A Little Bit of Paris Zest

Paris is just as amazing as everyone says. After returning from a mini break in the city of Love, I can confidently make the claim that Paris is the most magical city in the world. Don't get me wrong, London is my new home and I have embraced it as the new city of my heart. But Paris oozes class and elegance. It is the hub of all that is fashion, art and food. There is no point in denying it. Paris is simply put, the one and only capital of cool. And the more I return, the more I play around with the idea that I might eventually move there to live. I'm consistently charmed by Paris. Overwhelmed by all of its quirks, weirdnesses and character flaws. And because Paris is so full of flaws, I love it. Because Paris is so full of flaws, and I accept myself as a flawed French American girl, I can't help but daydream about a future life within its beautiful city walls. This is why, after much thought and consideration, I have decided to put a list together that would summarize, in a typically London Zest Top 10 fashion, my favourite zesty activities and spots in the future city of my heart, Paris.

1. For an all around fantastic shopping experience: Le Bon Marche has everything to offer, from cosmetics and menswear, to high end designers and a fantastic selection of ladies pret a porter. Vanessa Bruno, APC, Maje, Sandro and Tsumori Chisato, the racks of this 19th century monument offer an exciting array of contemporary fashion.

Le Bon Marche, Rue de Sevres, 6eme Arrondissement

 

2. For some fancy food shopping: if you're a bourgeois lady heading to the shops to prepare for a dinner party in your Haussman style palace apartment, then you'll probably love to come to La Grande Epicerie inside Le Bon Marche, for your foie gras and epicerie items. It truly is Alibaba's cave when it comes to the delicacies a gourmet supermarket can offer.

La Grande Epicerie, Rue de Sevres, 6eme Arrondissement

3. For some uber-cool neighborhood boutique shopping: visit le Marais, 3e arrondissement. As usual it started all with the gays. It turns out, it is now the hippest shopping neighborhood in Paris. You'll find the upmarket labels like Isabel Marant (my fave!) and you'll also spot some reasonably priced quirky shoe boutiques like Mellow Yellow.

Isabel Marant, Rue Debelleyme, 3eme Arrondissement

4. For the best rose and people watching: La Palette is the epitome of Parisien bobo (bourgeois boheme) style, elegance and nostalgia, where The APC-clad youngsters and hipsters circle and dot this perfectly sectioned terrasse of the super hip 6eme arrondissement.

 La Palette, Rue de Seine, 6eme Arrondissment

5. For a scrumpscious "burgers and hipsters" combo: also located in Le Marais 3eme arrondissement, Cafe Charlot houses the best burgers in town if you're feeling like being kooky in the homeland of Coq au Vin and Poulet Frites. Order it with a side of freaking good looking people, dressed to impress the crowds of this delightful little cafe.

 Cafe Charlot, Rue de Bretagne, 3eme Arrondissment

6. For the best new hip restaurant to be and be seen: Le Derriere has "Cool New Hot Spot" written all over it. Industrially chic and fantastifally fashionable, this place loosely translated into "The Bottom (or behind)" is not only a fun people-watching venue but it also guarantees an ecclectic variety of fusion French dishes mixed with traditional fare. Un vrai delice is all I can say. Also, while you're there, don't forget to check outt he room behind the closet upstairs. Secrets are coveted in this mysterious little fumoir area.

Le Derriere, Rue des Gravilliers,  3eme Arrondissement

7. For some Paris by night: Le Curio Parlor is reminiscent of New York's Lower East Side Freeman's restaurant and bar. Taxidermy is not the only strange element you'll find in the curious parlour-type venue. Aside from stuffed foxes and pheasants hanging from the walls, you'll relish on some eccentric cocktails recipes and eye-poppingly gorgeous locals.

Curio Parlor, Rue des Bernardins, 5eme Arrondissment

8. For the best cheap eats: Situated smack in the middle of the Jewish quarter of Le Marais, L'As du Falafel has been a go-to favourite cheap-eats location of mine for years and I always recommend it to Paris visitors, looking for a bit of exotic food in their Parisien diet. This is by far the best falafel I've ever tasted. Try the Shwarma as well. While your breath will suffer for hours on end, the moment you bite into this little package of paradise, your mind will draw a blank as to where you even live.

