Even though we had quite a bit of walking during the day, we decided to head back out toward the 1st and 2nd Arrondissement for a nice evening walk.
Heading West on Rue Reamur, then up Saint-Denis an interesting and "colorful" area.
I've posted on some of the interesting characters in this neighborhood, the former red-light district that is becoming more gentrified with every visit.
Walking thru Passage Choiseul yet again.
The Missus exclaimed how distances in Paris were seemingly a lot shorter these days……
There was one church we had been wanting to check out in the area; Église Saint-Roch.
We had walked by many times; but had never gone in. We decided to pop on in for a look.
The church itself was built between 1653, when Louis XIV laid the first stone, completed in 1740.
Within its walls hung works of the most renowned artists of the day. Of course, the French Revolution was right around the corner and the church was looted and sacked. In fact, the famous French writer Denis Diderot was entombed at Saint Roch. When the church was looted, his grave was sacked and his corpse was left on the church floor. And his final resting spot is not known.
It's quite an impressive church! We should have visited earlier.
We decided it was time to get some dinner so we headed out. We could see the Ferris Wheel from the Tuileries Christmas Market down the street.
Things did seem much "closer" in Paris these days…..
As for dinner; well, the Missus thought some ramen would be nice on a chilly winter night. There was a ramen shop I'd been wanting to try since I first read the story of a retired French Air Force pilot who opened a ramen shop because of his love of of the dish. Jean-Baptiste Meusnier first opened Kodawari Ramen (Yokochō) in the 6th Arrondissement. The restaurant's theme was a "Yokochō" a food alley. Since we were in the 2nd, we headed to Kodawari's second location, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji, which is based on…yes, Tsukiji. We arrived at a fairly early dinner time, so the restaurant, while busy, did not have a queue.
The interior was festooned with boxes of fish and fish market themed items stacked everywhere, the floor had even been wet to give it a real fish market feel….lucky for us, the "seafood" in the boxes weren't real nor was there the "parfum de poisson" lingering in the air. It was pretty tight quarters in the restaurant.
Of course I needed to start with a "biru".
By the time we placed our order there was a line outside of the restaurant. So we had some good timing.
Looking over the menu, I knew this was going to be an interesting meal. Based on the theme of the restaurant; this location of Kodawari featured a broth that was based on sea bream and chicken. Now, I wasn't sure how the Missus would handle that; but this would turn out to be the Missus's favorite ramen in Paris!
There are some nice appetizers on the menu, we ordered 3 apps along with the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.
The "Sardine Shelter" was savory, umami-land.
A bit smoky, briny, good oil, rich lardo.
The Missus loved the Sea Bream Carpaccio.
The fish was fresh and firm; the grilling added a nice smokiness, the miso sauce added a layer of savory.
The Sea Bream Tartare was refreshing, with a clean flavor.
The sauce had a nice savory-slightly sweet miso and the shiso really did a nice job refreshing the palate.
As for the ramen; well, I ordered the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen. Based on previous experiences with similar versions of ramen; I wasn't sure the Missus would like this.
I was wrong; the Missus loved this. The broth was rich enough to nicely coat the tongue; the chicken flavors weren't overly strong and there was a nice balance with the flavors from the bones of the sea bream that were simmered for 5 hours. The shio tare wasn't overly salty and the sea bream was so very tender and moist. The Pata Negra Chashu was quite porky f on the more chewy side. The chili paste was totally unnecessary as this was packed with umami. The tamago was decently cooked and marinated and was warm. The noodles, made inhouse were nice and firm, with a good chew.
The Missus loved the broth.
I was worried when we got here that it was all kitsch and concept over substance, but I gotta say, Kodawari Tsukiji went past the over-the-top setting.
Look at the line outside as we left!
So yes, it was a fun setting, but the food was quite satisfying and by the Missus' request, we'd return later during our stay.
Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France
Bellies warm and full, we enjoyed the walk back to the apartment.
Needless to say, we slept well.
To give us a nice break, I had made reservations to stay in Strasbourg, so we could once again enjoy the wonderful Christmas Markets in the city. It's only a hour and forty-five minute train ride to Strasbourg, but of course, I needed to do the very French thing and get us some sustenance for the ride. On one of my earlier visit to Boulangerie Pezeril I noticed the group of police getting sandwiches from the shop….so heck, if they are getting food from there…..
Our train left Gare l'Est right on time at 1255 and we enjoyed our lunch and desserts on the train.
Boulangerie Pezeril
183 Rue du Temple
75003 Paris, France
And we were looking forward to two fun nights in Strasbourg!
Stay Tuned!
