Pretty Bordeaux

Hello tout le monde. ça va?

I am writing this at the weekend, which is fairly unusual, but it has made me wonder what all you other expats get up to at the weekend? What is your favourite way to relax in Bordeaux at the weekend? Or maybe you work at the weekend, so end up relaxing at other times? Are there any places or activities you would recommend to other expats new to the city? Is there something that you think people ‘have to do’ whilst they are here?

Well, to help you along, here is what I did last weekend (it was a pretty good weekend if I am honest, not the usual stay at home routine for me!)

Friday evening:

• Quick drink in the Bar a Vin at Quinconces. This is a great place for a Friday evening tipple, good value wine, helpful staff who will explain the different wine choices available or even the differences between a wine from St Emilion and the Medoc! This was accompanied by a yummy plate of blue cheese and bread… hmmm.

• Dinner at The Bistro Regent– easy and simple – steak, chips, salad, oh and of course their ‘secret sauce’. Both me and the man were tired after a week of work and more work so decided on a simple meal, without fuss or pretence – just good food and *another* glass of local wine. I also happened to notice their deal, if you print a voucher from their website and take it in during the week, you get a **FREE** bottle of champagne – sounds like a good mid-week, avoidance of cooking technique to me!

Saturday:

• Bit of a lie in – luckily without any little BritGirls/boys to worry about, I am lucky, and after a week of early starts and busy-ness, I can enjoy a nice lie in followed by a coffee and book in bed… ahhh bliss!

The bliss was swiftly followed by a trip to Rue St Catherine and the centre of town. We began Christmas shopping! Yes, this may be early, but when you need to think about sending presents, packing presents or even deciding which presents to by online or which presents to do ‘a la francaise’ we decided to start early and reduce the stress levels. We made a good start and Rue St Catherine wasn’t so busy….

I am now also quite looking forward to visiting the Christmas market on Allees de Tourny – always a nice evening wandering along the little huts and drinking some ‘vin chaud’ in the cold!

Marche de Noel – 2011

• I was then treated to a mid-shop lunch. We managed to sit outside and eat  – another reason I love living in Bordeaux, it might be the beginning of winder but we could still enjoy lunch outside (not something I would EVER experience back home in the UK!). If you haven’t been before, I can highly recommend what I think might be called ….  Cafe Gourmand for a wrap/burger/sandwich US style and nice lunch time break!I am still not certain of the place’s name as it doesn’t have a sign outside like most places – but nevertheless it was a great pitstop for lunch!

• Saturday evening was spent enjoying raclette with French friends (I provided a delicious chocolate brownie for dessert) … we were not calorie counting!! I was also very proud of myself and fellow expat fiancee – we spent the whole night talking and listening in French – we are lucky to have very patient friends! A lovely lovely evening – full of good food, wine, chat, singing and laughter!

Sunday:

• Phew what a weekend so far!! With the sun still shining, we opted for a morning walk along the quais (at high tide this has to be one of the best places to be in the sunshine!) and then a quick trip to the market on the quais for our weekly veg! Again, not much can beat being greeted by the stall holder (as a regular) and buying fresh produce for the week, and as a result, on the menu chez moi this week… squash and sweet potato soup.

The wonderful Quais Market near Chartrons.

A Sunday morning special: Wine and Oysters – not my thing but something very local and traditional!

• My scientist boyfriend then had some work to do (this is a common weekend theme I am afraid) but instead of being stuck in our flat missing the sunshine, we trotted over to the Jardin Public and had a cup of tea, wrapped up warm in ‘L’Orangerie‘ overlooking the park and got some work done! What better way to work on a Sunday than enjoying the view and the peace and quiet! Have you seen the trees there – the colours are beautiful – all reds, golds, oranges and yellows!

So my weekend seems to have contained far too much food, possibly not enough Christmas shopping, but lots of activities around Bordeaux.  It would be great to hear your weekend thoughts, activities, favourites and even suggestions – I know that sometimes the weekends are not all that fun when you are far away from friends and family, so any advice for readers out there would be greatly appreciated!

The post Le weekend appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Royale with Cheese, by Chris Tighe  




HAMBURGER [hæmˌbɜː(r)ɡə(r)] noun. 

 
1. A native or inhabitant of the city of Hamburg.

2. A flat round cake of minced beef, fried or grilled and typically 
served in a bread roll garnished with various condiments.

burger à la française

Edmond buns baked fresh daily

buns: freshly homemade daily “with love”
chips: homemade, thin-cut, served in a basket with garlic/parsley dressing
chip sauces: HP, others available on request

meat origin: 100% french bovine, limousin, normandy…
cheese: from Jean d’Alos – Chester, Raclette, St Nectaire, tomme de Chalosse, tomme de Savoie, Fourme d’Ambert, Cantal…
other stuff: green salad with fresh herbs €3
desserts: ed fleury – refreshing frozen yoghurt with choice of toppings – pecan, mango, etc. sauces – salted butter caramel etc. €4.50
soft drinks: coke, sprite, peach ice tea, minute maid, abatilles mineral water
beers: carlsberg, grimbergen, chimay blue, gasconha wheat beer – €4-€6
wines: bordeaux region red and white, rosé, €12-€18/bottle
art: large pseudo religious ‘edmond’ mural courtesy of Mister Kern and Jean Restout (2013) http://ornaldokern.blogspot.fr/

mural by mister kern and jean restout

vintage coke fridge and new york style decor

tunes: deep house
verdict: popular pre-cinema venue, spacious terrace, large menu choice, beers on tap, superb milkshakes
hamburgering rating: 15/20 (http://hamburgering.com/2012/03/13/5th-avenue-cheeseburger-bordeaux/)

Funky Burger

where: 5 rue du loup
when: mon, tues, thurs – 10h30 – 14h00 / 18h00 – 00h00 :: weds, fri, sat – 10h30 – 15h00 / 18h00 – 00h00 
web: www.funkyburger.fr
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funky-Burger/119991548056293
myspace: https://myspace.com/funky_burger
tel: 05 56 81 55 50
atmosphere: skater, urban, funky, original decor (traffic lights, darth vador mask, C3PO, widescreen tv), local artwork, tons of flyers for local club nights/bars – https://www.facebook.com/pages/BT59/162721060419903?fref=ts, http://www.bt59.com/

art/photo mosaic and light wall

he finds your lack of faith disturbing…

fluent in over 6 million forms of communication…

price range: single burger €4.20 – €8.95; double €6.85 – €11.65 :: €8.50 single burger meal deal +chips +drink :: boss burger – triple burger, chips, salad, soft drink 33cl €14.50
delivery: mon-sat 11h30 – 14h00 / 18h30 – 23h00 – min €15 – by bicycle
burger range: 100g… corleone (chedder, bacon), macfly (camembert), houston we have a problem (parsley mushrooms), vador (fourme d’ambert – blue cheese), betrash (xtra chilli sauce), I am your father (chedder, chorizo), jc duss (reblochon), goats from the pentagon (goats cheese, honey), pepper pots (spicy chicken), okkkkkkkkk (chicken, pineapple), you have beautiful eyes (morteau sausage, munster cheese), honey duck (duck breast, caremelised apples, mustard honey sauce) etc…

he’ll make you a burger you can’t refuse…

sauces: communal station – worcester, pickalilly, tabasco red/green, HP, louisiana hot, heinz american/cocktail/bbq, SaVoRa mustard – more to come!
buns: homemade
chips: homemade, big portions

other stuff: wraps (chicken, beef, fish range) – €5.30 – €6.90; salads – €7.50, tapas (squid rings, chicken wings, fried cod etc) €4.80 – €7.90
desserts: brownies, donuts, muffins, cheesecake, homemade milkshakes (€4.20), ben & jerrys, fruit colis
soft drinks: vitaminwater, large range of cans, tea/coffee
beers: heineken can, stella, leffe, hoegaarden on tap (€2.60/€3.80/half) – wine by the glass
art: resident artists on rotation – this month, Gilbert Nadeau https://www.facebook.com/gilbertnadeau33,
Stephanie Duboscq

resident artwork

tunes: see website/myspace, classic/modern rock
special nights: funky burzday – fri/sat night free burger on your birthday. customers also chosen at random for free burgers

verdict: awesome decor, superb sauce selection (+spicy!!), large burger selection, great welcome and useful bordeaux underground info, star wars memorabilia
fourchette et confidence blog: http://fourchetteetconfidences.wordpress.com/category/les-decouvertes-de-morgane/brasserie/
hamburgering rating: 10/20 (http://hamburgering.com/top10hamburgerbordeaux/)

