Paris - Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji

Even though we had quite a bit of walking during the day, we decided to head back out toward the 1st and 2nd Arrondissement for a nice evening walk.

Heading West on Rue Reamur, then up Saint-Denis an interesting and "colorful" area.

I've posted on some of the interesting characters in this neighborhood, the former red-light district that is becoming more gentrified with every visit.

Walking thru Passage Choiseul yet again.

The Missus exclaimed how distances in Paris were seemingly a lot shorter these days......

There was one church we had been wanting to check out in the area; Église Saint-Roch.

We had walked by many times; but had never gone in. We decided to pop on in for a look.

The church itself was built between 1653, when Louis XIV laid the first stone, completed in 1740.

Within its walls hung works of the most renowned artists of the day. Of course, the French Revolution was right around the corner and the church was looted and sacked. In fact, the famous French writer Denis Diderot was entombed at Saint Roch. When the church was looted, his grave was sacked and his corpse was left on the church floor. And his final resting spot is not known.

It's quite an impressive church! We should have visited earlier.

We decided it was time to get some dinner so we headed out. We could see the Ferris Wheel from the Tuileries Christmas Market down the street.

Things did seem much "closer" in Paris these days.....

As for dinner; well, the Missus thought some ramen would be nice on a chilly winter night. There was a ramen shop I'd been wanting to try since I first read the story of a retired French Air Force pilot who opened a ramen shop because of his love of of the dish. Jean-Baptiste Meusnier first opened Kodawari Ramen (Yokochō) in the 6th Arrondissement. The restaurant's theme was a "Yokochō" a food alley. Since we were in the 2nd, we headed to Kodawari's second location, Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji, which is based on...yes, Tsukiji. We arrived at a fairly early dinner time, so the restaurant, while busy, did not have a queue. 

The interior was festooned with boxes of fish and fish market themed items stacked everywhere, the floor had even been wet to give it a real fish market feel....lucky for us, the "seafood" in the boxes weren't real nor was there the "parfum de poisson" lingering in the air. It was pretty tight quarters in the restaurant.

Of course I needed to start with a "biru".

By the time we placed our order there was a line outside of the restaurant. So we had some good timing.

Looking over the menu, I knew this was going to be an interesting meal. Based on the theme of the restaurant; this location of Kodawari featured a broth that was based on sea bream and chicken. Now, I wasn't sure how the Missus would handle that; but this would turn out to be the Missus's favorite ramen in Paris!

There are some nice appetizers on the menu, we ordered 3 apps along with the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen.

The "Sardine Shelter" was savory, umami-land.

A bit smoky, briny, good oil, rich lardo.

The Missus loved the Sea Bream Carpaccio.

The fish was fresh and firm; the grilling added a nice smokiness, the miso sauce added a layer of savory.

The Sea Bream Tartare was refreshing, with a clean flavor.

The sauce had a nice savory-slightly sweet miso and the shiso really did a nice job refreshing the palate.

As for the ramen; well, I ordered the Sea Bream Paitan Ramen. Based on previous experiences with similar versions of ramen; I wasn't sure the Missus would like this.

I was wrong; the Missus loved this. The broth was rich enough to nicely coat the tongue; the chicken flavors weren't overly strong and there was a nice balance with the flavors from the bones of the sea bream that were simmered for 5 hours. The shio tare wasn't overly salty and the sea bream was so very tender and moist. The Pata Negra Chashu was quite porky f on the more chewy side. The chili paste was totally unnecessary as this was packed with umami. The tamago was decently cooked and marinated and was warm. The noodles, made inhouse were nice and firm, with a good chew.

The Missus loved the broth.

I was worried when we got here that it was all kitsch and concept over substance, but I gotta say, Kodawari Tsukiji went past the over-the-top setting.

Look at the line outside as we left!

So yes, it was a fun setting, but the food was quite satisfying and by the Missus' request, we'd return later during our stay.

Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji
12 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

Bellies warm and full, we enjoyed the walk back to the apartment.

Needless to say, we slept well.

To give us a nice break, I had made reservations to stay in Strasbourg, so we could once again enjoy the wonderful Christmas Markets in the city. It's only a hour and forty-five minute train ride to Strasbourg, but of course, I needed to do the very French thing and get us some sustenance for the ride. On one of my earlier visit to Boulangerie Pezeril I noticed the group of police getting sandwiches from the shop....so heck, if they are getting food from there.....

Our train left Gare l'Est right on time at 1255 and we enjoyed our lunch and desserts on the train.

Boulangerie Pezeril
183 Rue du Temple
75003 Paris, France

And we were looking forward to two fun nights in Strasbourg!

Stay Tuned!

Comments

[Soo]

That's a lovely church and an interesting restaurant you found.

[alnc]

Beautiful pictures and, as usual, great writing.

Off topic, but FYI, Catalina Offshore has changed hands. Some ambitious plans are being made for the place.
https://www.sandiegoville.com/2023/11/san-diego-based-seafood-supplier.html

[RedDevil]

Glad you got some good ramen! That train baguette is my nirvana! Yum!

[kat]

yeah good ramen & snacks for the train:)

[Kenneth]

Glad to hear you scored some good grub in Paris. Bringing your own food on the train makes it a lovely way to travel in Europe. Catalina Offshore Products was a client of mine for many years; hoping the new owners maintain high standards. Save travels!

[Kirk]

The Missus really enjoyed Kodawari Soo!

Hi ALnc - Yes, I had heard about that. Thanks for the link!

Yes, nothing like a good sandwich on the train RD!

The Missus enjoyed that ramen Kat! And the sandwich too.

It's quite fun to watch the French on trains...we've seen folks pop open bottles of wine.....champagne (with a portable ice bucket). They know how to enjoy life Kenneth!