L'As du Falafel, Rue des Rosiers, 3eme Arrondissement

9. For some tea and macaroons Parisien style: La Duree in Saint Germain des Pres, has been on my Top 10 list for a while. I'm a caramel macaroon fan and La Duree is the only answer to my sweet afternoon cravings.

La Duree, Rue Jacob, 6eme Arrondissement

10. For an afternoon nap in the sun: La Places des Vosges is in my mind, the most beautifully quaint slice of Parisien paradise. Lay yourself down with a novel in hand and doze off into a deep sleep under the warm Spring sun.

Place des Vosges, 3eme Arrondissement

Kelly Graces London

The V&A is one of my all-time favourite museums in London. Firstly because, knowing myself, I think I could spend hours just gazing it. Architecturally, it carries within it that impressive London regal status that only a few other monuments have in London, and it catches my eye every time I pass by it. And secondly, because when I enter the grand doors of the museum, I can't help but think about and be moved by the fantastic love story that took place between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and the love they both fostered for art and beautiful objects. I think, yes, I'm in the presence of true love. Last Saturday, I strolled down the long corridors of the true love V&A to catch the 4pm viewing of the Grace Kelly show- a selection of Grace Kelly's most beautiful and desirable gowns and accessories, accompanied by a snippet of her life story as Hollywood actress turned Princess of Monaco.

Not only was I mesmerized by the her fabulous 1960's Haute Couture designer wardrobe, but I also realized how forward-thinking she was - in her dresses, her accessories, in her choice of outfits, in her hair, in her jewelry. I couldn't help but think: "hey, I could wear this!" Or maybe more appropriately, "hey, I would wear this if I could afford it! This Chanel suit is timeless. I think I might just be able to pull it off at my next client meeting."

But there is nothing I could ever do to measure up to this gorgeous woman. What an elegant lady Grace was. As she ducked out of her vintage Rolls Royce, as she floated down the aisle arm in arm with Prince Rainier, and as she gently waved hello to her thousands of adoring fans, she always carried herself like a true Princess. She stood tall next to Jackie O. She could pull her weight for sure. Her sense of old Hollywood glamour mixed with regal floor-length gowns made the conservative touch of Jackie's New England pencil skirts and twinsets nothing but conservative non-fashion.

And there was nothing more beautiful than her glowing smile and golden locks combed backwards and perked sideways beneath her bejeweled ears. She truly was a style icon wrapped up in the tiny yet voluptuous body of a blond siren, of a Grecian Goddess.

I fell in Love with Grace that day. I fell in love with her Chanel Couture, her Balenciaga gowns, her Hermes bag and her dreamy diamonds. I fell in love with her life as a Hollywood actress turned Princess. And I fell in love with her gorgeous smile. But I could not have imagined a more horrible end than dying so young in a tragic accident at the wheel of a car. But her legend still lives as she graces the walls of the Victoria and Albert monumental museum.

Book online (in advance!)
Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
SW7 2RL

Scandinavia Dreamin

You'll remember the excitement I felt back in December, as I wrote about the St Lucia festivities that take place right around the Christmas period in Sweden. The Norwegians and the Swedes have another long-standing tradition of celebrating the summer season with a day of outdoor fun, eating, drinking and dancing around the maypole. The 17th of May, being the National Day for Norway and the 25th of the June, being the Midsummer festivities for both Sweden and Norway. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to celebrate Midsummer with a couple friends in Sweden and I still foster fond memories of the day. What better way to celebrate the start of summer than by eating herring, fresh crayfish and drinking Aquavit while dancing around the maypole with inebriated Swedes? I say none. I have never met or encountered a people more elated about summertime than the Scandinavians. There's something about sunshine that brightens up their faces. It's almost mechanical. Like they've been stuck in a dark hole all year round, watching the sun set and the moon rise 365 times before summer, the real fun, can finally begin - the day of Midsummer.

