L'Epice and Love
Where? L'Epice and Love (Avignon, France) Map
When? Wednesday May 10, 2017
Who? Me
Food Style? French
Though the name is a strange combination of Franglaise, this little cosy restaurant is highly rated for its Provençal food. It holds at most 20 people, so I'm here right on opening time to ensure I get a table. The menu is handwritten and not only am I struggling to decipher the handwriting, I'm also struggling to understand the words. Thankfully the waitress speaks English, and she very helpfully explains everything to me.
Entree
Tartine au chèvre with strawberry honey almonds
That lovely aroma of toasted almonds is the first thing I notice. The bread is layered with strawberry jam and honey, and the sweetness gives way to the savoury of the cheese as I bite into it. It's like eating cheese and quince with crackers. It's delicious and very homely. The salad is dressed with a light honey sauce and the toasted almonds give it that little bit of depth. For future reference, I would personally be happy if every salad I had contained toasted almonds.
Mains
Sauté de porc a la Provençal
The mains comes out and it's smaller than I was expecting, and also not quite what I had pictured in my mind. It's essentially a stew, possibly bordering a soup, but at least the flavour is there. Again, it has that homely feel to it, but I probably wouldn't order this again.
Dessert
Parfait au chocolat noir
Again that toasted almond smell fills the air. The parfait has a perfect texture, so soft and moist. It's incredibly rich but that little bit of cream and custard balances it out perfectly. This was the best dish tonight.
As I pay, I tell the owner that the dessert was delicious, and she remarks that she forgot to put it on the bill so it's free. Yuss!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:57pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Fou de Fafa
Where? Fou de Fafa (Avignon, France) Map
When? Tuesday May 9, 2017
Who? Me and a bunch of other Flight of the Conchords fans
Food Style? French
I am so amused by this place. Fou de Fafa doesn't mean anything in French, but it is of course, a famous Flight of the Conchords song where they sing random French words for two minutes. I have to eat here. The lovely owner speaks impeccable English (she's from Eastbourne in the U.K.) and I ask if the restaurant is named after the song. It totally is. I tell her I'm from Wellington and I've seen Bret and Jermaine walking around before. She tells me she visited it two years ago and loved it. Tres bien!
Amuse bouche
The amuse bouche is sour cream, chives and anchovies. It reminds me of Grainwaves without the texture.
Entree
Pan fried calamari with mango, coriander and cashew nuts
The pan fried squid smells and tastes great. There's lots of complementing flavours here, with the mango, tomato and cashew making a very delicious sauce. The squid is fractionally overdone and I wish the cashews were roasted and crunchy, but this tastes great and I can tell the ingredients are of good quality.
Mains
Pan fried duck breast with strawberry and balsamic vinegar, fresh salad and mashed potatoes
The duck comes out. It smells very strongly of strawberry, I hope it isn't actually as overpowering. The meat is cooked perfectly, a little pink in the middle, but most importantly, delicious crispy skin. I try the sauce next. It tastes quite like strawberry jam with a splash of balsamic and generic savoury. It's odd. When I eat it with the duck though, it's very good, with the saltiness balancing the sweetness perfectly. The sauce goes even better with the vegetables. I think perhaps strawberry isn't the fruit I would have paired with duck - I've had plum and orange work well before.
Dessert
Banoffee Pie with banana, caramel and whipped cream
It's certainly not the epic portion that Strawberry Fare used to serve, but the balance of flavours is absolutely perfect. The caramel isn't sickly sweet at all, it has a bit of depth to its flavour. I don't feel overly gross after this either.
What a great meal! I hope one day Bret and Jermaine will visit this restaurant. The owner has extended her warmest invitation to them and says they will dine for free if they make it. I've used the power of Two Degrees of Separation in New Zealand to see if I can get the word out!
Posted by Jeremy at 8:53pm on Friday June 9, 2017 :: 0 comments ::