Au Temp du Temps in Paris

Who ever thought existed a land whose people take very seriously fine cuisine and wine would also have a fully functional public transportation system? Well, this land does exist, and it is called France. From my weekend-long observation of France, I came to the conclusion that it is sort of like a slightly more serious version of Italy with a bit more innovative style culture and a much more functional infrastructure. After eating in one of the city's widely discussed bistros, I was quite perplexed as to how 99.99% of the population could be skinny.

Having the menu explained to us in Frenglish by an attractive Parisienne was quite a treat to my ears. The words that we heard consistently were foie gras, duck, fat, and liver. And of course, when she pointed out to what seemed to me like an elegantly written French main course and translated it to "A big fat pig" I was immediately sold.

The typical French menu consists of the entrée, the plat, and/or fromage, and the dessert. I know nothing about French wine, so we asked the waitress for something that would pack a nice punch and be able to subdue my "big fat pig" plat and make sure that the foie gras didn't stick to me arteries. She recommended the Sierra du Sud Cotes du Rhone, weighing in at a whopping 13.5% and costing € 31.

I started off with veal cutlet smeared with foie gras. Exceptional. While my dining partner had something with truffles which was equally appetizing. As for my plat, the "big fat pig" was very big and fat. I don't think I had ever tasted such freshness in pork. It was the rich cousin of a backyard BBQ pork chop. My dining partner instead opted for chicken stuffed with truffles with a side of roasted nouvelle potatoes, which was unbelievably good, perhaps one of the best dishes I have ever tasted in my life. Forget all of your prejudices about ordering chicken in a fancy bistro. This was like no bird you may have ever had. To finish off, I ordered the millefoglie with mascarpone while my dining partner opted for chocolate cake floating in what seemed to be its own tepid fudgy blood.

Who: Au Temp du Temps
What: French Bistrot
Where: 13, rue Paul Bert, Paris 75011, France, near the Faidherbe-Chaligny metro stop in the Bastille neighborhood
When: Definitely a late night romantic dinner place, book it for 9:30 or 10pm
Will I be going back?: Yes
Price: €60 per person with wine and dessert
Tel: +33 1 4379 6340
Notes: You should book this place at least a week in advance, and it is supposedly much easier to get a table at lunch