When I first moved to France, it was exceedingly difficult to maintain a vegetarian diet. (So… I stopped.)
While it’s gotten slightly easier of late, it’s not that often you find a menu that caters thoroughly – and deliciously – to those of the plant-based persuasion. But all this week, Lucy Chen (formerly of Frenchie) has been bringing vegetarian Chinese food to the small plates menu at la Chambre Noire, and friends, it’s a real treat.
A handful of different plates were featured, including this spiced halloumi with yogurt sauce, herbs, and fresh flatbread.
The potstickers were tasty too, with two different sauces, one of which featured exactly the right amount of Szechuan pepper (a rarity in usually spice-averse Paris).
My favorite dish, however, was this eggplant tartine, served on toast smothered in melted Cantal cheese. The slightly sweet eggplant was perfectly paired to the savory cheese, and since, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for well-done fusion plates, I fell hard for this one.
Tonight is the last night of Chen’s pop-up, but I’ll be sure to visit la Chambre noire again for their exciting list of natural wines (a handful by the glass; far more by the bottle) as well as their daily menu of small plates of their own.
La Chambre noire - 82, rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011