MAC/VAL – Vitry sur Seine
19 janvier 2017 § 2 Commentaires
Musee d’Art Contemporain du Val-de-Marne = MacVal, an incredible discovery! Built in 2005, it is the first contemporary art museum outside of Paris, in the banlieue (suburbs). The building stands out from the surrounding area’s architecture: clean, modern and spacious. This museum has such a peaceful and « breath-able » atmosphere. Just the day before I was at the Orangerie and my experience there was not the best due to the crowd. If you want to discover french contemporary artists without looking like a tourist, MacVal is for you. 
Among the exposed artists: Jean-Luc Verna with his intimate illustrations in a black shiny room, the claping hands by Melik Ohanian and Morgane Tschiember with « Six Soleils »: a beautiful installation with a mirror game +ropes, which was definitely my friend’s favorite as well as mine. The suspended moon shaped mirror in the middle of the exposition room gave a floating feeling to visitors. 
Each artist has played with the museum’s spacious architecture to propose a very consistent presentation. 
There is a nice garden with a little water fountain housing a duck family where you can sunbathe, if the weather allows it.
Where? Place de la Libération, 94404 Vitry-sur-Seine – To go there: RER D, then local bus. For more infos, check here.
KONOI: Hemp Mylk Bar in Vienna
13 janvier 2017 § Poster un commentaire
My friend and I were on our way to visit Belvédère and came across a small café with large windows and a very appealing interior. I really never thought I would find a hemp mylk bar ..in Vienna! We came back after our visit, very excited to taste it. In case you were wandering whether we went « high », I can tell you that we didn’t. Hemp is still a source of controversy as it is assumed that this plant has the same effects as marijuana (they share the same scientific name of Cannabis Sativa), but they are two distinct varieties. You can find all the information on the Mylk Bar’s website here. 
I already saw Hemp mylk on store shelves in New York but they were containing additives+thickeners and was not very thrilled to try these versions. Hemp is particularly interesting for vegans and vegetarians because of its rich nutritional values: it contains the good fat -omega 3, and all of the 9 essential amino acids, which makes it a really good source of plant based protein. In France you can find hulled hemp in organic stores (to sprinkle in your salads, soups..) and in the US, it is sold as a superfood in powder and oil.
You can guess, as a specialized mylk bar, it is freshly made every morning by Benoit and Kumiko, the adorable owners who are from Geneva. The menu is all about that magic plant: in smoothies, shakes, coffee and dishes: wraps, salads. If you just want to try the mylk, choose the « original », lightly sweetened with dates and a nutty flavor. 
Maybe in the future they will expand their menu with desserts made with hemp flour? Looks like possibilities are endless!
Where? Wiedner Hauptstrasse 34, 1040 Wien, AUSTRIA. Website: here.
j.h. magazine launch at KIND – Seoul
25 juin 2016 § 2 Commentaires
Dear readers,
It has been a while and I am very sorry for not being more active! There were lots of change recently, I left France and I am currently in South Korea.
My favorite korean blogger, Jina just launched her magazine on June 11th and held an event on that special day at Kind, in Hannadam-dong. (You can follow her on Instagram: @jinaehan)
Erin McKenna’s Bakery – New York
24 mars 2016 § 2 Commentaires
A bakery I wanted to go long before arriving in New York: it used to be called Babycakes, the name changed recently for the owner’s name. Unless you are being told, you will not be able to guess that the treats here are gluten free and vegan. It means that there are no eggs and dairy butter, ingredients commonly found in pastry.
This post is dedicated to one of my vegan friend who cannot eat macarons because they contain egg. Erin McKenna is a bakery that will finally please everyone!
I first tried their donuts because how a bakery does a donut says it all. And I was very impressed by Erin’s version. The Samoa and vanilla flavors are to die for. I wish I lived in the area for having them for breakfast. 
Apart from donuts, Erin’s bakery is famous for cupcakes. If you like them as much as I love donuts, you will like this place.
In case New York is too far for you but are impatient to taste her pastries, she has a cookbook with all the bakery’s recipes. The butter is replaced by Coconut oil, the flour is by Bob’s Red Mill. The ingredients have been carefully chosen by Erin and you will feel less guilty when eating a donut here!
Where? 248, Broome Street- New York
48h in Vienna – Austria
5 janvier 2016 § 7 Commentaires
Opera and music amateurs will find their joy in Vienna as much as people like me who love visiting Kaffeehaus and eating tons of cake. And I did. 48h will be too short to explore the city, there are too much to eat and see.
- Sachertorte at Demel & Hotel Sacher
Even if sweet delicacies do not excite you, you cannot miss out on the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake with apricot filling. If Hotel Sacher is well known for possessing the original recipe, Demel, the other pastry shop established since 1786, also proposes a delicious version of this cake. My personal preference goes to Demel, as I felt the taste to be more authentic and chocolate-y.
Hotel Sacher’s Sachertorte
24h in Marrakech, Where to Eat and Shop – Morocco
20 décembre 2015 § 4 Commentaires
City of oranges, rugs, vibrant colors, I first discovered this city through the movie « The Man who knew too much » by Alfred Hitchcock where you can have a glimpse of the hustle-bustle of the souks and the mythic Jema El Fna place. Endless inspiration for many designers and artists, Marrakesh can also be tiring for those like me who do not like to bargain.
Food is extremely generous: from sweet dates to citrus fruit, you have a variety of delicacies to excite your palate. Sweet tooth like me are in heaven: I had cornes de gazelle every day, and the best ones I had were from Amandine and Pâtisserie des princes. Dates and nougat ice cream can be found at Pâtisserie des princes for only 12 drh. 
For admiring the pink-orange shade sunset, go to the terrass of Café des Epices or Nomad, two restaurants owned by the same person as le Jardin. Menu at Café des Epices is quite simple with avocado sandwiches, while Nomad proposes tajines and couscous in a modern way. Their date pudding is worth the trip on its own. Gooey, spongy, sweet, it was the best dessert I had so far. I tried to bake my own date pudding back in France but I did not reach that perfect texture yet.
Nomad Restaurant – Medina
Date pudding at Nomad restaurant
If you only had 24h: have breakfast at place Jema El Fna where the juice sellers will squeeze you the freshest orange-grapefruit, then stroll in the souks where your ability to bargain will be challenged. Gift ideas are abounding: babouches (pointy leather slippers), candles, cutlery and the sweet pastries made with almond and honey.. and so much more!
If you have a nice flight company, bring back a rug. They are so beautiful, I felt really bad leaving Marrakesh without one. If you do not like to bargain, go to Chabi-chic, a contemporary & cool gift store located on the first floor of the Nomad.
Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice at Jema El Fna place
Before sunset, go to my favorite Place des Epices where you will see women grinding henné, sip a mint tea like the Moroccans and enjoy the sunset.
Essaouira – Morocco
17 décembre 2015 § 10 Commentaires
Moroccan Salad
Fish Market in the Medina
Pastilla, Stuffed with chicken, pigeon or almond
