Paris, je t'aime...part deux...

Lunch at La Tour d'Argent was booked a month or so ago. I asked Reservations if I could get a table with a view, and they delivered.

It was a miserable day to be roaming around Paris...it was raining, but I couldn't have been anymore excited than I was at that moment...to walk thru the rain to get to a big feast. Not tres chic to turn up to such a restaurant looking like a water rat...but oh well. You make the best of such an occasion.

We walked in and I thought I would try my best and advise the MD that I had reservations for two - all in French. And because I had done so, he proceeded to ask me further for clarification something else in French...it took me a moment, but he was asking for the name...

We were asked to wait in the sitting room for a moment before we could go upstairs for lunch.

When we were ushered to the lift, we went upstairs and were pleasantly seated by the window. I had placed a bag I was carrying on the floor and a waiter grabbed another seat for me and placed my bag on top of it. *LoL*

The service was exceptional. The bread was delicious and the butter was to die for!

Now on to the duck that you can only have at this restaurant and no other...

We ordered the pressed duck with blood sauce. Now it sounds a bit *ick* but its actually quite delicious. And La Tour d'Argent is the only place in the world in which you can have it because there are only 4 press machines in the world. Two are in museums and the other two are owned by the restaurant. One they use and the other is a reserve, in case the one they use breaks down or something.

A plump duck gets brought out for inspection, like you would for a crab or lobster at a Chinese restaurant. We were also asked how we would like it cooked...and we went with medium spice. Since we ordered the duck to be prepared this way (that is the blood sauce), we will end up with 2 main meals for lunch. But before we have the duck we have a couple things to enjoy...

We had a plate of 3 bite sized things: 1 triangular pastry, 1 bite of fois gras, & 1 mussel with semi-dried tomato. Then we had a bread crumbed thing with a sprig of rosemary stuck into the centre of it, I can't remember what it was now, but it was delicious none the less. Nothing I ate that day was short of exceptional.

The red bordeaux we had was wonderful, and I think it was a turning point for me...because I now like drinking reds.

For the entree, my friend orderd a scallop and sea urchin ravioli dish that was light and tender. I had ordered a dish of pike dumpling, which was creamy and mousse like.

While we enjoyed all of this, our duck with blood sauce was being made on a stage in the centre of the restaurant. We saw the alcohol being lit and the sauce being reduced, it was quite a spectacle. It was really fun and interesting, considering we were the only couple in the restaurant at the time who ordered this, so everyone else on the floor were watching our duck being cooked! *LoL*

We took a photo with the chef who made our main meals.

When served it looked dark...of course, due to the blood sauce. But trust me when I say that the duck was yummy!!! The sauce was yummy and the pom frittes was really fun to eat!

After the duck with blood sauce came out and while we waited for main meal #2, our postcard for the duck arrived. La Tour d'Argent gives out duck numbers, for each duck served at the restaurant. Our duck was #1059054 and we have the postcard to prove it. I think this is one of the novelties of eating at such a restaurant.

I'm not sure how the second duck dish was made, but it was also yummy! By this point, i'm stuffed and appreciate that they serve each thing slowly for digestion. I also can't help but eat the bread with butter...because I have never had this bread, with such to die for butter in my life!!!

For dessert, I ordered waffles with licorice ice cream and fig, while my friend ordered some creamy thing with madeline. I often harp on dessert, because I adore sugar, but I won't this instance. Dessert was nice, but the mains was the reason why I went to the restaurant in the first place.

After dessert, we were given petite fours: dark choc tart, friand, macaroon, and some nut waffle thing. And after the petite fours we were served with some dark rum truffles and gelee pastilles.

By this stage, forget about grace...I had to roll my bottom out of there.

My friend and I decided that we should stroll to Notre Dame and walk some of lunch off, but the rain started to come down heavily and so we managed to walk past the Notre Dame, but did not stop and just proceeded towards the Metro to get back to the apartment and sleep off the lunch! *LoL*

It was an experience at La Tour d'Argent, that I will never forget. It may have cost me 2 days of wages, after tax, but it was worth every cent.

After sleeping it off, we went out to roam about again and went to La Fayette to check out the centre piece that was hanging off the glass dome ceiling - which is an architectural feat in itself. I bought Chloe's birthday present from there and I bought a gorgeous red coat from Zara just outside of it.

We took photos of the Academie Nationale de Musique and then walked to the Lourve to take the photos of the Pyramids by night. After the Lourve we walked to the Notre Dame to take a photo of Zero Point and of course the Notre Dame at night.

After that we called it a night. Dinner was back at the apartment. We weren't even hungry because of lunch. So, we called it an early night and went to bed so we could get up early the next day to visit the Musee de Rodin and go chocoletier & macaroon hunting through the Latin Quarter and see the Jardin du Luxembourg.