Luxury Travel Review

Luxury Travel Review

Classic French dishes with Japanese touch at seventh arrondisement Paris restaurant

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

The front of le Clarisse

The entrance of Le Clarisse

The first thing we noticed about Restaurant Le Clarisse was the wall window that allowed us to see the interior of the dining room from the seventh arrondisement street as we walked toward the entrance. Once inside, the contemporary decor with wood floors, high ceiling, light filled room, wallpaper, metal chandeliers, cushioned built-in seats and armless chairs and unadorned black wood tables with gray runners in lieu of tablecloths drew our attention. When we reached our narrow dining space we appreciated that a staff person had taken our winter coats.

The place settings were simple but elegant

The place settings were simple but elegant

While we perused the menu and sipped on aperitif drinks accompanied by Baby Scallops and Gamba Carpaccio bites we observed the pretty silverware and dinnerware, central red bar, recessed lights, street view that mirrored the one we had seen from the outside, and a partial loft space with additional guests upstairs. The wine list concentrated mainly on French selections ranging from 36 to 700 euros. There was also a sake list with twelve choices available chilled by the glass and by the bottle.

Decor at le Clarisse

There was a dried ham by the window

A young woman offered us crusty bread with sesame seeds, poppy seeds or country bread. She refilled our bread plates often although no butter or oil were on offer.

The amuse bouche

An amuse-bouche

Following the amuse-bouche, we had Carpaccio de langoustines, gelee de ponzu (Carpaccio of Dublin Bay prawns, ponzu sauce); Ravioles legumieres, carottes, curcuma, coriandre, celeri rave, curry, romarin et agrumes (Small ravioli with vegetables, carrots, curcuma, celeriac, curry and citrus fruit). Served in a light bouillon they were buttery and light. One was spicy.

Carpaccio de langoustines, gelee de ponzu

Carpaccio de langoustines, gelee de ponzu

Ravioles legumieres, carottes, curcuma, coriandre, celeri rave, curry, romarin et agrumes

Ravioles legumieres, carottes, curcuma, coriandre, celeri rave, curry, romarin et agrumes

Noix de Saint Jacques, eclats de noix, taboule de quinoa rouge, couteaux, blettes rouges, reduction de cidre et pousses de shizo (Scallops with walnuts, red quinoa tabbouleh with razor clams, Swiss chard, cider sauce and shizo leaves) were mildly crunchy, toasted with a rich flavor and served on a white plate. La joue de boeuf, marinade bourgogne et lavande, shiro-miso en neige (Ox cheek braised in pinot noir and lavender, beaten shiro-miso) was prepared with a satisfying hearty sauce and a chestnut puree we enjoyed.

oix de Saint Jacques, eclats de noix, taboule de quinoa rouge, couteaux, blettes rouges, reduction de cidre et pousses de shizo

Noix de Saint Jacques, eclats de noix, taboule de quinoa rouge, couteaux, blettes rouges, reduction de cidre et pousses de shizo

La joue de boeuf, marinade bourgogne et lavande, shiro-miso en neige

La joue de boeuf, marinade bourgogne et lavande, shiro-miso en neige

The exotic fruit crumble with whipped cream was crispy, lightly sweet and barely tart. The Souffle au chocolate (Chocolate souffle) had brown sugar on the rim, cassis ice cream and white chocolate coulis.

Exotic fruit crumble

The exotic fruit crumble

Chef Sadaki Kajiwara

Chef Sadaki Kajiwara

We liked the restaurant’s modern decor, attentive service, English speaking staff and well prepared and presented French meal. What surprised and will draw us back were the Japanese ingredients Chef Sadaki Kajiwara added to the dishes to make them distinctive. In addition, we found the seven-course menu for 79 euros good value for money. Le Clarisse (29, rue Surcouf, 75007 Paris, France, + 33 1 45 50 11 10, www.leclarisse.fr, contact@leclarisse.fr) will be on our short list anytime we are in the neighborhood.

