Paris Food Tour in the 13th district, discovering the nuggets of the Chinese district

Whether you're a tourist, a Parisian or even a resident of the 13th arrondissement, it's sometimes difficult to find your way around and know the right places to eat in Paris' Chinatown. Chinese, Laotian, Vietnamese and other restaurants are so numerous that it is difficult to know where to eat and we often end up in the most famous spots, which is not necessarily a good plan.

Because we always like to discover nuggets in Paris, we offered ourselves a gourmet discovery tour with Aurore, our guide. Fine gastronome and great lover of the good flesh, she knows the district like her pocket, since very small, and likes to test all the restaurants which are worth the detour. She tells us that a restaurant can be very good at the beginning with a good chef and then deteriorate once the chef leaves. It is therefore important not only to find good restaurants, but also to test them regularly.

To begin with, Aurore tells us that the 13th arrondissement, often called Chinatown, is in reality composed of a large part of Indochinese from South-East Asia. Vietnamese, Laotians and other Cambodians rub shoulders with the Chinese in a triangle that goes from the avenues of Choisy, Ivry and the boulevard Masséna.

What is the Chinatown Food Tour? We go to discover different addresses in which we discover different dishes and food that are worth the detour. During our discovery walk, it is 5 addresses which were revealed to us.

We start with a Laotian restaurant named Lao Douang Chan. A little bit out of the heart of the 13th, towards the Place d'Italie and in front of the Parc de Choisy, this family restaurant recently taken over by the children of the family, is worth a visit. Everything is home-made, from the sausages to the lemon grass and the noodles. We enjoy the 3 treasures noodles, the famous stir-fried rice dish called"Nem Thadeua", to be eaten with salad, beef salad and the famous beef luc lac which we love the good smoked taste that authenticates the full fire cooking. Fortunately, the Food Tour starts at noon, the restaurant fills up at sight and is complete in no time, proof that we are appreciated by connoisseurs and locals.

We continue our discovery tour towards theEmpire of Teas. If you are looking for the best Chinese teas, you are at the right address. From natural teas to flavored teas, including everything you need to enjoy your tea, this zen store has something to please tea lovers. Once you enter the store, you will discover small tables where you can sit down to taste sweet and good teas. The master of the place makes us taste a good Chinese tea and gives us good advice for the preparation of our teas.

Then we go to discover one of the best Banh Mi of the 13th. Khai Tri, here is the name of this unusual stall which is in fact a bookshop in which we find one of the best Vietnamese sandwiches of Paris. Here, everything is homemade, from the pork pie to the roast and the marinated vegetables.

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The advantage with our guide, it is that in passing, she gives us other very good addresses to discover in the district. We take out the notebook to take notes. We offer ourselves a stop in an unusual place, the very small pagoda hidden in a parking lot near Tang Frères. We discover there a very small temple which shelters the association of the residents of Indochinese origin. At the time of our passage, the rehearsals for the parade of the Chinese New Year were of put.

We pass then to the sweet break and it is in the shopping center of Olympiades, on the floor near Paris Store, that we go to discover Sweet Dessert, a lounge of greedy Bubble Tea hidden at the bottom of the gallery. Honestly, without Aurore, we would never have ventured there. And yet, the spot proposes very greedy Egg Waffle and pancakes with mango and whipped cream not very sweet and very fine, we love it.

To finish, we offer ourselves a jump in the Patisserie de Choisy which was redone. A historical and family pastry shop, held since 4 generations. You can taste some of the best Asian specialties. Banh Bao, coconut pearls, rolled cakes and other hot pies are waiting for the gourmands.

And here is our gourmet tour finished, we only have to drive home while waiting to come back to settle down again in these different nuggets addresses of the 13th. Count 60€ per person for the Food Tour Gourmand to be done on Saturday only.