The Midsummer Swedish Maypole

I am a huge fan of Scandinavia and its many festive traditions and have been ever since a dear friend of mine from Oslo introduced me to her culture my Freshmen year of college and when a couple years later, my lovely Swedish man, traveled with me to his motherland for the Midsummer celebrations. Navigating through the Norwegian Fjords last summer made me even more positive that this is a culture I respect and will remain fascinated with for years to come.

The advantage of living in a city like London as an expat, as opposed to living in a city like, say Liverpool, means that certain products and facilities, are at arms length when you are missing your home country and all of its cultural and culinary offerings. Living in London during Midsummer means that you can find places to be when the festivities take place. I witnessed the exciting Swedish festivities with excitement last year in Hyde Park and I look forward to trying out the Norwegian 17th of May festivities in Southwark Park.

17th of May in Southwark Park, SE16

You can also be sure to find the stores to purchase the goods from when you are hosting a dinner party and you want to impress your Swedish and non-Swedish guests. Scandinavian Kitchen has been my go-to Scandi place for my Senapssill and pickled Smorgas Gurka cravings as I work right down the street.

 Pickled Herring, in various sauces

 Sweetened Pickles

 Scandinavia's Favourite: the Wasa Toast Bread

The Scandi Kitchen is also a cafe, where you can sit and enjoy meatballs, pizza (Swedish cabbage) and beetroot salads, shrimp and dill on toast and lots of many other delicious dishes. Quite kid-friendly as well, Met Mum and I enjoyed a lovely lunch there a couple weeks ago, while her adorable daughter Little L licked her lips from the Maribou chocolate milk she was sipping.

 Swedish Maribou Chocolate

Scandinavian Kitchen
61 Great Titchfield Street
W1W 7PP
0207 580 7161

All I want for Christmas Are My Two Front Teeth and... A Couple of Men in Tutus

Who ever said the ballet was cheesy and girly is clearly delusional. I've just seen the coolest, hippest, hottest ballet ever and it was right here in London. Matthew Bourne's rendition of Swan Lake at Islington's Sadlers Wells, was a real gem to watch. The music was, as usual, stunning and captivating. I even caught myself closing my eyes a few times too man, swaying side by side along the waltz-like tempo, and dreaming I was swept off my feet by the young prince himself. The set design, was yes, unusual, but surprisingly fresh and creative. The story, fun, light and relateable, caught me by surprise and was something to the sort of Hello's cover story from last March. A young prince, torn between fulfilling the duties asked of him by his Queen Mother and the Kingdom, and not succombing to the temptations of real life, girls, alcohol and rock n' roll. (Prince Harry anyone?)

Actually, I not only realized that I was witnessing a whole new modern adaptation of the classic romance story I was once so attached to as a little girl, but that the cutesy frilly young swan ballerinas, weren't the slim, feminine, or goddess-like ballerinas we all know too well. Yes, they were slim. Yes they were god-like. But they were certainly not feminine. In fact, the men impersonating the hundreds of swans haunting the young prince's dreams were more haunting than the the dream itself. Their bodies...My God! Their bodies! 

The story itself is endearing. Touching really. Even haunting. And sometimes cheery, fun and comical. The young prince tries hard to gain his mother's tough (yet promiscuous!) love and approval but in vain, fails. He then escapes his rejections by dreaming up a storm, wherein swans appear by the hundreds and suddenly become a symbol for the love his mum is unable to give him. The relationship between himself and the king swan is unnervingly touching and powerful. You will want to run on stage and grab the boy for a good ol' hug. Don't do it though, you run the risk of getting booed. I tried it, no fun. Watch a short clip here.

The Freak Show Must Go On

I've been missing this! Ahhh...I've been missing you! Here I am, back in the blogging world, to fill all your heads with lots and lots of nonsense about London. Yeah! I'm psyched! My latest sushi entry has left me quite hungry for more food entries but I've decided to lay low on the food writing for at least one day. Some of you have brought to my attention lately that the food entries tend to be too plentiful and too mouth watering (boohoo) and that I should find more "cool stuff to do" in London rather than "good tuff to eat" in London. That's totally fair. I get it. I guess the fat kid in me comes out a little too often through my food entries and I can understand that we're not all food fanatics. So I have a great one for you. But if I tell you, you have to promise me that you'll at least try to check it out. I am notifying you a good chunk of time in advance just so that you'll at least consider trying. So here it is. 

