Paris and good food are two things that go hand in hand, unless of course you’re unlucky enough to fall into one of the tourist traps and suddenly find yourself being served sub-par food and no bread. On my recent trip, I was invited to dinner at the La Bauhinia at the Shangri-La Hotel. Besides being fabulously stylish, this restaurant, which takes its name from the iconic flower that graces the Hong Kong flag, serves a delicious fusion of French and Oriental dishes.
After being greeted by the maître d’ and shown to our table, we (well mainly I, the hubby just acted as though I was some random stranger sitting at his table), caused a bit of havoc by attempting to rearrange the entire table setting so as to include my bag within a photo. You will see no such photos because the result was largely unsuccessful, the handbag will simply have to rely on its own memories as proof of its presence.
Next came menu viewing time. I’m absolutely terrible at making food decisions. This means that I’m one of those people that always tries to find the online menu and arrives at the restaurant knowing it off by heart. Yes I read it multiple times. The problem is that there are always undocumented daily specials, -these can thwart you and throw you back to square one whilst laughing in your face.
First order of the night was cocktail hour and we both went for the signature cocktail. This was followed by a lovely starter served by the establishment – consisting of different dips and crostini.
Starters – This was the hardest choice, there was a Tom Yuan soup on the specials list that was calling out to me – the pre-selected scallops retained their seat of honour.
Mine: Seared Scallops – Mashed and candied pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke chips, pistachio/avocado vinaigrette
Hubby: Duck (Foie Gras) – Beetroot and five perfumes grapes, sourdough toast
I was definitely pleased with my dish, perfectly cooked with just the right amount of flavouring whilst retaining that fundamental texture. I didn’t taste the foie gras, liver of any form is not a favourite of mine but he was mighty pleased.
Mains – Truth be told, at this point, I was already starting to get somewhat full but Pad Thai is one of my all-time favourite dishes. It was also time to move on to a glass of red wine, and I chose an excellent Chateau Margaux Bordeaux.
Mine: Shrimp Pad Thai – Sauteed rice noodles, shrimp, scrambled egg, soy bean sprouts, tamarind juice, daikon radish, white cabbage, peanuts, garlic and lime
Hubby: Shank Kurma – Stewed lamb in a red curry and coconut sauce, vegetables and biryani rice
Lovely, lovely, lovely – superb. The hubby’s was also excellent, one of the best curries I’ve ever tasted and I’ve tasted quite a few. It had a lovely milky consistency – not too thick, not too loose – right amount of spice and heat…Mine was also simply yummy.
Deserts – And of course, the favourite part of any meal is when you end it with a divine chocolate dessert, or maybe that’s just me. Sadly, this was one of the only times where much as I tried, I simply could not finish the entire portion – it was huge. It was amazing, full of chocolate and caramel goodness, to make it even sadder.
Mine: Chocolate Tart with Melted Sea Salt Caramel
Hubby: Blackcurrant Mont-Blanc with Meringues and chestnut ice cream
This was my favourite evening this Paris trip, the excellent service, ambience and of course, company made it an unforgettable night. I will definitely be returning on my next trip to Paris,
Outfit Details
Bodysuit: ASOS | Brooch: CAVA (Malta)
All Photos by KURT PARIS
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