Paris Gastronomy: Le Boullion Chartier
It was a cloudy day with scattered showers, nevertheless, Paris’s charm radiates on as I explored the Bouillon Chartier with Jenn today. The Bouillon Chartier is one of Paris’s large dining rooms set up in 1896, providing decent meals at reasonable prices to the working class and people from all walks of life. Today, it is beloved by both local diners and tourists alike, with its traditional recipes, iconic dining halls, efficient services, and energetic ambience.
Walking into the huge dining halls of the Bouillon Chartier, I was fascinated by the array of tables seating more than hundreds (320 in the old restaurant, to be exact) across the floor. Diners were engaged in conversation with simple delightful meals before them, as servers dressed in black vests and white aprons strolled with plates held high unmatched for efficiency. The ambience was energetic, warm, and loud, not exactly the coziest restaurant to relax and enjoy a tranquil conversation, but a great meal to soak in the Paris’s traditional dining ambience.
I enjoyed the “Confit de canard pommes grenailles” (duck with baby potatoes grilled in duck oil) while Jenn had steak and fries, authentic French dishes that have been served for over a Century in the restaurant itself. For dessert, we treated ourselves with the famous home-made Chantilly cream: slightly sweetened, vanilla flavored, and very creamy.
The delights of architecture and history, the richness of and cultural pursuits, and the flavors of gastronomy in France is abundant, yet nothing beats the moments in time chatting away with a friend. Whether intellectual debates, travel experiences, self-revelations, or future aspirations, these moments pass on and capture the surprising metamorphosis that we go through. Our personal transformations, cultural integrations, careless blunders, youth frenzy, or negligent ignorance sometimes can only be manifested from the feedback from the other or reflections generated together. I enjoy these synergies. We endeavor, explore, and grow in parallel universes, yet I enjoy each intersection sparks small fires. Really thankful to Jenn, always introducing me to Parisian/French delights, surprising me with her independent and exotic (haha) travels, and stimulating my thoughts on future endeavors.
*Interesting note: Upon exit of the restaurant, 7 Parisians around their 70s celebrated a birthday with the waiters carrying a candle-lit birthday cake. Singing the French birthday song with loud energetic hums, basking in the traditional local ambience was a delight!
