Au P'tit Zinc: a place for the good old meat eaters

Vegetarian please look away.

For a long time my local friend have been telling me about this magical place.  

A place she described: "should you ever feel hungry for a big meaty steak at 1 AM,  this is where you should go."

I suppose as a chef, I am always keeping an eye out for those "out-of-hours" establishments. Lyon made me feel that it is quite a civilised city; I suppose it means that people go to bed at the reasonable hours after big hearty meals with fabulous wines of nearby regions and raise early to go to the markets... 

My special places in London includes those bagel shop/ bagel bake on Brick Lane after East end heavy clubbing, Vingt-Quatre Chelsea where you go to have pancakes and milkshakes after dancing to the 80's tunes at Maggie's next door and Duck and Waffle after non-stop drinking with your city-maties and you just need that little extra glass of champagne and night view to remind you how wonderful life still is plus some crispy pig's ears,  duck leg confit and waffle to go down with it. 

Now come to think about it: perhaps the Billingsgate fish market counts one of my special places too. 

It opens at 4 AM, just about time after clubs shut and you can even buy some fresh fish in the market for the lady in your life (your mum, your better half) so they cannot tell you off for coming home late.

There is this, I should say, a very Fabulous Cafe where I imagine all the fishmongers go, for a cup of tea or coffee or a hearty breakfast. You cannot miss it- it is the Only One there.

(The whole) Smoked haddock with two (looks very small but actually the normal size) poached eggs.

I confess I was being greedy so I ordered sautéed scallops with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. 

My own fault really. I forgot that seafood from the sea, contains lots of salt. So for me there weren't enough tea/ lemon wedges to balance the taste on my tongue. But I still love it. It is fresh and it looks so Much. What's not to love about it? I am a chef. One of the most memorable breakfast.

So after much hype we went there on a whim One Saturday evening.

The place looks hearty. The kind of place you know either the food is so basic and people only love it because they are drunk or it gives you the kind of food to all your heart's content. 

Luckily for me, it's the better one.

The boss is a friend of our friend. So there were much the usual exchange of French greetings going on before settling down. We ordered the Essential Côte du beouf and souris d'agneau with a bottle of Saint-Joseph rouge. We were 3 adults and a child. 

After more French banterings and introductions to almost everybody in the place. We received our Easter blessings.

I have said earlier: Vegetarians please look away. If you are otherwise, you would know what I am gonna show here:

Côte du Boeuf served on a wooden board with sea salts and Béarnaise kind of sauce.  Separate plates of sautéed potatoes and green salad for each dinner.

I was curious, I went for the daily special: Souris d'agnau

Not much to look at, but it tastes butter soft and it looks pink with ratatouille on the side. Yummy!

More from the infamous Côte du Beouf of Au P'tit Zinc:

I am looking forward to going back again soon. Perhaps in a few hours at 1 AM. 

Cité Internationale

One of those silly things about me.

I assume a lot.

It may have worked for me foodwise but there is occasionally a surprise in store for me otherwise.

Cité Internationale is one of those.

Previous visits to Lyon, I have always assumed that it's some kind of a (boring...) business centre.

Until my local friend set me straight this weekend.

It has two hotels: Marriott and Crowne Plaza, an UGC cinema, an amphitheatre and a casino. The Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon is there too, plus quite a few restaurants, cafés and bars.

Large Modren sculptures everywhere:

Pizza delivery man?

L'ourson (No not OUR SON. It's a Bear cub!)

Penguins

I don't know what he is but he makes me smile!

Plenty of outdoor space for children to run or skate or scooter around.

Véritable Théâtre GUIGNOL!

One of those things that people forever associates with Lyon is GUIGNOL.
His characters: sometimes honest, sometimes shrewd and cunning but always funny and very likeable. It is so much more than just a poppet show, it's culture Lyonnaise.

When we were at the Fourvière Hotel last time, we got chatty with a lady in the courtyard. It turns out that one of the most famous Guignol performing families was having dinner there that night and we were invited to watch their show in the Park de la Tête d'Or.

Véritable Théâtre Guignol

Theatre sitting

Next to the Mini chariot race track

In the same playground with the Carousel

Price and the hours for the Guignol show

Full of children and adults

With Florence and Giugnol

The Director?!

Guignol photobomb!

"Le Théâtre de Guignol amuse les enfants et les gens d'esprit."

~ Guignol amuses children and witty adults.