Kokomo Delicatessen

where: 12 place fernand lafargue
when: mon/sun – 12-5pm, tues-sat 12pm-midnight
web: to follow
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kokomo-Delicatessen/161820437359687
tel: 05 57 77 07 24
atmosphere: urban, hawaiian, funky skater/surf art cafe

price range: €7-€13
delivery: no’p
takeaway: yep
burger range: double cheese (black angus steak, double cheddar, pickles, marinated tomatoes, mustard, jalapeno ketchup), J.D. (black angus flamed with jack daniels, cheddar, marinated tomatoes, bbq sauce), reuben burger (black angus, house pastrami, gorgonzola, confit onions, bbq sauce), felafel burger (vegetarian – homemade felafel, avocado, marinated tomatoes, coleslaw, house mayo)

toasted sesame bun and jumbo gherkin

buns: from a bio bakery
chips: homemade
sauces: french’s honey/classic mustard, homemade bbq
other stuff: tomato/buffalo mozza with truffle oil, tacos (king crab/quinoa), pork ribs, braised beef, fish & chips with beer batter, pastrami/salmon sandwiches, tofu dog, macaroni & pepperoni, giant new york gherkins, coconut noodle soup; sides of mayo ricotta noodleslaw, cesar salad, house mash

brooklyn beer on tap imported from NY

desserts: €5 – death by brownie (choc brownie, peanut butter, oreo icing), carrot cake (lime/coconut icing), milkshakes – range of flavours with chantilly €4, muffins, cookies
soft drinks: dr pepper, root beer, homemade ice tea
beers: brooklyn beers (on tap and in bottle – specially imported from the brooklyn brewery in NY – http://brooklynbrewery.com/verify) lager €6/pint, oktoberfest, pale ale, brown ale, lager – €4 a bottle, darwin beer (made by the darwin project in the right bank for special events) €4

liquor & cocktails: large range of spirits incl. venezuelan diplomatico rum & japanese nikka whisky, cocktails 7€ – mojito, caipirinha etc
tunes: hawaiian, blues, 70’s/80’s classics, soul, funk, house, special dj mix nights :: http://www.mixcloud.com/Energydreeg/dr-fudge-dreego-70-minutes-of-underground-sensational-part-1/
art: range of local art/photo exhibitions and connections with bordeaux underground art scene/artists…
Charl http://charl-zarl.tumblr.com/
Disket http://disketer.tumblr.com/
Landroïd http://on.fb.me/1jbqOcF
Odeg & Rooble http://on.fb.me/JrNJjB
Tack http://tackone.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/events/554706397951506/

eg. of the superb wall art by local artists

events: regular dj nights, local club night flyers, mates with darwin project and sponsor of bordeaux rock..(artists all coming to dine in resto)  http://www.bordeauxrock.com/ 
 


 verdict: packed out at lunch time, terrace, swift service, great tunes, alternative art, superb brooklyn beers – latest addition to the growing alternative fernand lafargue scene

New York

where: 4 Cours Pasteur
 when: 10.30am-midnight everyday, closed sunday
web: http://www.lenewyork.fr
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/newyorkbordeaux
tel: 09 83 50 98 80
atmosphere: new york style diner, cocktail/piano bar, great terrace for summer

price range: €10-€12 :: €3 homemade chips/herby potato wedges
delivery: no’p
takeaway: no’p
burger range: menu currently being updated

sauces:
buns: from san nicolas, round the corner :: http://www.gillespudlowski.com/50530/produits/bordeaux-les-entremets-de-cyril#.Us59QfY087A
chips: homemade, superb
meat: 100% charolaise french origin 
other stuff:

a very tall waitress

evening concert @the new york

desserts:  
beers: heineken/affligem on tap, bud/biere de saison by bottle 
softs: standard range of cans and fruit juice (€3-€5)
hard liquor: (€4-€6) bacardi, bombay sapphire, bombay original, eristoff vodka, william lawson whisky, jd, four roses bourbon, tullamore, janeiro cachaça, san josé tequila, cointreau, bailey’s, manzana, get 27/31, 1O year old tenareze armagnac, fine wood chateau d’orignac cognac, calvados
cocktails: €7 :: bloody mary, mojito, cosmopolitan, pink lady, manhattan, aphrodisia, the bronx
wine: extensive local red and white selection, provence rosé
tunes: jazz/soul in the morning :: evening more rock
events: evening events organised, concerts, private room upstairs for parties, outdoor catering available for weddings/events – mini burgers etc
verdict: great burgers, large menu and drinks selection and live football. Manhattan meets Bordeaux…
le cannele d’adresses: http://www.lecanneledadresses.com/restaurants/view/fiche/458

the mayor went…

Upper

where: 7 rue judaique
when: everyday – 12-4pm, 6.30-11pm 
web: www.upperburger.com/
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/upper.burger.3?fref=ts
spotify playlist: https://play.spotify.com/user/1155032907/playlist/7IC4M5j8Bewwo84SfypTYP
tel: 09 83 50 98 80
atmosphere: 120msq, 2 floors, free wifi, ‘classic american style burger joint‘


price range: compose your own burgers.. €7.50-€9.50 :: €10 menu upper burger/veggie +chips/salad +soft drink/water :: kids menu – €7.50…
delivery: no’p
takeaway: yep
burger range: 140g 100% natural fresh ingredients, cheese/bacon/veggieburger, chioce of market toms, lettuce, onions, peppers, onion marmelade, pickles; grilled aubergines, mushrooms, onions, peppers

now this IS a tasty burger…

 
sauces: ketchup, bbq, blue cheese, hot sauce, hp, mayo, mustard
buns: artisan bread
chips: homemade, served in an upper tub, option of chilli powder or vinegar – €2.50
other stuff: salads – upper €7.50, caesar €9
desserts: brownies, cookies, carrot cake, cheesecake, cupcakes, muffins, whoopies; milkshakes €4 – vanilla, banana, fruit of the day
drinks: water – san pe, abatilles; softs, natural bionade €3, bud beer (bottle) €3, wine, american coffee (€1, 9-11am), hot choc, kusmi tea

tunes: spotify :: classic funk, rock, disco, james brown :: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGbpucWLfpE
verdict: fab meat quality, good buns/service, phenomenal playlist
hamburgering rating: 17.5/20 (http://hamburgering.com/2013/12/14/upper-burger-un-ton-au-dessus/)

Vacher Burger

where: 38 cours portal,
chartrons
 when: mon, tues, wed – 11.30-3pm, 6.45-10.45pm ::  thurs, fri, sat – 11.30-3.30pm, 6.45-11.45pm :: sun – 6.45-10.45pm
web: http://vacher-burger.fr/
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vacher-Burger/384292258336113
instagram/spotify: to follow
tel: 05 57 87 21 81
motto: “la vrai saveur”
atmosphere: 50’s/60’s

milk urn lamps

price range: burger €8.50, double burger – extra €3, meal deals €10-€15 – €7.50 kids and students
delivery: 7/7, 11.45-2.30pm (not sunday) / 6.45-10.30pm (every day) – min order €18; delivery within boulevards incl.lac

takeaway: yep
burger range: 125g…all with salad :: the robert (homemade ketchup, gherkins, onions, toms), the gaston (beef or chicken, homemade blue cheese sauce, bacon, walnuts, crunchy pear), the marius (fried cod, homemade tartare sauce), the victor (double cheese – spicy mustard sauce), the lucien (blue cheese – honey/thyme mustard sauce, fourme d’ambert cheese), the léon (double bacon – bacon sauce), the marcel (cheddar cheese/bacon), l’hubert (bordeaux sauce, shallot compote, parmesan), the patxi (basque burger – espelette pepper and chorizo sauce, sheep cheese, chorizo), l’odette (marinated curry chicken, herby cheese sauce), the jade (grilled chicken, wasabi cream sauce, coriander, ginger, green apple) 

buns: artisan bread made specially for Vacher by Guillaume bakery
chips: homemade
sauces: burger sauces homemade every day, chip sauce – mayo/ketchup/bbq
events and parties: available for professional dinners, events, mini burgers and pastries available, group meal deals

desserts: homemade :: cheesecake (orange flower, vanilla, tonka bean, mocha, violet, liquorice amaretto!) €3.50, brownies, cookies, muffins, slices of tart €2.50
beers: bud, bud original, heineken, corona, duff – €3.40; hapchot hossegor 75cl €8.50
wine: large list, €4.50/glass, €20/bottle
softs: abatilles, perrier, badoit water; rauch fruit juices (range), red bull, cans, double coffee €3.20 
art: by an ex employee Cecilia

wall art by cecilia

   
tunes: 50’s/60’s – fbook/spotify playlist to follow
languages: door sign written in french, english, spanish, japanese, chinese :: the only place where they tried to speak english!
future projects: they are looking for a 2nd place by the barriere de medoc
verdict: the only quality delivery burger place in town, a fleet of mopeds, varied menu, patxi burger recommended, great welcome
hamburgering rating: 12.5/20 (http://hamburgering.com/2013/01/30/vacher-burger-bordeaux/)

West Coast Gourmet Burgers

where: 31 rue du cancera (angle of rue pas st georges)
when: 7/7, 12-3pm :: 7-11pm 
web: http://www.westcoastburgers.fr/Homepage.html
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastburgers
twitter: https://twitter.com/benwestcoast
video: http://vimeo.com/74661403
instagram: http://instagram.com/westcoastben#
tel: 09 80 61 85 93
slogan: “authentic burgers”
atmosphere: chilled, friendly, surfer beach bar

price range: €7-€9 – extras €1, chips and sides €3
delivery: no’p
takeaway: yep
food truck: every week day by cdiscount @bassins tram

food truck @cdiscount

burger range: 100% limousin beef… classic, cheese (choice of mature english cheddar, blue, parmesan, aged comté), classic bacon/cheese (cheddar), west coast (avocado, bacon, caramelised onions), venice beach (homemade pesto, mozzarella, rocket), gorgonzola, gascon (chicken breast, lemon mayon bacon), tijuana (house battered chicken breast, homemade guacamole), bbq chicken (house battered chicken breast, bacon, fried onions, bbq sauce), vegetarian (actually vegetarian – not the french concept of vegetarian…), burger of the day (on blackboard)
buns: “proper buns” – artisan bread
chips: homemade – well good
sauces: french’s classic yellow mustard/smooth and spicy

other stuff: onion rings, homemade coleslaw, caesar salad, sunshine salad
desserts: homemade lemon cheesecake €4.50, homemade brownie/ball of ice cream/pecan nut €4.50, banana split €4.50, ‘benoît de la lune’ artisan ice cream – vanilla, choc, strawberry, vanilla pecan, mint choc, salted butter caramel – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beno%C3%AEt-de-la-Lune/190437898884 – sopisticakes cup cakes https://www.facebook.com/SophisticakesBordeaux
milkshakes: proper fresh milkshakes made with ice cream – choc, vanilla, strawberry €4

the legendary Tchanquée

beers: l’entre 2 bières – blonde, blanche ‘la palombe’, rousse ‘la baïne’ €4 – http://www.entre-deux-bieres.com, woll, gasconha http://www.gasconha.fr/, brooklyn, san miguel, budvar, corona – €4, heineken €3.50
cocktails: margarita, frozen margarite, cape cod, white russian, banana daiquiri €7
wine: €3-€3.80 a glass, bdx, south africa, aussie, california
byo: €7 corkage and can give directions to wine shops in the area!
coffee: gourmet coffee €6.50 

tunes: rock, hip hop, rap :: http://poolsidemusic.com/free-downloads-from-poolside/
events: food truck going out to lacanau pro, garorock, reggae sunska etc
verdict: a bit cramped (but looking for a new location) – superb beer selection, awesome burgers & chips, all round winner
hamburgering rating: 15/20 (http://hamburgering.com/2013/01/30/west-coast-burger-best-in-saint-pierre/?relatedposts_exclude=291)

life’s a beach

 

