Cafe des Deux Moulins

On our third day staying at Montmartre, we went to this cafe after the visit to le Moulins de la Galette. I did not know that there is an actual cafe for the film Amelie, but I found it while searching for places to visit around Montmartre. And since it is very near to Moulin Rouge, I decided to take a look on the way.

At first, I did not even know that it is called Cafe des "Deux Moulins" despite my visits to both Moulins de la Galette and Moulins Rouge. They just looked so special and attractive.

I do not remember much about the scene in Amelie, but I think the cafe still has parts of the feel from the film. The curved counter and ceiling decor reminded me about the touch.

We were not really in a mood to have anything after our lunch, but we ordered the creme brulee because that is what I remembered most about the film. And I think most of the visitors did that because even if we cannot find the item on the menu, and we merely asked for a dessert menu, the waiter asked whether creme brulee is what we were seeking. And it tasted good:)

Unexpectedly, we decided to stay longer there because it was very warm inside and we like the atmosphere too (Actually, I think my wife wanted to stay longer because she found WIFI there:p). Well, that created a chance for me to visit the toilet, which I think who ever saw Amelie knows how special a place the toilet is...

We left the cafe after one or two hour, after crowds of tourists coming in and out. A cafe with mostly the memory from a famous movie, I wonder what was it like long before it became famous.

Le Parvis

We happened to find this cafe during our visit to Chartres. It is just located by the Chartres Cathedral. My wife insisted to go into the cafe because she thought the cave-like interior is very interesting. And she's right. The interior was something that we had not seen before. It was just like going back to ancient time and have cafe time there. Moreover, I like the way they add modern elements which make the space alive. I think this is a good way for us to learn how to appreciate and utilize the architectural assets we have today, and stop the keep-on-building-for-the-sake-of-economy-and-personal-satisfaction.

Le Moulin de la Galette

One of the question that I had in mind when visiting Paris is - where is the line between a restaurant and a cafe? It might be a very stupid question, but I need to know. Le Moulin de la Galette is no doubt a restaurant, as it is mentioned in their official homepage, but I felt a very strong "cafe" feeling while I was there. Maybe it is the vague definition of "cafe" in myself. That is why I am uploading the feel I had to this blog:)

Le Pain Quotidien

We found this place when we stayed near Louvre. It was totally unexpected because we could not see or imagine the interior from outside. But luckily it turned out that it was a very nice & comfortable place, with the organic food which were so delicious. If only we could visit it again... :)

Les Deux Magots

Here are some photos taken at Les Deux Magots, Paris. It was a great time having desserts here. It is really worth it to see a cafe with tradition but still very active now.

Fun with espresso

For me, making espresso is like creating art pieces - not the latte art, but more about my own art. I know what really matters in espresso is the bean, the taste, the aroma, etc. But just can't help it to play around.

These are my first attempts using cocoa powder/chocolate syrup to add some textures. Now I know how it works, we are going to have more fun next time:)

Yes, fun with food!

home made cafe - again

Last week, LC had made her pudding to a certain level - that we do not need to buy any from supermarket ever from now - but I am still having hard time with my espresso. Although she said that my cappuccino tastes like those in the cafe, I think there is still a long way toward successful crema. Luckily, I had some good news from my venture in bread baking.

Yesterday was my 2nd try in baking walnut bread with maple syrup. I failed again in creating the desired shape, but I managed to bake a softer one. And it tasted sweeter than my first attempt. Furthermore, I ate the bread this morning and it was still very soft and nice. I know it was just a very simple bread compare to those in the boulangerie, but I think I deserve some little compliment for making the bread in a very small kitchen with the space limited to no more than 20cm wide ( and yes, LC deserves it too:) ).

Anyway, I believe the failures in my bread baking will be the road to success, just like my espresso. Little but not less, finally I saw my crema coming out. From brewing an espresso too fast in a few seconds, I saw the light after changing the bean's grinding last week ( the first picture below ). And yesterday after I changed the tamping pressure, I got more crema ( the second picture ). It was not the latte art that I had wanted, but at least I think I am on the right path:)

Actually, I was thinking to make a mocha yesterday but it was a waste not to try the crema so I ended up with a cappuccino. So many to try and so interesting, with an artist ended up making art in brewing and baking... haha. I hope I can start drawing and painting with my food soon:)

Cura

There is a very small cafe in Kyodo, which can only fit a few customers. We went there yesterday in the cold & heavy rain, but it was worth it. The chocolate drinks using Valrhona ( a famous chocolate brand from France ) that I had made the day brighter. And the apple tart with the Uva tea that my wife had were great too. Although all the sizes of the food were really small ( especially for most Malaysian who prefer volume than quality that I assume ), we thought they are perfect.

Furthermore, we liked the design of the cafe too. It was calm and clean. The texture on the wall, the wooden parts, the various type of chairs to be chosen, they all helped to create a very homelike atmosphere. It was very comfortable. However, my wife had a complaint about the table that we were sitting. She said it was too small for a lady because it was hard to put her both legs under the table due to the small space between the table legs. We had some arguments about furniture sizes, but I thought she has a point too.

It is never easy to make everything perfect. I think we should just try for our best:)

cafe medewo

Ho, ho, ho... the season is here again :)

Last Sunday we went to cafe medewo in Jiyugaoka, Tokyo. Actually we wanted to visit cafe one that day but the place was full, so we made a quick decision on the spot - to medewo. They are totally different in style and service, but it was not a bad choice. Stylish and modern in design, cafe medewo has a taste just like the town Jiyugaoka.

I had a quiche myself, and my wife ordered a plate of grilled chicken and mushroom. Her was the special lunch set of cafe medewo, bread and desert included. There was nothing surprising, but we were satisfied with the meal.

One of the design uniqueness of medewo is that it is located on the 2nd floor of a fashion boutique, but it has its own facade on the entrance. The way the 2 different shops interacted reminds me of shimauma cafe. They really match the atmosphere of Jiyugaoka.

SLOW CAFE

Before we go to the hill garden in Yamate, we went to this SLOW CAFE in Motomachi. At first I thought it is in a remote area or somewhere within the residential area, but it turned out that the place is quite crowded and there were a lot of shop houses around it. The atmosphere was so-so but at least the food is not bad.

We tried the deli plate and the curry made of nuts. They were all very healthy, but I was not so sure about the "slow" part. Anyway, it is a very standard cafe that you can find around Tokyo or Yokohama.