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Take a look at Arnaud Larher's site. He seems to be a promising pastry chef. He has been elected as the best pastry chef by Champérard & confédération de la pâtisserie in 2000. He does some traditional stuff, but specializes also in creations with chocolate. His shop is in Montmartre, 53 r Caulaincourt 75018 Paris.

Anybody knows any shops or in markets in Paris that carries a great selection of different varieties of quality tomatoes. I'm also looking for some ancient and rare species. These days, it seems difficult to find decent quality tomatoes, or it's just I didn't try hard enough yet. Any tips to find great quality vegetables and herbs will be appreciated too. Thanks all

Ben, you are probably right about the origin of Hakka people, what I was saying was just repeating what was printed and translated on their name card. Probably that restaurant just specialized in Hakka food (in Chinese), the term "southern province food" (in English) is actually introduced by them.

I am not sure if the Vietnamese food is very authentic in HK. I think Japanese food worths a try though, as HK ppl loves Japanese food, there are many restaurants hiring Japanese chef, and there is lots of competition, there can be some interesting places to go. some Chinese place that worth trying: - Modern China (Specialized in Sichuan/Beijing/Shanghai region food) 10 floor, Times Square, 1 Mantheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong (underground train station - MTR: Causewaybay, exit Times Square) tel: 2506 2525 It is quite a hot place for the locals, you need to book or at peak hour, wait in line to get into the restaurant. The food is more of modern Chinese style. Food is good. Price is average, total is less than HK$600 for 6 person. - Eryi Tower (Specialized in Hakka food, Hakka is a southern China province) 1st floor Allied Kajima Building, 138 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong (MTR: Wanchai) tel: 2511 1228 Since in HK, it is mostly specialized in Cantonese food, it is quite rare to find a Hakka restaurant. We found the food quite inspiring and interesting. Price is good too, around HK$60 per person. - Tung's House 2nd floor, Pearl Oriental House, 60 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong 2571 5168 http://www.tungshouse.com It is a 'private home restaurant'. It is a food trend started a few years ago in HK, some talented and passionate chefs who got fed up with the industry and start cooking for friends or for food lovers in their home, they never do any promotion or put any signage. But after a while, their good reputation spread, and people start coming despite they might not have license for operating restaurants. Usually, these type of restaurants aren't cheap, but they cook more refine and rare product. Tung's House have dinner menus for 4 starting from $6xxHKD - $9XX HKD. As for things to take back, I think if you like Chinese cakes or pastries, you can try Kee Wah, shop address in their website. (http://www.kee-wah.com.hk). If you like cooking, maybe it is interesting to bring back some high quality dried food, like dried black mushroom (the better ones are coming from Japan) from some dried food stores in Sheung Wan. (but check your custom's rules before, countries like US are very strict with food import) Run into the local supermarket, Welcome or ParknShop, you can find some sauce that is interesting for cooking, like XO sauce. As for cooking utensils, maybe clay pot can be interesting to bring home. It gives a subtile different taste to food. Hope this helps...

Sorry to get back to you so late, Ptipois. I found the two huge restaurants INSIDE the mall Olympiades okay. One is just above the supermarket Tang, the second one (the one I prefer a bit more), is the far end of the mall, same floor, with one entrance inside the mall, and another entrance opening to the inner court yard. (But not the one INSIDE the court yard, I never try that one)

Well, nothing here really reflects the real Chinese food. And especially I just came back from a vacation in Hong Kong. This just reminded me of the diversity of food vs the standardized boring menus you found in all Chinese restaurants here. I bought myself some Chinese cook books from the trip though. Ok, if I am missing Chinese food terribly, I will probably go to one of these places: -Restaurant Asiapalace (Olympiades, 13e) + the other big one in the shopping mall is alrighty -Mirama (17, rue Saint Jacques, 5e) -Restaurant XO (192 Ave Victor Hugo, 16e), a bit pricely, cooking a bit more delicate than usual place (I read in a Hong Kong magazine that it is the same people behind La Mer de Chine who are behind this one) I heard La Mer de Chine is serving authentic Cantonese food, I never tried it yet. (159, rue Château des Rentiers. 13e, 01 45 84 22 49) There is a small, nice Taiwanese home cooking style restaurant in 14e, 77 rue Didot, called Dofa. (01 45 40 52 50) It serves simple food like noodles with preserved meat, preserved egg, and some type of seaweed. Quite different from the usual stuff you usually see. Since the restaurant is small and it can be easily filled up with some Taiwanese, maybe it is better try to call before going. I hope you found these tips useful.

Just a quick note. "Au Bon Marché" is not the same as "Le Bon Marché". Au Bon Marché : 8 rue Rochechouart 75009 Paris Le Bon Marché (La Grande Epicerie) : 24 rue Sèvres 75007 Paris http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/index_en.asp

I don't understand, Chinese cookies from Jewish or Italian bakeries and with chocolate? This doesn't sound Chinese to me at all. I don't think chocolate is a chinese ingredient.

Foie gras is super expansive, that's why it is never super sized.

I asked my French boyfriend this question, he told me, the key is the french eat evenly all different types of food, they don't eat just eat a few types, or large quantity of meat as compared to US, for example. They don't drink as much wine as usually people believed and foie gras is only for special occasions. And they are very discipline in eating, they don't snack a lot outside normal meals. And believe me, oridinary french doesn't eat a 7 course meal everyday too. But actually the BBC and Salon articles give all the answers already.

I have been to Le Pré Verre last month, dinner menu 25€ (not including drinks). But recently, I have seen the bistrot's name appearing in many guide books, including the japanese. make sure you make reservation if you are planning to eat there. tel: 01-43-54-59-47.

Weather wise, it's pretty good in these recent days, sunny days, and not too hot....(I know, I know, the last two days, it has been raining, there were always exceptions) I think June is still an acceptable month, but then i wouldn't recommand July or August, these is the time when most locals leave Paris for vacation, so you will feel pretty touristry... And July or August can be really hot too. Last year, the heat wave has cause much lives.... I am not sure this year it will be this hot, anyway... September and October is also nice, but starting from mid Sept, weather can starting to be cool...below 20ºC naf -live report from paris-

Actually, I think it's just more than a cooking show. For those who couldn't watch this show. Actually, the program is divided into two section, the first part is about the invited chef introducing their own suppliers with their highlight product (probably the ones the chefs have used for their own restaurants). It's very interesting to know the diversity from each region in France. The second part is as mentioned, the invited chef along with the over enthusiastic Robuchon. Luckily, Robuchon's cooking skill is much better than his presentation skill, but nonetheless, we found him very entertaining. One thing that is exceptionally good about this show, Robuchon makes sure the measurement of the ingredient is exact, he would ask the chef at least 5 times how much this or that has been used. The homepage that come along is actually one of the best french recipes that one can found online. And since the program is aimed at average home cooker, the procedure is simple, and it is simply delicious. For people that don't read French, don't get panic, there is french web translator that is quite useful... or this link if you have just some text you want to get translated. It's not perfect, but I think this helps a lot. I have tried many recipes from the site. One that I tried, and everybody simply loves it, is a simple dessert CRÉMEUX VANILLE AU COULIS D'ORANGE by FRANÇOIS BENOT (from Le seize au seize) naf

Joël Robuchon's show, you mean? It's called Bon Appétit Bien Sur. And actually this week, the show is featuring Westermann the junior (Eric Westermann). I have to agree that this show is indeed amazing. To answered bleudauvergne, Mon Vieil Ami is operated by the father, Antoine Westermann