Yes, that's what the plate looked like. Man, those…in very loose quotes "won ton" were like a cardboard gau gee, time didn't do the wrapper any favors as it was quite chewy.
The chicken wings were still a crisp-crunchy when I got back to the office, but had way too much MSG and had me gulping down water in no time at all.
It seems that I had a "shift" in the tomatoes on the drive back to the office. I was just happy to have tomatoes on my dog which were MIA on my last visit. The fries, which were crisp on my last two visits, were soggy and dry this time around; though I kinda liked the pieces that had celery salt on them.
All the chicken, both the karaage and the wings were nice and crisp and very moist; nicely seasoned, a hint of soy, but not overly salty. The best I've had from Tenkatori thus far.
CroBean has been here since November 2019. It's family owned.
There are menus on the wall, we wanted to try everything.
There were many choices of fresh bread. We ended up with a basic baguette and it was very good.
There were display cases and choices all looked good. We were overwhelmed this first visit.
So, we ended up with a ham and cheese croissant (you 
On the counter under a dome were these sort of cookie bars. The shortbread crust was made with oatmeal flour and butter…It was thick and salty and then turned delicate, crumbling when you bit it. The layer of raspberry jam was super flavorful and not sweet. The strudel topping was also buttery and sweet and really nice.
In any case, consistency of the quality and flavors is the biggest reason we stop here. We just know what we order will be the same as always.
Of course, the prices have increased. Credit cards are now accepted and you pay when you order, not when picking up the order. 
A bowl of White Clam Chowder ($6) is always our choice. Filled with diced potato, celery and plenty of fat, fresh clams, the creamy clam broth is perfect without additions…but those oyster crackers added in about halfway just make the chowder 'fancier'.
Smoked Fish Cocktail ($8.95) instead of buying random smoked fish by the pound (which we usually do) was a good choice. There were three types of fish-meaty, firm tuna, a smokey yet sweet halibut and delicately smoke flavored swordfish. Each tasted great on its own but the house made, light horseradish flavored cocktail sauce, each bite had an additional flavor hint. Smoked fish as well as smoked meat is proper; smoked cheese is wrong.
Fish and Chips ($19). The classic. Three very large, thick pieces of flaky Alaskan cod coated in a light, crunchy, non-oily batter with plenty of thin, crisp fries and a delightful cabbage-carrot-bell pepper slaw which is lightly dressed in mayonnaise. The house made tartar sauce is unique and great with the fish as well as the crispy fries. The serving portion was plenty to share.
or you can scan it from your table.
The spicy calamari appetizer ($7.95) was light and crisp and quite a good size for sharing (or it could be a meal with a salad) the spicy garlic sauce was not necessary.
Agedashi tofu ($6.95) is also lightly fried. The tofu itself has a nice soybean flavor and the 'cubes' are very large. Again, good for sharing.
This vegetable tempura roll ($9.95) is simply wonderful. Tempura battered asparagus, green beans, kobucha and sweet potato. There's also avocado inside. Since I don't eat meat on Fridays, this is a wonderful way to satisfy a bunch of cravings as part of a meal. 
Most of the meal sets here include miso and salad. Here's a generic photo. 
This is the Sesame Chicken plate ($13.95) Large pieces of dark meat chicken, coated in sesame seeds then bread crumbs and fried, properly. This was a very large meal and at some point turned into a salad with chicken topping.
The Beef Teriyaki Lunch Bento with shrimp and veggie tempura ($16). The teriyaki sauce is not very sweet nor is it sticky. The tentsuyu (sauce for dipping the tempura) was lightly salty and complimentary to the light, crispy fry. 
The Seafood Yakisoba ($16.95) was nicely done- noodles still chewy, a light sauce, carrots. broccoli. bell pepper, zucchini and cabbage along with shrimp, green mussels, fishcake, calamari and scallops. Again, a good size meal. 
`The vegetable teriyaki ($12.95) was a great tasty surprise. Lightly sautéed vegetables topped with the pleasant house made teriyaki topped with green onion and crunchy sesame seeds. An excellent bite of everything I was craving that day. 
Tonkatsu Curry ($14.95). A large piece of thin cut, breaded pork, deep fried and still moist. Served on top of rice with a delightful potato-carrot-onion curry sauce. Comfort food on a chilly day.
This. This is what I absolutely enjoy the most here. It's the Vegan Ramen ($13.50). Mushroom broth, spinach noodles, vegetables and tofu. It's been absolutely perfect each time I've ordered it. The broth is so good, the noodles have a nice spinach flavor. All of the vegetables. To me, it is a perfect bowl of goodness and warmth. 