paris club

la nourriture translates to food from french. 

ask me to pronounce a word in french, i'll flat out refuse for the fear of butchering the beautiful, melodic sounds of french words. but ask me to try french food, i'll lunge at the opportunity instantly :)

paris club has been on my radar for a while since it opened early last year. with a name such as paris club, they offer their rendition and spin on french cuisine. located (in what i lovingly call, the restaurant district) a few blocks away from michigan avenue, i was absolutely excited to try this place out and {xy} was my food buddy for this french food adventure.

clad in grey, paris club looks like a swanky club from the outside. however, walk inside through the french doors and you'd be greeted by vintage decor. well...to be more exact, as you enter the restaurant, a bar lines the wall on the right contrasting a huge, open window across from it that frames the dining room reminiscent of a parisian cafe. exposed brick walls and deep red steel pillars -- loved it. 

from the menu, i notice that their concept leaned towards shared plates.


when i read the description of one of the entrees, i was quickly drawn towards it -- along with two other dishes that i was interested in trying out but this dish trumped the other two.  happy with {xy} agreed to share an appetizer with me.

le hors d'œuvres {small plates} :: french onion fondue | gruyère ($6.95)

i love yelp sometimes -- the reviewers mentioned this as a must order.. and i'm very glad that they recommended this. the thick layer of creamy, melty gruyère cheese topped the sweet caramelized onions and the savory french onion soup. such a perfect topping for the crispy, crusty crostini. very yummy!! one thing though, it is better eaten warm than when it's cooled just because melty cheese is pure food love! lol so yes, trust the yelp reviewers...well sometimes -- this is a must try.



le plat principal {french soul food} :: chicken thigh | black truffles, sauce foie gras ($14.95)


this dish featured four of my favorite ingredients: black truffles, foie gras, chicken thighs and asparagus. when it was first served to the table, i was quite surprised by the dark part on the chicken -- i mean i know this was dark meat but it was far TOO dark >< hehe (sorry, weak humor -.-). in fact, i thought it was burnt. actually, there were chopped black truffles stuffed between the skin and the flesh.  i was so happy when i cut into that part... loveee truffle! the combination of the earthiness from the truffle and the savory, rich creamy of the foie gras sauce is a match made in heaven. the chicken thighs were moist and asparagus was cooked to a tender crunch. i can't believe i got this plate of deliciousness at such a price. my mouth is watering just thinking about it.



le plat principal {french soul food} :: coq au vin | two ways ($19.95)

this was one of the other two that i considered ordering so i could compare my classic version of coq au vin that i've cooked. since i decided on the chicken thighs, {xy} decided to order this which was perfect for me. i had a bite of his dish and thought mine was a lot better.. the one bite i took didn't taste much of wine. the two ways really meant the white meat was seared and sous-vided which retained the moistness and the dark meat is cooked in wine all atop mashed potatoes. {xy} wasn't very happy with his choice, understandably so.


le dessert {dessert} :: dark chocolate mousse | whipped cream . chocolate shavings ($4.95)


the dessert was a tad small but it was just enough to be shared since we were quite full. the cream was whipped fresh which cuts the sweetness of the mousse itself. the mousse was smooth and chocolate-y and the dark chocolate shavings offered textural difference. it was satisfying end to our dinner.

artsy shot i got by chance :)

{xy} and i agreed that paris club was one of the best restaurants we've tried together for a very long time. definitely would earn a second visit -- which is usually a sign that i would recommend this place to friends. as the french would put it, 'délicieux'..


disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

p.s. watching bizzare foods with andrew zimmern: windy chicago episode made me miss chicago even more than i have ever before -- the clips of river north, xoco, etc had me craving to return to my second home T.T