Paris macaron maker remains a favorite

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

Some of our favorite macaron flavors for the holidays

Some of our favorite macaron flavors for the holidays

For several years we have been fans of the Pierre Herme shop, specifically the macarons, on rue Napoleon in the Latin Quarter of Paris. On our most recent visit to the French capital, we made our usual stop at the shop and also visited, for the first time, its larger sister shop on the rue de Vaugirard in the fifteenth arrondisement.

Pierre Herme in the Latin Quarter

An exterior view of the Pierre Herme shop on rue Napoleon in the Latin Quarter

The box of monthly flavor macroons

The special Jardin Collection

We had our favorite macaron flavors of Ispahan made with rose, litchi and raspberry, Truffe Blanche et Noisette (white truffel and hazelnut), Infiniment Caramel (caramel and salted butter), Rose, and Chocolate and Foie Gras. We also sampled the special Jardin Collection, a box of 12 macarons only available once a year with a roundup of the monthly Jardin Collection flavors. There was one of each of the 2012 flavors: Jardin Marin made with green tea, chaterelle mushroom and lemon; Jardin du Pardis made with aniseed and saffron; Jardin d’Ete made with lemon and caramelized fennel; Jardin Oriental made with orange blossom, rose and ginger; Jardin Parfume made with rose and jasmin; Jardin d’Eden made with vanilla and basil; Jardin Sauvage made with chocolate and lime; and Jardin d’Antan made with violet and aniseed. There were two each of Jardin Enchante made with lime, raspberry and espelette pepper and Jardin Secret made with rose, vanilla and cloves.

The vanilla tart

The vanilla tart

Pastries at the Latin Quarter shop

Pastries at the Latin Quarter shop

Pastries at the Latin Quarter shop

While macarons are the reason we go to the Latin Quarter store every time we go there we are tempted by seasonal specials, chocolates and pastries. This time we decided to expand our tasting selection. We sampled a lemon tart, reminiscent of key lime pie with a tart finish, a vanilla tart, sweet with distinctive and extra rich vanilla bean flavors, and chocolates. The best selling items in the Latin Quarter shop? Ispahan cake (a long time favorite), Tarte Infiniment Vanille (the one we sampled), 2000 feuilles and of course macarons and chocolates, according to a company spokesperson.

me with fresh strawberries

A lime with fresh strawberries dessert

Pierre Herme offers fresh chocolates

We sampled Pierre Herme chocolates made at the Manufacture Pierre Hermé Paris in Wittenheim, Alsace

On previous visits to the shop the staff had offered us samples of their chocolates. When we tried to buy the ones we had sampled we discovered it was only possible to buy a box with a variety of flavors. Disappointed we desisted. This time we threw caution to the wind. We acquired two boxes of 14 delicious bon bons, made mostly of 64 percent dark chocolate from Mexican cocoa (45 percent for the three milk chocolate ones), in mid December 2012. The Pierre Herme chocolates were made at the Manufacture Pierre Hermé Paris in Wittenheim, Alsace. The brown square box with a red center and a red leather string around it weighed 120 grams and expired January 3, 2013. With all the tempting foods available during the trip we missed the expiration date for one of the boxes. We sampled the chocolates in late January and they were still good. Our expanded tasting was a success.

While Pierre Herme macarons are sold elsewhere in Paris we prefer, whenever possible, to visit the company shops. In our experience they offer greater character and more merchandise choices.  We remain fans of the original shop, our favorite of the two for sheer cozy ambiance and geographic convenience, and are now new fans of the rue de Vaugirard boutique. The two shops are on our list of city favorites: Pierre Hermé Paris, 72 rue Bonaparte 75006 Paris, France, +33 (0) 1 43 54 47 77, and Pierre Hermé Paris, 185 rue de Vaugirard 75015 Paris, France, +33 (0) 1 77 37 20 96, www.pierreherme.com, contact.boutiques@pierreherme.com.