Three months ago, I was dragged down to the Hippodrome Theater in London to go see a "circus."...Or so I was told. I quickly realized that the circus was no ordinary circus, but that instead when there was supposed to be a clown, there was a man called Mario, Queen of The Circus; the contortionist was a guy called Captain Frodo slithering his body through two unstrung tennis rackets in a mini 1970's McEnroe outfit; the acrobats were performed by two British gents, wearing nothing but a tuxedo and bowler hat, revealing, at times phenomenal bodies and chiseled abs; and the circus diva was a girl called Amy G. who liked to "sing" America the Beautiful from dark and mysterious areas right underneath her dress. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This is no ordinary circus. This show is a crazy, burlesque, (almost) porno, sensationally heart warming, gut wrenching, and stomach churning show that you will not want to miss. This is La Clique in London and I must tell you now, they were gone for a while but they're back November 20 til January 10 at The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. Book your tickets now before it's too late. Tickets are selling out like hot cakes all over the world, from Sydney to Paris, and you must grab your chance now to see this incredibly sexy cabaret/burlesque freak show called La Clique (promo video).   Enjoy the good stuff to do! I''ll be back soon with good stuff to eat! HAHAHA (evil laugh).

Frodo The Contortionist

Mario, Queen of The Circus

London Splat!

Pardon me Father for I have sinned. It's been years since my last Babybel. 

Anish Kapoor, born in Bombay, and now a British citizen, has stunned me with his art. The last time I saw his pieces, it was at the Mak in Vienna, a museum with such grandiose space that anything would have made an impression. 

The majority of the material he uses is made up of this red pigmented wax, which makes you want to grab it form the floor, peel it off, only to find a plumpy piece of yellow cheese inside. Unfortunately, the cheese part is fantasy and clearly a figment of my cheesy imagination, but the wax part is not. That is why his style triggers a range of crazy emotions. From fun and serious, to condemning and childish, you will feel something so intense just by being in the presence of this gargantuan blood-like material, and you will want to stand and stare for hours long. 

There is something about this Babybel-like material splattered on the wall (check out this video of "Shooting into The Corner") and glued to the bottom of our shoes, which really makes you stop and think. I had never witnessed art that used the space to such an advantage and really made my heart stop. His "Shooting into The Corner" piece is as startling as his other pieces if not more and also stays with you through its resonating sound effects. It is fun, phallic, and immensely majestic. Other pieces of his include the "Svayambh", which resonates as much as all of his other brilliant creations, in that it also, like its "Shooting into The Corner" counterpart, stands for creation and destruction all at once. "Svayambh" (2007) is a long track dotted with arcades and clotted with the sticky red goo again, evoking a long and narrow train track, and according to the Financial Times , representing the Auschwiz deportation trains, slavery, colonialism and other historical horrors. The red wax here, with its blood-like color, carries huge symbolism and historical baggage.

You can find Kapoor's collection now at the Royal Academy of Arts . It is worth the detour and I promise that you will enjoy this truly zesty experience by witnessing his gigantic and glorious talent.


‘Anish Kapoor’, Royal Academy, London until December 1

Garance Dore Exhibit on Carnaby Street

 

                  Promotion Photo for Garance Dore's Exhibit on Carnaby Street

If you know who Garance Dore is and if you follow her blog religiously like I do, you'll want to check out her self-curated exhibit on Carnaby Street, which features her celebrated fashion illustrations from her famous blog on Gap t-shirts etc. llustrator and photographer for her blog, she is also the girlfriend of Scott Schuman, now book author and mastermind behind The Sartorialist. If you're not around for the show, at least take a look at both of these blogs and you'll never be able to study, concentrate or work ever...again!

Runs from Thursday, September 10, til Saturday, October 3, Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 12noon-5pm. You can find it at the Gap Pop-Up 1969 Concept store in Kingly Court, right off Carnaby Street.