Faste, the restaurant with generous and original croque-monsieurs

What could be a more comforting, regressive meal than a good croque-monsieur made the old-fashioned way and brimming with runny cheese? Just off Porte Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement, a new restaurant is breaking new ground in the street food scene with a menu featuring only croque-monsieurs - and a few homemade salads and desserts, but we'll tell you more about that later.

At the helm of Faste is chef Nicolas Duquenoy, a veteran of bistro cuisine who has won awards in the past for his blanquette de veau and oeuf mayo, and who is now tackling another monument of French cuisine: the croque-monsieur. For him, there's no question of turning the croque-monsieur into an exorbitant dish: here, croques cost between €8 and €14. On the other hand, the chef does allow himself a few innovations on the recipe side, and these, by their diversity, will satisfy the greatest number of people.

Currently on offer at Faste are no fewer than 12 croque-monsieurs recipes, made with quality products carefully sourced by Nicolas Duquenoy: the sandwich bread comes from Eric Kayser, the white ham from Maison Mauriac, the pastrami from Will's Deli, and the drinks - ginger beer, beers and the like - from UMA and Brasserie de la Goutte d'Or.

Among Faste's recipes, the croque du moment, made with raclette cheese, white ham, Serrano ham and béchamel sauce, is particularly naughty. Don't wait to try it - it's due to leave the menu soon, to be replaced by a more spring-like recipe. As for Haut-Dog (12€), made with smoked sausage, onion compote, Emmental cheese, mustard béchamel and fried onions, it reconciles French and American street food under the same flag.

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The Plaisant Pastrami (13€), with its signature Will's Deli pastrami, cheddar cheese, crunchy gherkin and spicy condiment, is the hoped-for alliance for those who hesitate between craving a pastrami sandwich and a croque-monsieur, at lunchtime.

To accompany the croques, Faste offers a small selection of homemade salads, including oriental, coleslaw and sucrine, which are rather simple but ideal for bringing a little freshness to the meal; as well as a few homemade desserts, including a seasonal fruit tart, a financier or a generous cookie.