In the last year or so Bordeaux has also seen the advent of US style food trucks – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=667324863288563&set=a.335787026442350.79374.119486811405707&type=1&theater. The main two offering burgers are West Coast and Camion ByOliver – El Taco Diablo is worth a visit as well: https://www.facebook.com/ElTacoDelDiablo. The West Coast truck is generally down at the CDiscount HQ by the Chaban Delmas bridge – they also head out to festivals and other events in the area.

Camion ByOliver

where/when: tues, thurs 11.45-2.15pm, fri, sun 7-9.45pm – place paul doumer :: wed, fri, 11.45-2.15pm – place st bruno, opposite (meriadeck) tram A – also @maxxess by the za alfred danet sunday lunch and some friday nights – check fbook site for regular updates
web: http://www.byolivertruck.com/
fbook: https://www.facebook.com/camion.byoliver
twitter: https://twitter.com/ByOliverTruck
googleplus: https://plus.google.com/100431118483071374889/posts
email: byolivertruck@gmail.com
video: http://www.kewego.fr/video/483a13dc585s.html?t=19
tel: 06 77 72 96 73 – orders before 11am
atmosphere: http://www.meteo-bordeaux.com/

ideal for warmer weather!

price range: €7.30-€9.90 – burger meal deals €9.60-€10.40
burger range: 110g limousin meat french bovine origin freshly minced…the classic, classic cheese (cheddar), classic bacon, the bacon cheese, classic basco (sheep cheese, ventreche – pancetta style, onions, pickle, tomato, chef’s sauce), the californian (grilled chicken, avocado, onion rings), the king george (onion rings, peppered ventreche, pickles, tomato, avocado, chef’s sauce), the americano (lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, chef’s sauce), cheese americano, the magnum (double burger version of the classic), the no meat burger (vegetarian – avocado, crusty camambert, red onions, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, spinach, house sauce), burger of the day – see blackboard
buns: 100% organic artisan bread from Au Goût du Pain, place nansouty
chips: homemade – medium €2, large €2.50

other stuff: baguette sandwiches – €4.20-€5.90 – €5.60/€6.60 meal deals, the elegant (organic baguette, bitter orange marmelade, fine herb/garlic cheese, smoked duck breast, walnuts, tomatoes, spinach), the paris-beurre, the bait (bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, house sauce, vinaigrette), the greek (roast chicken, hummus, toms, lettuce, guacamole) the mediterranean (mozzarella, tom/olive tapenade, serrano, tomato), the landais (fresh goat cheese, honey, bayonne ham, asparagus tapenade, tomato), the BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado)

the landais!

desserts: €1.20-€3 – pancakes with maple syrup, cheesecake, shortcake, brownies with grilled hazelnuts, pavlova, desert of the day (revolté du bounty 5/01/14), fruit salad with choice of different fruits(clementines, apples etc)

drinks: organic softs, cans, fruit juice, abatilles water, heineken, despe, mini wine bottles, fair trade coffee 
fidelity card: card given at first visit then stamped :: 10th burger free
events: every friday and sunday night (summer), place paul doumer – 7-10pm, tariquet apero night (free glass of tariquet with every €10 spent), giant chupa for kids :: the marché des capucins coming soon and summer 2014 @le porge plage…

tunes: http://www.radionomy.com/fr/radio/urbanpopsoulreggaeelectrorock/index
verdict: fresh regional products, groundbreaking and original (the van is from england…) and has paved the way for the future of bordeaux gastronomy

———————————————-

 Bordeaux underground links for further reading…

le vintage ::
https://www.facebook.com/VintageBarBordeaux?viewer_id=781505082
http://www.vintage-bar.fr/
 

le vintage bar, the latest addition to rue st james

 l’apollo ::
http://www.apollobar.fr/galerie.php 
http://www.apollobar.fr/radio/radio.html 
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/76907165166/

la vie moderne ::
http://www.sudouest.fr/2012/01/23/la-vie-moderne-c-est-retro-613174-2780.php 

la vie moderne – news of the happy hour has obviously spread…

la grange/calle seche ::
http://www.lesamisdelapero.fr/bordeaux/bars/434-la-grange

café andrée putman ::
http://www.cafeandreeputman.com/ 

le comptoire du jazz ::
http://www.leportdelalune.com/

 
the grindhouse american pub ::
https://www.facebook.com/pages/GRIND-HOUSE-the-American-pub/464627206936431 
 
bt59 ::
http://www.bt59.com/ 

bt59 club/concert venue in terre neuves

pdg+ ::
http://www.yelp.fr/biz/pdg-bordeaux

borO2 ::
https://www.facebook.com/bordO2cafe

bord’o2 vapour bar

 l’ours marin ::
http://www.loursmarin.com/ 

le gwadinina bar ::
https://www.facebook.com/pages/LE-GWADININA-BAR/210492862377417

 
kisskissbankbank :: bordeaux rock 2014
http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/soutien-au-festival-bordeaux-rock-2014 

the darwin project @caserne niel ::
http://www.darwin-ecosysteme.fr/

summer party @the darwin project

skating @the darwin project

bordoz ::
http://www.bordoz.fr/
  
cubeek magazine ::
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cubeek/119486811405707?ref=ts

matvi gironde ::
http://www.mativi-gironde.fr/les-films/cubeek-depuis-2010-18-numeros-.html,9,19,0,0,2471,106
 

cubeek bordeaux alternative underground webzine

les scènes d’été en gironde ::
https://www.facebook.com/scenesdete?fref=pb&hc_location=profile_browser

allez les filles ::
http://www.allezlesfilles.net/

streetphoto bordeaux ::
https://www.facebook.com/groups/streetphotobordeaux/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bordeauxstreetphotography/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Street-Art-Bordeaux/255456054540033
 



bordeauxurbanzik ::
http://bordeauxurbanzik.org/ 

bordeaux juggling ::
http://www.jonglargonne.org/
http://smartcie.com/la-compagnie/ 
http://www.windymorning.com/index.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP_h9ZwpfCk

bordeaux pas cher ::
http://bordeauxpascher.wordpress.com/

minute buzz ::
http://www.minutebuzz.com/actu–indispensable-les-8-adresses-a-connaitre-pour-sortir-a-bordeaux-53139/

downtown exclusive ::
https://www.facebook.com/downtowncityguide?ref=stream

 
le cannele d’adresses ::

http://lecanneledadresses.com/nuit 

le beau m ::
http://www.lebeaum.com/

 edgar ::
https://www.facebook.com/edgarbdx  

banosdistro ::
http://banosdistro.com/

edith ::
https://www.facebook.com/EdithStore

light and sound installation @espace 29 by Gaël Jaton

espace29 ::
http://www.espace29.com/ 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/espace29/

l’ombilical ::
http://ombilical.wix.com/asso

trentetrente ::
http://www.marchesdelete.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=182&Itemid=525 
http://vimeo.com/81104340 

 

contemporary art hits bordeaux…

ako ::
http://www.akodesign.fr/ 

las carmes :: 
http://www.lescarmes.fr/

 
lesartsaumur ::
http://lesartsaumur.jimdo.com/
novartbordeaux
http://www.novartbordeaux.com/ 

novart opening ceremony 2013

djartschool ::
http://www.djartschool.fr/

dj initiation and perfection courses

 
and finally… :: the $5000 burger and the most expensive burgers in the world :: http://most-expensive.com/burgers-world
http://live.wsj.com/video/the-5000-burger/861DDAE6-3A73-4B1B-AE33-D251EA95DECC.html#!861DDAE6-3A73-4B1B-AE33-D251EA95DECC

the $5000 burger @the fleur de lys in vegas :: best washed down with a bottle of petrus…

The post The Bodacious Bordelais Burger Quest appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

With the most restaurants per capita in France (numbering over a thousand, Bordeaux certainly doesn’t lack for variety in choosing where to dine out.

The bustling Place du Parlement

The list of expat-run eateries is fairly extensive; from authentic Italian, Spanish and Portuguese to Lebanese, Turkish, Armenian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Brazilian and even Ethiopian our city offers a truly eclectic multi-cultural gastronomic mix.

