Dinner at Chez Janou

Nino and I had an excellent dinner at Chez Janou this evening. The restaurant came highly recommended by two couples who have exquisite culinary taste, so we figured we were in for a treat.

The small, popular restaurant is tucked on a sidestreet, Rue de Tournelles, in the Marais area where we live. Even at 7:45pm when we arrived, the place was packed. I was surprised that they fit us in without a reservation. They sat us down at a table not far from the kitchen and next to another American couple. The other couple is from Virginia and relocated here for the next three years with their boys, ages 7 and 14.

Nino had an amazing house salad with tender greens, melon, mozzarella, and smoked ham to start. I ordered the baked mussels provençal. Then for dinner, I opted for the baked duck and pasta. Nino chose the steak and potatoes special. Dessert was probably the best. The house special is chocolate mousse. On the recommendation of the couple next to us, only one of us chose the mousse. One of the servers brought out a massive bowl of fresh made chocolate mousse and then scooped the rich dessert into my bowl. I could have asked for as many scoops as I wanted; some people actually do. The dark chocolate goodness was out of this world and so rich that I probably left at least 1/2 of what they gave me on the plate. Nino opted for the lighter vanilla crème brulée. It was good, but not as memorable as the chocolate mousse.

We enjoyed chatting with the other couple. I can't help but ending this post on something she said. "When you go back to the United States, be prepared that most of the food is going to taste like plastic." At least then maybe I won't feel like eating for awhile. :) Although my clothes fit fine, I am starting to feel a little heavy with all the rich food here.