North Kenya visit afforded us peek at Samburu lifestyle, culture

Article and photos by Chester Godsy and Joni Johnson-Godsy

Looking out at the bush from Kitich Camp

Looking out at the bush from Kitich Camp

In the 1920s, Martin and Osa Johnson traveled from the United States to remote places in Kenya and brought back stories, films and photographs that helped define the American idea of the African safari. Their book entitled I Married Adventure helped peak our curiosity about the mountainous region in Kenya north of Nairobi. It was exciting to imagine that on our trip we were recreating part of their journey nearly one hundred years later.

A Samburu warrior in traditional dress

A Samburu warrior in traditional dress

The Samburu people of Northern Kenya live much the way they did back in the days of Martin and Osa Johnson. A Samburu village lies only a couple of miles from Kitich Camp, a walking safari tented camp part of the Cheli & Peacock portfolio, where we stayed on our trip to Kenya. Lamario, one of our guides, took us to this village and helped us bridge the gap between languages and cultures. The Samburu people we met were warm, curious and inviting. Only a few white skinned people had been to the village before us so curiosity was mutual. Visiting this village gave us insights into a time when a community was more important than an individual.

The dining area at Kitich with photos of local Samburu on the walls

The dining area at Kitich with photos of local Samburu on the walls

A young woman in the village invited us into her home, where we spent time with her and asked her questions about the Samburu lifestyle and culture. We saw the creative ways they live in harsh, arid conditions. We learned about their lives, values and culture. We came away in awe of these people. We had an experience we will treasure for a lifetime.

The pool at Joys Camp

The pool at Joy’s Camp

From there we made our way southeast to Joy’s Camp, its sister property in the Shaba National Reserve still north of Nairobi. Named for Joy Adamson, a well-known naturalist, artist and author, the camp offered comfortable accommodations dramatic views and good wildlife sightings as well as access to the nearby Samburu National Reserve.

Common areas at Joys Camp

Part of the common areas at Joy’s Camp

Rewarding lunch at neighborhood Paris restaurant

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

The front windows feature a view of the chefs at work

The windows featured a view of the chefs at work

While staying in the fifteenth arrondisement in Paris we had lunch at Le Quinzième Cyril Lignac (14, rue Cauchy, 75015 Paris, France +331 45 54 43 43, www.restaurantlequinzieme.com, resa@lequinzieme.com), named for Cyril Lignac, an ambitious up and coming young chef from the Aveyron region in southwestern France. When he first arrived in Paris in 2000, he worked at L’Arpège, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the city. Only five years later he opened Le Quinzième on the French series Oui Chef! By 2012, he had expanded his culinary company to include bistros, a bakery and a cooking school and received his first Michelin star at the fifteenth arrondissement restaurant.

Tasty bites

Our bite size starters

To work up an appetite we walked part of the way to lunch. From the street we could see the kitchen staff at work through large glass windows before entering the restaurant from a side street. To reach the entrance we passed through an awning covered terrace devoid of guests on a rainy and gray winter day. Inside, the dining room was beginning to fill up. Brown carpeting, black tiled walls and recessed lights set a cozy tone. Pretty table settings, comfortable built-in sofas and armchairs invited us to linger over our meal. From our back corner table we could glance through oversize glass windows onto the terrace.

Scallop from Brittany

Scallop from Brittany with Tandoori spices

A glass of rose Veuve Cliquot accompanied quince jelly and cheese, crispy goat cheese and chorizo roll, foie gras and white beet root warm cream bite size morsels to start. Smoked salted butter and several types of bread were on offer: crunchy cereal (a favorite), olive, baguette, and thyme and lemon.