Fourvière in the night

We had a soirée at the Alliance Française de Lyon last week. It was much fun, although for A1N1 it was difficult to differentiate those various accents from different Pays in France... We stayed for a while and went to the riverside Rhône to have a relaxing drink in the warm spring nig

We are very lucky to have made some good friends here in Lyon. According to one of our latest friends that people in Lyon are usually very reserved but once they take you in, they treat you like part of the family. They inform you where to go for good value lunch; they drink with you like there is no tomorrow until early day light; they direct you to those little known addresses for steaks after midnight; they tell you what is the best dish to have at each restaurant and most importantly: they educate you on those local customs that you just wouldn't read in the guide book.

So it's like one of those bonus things: A friend phoned and asked us for a little drink at Hotel Fourvière that night. Intrigued, since we have been here we have gone up to the Fourvière so often but never once seen a hotel near by. We went up by the funicular and it's a 8 minutes walk to the Hotel. The walk have a beautiful night view of Lyon city but you might want to ask for a taxi to come back down after 22:00 if you don't want to trek the dark route. 

Basilica of Fourvière in the night: it is very pretty.

Retour de soleil imminent!

So like foodora says: Retour de soleil imminent!

The rerun of sunshine is about to happen!

While out drinking by the river Soane at our lovely Quai Saint Vincent, we met this little bee!

Spring is indeed not far away from us in Lyon!

La Table d'Eugène

It's our usual lunch story in Lyon.

11:30 AM:

"WHERE do you want to go for lunch?"
"I don't know. What do you think?"
"Well, it depends... WHAT do you want to eat today?"
"I don't mind. Maybe something hearty (means with potatoes and preferably dessert inclusive menu)/ healthy (means no carbs and ends with something like Café Gourmand: trio or quadruple mini desserts) WHAT do you want?"
"I don't care. As long as it's yummy."

And it would go on and on, depending on if either of us is doing something at the time.

After 12 o'clock:

"Come on! It's 12 already! We are missing out the best lunch places!"
"So what do you want?"
"I asked first! You tell me!"
"Do you want to stay local or go to another area?"
"Either."
"How about we go X, the steak/ duck/ chicken/ lamb shank/ Noodles... last time was good"
"We have been there already, how about trying somewhere new?"
"So you pick then. I don't know what you want."

It would then go on for some time before we Finally decide where to go.

Usually by the time (13:00- 13:30) when we get the area of the restaurant, we'd be at the restaurant's mercy if they want to take us in or not. If rejected, we'd be left with little time to try to get in to ANY nearby restaurant that looks half decent. We have known to be rejected from a restaurant at 13:25 by the maître D whom, by the way was smoking outside the establishment because it was a quiet lunch session.

Same story this time. We went to the Croix Paquet area and we tried to go to L'Ourson Qui Boit: No chance, full for lunch. Ok, so let's go to La Gargotte then, we went there before and we love the friendly Chef Owner: Wait! They Don't open for lunch. La Mere Brazier: legendary! For sure the food is yummy and the place looks so elegant it reminds me of one of my all time favourite restaurants in London Le Gavroche but at €70 for lunch... Perhaps we will save it for the special celebratory moment. Walking up and down the Rue Royale, I saw La Table d'Eugène and remembered that I read about this place from the Petit Futé (Lonely planet).

The place was full, of course. Mr. G went in and enquired about our lunch possibility and was rejected immediately with: Sorry we are full.

Disappointed, we started to walk away. Just the moment I was resigned to the idea that we may have just go to ANY all day bistro again. The lady maître D ran out and said: "Wait! we have a table that's leaving!"

It was a totally fabulous dining experience and I am so grateful for the two gentlemen that took pity on us and decided to free up the table.

The menu:

The menu is very correct for a modern French restaurant.

See how ridiculously happy I looked.

I had the suggestion of the chef:

Decorative plate: here and there some small herbs and fresh vegetables with grilled prawns and smoked salmon 

Mr. G had Velouté of little green peas with Poultry livers braised in raspberry vinegar and poached quail egg. Decorative fresh vegetables again.

Plat du jour: Beef steak with vegetables and jus. 

Saignante. Yummy!

Duck breast with honey sauce and vegetables

Happy face! 

Tiramisu fait maison

Mr. G's second dessert: Panna cotta with mango coulis and exotic fruits

I don't have a sweet tooth so lunch time with me is double fun for Mr. G, whom has Many sweet teeth!