Shopping, kind of

The weather wasn't fantastic today, so I did what any modern, civilized person would do when it rains... go to a shopping mall!

Le Galerie Lafayette is a huge department store that sells pretty much everything you could ask for, from fashions to home goods. While the high-end baubles on display were interesting enough, I was completely enchanted by the giant glass dome that topped the building.

Giant glass dome

Levels of shopping galore

Okay, and I admit it. It wasn't the clothes, or shoes, or handbags that tempted me into the store. It was the fact that there is an entire level dedicated to food. There were different stations selling everything; breads, meats, spices, prepared foods, and lotsandlots of foie gras. It was a complete sensory overload, and I ended up making a big circle around the whole place three times just to digest it all.

More macarons!

These are chocolates!

What's better than hanging meats?

There's even Asian food!

I'd like one of each, please.

Would you like some food with that spice?

These pictures actually don't even capture half of this place. Unfortunately, I kept getting admonished for whipping out the camera, so eventually I gave up and started thinking about what I wanted to bring home with me. I mean, the easy answer is 'everything!'... but probably not very realistic. In the end, I didn't overindulge. I got a baguette, some cheese, fruit, and meats for a light dinner. And some dessert. Of course.

The baguette was from Eric Kayser, who is an extremely well-regarded baker in Paris, and is supposed to have wonderful bread despite having multiple stores in Paris. A quick Google search also told me that he may be expanding to New York soon, so I was curious to get a taste. The bread was indeed very good, with a very chewy interior and a light yeasty tang that I didn't expect. The crust was less... crusty than expected. It all went very well with a mild Camembert cheese.

(No picture of the bread. It's BREAD!)

For dessert, I bought a tart from a Japanese pastry chef, Sadaharu Aoki. I would imagine that being a foreigner would make it very difficult to break into the industry in France, where pastry chefs are probably well-respected. Also, I wanted to see what Japanese influences he would bring into classic French techniques. Continuing with my buttery salty caramel kick, I decided to bring this little piece home with me.

Tarte Caramel Salé

Close-up of a cross-section of the tart

Wow. The caramel was slightly gooey, and the saltiness helped bring out a flavor contrast with the sweetness. The tart shell was crunchy and provided a really nice textural balance. There was also a layer of chocolate mousse on top; this is where I imagine a Japanese influence. The mousse was impossibly light and airy, which left a soft kiss of chocolate on my palette before the caramel taste overwhelms. But even the caramel melted really quickly. There is so much flavor in this tart that I expected it to have a very heavy mouthfeel. But instead, it almost dissipates as I chew the crumbly shell.

In addition to the tart, I also got three pieces of chocolate to try. They looked so beautiful in the display case, more like vivid paint swatches rather than candy. Turns out, each color corresponds to a flavor.

left to right: cassis, yuzu, passionfruit

I had a tiny bite of each and they are sensational. Each flavor is sharp and pronounced, and the chocolate coating is extremely thin (which is the way I prefer it). I'm saving the rest for tomorrow!

Speaking of tomorrow, I will be walking off all the calories consumed today as I head off to Strasbourg, which is waaaay east near the German border!