Adding a touch of Nordic style to the Bordeaux culinary landscape is Le Café Danois, 36 rue du Maréchal Joffre. Open since April 2012 the café can be found nestling behind the court house between Pey Berland and the Hôpital Saint André. The owner, Jesper Gotthard hails from Copenhagen and has spent the past 24 years living and working in Bordeaux. Developing a passion for French culture and wine from his student years he later worked in the wine industry as well as for Camus cognac. Looking to settle down and to cut down on all the international travel he embarked upon the NOMAD ‘streetfood’ course offered in Blanquefort by Thierry Marx until 2012 (now moved to Paris)

All dishes are made on the day by Jesper

His café offers a Franco-Danish fusion menu with a wide range of freshly sourced produce. All the dishes are homemade daily with takeaway available; Jesper offers a sideline in events catering with an épicerie offering salmon and herring by the kilo as well as homemade bread, a variety of French and Danish desserts and canapé trays.

The menu changes everyday and is posted on his facebook site – “This keeps the choice diverse and also ensures that the produce is as fresh as possible”. The Scottish salmon is sourced direct from the wholesaler which means a maximum of three days from catch to dish. Mains are from €7.90 and meals from €9.20.

A hefty catch! Scottish Salmon sourced direct from the wholesaler

Starters on offer are dishes such as Smørrebrød – marinated Herring, roast beef with red cabbage served with homemade bread or Herring with mustard à l’ancienne, frikadeller of red cabbage served with homemade bread. Assiette de Saumon – homemade Gravelax, Salmon tatare, toasted house bread or duo of Salmon tartare with toasted house bread.

Duo of Salmon with a homemade sauce

For mains there are dishes such as the ever popular Assiette Copenhague – homemade Gravelax, spiced Herring, roast beef with red cabbage, homemade bread, Assiette du Sud – Duck confit with Bruschetta on house bread, Dish of the Day – pasta with homemade Bolognaise or Roast Chicken served with oven roasted potatoes amongst others. Organic Shrimps are also available on certain days.

A Dish of the Day.. Gnocchis, tomato sauce and meatballs

The freshly homemade desserts are also original and innovative…  Crumbled speculoos with yoghurt and fresh fruits (served by the glass), Chokoladekrans med Pralin – chocolate and praline Danish speciality, Æbleskiver (Danish fluffy pancakes), Galette de « la Reine » (from Denmark), Kanel Snegle – a Danish cinnamon bun , and Konvolutter – a Danish ‘envelope’ pastry.

‘Brunsviger’, a popular Danish dessert

There are also a range of AOP local cheeses such as Ossau Iraty and quality Bordeaux red served by the glass. (Based on menus from January 2014)

The Epicerie offers Salmon Gravelax in a range of Danish styles – lime olive oil, dill, smoked, tatare or cut of fresh salmon. Herring comes marinated, flavoured with dill, curry, spices, tomato and old fasioned mustard. The homemade bread is superb and is available in loaves of black bread, white, white with grains, with carrot, dill or cumin. His desserts are a blend of French and Danish and include Cinnamon Rolls – Danish pastries to the English… Brunsviger – a doughy brown suger pastry, Danish carrot cake and Drømmekage – a vanilla, caramel, coconut ‘dream cake’. The Franco offerings come in the familiar Basque cake, Tarte Tatin, Breton Tatin, Brioche, Cheesecake, Melting Choc pudding as well as Amarettis and Lemoncello.

Le Café Danois also offers specific events catering for parties, birthdays and cocktail receptions having previously supplied the nearby courthouse, a wedding for 100pax as well as personalised Christmas trays. A wide range of tailormade canapés is on offer both sweet and savoury with quotations available on demand.

Canapé trays Danish style…

When I went down there I received the warmest of welcomes and was instantly offered an expresso. I asked Jesper his ideas behind opening a restaurant as well as why he chose to settle in Bordeaux – “There are quite a few Danish here (most living in the French countryside) as well as a consulate; the wife of Prince Joachim is French and there have always been ties between Bordeaux and Denmark through trade.”

Indeed there is another Danish restaurateur in town – SILD caterer in Le Haillan offers a complete events catering service with a temporary restaurant currently up and running in the Bassins à Flot…

On the subject of opening a food outlet here – “Running a succesful restaurant revolves round a very simple formula: TURNOVER… you need a decent location with enough customers coming through the door on a regular basis. This is the reason I am only open from 9.30am to 3.30pm on weekdays and keep the menu straightforward, aimed at a specifically French clientele”. Indeed the café does appear to have found a niche market. Offering quality fresh menus to the nearby workers at the hospital, court and town hall has proved a big hit with locals. He plans to stay in the same location for a minimum of three years then maybe look to branch out or expand.

As for the question ‘Why Bordeaux?’, I imagine the response is the same for most expats living here: “It’s the ideal location, great wine, restaurants and cuisine, the ocean on your doorstep, the mountains for skiing and Spain within a couple of hours drive”…

For something a bit different head down to:
Le Café Danois, 36 rue Maréchal Joffre, 33000 Bordeaux,
Open: 9.30am to 3.30pm weekdays
Tel: 05 56 52 71 69
email: lecafedanois@orange.fr
facebook: www.facebook.com/lecafedanois

GODT NYTÅR 2014!

The post Expat Snapshots – Le Café Danois appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Bringing a touch of elegance and stylish finesse to the Bordeaux brunch scene, the English Country Kitchen has recently opened its doors. 

English Bone China at the ECK

3 lions and 300 years of English Bordeaux

English Bordeaux

Bordeaux already has a tremendous amount to offer the hardy English expat who has courageously ventured on to the hostile French soil that was once a colony. It is a little known fact that the capital of Aquitaine has the highest number of expat style pubs per capita in the world. With around 25 establishments brandishing themselves as English or Irish pubs in a city of 245 000 people, there are 9800 people for every pub – which ironically is the exact number of punters who hit the bar at last-orders in my local back home.

Being English is thirsty business

BExpats attempted to write about the city beer scene and review all the pubs in a blog a couple of years ago – one bloke has even gone to the trouble of taking photos of them all for another Bordeaux expat blogsite called ‘Drinking it all in‘ – good work mate… Over the past 2 years, the local beer landscape has evolved even further and there has been a whole new wave of varied drinking venues and booze outlets – including some of the following: 

• The Ramblin’ Man (by the Pont de Pierre tram stop)
• The Grizzly Canadian theme pub (Place Victoire)
• The DNA pop-up pub (just off Place Fernand Lafargue and part of the ongoing Charles Wells conquest of Bordeaux!)
• Casey’s – just up the road from the ECK on 24, rue Castelnau d’Auros – the sister pub of the City (Arsenal) bar on Rue Palais Galien
• The Black Sheep Gaelic ale house (St Michel on the quai)
• The Melting Pub, 11 Rue Huguerie – “Drink Cheaper, Party Harder” (quiz night and Erasmus student carnage since November last year…)
• The Bordeaux beer shop which also had a BE blog posting (St Michel)
• Sweeney Todd’s has draught new beers on tap – Belhaven Craft Pilsner, Double Hop Monster (7.2% IPA), Belhaven Black and Abbot Ale..! 
• As does the HOP and HMS Victory – Adnams Ghostship/Broadside
• The Cave des Moines liquor store (Cours Victor Hugo and the reopening of the nearby bar after 6 months closure for ‘tappage nocturne’)
• Le Comptoire (with its extensive world beer section – opposite the Cock and Bull)
• The Centre de Brassotherapie Bordeaux branch (5 mins walk from the Berges de Garonne tram stop – they also have a stand at the Christmas market every year..)
• The V&B expansion with new off-license/bars in Merignac and Bordeaux Lac    

And…

• Gasconha locally brewed beer which has spread to a remarkable 118 city drinking haunts

With the plethora of pubs, the average Expat is never short of nocturnal drinking holes to quench their thirst while watching a match or place to indulge in a full English breakfast/Sunday roast for the morning after. With the Bordeaux Anglo Saxon beer world safely covered (there is also a chippy BTW..!) it was about time someone focused on the other proud British tradition – partaking of cream tea, cake and intelligent conversation in the afternoon…

 A brief history of tea…

“In nothing is the English genius for domesticity more notably declared than in the institution of this festival—almost one may call it so—of afternoon tea. Beneath simple roofs, the hour of tea has something in it of sacred; for it marks the end of domestic work and worry, the beginning of restful, sociable evening. The mere chink of cups and saucers tunes the mind to happy repose.” ~ George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

The majestic English cuppa is one of the founding pillars of British culture and has been a benchmark for civilised sophistication for over 300 years. Stretching back to the 17th century with imports from China (later transplanted to British India/Sri Lanka/Kenya etc.), tea was originally seen as a drink for the fashionably rich. Accompanied by China porcelain imports (swiftly duplicated by English manufacturers) tea roomsstarted to spring up all over the UK with London as the epicentre. As well as serving as an icon for social prestige it was also praised for its various health benefits. Tea gardens and Tea parties became all the rage and the exotic beverage became a must for the aspiring upper classes.

18th century detractors from tea claimed that it could turn women into whores…

The first known tea room was opened by Thomas Twining in 1706, which is still open today at 216 on the Strand. Appointed by HM The Queen as a Royal Warrant holder, the logo was created in 1787 and is still in use. The nearby Fortnum and Mason dating from the same era has a long history as a tea vendor – they now offer a superb afternoon tea served on the top floor.

