When I unearth a great spot, you know me, I can’t wait to share it with you (well, at least once I finally give myself enough time to write a proper article about it…).
And that is exactly what I told myself a few weeks ago when I left Song’s restaurant: Au Forum.
First, this is a spot I want to share because the young chef behind this establishment is incredibly friendly, which makes you want to tell everyone to go discover his restaurant, nestled in the 10th arrondissement of Paris!
Next, because the prices are more than reasonable, and finally, because he offers original, high-quality cuisine prepared with good cheer, using a selection of excellent products chosen from the Marché Saint-Quentin stalls that very same day.
You can really feel the blend of the founder’s interests in this place: urban art, hip-hop and RnB music culture, and street food.
The result is a friendly, relaxed place where you can eat well without breaking the bank.
On the plate, this means fusion cuisine influenced by the chef’s Chinese and Laotian roots. The recipes are both modern and creative, offering a surprising mix of textures and flavors.
Small side note, which is important to me: Song is a fan of low-temperature cooking (a cooking technique for food, especially meats and fish, that keeps the product tender, but obviously takes much longer than classic cooking).
Strangely, I am very sensitive to this technique because I have a couple of friends who live in Switzerland, who are crazy about this cooking style and demonstrate it to me every time I go to see them…
They completely convinced me of the quality of this type of cooking, because, let’s be honest, the result is always tasty… Though you do have to be prepared to start cooking your steak the day before (I’m exaggerating, but only just…).
The lunch and dinner menus feature no more than seven dishes, all seasonal, including a special that is updated three times a week.
Lunch is based on “bowl” dishes, and in the evening, we have plates with more elaborate plating and more sophisticated recipes.
A must-try: the homemade soft cookies (€2.50) for dessert, which are just super melty.
Restaurant Au Forum 25 Rue de Chabrol, 75010 Paris Hours Open Monday to Thursday from 9 AM to 2:30 PM and 7 PM to 10:30 PM, until 12:30 AM on Friday; Saturday from 7 PM to 12:30 AM Prices: expect to pay between 7 and 10.90 € at lunch for a “bowl” dish and between 10 and 12 € for an evening dish Edit 12/14/2016: the restaurant is now permanently closed, unfortunately…
Photo credits: Mademoiselle Bon Plan and Au Forum restaurant Photos are not royalty-free; photographer's authorization required before any use
