Judging from the people qued out the door of this small bakery most days of the week, you have to think that this place puts something special in their products.

The head baker, Emmanuel Boucher learned his trade from his great-uncle. He adapts his breads (prepared with organic flour) with chorizo, olives, tomato and spinach-ricotta. They have on offer full country loaves, paninis, goumet pizza and ofcourse the good old baguette!

If you’ve lived in France long enough you probably have developed this high sense of bread appreciation, if you’re just popping through I suggest you get along and see how what all the fuss is about!

La Fabrique Pains et Bricoles‎
47 Rue du Pas Saint-Georges,
33000 Bordeaux
Ph: 05 56 44 84 26‎

Hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am – 8.30pm; Sunday: CLOSED

The post The Best Bakery in Bordeaux! 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.

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.

Indulgence can be a way of life when it comes to how the Bordelaise get down to business in regards to their taste buds.

Fear not for all our vegetarian friends, there are many options available to you. Of which, we have listed them a whole bunch for you below.

Vegetarian Restaurants

Arbol 

Magasin Général Darwin

The post GUIDE TO VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS IN BORDEAUX appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Author: Ujwala Samant

Let’s start over: wine, bread, cheese, fruit, ze accent Français?

Looking for a flat in France, I learned begins (for my husband) with locating a trustworthy baker. Our neighbourhood bakers have been known to hold keys, come to meet the newborn, and provide bottles of bubbly. The staff of French life the holy baguette (you may genuflect), that life revolves around is carb exempt -special dispensation. Our house was selected not just for its general alrightness, BUT, there’s a Breton baker 3 minutes away.

First lesson of living in France: get to know your baker. Through him, you will become friends with the mechanic, the oyster vendor, you get the picture. He will also provide you with recipes, dirt on local restaurants, what wine is overrated, and ask you to pick up fish from the marche if there’s a good deal on.

 

Jean-Luc, from Cancale started off in Brittany, went to the US and did his BA in Oenologie at University of California – Davis. Then worked in the wine business, in hotel management, and after Texas (!?) returned to Paris and took a year’s sabbatical and Eureka, a baker was born. Six years ago, he opened his boulangerie in Talence. And we’re thankful. Terrible memories of whitewashed, under-crusted Bordelaise baguettes have been erased thanks to Jean-Luc’s crusty brown bread. Yea yea, he does take care of those wanting afraid-of-the-sun bread.

Now about the bread. Jean-Luc makes 500 baguettes (300 gms) daily. Proves my point about the special carb dispensation. Some are sold to a local supermarket and some to smaller sandwicheries and shops. Then there’s the 4-eared Sarmentine. It has 4 extended tips instead of the usual shape. Why? Well to stop the fights for the croutons. Smart idea. It’s also for people who like a lighter crust.

The one I like is called a Ceraine made with normal flour plus grains and takes 48 hours of fermentation. The inside is off white, speckled with small crunchy grains. It also comes with a sesame seed topping. Campagrain is a miracle loaf because it converted my husband, a die-hard lover of baguettes and boules into eating this on a regular basis. It has a blend of flours including buckwheat. The way to a Breton’s heart is a teaspoon of buckwheat.

The Grand Siecle is the perfect dunking loaf. Jean-Luc explained that it is entirely hand-made and so it is delicate but has a denser “mie” making it ideal for soaking in chicken curry or chili. We tested it, just to be sure. No exaggeration.

Each baker places his/her signature on each loaf. So, you’ll find a different pattern on each of his breads. Jean-Luc has a professional patissier for all his viennoiseries and patisseries. He mentioned that the Bordelais seem to have a sweeter tooth than the Bretons; but his pasteis de Nata (Portuguese custard tarts) are a real temptation. I have yet to try his “Jesuit” just for the name.

Jean-Luc has excellent sandwiches at lunch time, beginning at 3.35 for a ham and cheese with salad. My fave is the spiced roast chicken and salad. And I walk away from those pasteis de Nata. Wait for the weekend when Jean-Luc makes olive fougasse. He makes about 70 per weekend, and they disappear too darn fast. Crusty and studded with an assortment of whole and chunked olives and seasoned with herbes de Provence. Pick up a dozen oysters from Vincent the oyster man outside, and hurry home for a nice aperitif. And sometimes, with a bottle of bubbly from Jean-Luc.

The reason one moves to France – the baker!