There is also a long tradition of tea rooms within London hotels, for example, at Brown’s Hotel at 33 Albemarle Street, which has been serving tea in its tea room for over 170 years. The Ritz on 150, Piccadilly opened in 1903 and remains one of the most well known and exclusive locations for afternoon tea – with all the trimmings it’s a bargain at £47pp or £59 for a champagne afternoon tea… Other places to try out when you win the lottery and happen to be in London are the Orangery@Kensington Palace, Claridge’s and the Dorchester in Mayfair (around £60pp) and the Lanesborough on Hyde Park Corner (reopening in spring 2015). 

The Claridge’s tea room, no comment

The Rare Tea company also offers afternoon tea at a snip for £150pp…Here is the Torygraph’s link for the best afternoon teas in the capital: 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9124793/Londons-ten-best-afternoon-teas.html

In the 18^th century and in the true bourgeois spirit, taking tea was developed into a veritable art form with specific rules for etiquette.  Here is for a brief tutorial from the English Cream Tea company on the most polite way to take your tea and the Victorian time-traveler’s guide is here…

A large number of teahouses appeared (Whittard of Chelsea opened in 1886) and tea was fiercely haggled over at the central tea auction near Leadenhall market. The East India Companydominated the market for over 250 years until the 1870’s and oppressive and stringent taxation on tea was one of catalysts of the American Revolution (with the Boston tea party…)

Anti-English revolutionaries spoiling a good cuppa

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour devoted to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” – Henry James

By the 19th century tea drinking had entered popular culture playing a major part in the industrial revolution with the introduction of ‘tea time’ being used to increase the number of hours employees worked, as well as alleviating various illnesses which accompanied mass urbanisation. The ‘Brown Betty‘ originating in Staffordshire became commonplace in every Victorian home and was firmly established in Queen Victoria’s court. 

Queen Victoria pulling her ‘tea’ face…

“If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
If you are depressed, it will cheer you;
If you are excited, it will calm you.”
― William Ewart Gladstone

Victorian woman bravely unaccompanied by men

The working classes originally had access to tea (as well as various spices used to make food palatable) thanks to the vast smuggling network that spread across the UK to undermine the highly taxed and overpriced monopolies held by the trading companies.

Quick fact: From 1801-1911 the population of Britain quadrupled, and the amount of tea drank grew 12 fold…

Indeed there was extensive tea-snobbery with debates over whether or not the lower classes should have had access to tea at all..! Luckily the beverage became associated with the 19th century Methodist church-driven ‘Temperance movement‘ and non-alcoholic beverages such as tea began to be sold at pubs and inns as well as tea tax being slashed (in 1785) to halt illegal imports. With the rise of the British empire, venture capitalists spotted a gap in the market and founded tea plantations throughout the colonies which flooded the market. Informal tea rooms were popular all over the UK especially with women who were able to meet and chat in a welcome and respectable environment without the need to be accompanied by a man…

Despite the widespread popularity of tea houses, the drink was mainly consumed at home and by all levels of society (despite concerns over tea ‘addiction‘!). With extended work shifts, high tea (late afternoon) began to replace lunch as the main meal of the day and the evening meal is still referred to as ‘Tea‘ in various parts of the UK (i.e. up North). With the idea of ‘warding off hunger between luncheon and dinner’, high tea or tea time could consist of anything from biscuits (for dunking), muffins/crumpets/pikelets, Battenberg cake/Victoria sponge and cucumber/smoked salmon sandwiches to full blown ‘cream tea‘ with scones, clotted cream and jam.

Union Jack Battenburgh cake

The mass popularity of the boiled beverage was shown by the actions of the UK government during both the wars to maintain tea supplies. Tea was immediately placed under rationing in WW2 and all tea storage sites were moved to secure locations outside London to guarantee stock levels. During the 40’s, the ration of tea was apparently enough to provide everyone with around 3-4 weak cups per day. There are also accounts of US/Canadian soldiers being amazed at the British tommy’s requirement for regular tea and smoking breaks before they would actually do any fighting.

Tommys taking deserved time out with a brew

Tea houses went into a decline after WW2 with the invention of the tea bag (imported from the US in the 1940’s) but ‘getting a decent brew’ has remained a mainstay of British daily life to the present day. Indeed perhaps the most commonly used phrase in the entire British isles is ‘fancy a cuppa‘ and almost everything revolves around drinking the stuff..!!

PG Tips and Brooke Bond ads were monkey business…

According to ‘Tea for Dummies‘ here’s how to make the perfect brew:

1. The kettle is briefly boiled and water poured into a tea pot. 

2. Water is swirled around the pot to warm it and then poured out. 

3. Loose tea leaves—nowadays often tea bags or the dust from a ripped-open tea bag—are then added to the pot. 

4. Water is added to the pot and allowed to brew for several minutes while a tea cosy is placed on the pot to keep the tea warm. If the tea is allowed to brew for too long, i.e. more than 10 minutes, it will become “stewed”, resulting in a very bitter, astringent taste. 

5. Milk may be added to the tea cup, the host asking the guest if milk is wanted, although milk may alternatively be added after the tea is poured. 

6. A tea strainer, like a miniature sieve, is placed over the top of the cup and the tea poured in. 

7. The straight black tea is then given to guests and they are allowed to add milk and sugar to their taste. 

8. The pot will normally hold enough tea so as not to be empty after filling the cups of all the guests. If this is the case, the tea cosy is replaced after everyone has been served.

“There is also a proper manner in which to drink tea when using a cup and saucer. If one is seated at a table, the proper manner to drink tea is to raise the teacup only, placing it back into the saucer in between sips. When standing or sitting in a chair without a table, one holds the tea saucer with the off hand and the tea cup in the dominant hand. When not in use, the tea cup is placed back in the tea saucer and held in one’s lap or at waist height. In either event, the tea cup should never be held or waved in the air.

Drinking tea from the saucer (poured from the cup in order to cool it) was not uncommon at one time but is now almost universally considered a breach of etiquette.”

 Recent years have seen resurgence in the British teahouse experience and taking cream tea with snacks in the afternoon is now firmly back on the English menu (not to mention the booming UK tourist trail…). The manager of the famous Black Swan tea rooms in Helmsley, North Yorkshire believes that people are returning to what they trust in harder times – “When there’s a crisis, it’s always a cup of tea that’s brought out”. The founder of Peyton and Byrnebakeries is of the opinion that “Not only is it a further nod to the craze for all things vintage, and nostalgia for Fifties domesticity, it’s one of the simplest pleasures there is”. And the range of venues offering cream tea combinations of all kinds is fairly staggering. 

“Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn’t try it on.”
― Billy Connolly

  The website ‘Afternoon Tea in the UK‘ gives a fairly comprehensive listing with all the old favourites like Betty’s and Taylor’s of Harrogate and the more exclusive joints mentioned above.

Betty’s and Taylor’s, Harrogate, the temple of tea worship

Tea time also has its place in French culture and high end tea houses have been present in Paris since the mid 19th century. However where tea became the staple drink everybody in the UK, it remained an upper class affair on this side of the channel. These days, a wide variety of teas are readily available in any French supermarket and china tea sets are not an uncommon in the average French kitchen. The niche market of high quality tea drinking has also been gaining steady ground in recent years. Kusmi and Dammann tea amongst others have taken off in a big way and fit well with the French consumer’s demand for a high quality product. There have also been an influx of luxury tea shops selling leaf tea – the Palais des Thés, Mariage Frères, Betjemen & Barton and others have an intriguing range of blends. Tea in France tends to come in subtle flavours with delicate fragrances and aromas (+ astronomical price tag…) and is about a million light-years away from the Builders rocketfuel brew we all love in the UK.

A dainty French teacup and saucer xxx

A proper cuppa.

“If the day is a sentence, tea for me is the punctuation.” – Andy

Tea time in Bordeaux..?

Compared to London the Bordeaux teahouse scene is fairly bleak. Nevertheless there are a few places which are worth hunting down.

L’autre Salon du Thé is on 11 Rue des Remparts and offers a range of teas and some delicious cakes in a cosy atmosphere. It’s definitely worth a visit although steer clear when it’s busy!

Any’Teas – with a superb location at the end of the Passage Sarget it has a terrace on Place du Chapelet in the warmer months. They claim to offer scones but I’ve not tried them…

Les Mots Bleus is at 40 Rue Poquelin Molière – neatly hidden away near Pey Berland this place has tons of comfy sofas and is a great place to read a book when it’s raining outside. Unfortunately the locals also agree which means the place often has queues.
Un Thé, etc – at 43 rue Bouffard, a chilled tea room with a large selection of muffins. Next to the Musée des Arts Décorative which also has its own tea room/café… 
D’accord! – this coffee lounge next to Picard in Meriadeck 2 had a biggup review from some English geezer I found online. Earl Grey, scones and REAL imported Devonshire clotted cream all for €6.45 – the owner Constantine spent many years in the London and knows the score. Conveniently near the recently refurbished Connemara which now also does tea and cake.
La Diplomate, 32 rue du Parlement St Pierre has a unique atmosphere and a range or exciting tea blends.

L’Orangérie at the Jardin Public – Refurbished last year it’s a bit pricey but is one of Bordeaux’s best summer cafés with a giant terrace by the park and sun loungers. Tea and cake is on offer as well as awesome ice cream – incidentally pints of freezing cold lager are also available to take away…
The Grand Hotel has an afternoon tea on offer for the giveaway price of €35pp. However the fact that they call it ‘So British’ instantly has alarm bells ringing.
This link gives some other addresses via FB to check out…
For any accessories such as china teasets, tea cosies,  marmelades and other cat related goodies look no further than the Tea Cosy English ’boutique’. It’s at number 60 on the newly pedestrianised Rue Bouffard opposite the Un Thé, etc….

