La Petite Chinoise : LPC

There is a French adage that says "En Avril, ne te découvres pas d’un fil" - In April, keep your sweaters and coats on. April is the rainiest month of the year. One can expect unexpected weather. The sunniest of days are often followed by cold chilly wintry grey days the very next.

"En Mai, fait ce qu’il te plaît" - In May, you can do whatever you please. The weather is the nicest, mildest and most pleasant, with nice warm sunshine all day every day. But this year, April weather eked into May and May seemed even colder than April with strong gusts of wind, cloudy skies, rain and more rain.

I think today, spring has finally arrived in Paris! This is the third consecutive sunny day and that definitely qualifies as spring! The city is filled with glorious sunshine. The skies are a clear, sharp baby blue hue. It’s warm but not hot. Everyone is out and about, with a spring in their steps and a smile on their faces… aussi les français sont plus agréables (Also the French are more pleasant). Well, maybe not just the French. I think anyone who has put up with winter for 8 months is happy to see the sun.

Lunch today is emporté (take out/ take away) from Boulangérie Eric Kayser in the 16e and picnicked in the gardens in Trocadéro. I plonked down on a patch of soft green grass, in the sun, with little ducklings walking about, and a full unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower. The Trocadéro gardens are on rive droit (right bank) and are sandwiched between the Musée de Chaillot and the Eiffel Tower on rive gauche (left bank). The Trocadéro gardens and Champs de Mars are one of the few places in Paris where one can actually sit on the grass. But be aware of pickpockets though!

Eric Kayser is touted as “The Most Fashionable Baker” of the moment in Paris. If I were a food critic, I would crown Mr Kayser as the “Best Baker” in Paris. He found his calling in bread making from an early age of 24 and taught bread making at INBP (Institut National de la Boulangerie et Pâtisserie) in Rouen. EK believes that bread has a relatively short shelf live, so all EK bread are baked en continu (continuously) and produced every few hours. He uses flour without any additives. He also uses natural liquid leaven, to enable slow rising, which he claims is the success to good bread. The clients lining up outside the boulangerie at Rue Monge certainly agree as they line up for their daily bread.

My choice of lunch today is a salad of beetroot cubes, shredded sweet carrots and goat cheese wrapped with prosciutto, a small dessert of 5 mini pistachio financiers, a sunflower seed bread roll and a can of cold Lipton Peach ice tea. A light and refreshing springtime lunch!

Boulangérie Eric Kayser 43 ave Raymond Poincare 75016 Paris Tél : 01 47 04 33 80

Other Eric Kayser addresses
8 and 14 rue Monge, 75005
87 rue d’Assas, 75006
49 rue Linois, 75015