Vietnamese Food in Paris

Bahn Mi. It is among the best thing that has ever been concocted and simultaneously called a sandwich. But I didn't eat it in Paris. I did, however, seek out (like an eagle hunting an injured bird) a small vietnamese section in town to find pho.

I had COMPLETELY forgotten that Vietnam was a French colony not so long ago. Actually, I hadn't forgotten, but merely missed the connection when I got to Paris. I guess I was just so relieved to get to europe after months in the much further east. Paris surprised me with how well mixed the culture is. But the idea that I should find french speaking vietnamese resteraunteurs shouldn't have surprised me at all. Anyway, I was told there was "something like chinatown, except from vietnam." I knew what that meant. It meant I'd found a place where my nose would be happy. So, of course I went.

Funny thing: I have a hard enough time ordering vietnamese food in english... French just flabbergasted me. But somehow I managed to order pho. Basically the point and smile technique works everywhere. Sadly, I didn't get my pho with tendon and brisket, but I got whatever "normal" thing they serve. Oh, did I enjoy it.

What was more important to me, was trying to remember all the places that the french colonizers had gone. I came up with a long list of them and realized that there is a long list of ethnic tastiness to be had in Paris. Bistros, fine, beef tartar, completely delicious, but pho, tabbouleh, west african specialties, south indian things, etc. Paris offers a lot of tasty treats which are NOT french. I like that. I could be happy with that for a long time.