Sun loungers @the Orangerie, Jardin Public – genius

 The English Country Kitchen

 Opening its doors in mid-January, this truly English teahouse is a brand new concept for Bordeaux. I caught up with Arthur, the manager for a brief interview:

Where did the idea of the ECK come from?
The ECK is a concept that we imagined following our experience of building English Pubs in France. Indeed, we have a few pubs in France and we are always trying our best to give a Real Taste of England. 

We then thought that there definitely was a demand for some Englishness here in France and it is for sure that a real English tea room/country kitchen is a big part of the culture in the UK. This is how it all started.

Have you based the concept on existing café/bistros in the UK, US or France? – for example, Jamie Oliver’s new Italian cafés in the UK…

We definitely base ourselves on some existing country kitchens from the UK and we try to bring our knowledge of the French market into the concept whilst keeping as English as possible.

Have you much experience running Anglo-centric businesses in France or elsewhere?

I have been running English pubs here in France for 3 years and I used to work in England in different types of restaurants/bars before that. The English culture of the hospitality industry is really becoming popular here in France and I can see the market growing.

How closely connected are you to the rest of the Charles Wells group? – will you be running any promotions with the SH and CD for example?

We definitely are connected as we are part of the same company and are managed by the same people.

However, there is no plan at the minute to be creating promotions or events with our pubs as we think that they do not necessarily attract the same customers and we do not offer the same thing.
Also, the plan is to develop the ECK concept and so before we do that, we want to make sure that this definitely can work by itself without using too much of the existing pub trade and customers.

Are you connected to any Expat groups or businesses in Bordeaux?

We are not so far but we definitely would like to as I think both sides could benefit. This will allow us to ensure we keep our Englishness by listening to our Anglo-customers.

Do you plan to branch out elsewhere in Bordeaux or to other French cities?

There is definitely a plan for it in the next few years but nothing concrete at the moment.

How do you feel about the future development of Bordeaux (new stadium, luxury river cruises, LGV, etc.) particularly as an Expat destination?
I feel that Bordeaux is definitely becoming a really attractive pole here in France for anyone. English people living in French cities (as opposed to countryside) have most likely come over for work. This means that with the LGV etc… Bordeaux will attract businesses to set foot or settle in Bordeaux as opposed to other cities, in particular Paris, and this will automatically bring more expats here.

Do you have anything further to add?

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for this interview and to invite any Anglo-expats in Bordeaux to come and experience the English Country kitchen. A little corner of England in the center of Bordeaux!

 The Review

 Having lived in France for about 10 years I have come to expect the unexpected when dealing with the froggies and to be honest we were blown away. The ECK was apparently created by the owner of the Charles Wells group so that he could have his own personal tea room when visiting Bordeaux and no expense has been spared. They brought in the designer who’s worked on all their pubs and the attention to detail is astonishing.

From the massive collection of Anglo-nostalgic memorabilia (where did they find all this gear?) such as the milk churns, tea chests, giant Victorian cast iron radiators, ceramic fireplace with oak mantelpiece, wooden tables/chairs and floor, AGA oven (hollowed out…) to the evocative framed pictures and tea posters they have created a unique atmosphere that will instantly transport you to the heart of the Cotswolds… Add to this the 1950’s music rolling out of old style radios in the background, the Betty’s teapots, rustic handwritten blackboards the look of the tea room is more than convincing.

The Hovis TV ad from 1973 is a big British favourite

The Brown Betty!

 However, the Anglo Saxon customer is a discerning breed, especially when it comes to something being sold as truly ‘English’…And the ECK goes the extra mile when it comes to authenticity and has been infused with all the more intangible aspects of being British. Lyles Golden Syrup, HP Sauce and Sarsons vinegar on the tables, Jamie Oliver (love or loathe the fat-tongued ****) and Hairy Bikers books on the counter, Daily Mail, and a decent range of English beers WITH pint glasses available – they all do the business.

It is also clear that the place has been designed by someone with considerable café/restaurant experience. There are laptop friendly tables around the walls (complete with numerous high plug sockets), high stools and coat hooks. Another plus for those with babies in giant push chairs (i.e. us) is that there is more than enough room to park. They have a lounge seating areas and tables for small or large groups.

A fridge full of British beers (incl. Double Choc Stout – centre)

A King’s ransom

On to the service and food/drink…

To start with, everyone speaks fluent English and one of the waitresses is English. They were all swift, attentive and friendly. Secondly are the gargantuan portions: at €16 for two for afternoon tea we had the triple decker tea rack with a sandwich, scone and cake ensemble and giant pot of tea which left us struggling for breath by the end. The scones came in two varieties (one salty with onion) and the clotted cream/jam was rich and copious. The sandwiches (smoked salmon/cucumber & cheese/ham) took the edge off all remaining afternoon hunger and the cake was the ultimate finale with a choice of strawberry, lemon meringue and frangipane (almond paste cake similar to marzipane)

On to the tea… they stock the Tea Pig brand – an alternative high quality trendy UK company which was launched in 2006. We opted for Darjeeling which was refreshing and the pot gave us about three cups each which was more than enough. There is an ample selection with Everyday brew or Lemon and Ginger also on offer. The crockery was real English bone china as well which added to the experience.

All those around us seemed very content with their meals, whether they were taking afternoon tea or some of the other delights on offer. Next time we go we can work down the list. Other food options include: Soups, Pies, English salad, Chicken Caesar salad and Goat cheese and apple salad. See the menu for more details.

The Bordeaux Expat verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

The staff of the ECK striking a pose…

 If you wanna read more about tea, have a look at the some of the books below. 
Another blog about the ECK in French is here.

To hear a song about tea, here is the Kinks performing ‘Have a Cuppa Tea’ in 1971: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw6qxDPmOGM

For a classic French cliché of British tea here is the ‘Tea for Two’ scene from La Grande Vadrouille with Bourvil/de Funès: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-VIW94KPy4

And here’s Ella’s version of ‘Tea for Two’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7kfiA2SXMY

Finally…  the BBC on Clotted Cream and Tea parties

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4622/classic-scones-with-jam-and-clotted-cream

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-throw-afternoon-tea-party

– TTFN and having mentioned the word ‘tea’ 156 times we’re now off for a cuppa in the English tea house in Sandakan, Borneo…

Bibliography

·         Anonymous (‘A Gentleman of Cambridge’), A Treatise on the inherent qualities of the tea
herb… (First ed. London, 1750; facsimile reprint, St Peter Port, 1978)

·         Anonymous, The Good and Bad Effects of Tea consider’d… (London, 1758)

·         Andrew Barr, Drink, A Social History (London, 1995).

·         Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (Everyman edition, London, 1994).

·         Charles Dickens, The Adventures of Oliver Twist (Everyman edition, London, 1994).

·         Carolyn Caldicott, Vintage Tea Party, 2012

·         Susan Cohen, London’s Afternoon Teas: A Guide to London’s Most Stylish and Exquisite Tea Venues

·         Dr Duncan, Wholesome advice against the abuse of hot liquors particularly of coffee, chocolate, tea, brandy and strong waters (London, 1706).

·         Dubrin, Beverly (2010). Tea Culture: History, Traditions, Celebrations, Recipes & More. Charlesbridge Publishing

·         The Etiquette of Modern Society (London, 1881).

·         Mary E. Farrell, From Cha to Tea, A Study of the Influence of Tea Drinking on British Culture (Universitat Jaume I, 2002)

·         Elizabeth Fellow, Tea at Downton: Afternoon Tea Recipes From The Unofficial Guide to Downton AbbeyPaperback, 2014

·         Denys Forrest, Tea for the British (London, 1973).

·         Jonas Hanway, An Essay on Tea, considered as pernicious to health, obstructing industry and impoverishing the nation… (London, 1757).

·         Dorothea Johnson, Tea & Etiquette: Taking Tea for Business and Pleasure (Capital Lifestyles) Paperback – August 1, 2000

·         Samuel Johnson, Review of Jonas Hanway’s ‘An Essay on Tea…appended to A Journal of Eight Days Journey, in The Literary Magazine, XIII, May 1757 (facsimile reprint of The Literary Magazine, vol. II, with introductory notes by Donald D. Eddy, New York, 1978).

·         Emma Marsden, Tea at Fortnum and Mason, 2010

·         Roy Moxham, Tea, Addiction, Exploitation and Empire (London, 2003).

·         George Orwell, Keep the Aspidistra Flying (new ed., London, 1997).

·         George Orwell, The Collected Essays, Letters and Journalism of George Orwell, edited by Sonia Orwell and Ian Ang (London, 1970)

·         Jane Pettigrew & Bruce Richardson – A Social History of Tea, Benjamin Press, 2013

·         Helen Simpson, The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea –1986

The post The English Country Kitchen appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Pioneering a brand new concept of charging an entrance fee, Nama is more like an exclusive members club than a traditional restaurant. For a cover charge of just 20 euros, you can enjoy stylish contemporary Franco/Japanese fusion cuisine of the highest quality for the price of a standard bistro.

Nama is run by Patrick and Junko, a French/Japanese couple who have worked closely with both French and internationally renowned Michelin starred chefs (Jeff Ramsey – Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo/World Sushi champion; and Paul Gouzien who has worked for Nicolas Magie of the Saint James, Bouliac) to create their unique fusion of the best of French and Japanese cuisine. All products and ingredients are from the local region and have been given an innovative and delicate Japanese twist. Their wide variety of dishes have been paired with an extensive and exclusive regional, French and world wine selection.