WHERE: Le Fournil de Birdy, 25 Avenue de Thouars, 33400 Talence

www.boulangerie-fournil-talence.fr

The post Local personalities – Baker – Jean-Luc Guinard appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Born in Sri Lanka, raised in India, then returned to Sri Lanka and migrated to Bordeaux in 2007. And we’re thankful for that. Trained in the culinary arts in Chennai, he worked at the Taj Group of hotels in India and Sri Lanka and then worked here at the grand Hotel, and Chateau Smith as a chef. Getting to and from work at Chateau Smith on a scooter proved challenging so he went to work for the restaurant Vinayaka. This March, he decided to start his own restaurant – The Dosa Hut. And again, we’re thankful for that because south Indian food is hard to come by even in places known for Indian food.

I watched Indian students pop by for dosa (dosai to the purists) and eat them with the concentration reserved for soul food. Doesn’t matter which part of India you come from, dosa, idli, vada, are soul food. Usually cheap as chips, clean restaurants, served on a banana leaf or stainless steel. Alan’s wife Jerina makes the batter and the accompaniments. The accompaniments are just as important as the dosa – think a galette de sarrasin. On its own, mehh, but wrapped around a grilled sausage or filled with ham and cheese or scallops! The dosa is the same. The white coconut chutney, the red tomato chutney, the green coriander chutney, all serve their purpose: dunking and dipping fluffy idlis or crispy dosas and vadas. Always served with the Holy Trinity (idli-dosa-vada), is sambar. Every South Indian family and community has its own variation on this many layered lentil stew loaded with vegetables, nicely spiced and rich with tamarind. Sniffling lightly as you eat it, is a must.

Alan offers:

• Plain dosa – the basic crepe, crisp or soft, with the chutneys and sambar
• Ghee roast dosa – crisped with ghee for a whole new buttery (is ghee-ey a word?) taste
• Masala dosa – with a filling of seasoned smashed potatoes. Not your ordinary mash this. Boiled potatoes are tempered with black mustard seeds, curry leaves (worth their weight in gold in Bordeaux), turmeric, slivered ginger, sautéed onions, and green chili. A filling dosa, great for lunch and comes with sambar and the chutneys.
• Mysore Masala dosa – the big mama of all dosas is layered with a spiced chutney, then the smashed potatoes and served with the usual sambar and chutneys. You’ll be well full.
• Uthappam – a thick savoury pancake, with onions, ginger, coriander leaves.

 

Specials: order ahead

• Idlis – steamed heavenly fluffy pillows made from a lentil-rice fermented batter. The healthiest vegetarian breakfast possible. Make sure to drown these in sambar, top with chutney, and imagine yourself somewhere else.
• Paniyaram – The closest thing to these tiny crispy (not fried) mouthfuls of fun are the Danish ebelskiver. Tablespoons of batter are dropped into a massive cast iron paniyaram pan and they just magically emerge crisp and fluffy.
• Pani puri – the street food we run home for. Crisp orbs that are filled with cool boiled potato, filled with sweet-tangy tamarind chutney and a minty spiced water. Open wide, pop the whole thing in your mouth and crunch. Trust me, do not take a bite unless you want to be drenched with the sauces. Practice here and then go to India and eat it like a pro – 6 in 3 minutes?
• Chicken biriyani – Alan revealed that his wife, whilst a vegetarian, cooks meat. And in his words, her chicken biriyani is only second to his mum’s. At 8 euros for a plate of biriyani and yoghurt raita, it sounds good.

Alan is in the process of slowly getting everything organised hence the need to order in advance. Hi is skilled in making dosas thin, big, crisp on the single electric crepe maker, and that’s the taste of home. We have tasted the ghee roast, the masala dosa, Mysore masala, and paniyaram.

I got there around 1:30 and he was out of pani puri (much to the disappointment of the Indian student who showed up) and had no idlis or vadas. He’s getting a new cooler, so his drinks were not cold. He explained that he was reorganising the space to suit the Dosa Hut’s needs and until then he would have this menu with specials on certain days.

Follow him on Facebook page – Dosa Hut, Indian Street Food

Address: 20 bis rue Saint Sernin, 33000 Bordeaux, France

Phone: 06 28 70 28 68 Hours: M-Fri 11:30 – 6 pm. Saturdays noon – 7:30 pm

Prices:

€3.50 – plate of 5 pani puri

€8 – Chicken biriyani.

€4.50 – €5.50 – Dosas run

About the author:
Ujwala Samant is a serial expat and has spent time in various countries before returning to Bordeaux after living away from the city after 26 years.

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