I was both excited and anxious at the same time to be flying to Paris again after a long time of being amiss and missing work as well.  I was on bed rest for the most part of 2010 due to my delicate pregnancy and have been on maternity leave, annual leave and sick leave afterwards.  It was a welcome flight for me since I was going to fly with a colleague of the same nationality and I was planning to go to Chateau de Versailles too.

The morning that we arrived in Paris the weather was lovely.  It was about 18 degrees Centigrade and the sun was waving “hello” to me.  When we got to the hotel we got our room keys and per diem then made plans with other crew members.  My colleague Cyrill and I decided early on to go to Versailles on the second day of our stay.  Our Chief Purser on the other hand, made an open invitation to our team members for a steak dinner “French style” on the night of our arrival.  I was sold!  I love steak!  I especially love the New York steaks for the honest-to-goodness taste and tenderness.  I never got to try french steaks so this was a first for me.

We proceeded to our respective rooms and snored the morning away.   Cyrill went out in the afternoon to buy her toilettries while I spent the whole morning reading about Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI.

We all met at the lobby of our hotel at 6pm and since there were 7 of us, we took two separate cabs.  One cab had three passengers and the other had four passengers.  We didn’t know that in Paris they charge an extra 3Euros if four passengers would take the cab.  Weird but true.  The two groups had the restaurant’s name and address written on the hotel paper that the concierge gave.  There was no way of knowing if the driver was taking us for a ride but we were relieved to have reached the place which costed us 17Euros including the extra passenger fare.

the corner where the entrecote restaurant sits 
 
 
When we got there it was about half past six in the evening and the restaurant was still closed!  The front desk at the hotel thought it would have been open by then.  We took the opportunity to take photos in front of the restaurant and to chit chat a little.

photo op

 
It opened at 7pm and by then there was a long queue outside of the restaurant and I was just happy that our group was first in line. 
 

Le Relais de Venise son entrecote

 
I was surprised to find out that the only thing they served were steaks steaks steaks!!! The waitress just had to ask each and everyone how they wanted their steak done.  Neat! 
 

our waitress expertly plating the entrecote and frittes

the plates of entrecote and french fries to be pre-plated
  

my first entrecote

Yummm… They served me this plate at first and refilled it with another serving when I was done with it. I really thought it was bottomless! (wishful thinking…haha!)  The steak was tender and the sauce was like nothing I’ve tasted before. It seems like it was a mustard sauce of some kind that appeared somewhat like green curry.  It was good, though I’m not used to having that kind of sauce on my steak, it was a welcome change.  I guess I also have to get used to steaks being pre-cut.  I actually don’t like it when they pre-cut the steaks at Smith and Wollensky.  I prefer my steak in one piece but we can’t have everything in life…so it’s all good.

ice cream filled profiteroles with chocolate syrup and almond shavings

 A french meal is always capped with a french dessert.

a beautiful building a block away from the restaurant
the restaurant is near Le Palais des Congres de Paris

Surely I will be back for more!!!  See you soon Le Relais de Venise! 

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