 

 

Patrick the owner spent more than 8 years working for a Bordeaux-based wine merchant in Japan is an experienced and passionate oenologist. His carefully chosen modern wine selection includes Grand Cru classé alongside a subtle range of hidden gems from regional and world wines.

 

 

Nama also hosts a “Wine Makers Dinner” on a regular basis – you can meet and dine with the Chateau owners while enjoying wine pairing with dishes specially created for the wine selection. You can taste and learn about wine directly from Chateau owners – the perfect way to improve your wine knowledge in the world’s wine capital. Please contact the restaurant for further details.

Come and enjoy the very best regional-fusion food Bordeaux has to offer and get a master class in wine from Patrick and his team of multilingual staff. Welcome to NAMA.

Opening Hours

 

Lunch – by reservation only. Please call a day in advance.

Afterwork – from 5pm-7pm (before 7pm the cover charge is €10)

Evening – 7pm-midnight, €20 cover charge (last orders for food is at 11pm)

 

Fusion cuisine menu 

Lunch menu – Chef’s special set menu, from €19

Dinner

A la carte (starters from €4.50; mains – €10; dessert €4)

or

‘Degustation’ menu (2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert) – €29 per person

 

Special requests

We can happily cater for special dietary requirements such as vegetarian, gluten free etc.

 

nama

24 rue Lafaurie Monbadon

Bordeaux, France

05 56 44 88 54

http://www.namawinerestaurant.com/

The post NAMA – FRENCH FUSION BISTRO appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

With a fantastic splash of originality the Dosa Soul Kitchen food rickshaw opened for business this April. Bringing the taste of authentic Indian street food to Bordeaux, on offer is quality, locally sourced genuinely delicious curries, snacks and lassi at a fair price. Along with eco-friendly packaging – also made in Bordeaux, and the fact that Antoine (the well travelled and friendly rickchef) was trained by South Indian cookery gurus, the Dosa Soul Kitchen is an absolute MUST for anyone who’s into Indian food in the Bordeaux region.

A typical Indian streetfood scene (simply add cold beer…)

Often the healthiest way to eat when travelling – you can see what you’re getting!

A mustachiod bloke making dosas

An example of the type of menu on offer

The mighty Lassi

HELP SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! 

Aloo Gobi (yummy potato curry)

• Mathieu Strip – 5 stars. The chicken Tikka masala was excellent and the lassi was refreshing and just what the doctor ordered. Highly recommended!
• Laconasse Haribo – 5 stars. Pure joy for the tastebuds !! The scent of the spices alone made us hungry. All the packaging is 100% recyclable. The chai was amazing.
• Aelc Onl – 5 stars. Awesome! We’ll be over to terre neuve very soon to try some more dishes !
• L’oeil Brouillé – 5 stars. Great, innovative, tastebud explosion !

5 stars all round… !!!

The Dosa Soul Kitchen Video:

The Facebook page:

A recent article in French:

Contact for reservations: 

The post The Dosa Soul Kitchen – Sumptuous Indian street food in and around Bordeaux appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

ExcuseMyFrench – An honest organic expat café in the heart of St Michel

Coming soon to 87 rue des Faures in St Michel, ExcuseMyFrench is an eco-friendly coffee shop concept that is set to make waves in the Bordeaux organic scene.

• All their food will be homemade
• All products that can be sourced locally, will be sourced locally
• All products will be seasonal and organic
• All disposable products will be recyclable or compostable
• Everything will be recycled and composted
• Staff will be paid the maximum Sam can afford, not the minimum they can afford
• They will always pay ALL of our taxes (unlike some other well known coffee chains!)
• 5% of profits will go to local charities
• Zero waste, or donated waste
• A commitment to help like-minded entrepreneurs towards their own circular, eco-friendly businesses

The post ExcuseMyFrench – An honest organic expat café in the heart of St Michel appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

After a Friday evening tipple at HMS Victory’s Happy Hour, I stumbled on a restaurant concept that is brand new to the Bordeaux foodie scene.

Hutong, at 1 place du Général-Sarrail is a Singapore streetfood café run by an Aussie called Jason. He’s serves quality streetfood at a decent price and I’m going back there as soon as possible to eat some…

Handmade Wontons with the new spicy Sambal oil, black vinegar and fried garlic sauce

 

 

 

They’re open for lunch Weds – Sat from midday – 2.30pm and in the evenings Thurs – Sat 7.30pm – 10.30pm.

Bordeaux Expats was lucky enough to grab an interview with the man himself about the inspiration behind the idea.

 

Can you tell us a bit about your concept?

Our concept is based on the hawker centers in Singapore. In a nutshell, we’re all about good food at an affordable price in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Streetfood that’s serious on flavor.

 

BBQ Pork, Hokkien egg noodles & bok choy

What was the inspiration for the idea?

Basically since arriving in 2012 we’ve been disappointed with the Asian food scene in Bordeaux. Like most expats, my wife (and business partner) Stephanie and I have travelled a lot in Asia and we were craving something authentic but it was hard to find. There isn’t even a Chinatown in Bordeaux. We already had a restaurant project in mind and we finally decided to choose Singaporean for 3 main reasons: I was born in Singapore so I know the cuisine well, Singaporean hawker food is amazingly good and so unique, and no one else is doing it in Bordeaux.

 

Hainan Chicken Rice

How long have you been in Bordeaux (incl. where you’ve worked etc.) ?

Been in Bordeaux for 4 years. Both Stephanie and I have worked a lot in hospitality in Sydney (where I grew up) before coming to France. I ran a couple of Japanese restaurants there that I opened there with my brother. Stephanie has a background in both hotels and restaurants. We’re also both qualified ESL English teachers.

 

Otak Otak Nasi Lemak

What’s your take on the way the city is developing?

From the short time I’ve been here I think it’s a city that’s very well run. There’s a great vibe, and of course the architecture and heritage is well preserved. I think it could be a little more business-friendly however. Far too much red-tape, bureaucracy, not enough tax-breaks for startups…but that might be a national problem I guess.

 

Chicken Satay

How have the locals taken to Singapore streetfood?

It’s been a real eye-opener for them because most don’t really know what to expect and a lot of our ingredients like pandan, gula melaka, galangal…are not common. We do almost everything on our menu from scratch: curry pastes, soup stocks, sauces… nothing comes straight out of a bottle and I think our customers notice the difference. We put our hearts and souls into each dish – the Beef Rendang for example needs 4 hours in the oven.

 

Beef Radang

 

How do you see the Bordeaux streetfood scene in 10 years’ time?

We’re crossing our fingers that there will be more and more chefs pushing the boundaries and trying more original stuff. It all depends on the customers though – the talent is out there, but the locals need to be more demanding with the quality of the food in restaurants and not settle for average. Streetfood is about reproducing signature dishes from your home country or town. Even if it’s a bit risky, you need to trust that the customer will love the dish for the same reasons that you do.

We took a risk with our Laksa Lemak, for example, which is pretty rich and spicy, but we decided not to tone down the chili because we wanted our customers to discover the real thing. Another example is our Hainan Chicken Rice, traditionally the silky smooth skin of the poached chicken is a sign of a good HCR, and though we knew that the French prefer not to eat the skin of poached chicken, we made the decision to leave it on in order to be 100% authentic.

 

Laksa Lemak

 

Do you have plans to open anymore restaurants?

Possibly. I’ll leave the decision up to the boss Stephanie, but everything depends on how this one goes. We’re in restaurants because we love it and we’re super passionate about food. So long as we have ideas that drive us we’ll go for it. If it does happen you’ll be sure that it’ll be something really original too.

 

Kaya Toast layer cake

Have you had much contact with the international community here?

Lots of expats have come in as well as tourists. We have a British couple who drive up from the Dordogne just to have our Laksa. Lots of fellow Aussies too, including some of the boys playing for UBB. It’s great because being expats they’re usually well-travelled and we don’t need to explain our dishes to them. There’s a big community of Singaporeans down near La Teste and Arcachon as well who support us.

 

Handmade Wontons

Here’s Jason’s quick Wonton tutorial…

• Keep wrappers under damp cloth
• Mind the size of your filling & shape into a rectangle
• Fold the corner over the filling and gold again to cover the filling
• Do not fold all the way up, leave the opposite corner free
• Flatten the two ends of the wrapper
• Pull them together, press firmly and use water to seal

 

 

HUTONG

1 place du Général-Sarrail
09 67 61 81 99
http://hutongstreetfoodenglish.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/hutongbordeaux

 

The post Hutong – Singapore streetfood in the heart of Bordeaux appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Otto, A Fish Called Wanda

Frying into the local sole food scene is the new cod on the block…
Yes Mum! on 2, place Fernand Lafargue.

Finding its plaice among the plethora of funky cafes, bars and restaurants (as well as the invasion of pigeons) at long last Bordeaux has been anointed with a battered blast of proper British nosh! 

Place Fernand Lafargue – get over there as soon as it warms up again…

Fish and chips is the undisputed heavyweight dish of Great Britain.
In under 150 years the meal has woven its way into to fabric of the nation and defines us as much as –

Real ale,
Wet summers,
Whingeing,
Queueing,
World cup penalties against Germany,
Prawn cocktail crisps,
Pork pies,
Roast dinners,
Bacon sandwiches,
Tea and Hob Nobs,
 Cream Eggs
and Marmite toast… 

Chris Waddle, Italia ’90 – forever seared into our memories

A standard British summer holiday affair…

So here come a few facts and figures from the Federation of Fish Fryers:

The British chippy regularly smashes all the rubbish American junk food cafés…

Brighton Pier, one of the spiritual homes of the British bag of chips

Helping our boys bash the Bosch

     The UK chippy has spread all around the world (obviously focused on areas populated by beer swilling British expats like Spain and Australia) and has become fairly standardised. It is nevertheless important to point out the variety of regional differences to the basic prototype.

