We arrived in Paris mid-afternoon. We had enough time to get to the apartment, shower, change and get some groceries. We did not want a big & heavy dinner our first night back in Paris. We read about a really cool place on the 5th arrondissement. The place is called Le Terroir Parisien.
Chef Yannick Alleno who is the mastermind of the three star Micheline restaurant at the Hotel Meurice (we ate there twice...absolutely stunning in all aspects) opened Le Terroir Parisen because he wanted to revive the classical Parisian cooking using the best local produce. He also has a book on the subject of 'Terroir Parisien'. So with his passion and knowledge; no wonder he opened a place that specialised in this long lost way of cooking & eating.
Le Terroir Parisien is difficult to miss; it is a bistro in the Maison de la Mutualiet in the Latin Quarter. Once you walk in the bistro you can see that chef Alleno is passionate about the fresh produce he gets (there are shelves with displays of the fresh fruits & vegetables they are using at the moment). He seeks the best from a variety of small producers for all his fruits & vegetables.
The lovely bistro is large in space & volume. There was a huge bar counter where people can dine. We decided to eat at the bar counter since its more fun to see the staff prepare the dishes that needs to come out. Wooden beamed ceilings added a nice design factor but it also helped the acoustics in the room; everyone was talking but it was not disturbing at all.
For the starter; we shared a platter of local charcuterie and pâté (11 euros per person). The charcuterie and pâté from Gilles Verot, one of the most famous charcuterie shops in town.
The open kitchen where all the amazing food was coming out of. We were interested at how calm and zen like the chefs were in the kitchen...especially with a full house.
My friend's main dish was Raie with capers and hazelnut butter (18 euros). My friend loves this dish and chose this dish because we cannot get it in Bangkok. The meat of the raie was sturdy but incredibly soft & tender. The capers and the hazelnut butter added a nice nutty flavour. Absolutely yummy.
My main dish was Stuffed cabbage (14 euros). I decided to have a simple dish but a dish that I cannot have anywhere in Bangkok. The stuffed cabbage was out of this world. The minced pork was rough in texture & dense like a meat loaf. The cabbage was soft & tender. The sauce was velvety and rich but a bit salty for my taste (this always happens a few days back in Paris...my taste buds have to get used to salty food again). The combination of the pork, cabbage and sauce was a dish made in heaven.
The shelves with the local and fresh produce on display in the background and all the charcuterie and pâté on the display on the counter.
For dessert; we shared a platter of mix cheeses (10 euros). The portion was perfect for two. The choice of cheeses were fresh, perfect ripeness for eating and all tasted lovely.
Overall; our first dinner back in Paris turned out to be very nice. The ambiance was easy going & relaxing, the service was very friendly & attentive (yes; you can get friendly & attentive service in Paris) and the prices are so reasonable for the quality and deliciousness of the food & served. This was a great start to our return to Paris.
Address: 20 rue Saint Victor
75005 Paris
Telephone: 01.44.31.54.54
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