparis.com and i thought it will be worth the time and effort.

Well, if you were too lazy to click on the links, there are only 3 restaurants in Tokyo and 1 in Paris. According to umami, the restaurant was filled up with mainly Japanese tourists the last time she went, which apparently means something - they serve really good food! However, since the Japanese tend to eat eels in the summer, I was the only patron of the restaurant on this Friday night.

Green tea with wooden chopsticks.

Sniffing and staring at it, the tea failed to impress due to its really pale colour and little fragrance. But when i drank it, I was in for a pleasant surprise! The tea was extremely fragrant and light, leaving no aftertaste in your mouth. The flowery aroma was in the right proportion, neither overpowering your taste buds nor weak enough to excite them. What I really liked about the tea was that upon swallowing it, the fragrance disappears with any other after tastes from the food in your mouth. Also, the flavor of the tea did not dissipate after each sip, and had a consistent aroma.

Satoimo sancho miso (taro with sancho sauce)

The taro was boiled and was pretty tasteless, providing the starchy base for the sauce to impress. The sancho sauce was a little salty and had a nutty taste to it, reminding me of peanuts less the overpowering taste. Being the starter, it failed to whet my appetite, but served as a good side dish.

Unaju (Grilled Eel over rice)

The unaju is the same as unadon; both are grilled eels over rice. At this restaurant, the difference in name comes from the difference in size, where the unadon is 200g and below and unaju 280g. The eel on its own failed to impress me, as I have had cheaper and tastier grilled eels before. It is only after putting in the condiment which had a slight minty smell mixed with some salty powder, that made the eel stand out more. The only good side to the eel was its freshness, but its texture was also sorely lacking.

Mozuku (Seaweed salad)

I really enjoyed this side dish a lot, it having a sweet and sourish taste, with crunchy yet slimy seaweed and bits of crunchy boiled eel inside. Like the tea, it scored because of how the tastes were just right, without overpowering your taste buds. After taking the first taste of it, I couldn't stop taking more mouthfuls of it.

Another worthy mention is the miso soup that came with my meal. The soup looked pretty normal in the lacquered bowl, with a very light aroma to it. In my opinion, it was the second best item of the night. Well, this miso soup was the best I have ever tasted, where the after taste was refreshing and cleared your palate like the tea.

So my 41 euros meal ended with another cup of tea, with compliments from the restaurant, and it reminded me of the usual tea served at chinese restaurants; strong and dark. It is apparent that one of the best points of my dinner, was the balanced taste of all the dishes. However, having a slight preference for meats that have an overpowering taste, it led to my perception that the eel was not as good.

Nodaiwa
272, rue Saint-Honoré - 75001 Paris

Arc de Triomphe, Pere Lachaise, Saint Michel and Louvre