     In Manchester for example chips are almost always served with gravy or curry sauce. The chip buttie is known as a chip barm/chip muffin and mushy peas are more often served as an accompaniment. 

The classic Chip Barm (Manchester style) with brown sauce

Cockles and mussels/winkles and jellied eels also appear in East London and Kent along with pie ‘n mash with liquor.

Then there are the extras to the menu:

Scraps, more common up north, are the remaining bits of batter in the fryer which are dumped all over your portion and guaranteed to block your arteries in under 3 minutes.

A covering of scraps which are usually thrown in for free…

The main regional differences are the 25 or so different names for Fish ‘n Chips throughout the UK.

• Scotland – a Poke of chips = a bag of chips. Also Chip supper, Pie supper, Sausage supper etc.
  
  
• Glasgow – Chippy sauce = mix of vinegar and brown sauce. Also Snoz Sup which is a sausage and chips dinner.
  
  
• Newcastle – a Stottie – like a chip barm but in a stottie cake
  
  
• Manchester – a Chippy tea – evening meal from the chip shop
  
  
• Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Australia – Scallops – slices of potato fried in batter (the Aussies also wrote a song about ’em..!)
  
  
• Leeds – Fish and nerks = Fish and chips. Mushy peas is made with mint sauce; chips with gravy or curry sauce like Manchester…
  
  
• Sheffield – Scratchings = Scraps
  
  
• Midlands – a Cob – another type of bread roll in Midlands English
  
  
• Birmingham – Pattie = sausagemeat with potato on top cooked in batter
  
  
• South Wales – Rissoles – meat with a potato slab on top cooked in batter (in Yorkshire, Rissoles are made with fishcakes)
  
  
• Portsmouth – Snag and chips = sausage and chips. Snags is heard across the UK
  
  
• Plymouth – Screeds = Scraps  

Other menu treats include:

Standard chippy menu and layout…

The Mighty Jumbo Battered Sausage!!

     Cod has been off the menu for the last few years due to overfishing (there have also been various territorial fishing ‘cod wars’ with Iceland) but could make a comeback at some point. Other types of popular fish are Haddock, Roe, Skate and Plaice mostly fished out of the North Atlantic.

Praise be to Cod. Waiting to make his anniversary comeback tour…

 
     Moving on to potato variety and batter. King Edward, Maris Piper and Sante are widely regarded as the best to use for chips. The trick is to avoid getting soggy chips and there are various ways to achieve this.

     Batter is best made using fizzy lager and the mix should be chilled before dipping the fish at the last second before frying.   

     Chips wrapped in newspaper was common place until a few years ago with reports of the ink being poisonous. Growing up munching vinegar sodden newspaper mixed in with scraps of batter and crusty chip remains has unfortunately been resigned to the history books. Some chippies are however using mock newspaper these days with hygienically acceptable paper inside…

On the drinks front there is a long list of favourites that have appeared over the years and in different regions:

Then there’s the long history of comedic chippy shop names. Taken from the UK and around the globe some glorious variations on a theme include:

Truly EPIC chippy names…

     As for interior chippy design, the majority of classic cafés have a metallic Henry Nuttal style counter. Various types exist but invariably the fish, sausages, pies and everything else are on display behind the greasy glass. The furniture is usually retro with either fixed tables or old skool plastic-based chairs!

The standard Henry Nuttal style counter dating back to the end of the 19th Century

     There are a few Fish and Chips awards handed out each year and various chippys have (sometimes self-awarded) prizes. Chippys often battle it out for ratings which can bring in hoards of tourist business. 

Charlie likes a big portion

    
     Many people say you should only eat Fish ‘n Chips within view of the sea and often the best chippys are in ports.

There has also been the introduction of more upmarket places such as Harry Ramsdens and following on from chefs like Rick Stein and Heston Blumenthal. 

Whitby seafront – the world epicentre of Fish and Chips

     So how close have the owners of Yes Mum! come to recreating the classic original?

Yes Mum – sublime batter and good portion

• Price: There are two menus which include chips, mushy peas and tartar/doggy sauce – €7 for one fillet and €9.50 for two. I had a single fillet and it was so awesome I should have gone for Two… Battered chicken fillet (150g) is €9.50; a portion of chips on their own is €2.50; dessert is €3.50; drinks range from €1.30 to €5.50. You get decent portions and they gave me extra chips as I didn’t go for the peas…

• Fish: Two types on offer – Aiglefin – similar to Cod and Julienne – similar to Haddock. We had the Julienne which was firm with delicious texture.

• Chips: Homemade and handcut from Agata ‘Sirco’ potatoes. Medium thickness and well cooked but not the usual thick chunky chips from the UK. Good portions and go well with the sauces.

• Mushy peas: refreshing flavour and crunchy.

• Batter: The highlight of the meal! Tempura-style fluffy crunchy beer batter. Made with lager; perfect colouration and crispiness. Scraps unfortunately not available…

• Extras: Sarsons vinegar, brown sauce, tartar sauce, lemon sauce and doggy sauce (tomato, shallots, olive oil, lemon juice, basil). They also have large wooden chip forks.

• Desserts: Deep fried Mars bar €3.50 – a truly epic British chippy favourite after its birth in Aberdeen in the 90’s…

• Drinks: Cans incl. Ice tea are €2; coffee – €1.30, Stella on tap – €2.80/€5.50, Magners – €5.50 and proper builder’s tea is €2! Obviously missing the British favourites but to be fair what Frenchman would go for Dandelion n Burdock…

• Decor: Old skool 1950’s feel going with the Rockabilly music selection. Cheap plasticky multicoloured chairs – GREAT! No sign of the chip counter but an open kitchen and chef in full view. The terrace is next to Santosha and an obvious winner for the coming summer.

• Greasiness: Still new so the place needs time to build up the required amount of greasy chip smells and ingrained fat on the walls. They are also missing a fat bloke with a moustache, Greek Cypriot accent, and overweight hairy wife.

• Newspaper: They have the mock-up hygienic news paper so no chance of ink poisoning…

• Shop name: ‘Yes Mum’ is a bit of a mystery. It sounds like a cross between ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Av ‘Em‘ and ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum‘. The guys said it ‘sounded good’. I’m not so sure and they clearly haven’t understood the potential for epic chippy names like ‘A Salt and Battery’.

• Opening Times: Open Tuesday to Saturday lunch and evening. Planning to open in Sundays once the tourist season kicks off. 

• What’s missing..?
  As a purist they obviously lack the chip counter, old fashioned wall menu, English drinks, pickled onions etc, battered sausages, pies, scallops, SCRAPS, seagulls and mini chip forks. But then again it’s not Brighton pier and for the price the place rocks!

• Plans for the future: The owner also runs the PDG (Pharmacie de Garde) bar round the corner as well as the Pie Colette. There are plans afoot to open a second chippy so watch this space.

      Verdict: All in all a fantastic and welcome addition to the superabundance of Bordeaux café/restaurants and definitely worth a visit ASAP. Maybe even the Fab Four would agree…

                       Thank Fork its Fryday..!

The post Battered in Bordeaux – an offishal chip history appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Looking for inspirational and original catering for your events?

Peter offers a contemporary and eclectic range of Caribbean fusion cuisine, guaranteed to spice up any event. With a wide selection of unique dishes for all occasions, he provides customized menus and can cater for up to 100 people.

 He also has a range of delicious homemade chutneys you can buy from him directly.

 Please ‘like’ his page and share the information far and wide!

With Indian roots, Peter is from Trinidad and Tobago and has travelled and worked throughout the Caribbean. He launched his catering business in Martinique and has now relocated to Bordeaux.

He recently catered for the Bordeaux Business Network‘s monthly event at the HMS Victory pub and the excellent food was a smash hit with everyone there!

Over to Peter…

The Sanjha Chulha/Earth Stove/Surya Stove’s name is derived from a village tradition where women would cook all their chappatis / Roti/Naan (Indian bread) on a ‘Sanjha Chulha’, which was a communal earthen cook stove used by everyone.

The Chulha Fire Side – better know as a fire side, the stone which can be found in any nearby river

Picking peppers from the back yard garden – in the Caribbean there are many varieties of herbs, which the entire Caribbean uses in their seasonings whether with chicken, beef, pork, lamb or wild meat.  Shadow beni is a leafy herb native to the West Indies and Central America. It is widely used in the cuisine of these regions, and also appears in Asian foods. This herb can sometimes be difficult to obtain outside these regions; sometimes specialist stores will stock it frozen or in cans. If shadow beni is not available, coriander can be used as a replacement. This herb has a multitude of alternate names, which confuses things for many chefs. It is also known as bhandhanya, fitweed, long coriander, false cilantro, culantro, recao, shado beni, sawtooth, spiritweed, ngo gai, ketumbar java, Mexican coriander, donnia, and spiritweed..! This profusion of alternate titles is especially frustrating for cooks who try to work with ethnic recipes, as many people are unaware of alternate names for the herb.

Introducing Spring

Strawberry Chutney

Roast garlic potatoes and Jamaica jerk chicken!!!

Sweet potatoes and oven BBQ chicken

Teriyaki chicken noodles

Pholourie (Indian snacks) and mango chutney

Check out his videos here!

https://www.facebook.com/BringTheTaste

https://www.facebook.com/BringTheTaste2

The post In Peter’s Kitchen – Bringing the Taste appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.