Christophe Tran, manager, Le Quinzieme

Christophe Tran, manager, Le Quinzieme

Sole de Petit Bateau slowly baked in herbs Viennoise

Sole de Petit Bateau slowly baked in herbs Viennoise

Our multi-course meal with four wines was outstanding. We had Scallop fished in Brittany roasted in salted butter with Tandoori spices, fine puree of parsnip and sesame cream; a light and flavorful Sole de Petit Bateau slowly baked in herbs Viennoise, shrimps, yellow wine sauce, Ratte potato puree with vanilla zest; Breton Lobster cooked in nut-flavored butter, green Sechuan berries, flavored potato gnocchi, lobster cream and Parmesan cheese,  a winning blend of ingredients that highlighted the lobster without overwhelming it; Tangerine sorbet with fresh mint juice; Beef Simmenthal roasted in semi-salted butter brioche bread-crumbed with foie gras and black truffle that had well balanced flavors served with memorable mashed potatoes; and Roquefort with a poached pear.

Beef Simmenthal roasted in semi-salted butter brioche bread-crumbed with foie gras and black truffle

Beef Simmenthal roasted in semi-salted butter brioche bread-crumbed with foie gras and black truffle

For pre-dessert there was Muscovado sugar crumble with lemongrass emulsion, mango sorbet and Bhaba (au Rhum) gelee. Our first dessert, reminiscent of key lime pie, was Lemon from Nice cream and preserved lemon, thin shortbread, and Bourbon flavored vanilla ice cream. Next we had Madagascar light chocolate cream with Tanariva milk chocolate, crisp praline flake and lime ice cream. The staff served chocolates with the espresso at the end.

Lemon from Nice creamLemon from Nice cream

Lemon from Nice cream

Lunch was accompanied by a slightly sweet honey colored Alsatian 2007 Gruenspiel Marcel Deiss, 2010 Chassange-Montrachet Domaine Fontaine-Gaganard, 2006 Saint-Foy Bordeaux Reserve de la Famille Chateau Martet, and 2010 Vouvrey Petillant Vincent Careme.

Madagascar light chocolate cream with Tanariva milk chocolate, crisp praline flake and lime ice cream

Madagascar light chocolate cream with Tanariva milk chocolate, crisp praline flake and lime ice cream

A well presented and prepared meal that focused on the flavors of the ingredients, attentive service, and a pleasant setting will bring us back to Le Quinzieme the next time we are in the neighborhood.

Outstanding products at Paris bakery chain

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

Praline brioche

Sesame Baguette

A praline brioche and a sesame baguette

On our most recent trip to Paris, France we discovered a new bakery, well two new bakeries owned by the same person and company. With so many bakeries in the City of Lights what makes these special? The bread. To be precise the bread, the brioche praline and the bite size chocolate (pistachio and regular) financier cakes. The taste of the baked goods we sampled was outstanding. We later found out the baked goods were made fresh daily with no artificial ingredients, additives or colorants and “all bread is prepared, hand kneaded and baked in-house at each and every Kayser company bakery,” according to a company spokesperson.

Eric Kayser in Bercy Village

The Maison Kayser shop in Bercy Village

We first went to Maison Kayser Bercy Village (41, cour Saint-Emilion, 75012 Bercy Village, +33 01 43 46 08 89) in the twelfth arrondissement, a bakery with restaurant seating indoors and a shaded outdoor terrace. Since it was winter the outdoor area was vacant but the indoor dining room was popular. We arrived before lunch on a Sunday and were glad we had a reserved table. A steady flow of customers filled the bakery while hungry patrons claimed tables in the dining room. By the time we left it was getting crowded.

The shop on rue Monge

The shop entrance on rue Monge in the Latin Quarter

The following week, we made our way to the shop on Rue Monge (8, rue Monge, 75008, Paris, +33 01 44 07 01 42) in the Latin Quarter, one of twenty-one shops in Paris and 100 overall, in search of more good bread nearer our accommodations. While there the brioche praline, a large brioche topped with bright red sticky bits (we later found some of the sweet and crunchy substance within the brioche), peaked our interest enough to carry it home along with a 200 gram bag of chocolate financiers. We had fallen in love with the bite size cakes made with almond flower and brown butter when we sampled them the previous Sunday at Bercy Village.

