France-tastic

Ahh, the question I eagerly wait for every day.

Each day, a group of between four and eight of us venture the crowds and head for the University restaurant. Although it is half a globe away from Sydney Uni catering, it seems somehow familiar... Same surly staff who slop brown looking stuff onto a plate that you don't want to inspect too closely... However, there are important and sometimes tasty differences too. While the all food comes in various unappetising shades of brown, underneath one finds perhaps roast pigeon, or duck, and once, even kangaroo! Yet to see any horse, but that may or may not be because I couldn't read the menu. If cow turns into beef (boeuf), pigs into pork (porc), god knows what name a plated pony might take! None-the-less, the fact remains that while there are certainly shades of Wentworth in this resto, the food actually tastes good (I'm sure the pony would) most of the time, and furthermore, your 3 little euros stretch to a salad to start with, and a dessert or cheese to finish with! Imagine Wentworth serving you a chunk of gooey brie to enjoy after you schnitzel and chips!

And what else have I been enjoying over the last couple of weeks, you might ask.

For a start, there is a great boulangerie down the road where I buy a baguette every second day (a baguette is too big for one!), and at the marché I have bought several tasty bits to put on it. Including a cheese which I looove, but have no idea what it is called, since it was a bit of a point-and-pay job! So I don't know what I'll do to replace it when it is gone...

I have also been enjoying a lot of pain au chocolat, much more than the croissants I thought were going to be my downfall (actually I knew it would be the cheese).

And quite a lot of crepes. They have great take-away crepes! A big round hotplate at a little booth, and they fill it up with all sorts of good stuff. Favourites include oeuf, jambon, fromage, et des champignons, and for dessert, nothing beats nutella, banana and coconut, sooo goood...

Resaurant wise, I have had occasion to sample a delightful salade du chevre chaud, basically a salad including grilled chevre on little toasties, so decadent! Also a standout was a fish and mussel gratin, which was deliciously creamy and tasty. I did sample some escargots at one establishment, but I must say, I've had better in Australia! I'll try again at a different restaurant though. I am yet to see anything made out of frog, but I will let you know when I finally sample some cuisses des grenouilles.

All this talk is making me faim du loup, so I think I must go and pose the question... On va manger?

# posted by Jenny @ 11:27