Difficult to choose

It was difficult to choose

As soon as we arrived home we sliced the bread and brioche, wanting to taste them while they were fresh. The bread, with seeds, was crunchy with a rewarding rich flavor. In the brioche, we were surprised to discover a perfect combination of flavor and texture. It was airy with a mild flavor while the praline filing had just the right amount of sweetness and crunch to make sure there was praline on every slice and pile on extra sometimes.

Classic french pastry

Classic French pastries for sale at Bercy Village

Eric Kayser, the bakery chain’s namesake and the son, grandson and great grandson of bakers, is said to have known from the time he was four years old that he wanted to become a baker and travel. “Being a food lover, manual and curious, I loved to touch the dough, taste the leaven and see how this living element developed during fermentation,” he said by email.

The Bercy Village shop offered a wide selection of breads

Dalida Gaoua, manager, at the Bercy Village shop

More Bread

The back wall of the shop was well stocked to supply the steady flow of customers

Kayser began his career at the age of 19 when he went on a baking tour of France for five years. He was attracted, he says, by the bakers “hard working ethos, search for excellence and their ideal of fraternity.” He then taught at the National Bakery school (l’Institut National de la Boulangerie Pâtisserie,INBP) for almost a decade, traveling around France and the world, sharing his knowledge of French traditions.

Tiny round financier in chocolate and vanilla were favorites

Tiny round financiers in chocolate and regular were favorites

Tarts and pastries with fruit and chocolate were tempting

Tarts and pastries with fruit and chocolate were tempting

He helped many bakeries to open, and then decided to set up shop for himself. After our visit to the rue Monge bakery we discovered that it was his first shop, opened in 1996. Next time we are in Paris, we plan to return for our favorites and sample new products at one of the many Paris locations of Maison Kayser (http://www.maison-kayser.com/en/, contact@maison-kayser.com)

A visit to Riquewihr in heart of Alsace wine road

Article and photos by Josette King

The Courtyard of the Nobles of Berckheim in Riquewihr is an early stone house and turret with sundial

The Courtyard of the Nobles of Berckheim in Riquewihr is an early stone house and turret with sundial

In France, La Route des Vins (The Wine Road) wends its way north to south from Marlenheim (near Strasbourg) to Thann (near Mulhouse) through 170 kilometers (106 miles) of the rolling hills of the Alsatian vineyard. Along the way it reaches over half of the 119 wine-producing villages, with the remainder only a short drive away.

Riquewihr is recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France for its picturesque medieval architecture

Riquewihr is recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France for its picturesque medieval architecture

While Alsace traces its viticulture history back to Roman times and many of the villages along La Route des Vins can charm visitors with picturesque architecture reaching back to the Middle Ages, the itinerary itself is a contemporary concept. Intent on rejuvenating Alsatian tourism and refocusing attention on its once famed wine industry, both devastated by the Second World War, the regional tourism office organized an automobile rally on May 30, 1953. All participants departed at the same time, half from Marlenheim and the other half from Thann. Along the way they enjoyed a number of wine tastings and tourist site visits before reaching each other. History doesn’t seem to have recorded which team managed to travel the farthest, but the event proved to be a major success. Thus, La Route des Vins was born. Today, over two million visitors per year come from all corners of Europe and beyond to enjoy the warm welcome of the wine-growing community. Many return time and again to sample the superb wines and gastronomy of the region (paté de foie gras and choucroute garnie originated here).

Every break in the roofline offers a glimpse of the vineyards

Every break in the roofline offers a glimpse of the vineyards

I was recently one of these return visitors, when I was able to couple a trip to Colmar, the lovely self-appointed capital of the wine road, with a long overdue stop in the nearby village of Riquewihr. It was les vendanges (wine harvest time), and I looked forward to taking a walk up the hill beyond the city walls to the venerable Schoenenbourg Vineyards, reputed since the Middle Ages for producing some of the finest Riesling in the world, and where grapes are still picked by hand. I also planned a leisurely stroll through the historic village with its narrow cobblestone streets lined with centuries-old half-timbered houses. But most of all, I wanted to return to the Hugel & Fils winery (3, rue de la première armée, 68340 Riquewihr, France, +33 (0)3 89 47 92 15, fax +33 (0)3 89 49 00 10, http://www.hugel.com, info@hugel.com), and pay a quiet homage to the memory of a man who almost four decades ago kindled my interest for good wines. Jean Hugel had hosted my first wine tasting in the very cellar where I was now headed. Along with the basics of wine appreciation, he taught me a golden rule by which I still measure wines today.

Hugel Winery headquarters and cellars below

The Hugel Winery headquarters and cellars below

“A good wine,” Jean Hugel told me, “is one that you enjoy when you drink it, still appreciate when you pay for it, and can remember fondly when you wake up the next morning.” He was at the time at the head of Hugel & Fils, one of the most prestigious labels in Alsace, and a family that traces its wine making tradition back 12 generations, to 1639. I was saddened in the summer of 2009 to read his obituary in The New York Times, where he was memorialized as “a leading force in resurrecting the Alsatian wine trade.” I could only nod, and remember his passion as he introduced me to the peerless Hugel Rieslings and Gewurztraminers and most exquisite of all, the nectar-like Vendange Tardive (late harvest) wines. These prestigious wines are made in tiny quantities from overripe grapes picked well after the classic vintage, and in the best years only. These grapes have been affected by botrytis cinerea (a fungus commonly known as pourriture noble, or noble rot). Jean Hugel is credited with writing the rules for the production of Vendange Tardive, which became law in 1984. To this day, no matter where in the world I happen to be, I can never see one of the green fluted bottles with their iconic yellow Hugel label without remembering my host on that long ago afternoon.

A passing wine harvest truck shows me the way to the Hugel Winery

A passing wine harvest truck shows me the way to the Hugel Winery

On the day of my visit, his nephew Etienne Hugel welcomed me to Riquewihr with the same warmth and enthusiasm. Alas, the weather was not so friendly. A cold drizzle had been falling since morning; not a propitious day for a walk to the Schoenenbourg. We headed for the cellars instead, under the meticulously preserved 16th century building of the Hugel headquarters. Along the way, we stopped by the dock where trucks were pulling in with their precious cargo of plump white grapes in plastic tubs. These were immediately brought to the press house, quality tested and selected before being tipped through a funnel designed to gravity-feed them into one of the pneumatic presses on the floor below. The free-run and first pressing juices are then directed, again by gravity only, into stainless-steel vats where they settle overnight to remove solids before the fermentation process begins (Hugel uses only these for its own label. The last pressing is always set aside and sold in bulk). The juice is then gravity-fed into giant oak casks, some over 100 years old, or into stainless steel vats for fermentation.

The Sainte Catherine cask dates back to 1715 and is still in use today

The Sainte Catherine cask dates back to 1715 and is still in use today

Wine tasting with Etienne Hugel

Wine tasting with Etienne Hugel

We continued on, farther into the cellar that reaches deep and wide under the old town. Wines mature there in rows upon impressive rows of huge casks, including the famous Sainte Catherine dating back to 1715, and still in use, before ending our tour in the tasting room. Etienne takes us on a seven-wine graduated tasting with the same verve as his uncle did so many years ago. By the time we get to the Gewurztraminer Jubilee 2008 and the divine Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2005, both from the oldest plots of the Hugel estate in the heart of the Sporen grand cru area, I am ready to break all the rules of wine tasting: I sip, and I swallow. I am certain that Jean Hugel would approve

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