2015-04-22: Preparing and Planning

We are going to Montreal in about 6 weeks or two months or something. Which reminds me, I should really get us some tickets.

However if we get there we will need to know French because not only are they Canadians (which the tv assures me are a bunch of weirdos) but they insist on speaking French.

It's actually the place that has the coconut boobs when the shutter is down

I am not sure how the rudeness of your stereotype Parisian combines with the politeness of your stereotype Canadian. Mostly that doesn't matter though as I haven't actually met a rude Froggy yet. They have all been delightful people. I suspect it is because I am such a polite (and sensuous) man they forget to be rude to me.

To prepare for this change we are eating French tonight! That counts for advanced planning I think.

The Japanese seem to take French cooking very seriously. I can only assume this is because after the fiasco that was the French teaching them bayonet fighting both sides decided to make peace and chose food as the meeting ground.

• "So we cook you some lovely food oui? you never mention the prussians again?"
• "hai"

 I can dig it.

I am Romantic, the moon inspired me

The Japanese "oh we better do everything better than the people that thought of it" thing definitely comes into play for the froggy foods. Most french places are seriously expensive and unfortunately bright. I don't know why they are bright and it makes them exceedingly unattractive to me. Given that they are also often date night places for older monied men with attractive young ladies I don't know why the guys don't vote with their cash to have more sympathetic lighting installed.

Hell I have a small amount of money and the Princess is well aware of how dishevelled I look and stays with me anyway but I find it a bit like being quasimodo lurching around. Or maybe I drink too much. Stupid pretty people and stupid small furniture.

Fortunately we have found a French Bistro place next door to the boxing gym, we have been twice to eat but because we never book they have always been full. Then we have wandered by on our way to the gym and the waiter has recognised us a few times. I think he respects our somewhat French attitude to the rules of life.

map ref
Oh they don't have a website, I am sure they have a minitel address. Stupid french internet

He got us a table (then he got in trouble for it - we'll have to think of a way to make it up to him - if he was a froggie I'd ask a french friend to bring some gaulloises or something but he is Japanese so I don't know what to do. Maybe some WWII cheese, that would be offensive in both cultures so the obvious insult couldn't be what I mean - that's how you appear to be a deep thinker; confuse everyone).

Linguistic Skills: Trilingual Ordering

I managed to order food using three languages (French, English and Japanese). He brought the food I thought I had asked for. And the beer.

Rating: 8/10 (He is very smart and can speak all three languages in full sentences, I use all three in a single sentence. incorrectly.)

Cornichons can attract scorn from the Princess. Here the meat makes up for the crappy gherkins that are not gherkins.

The waiter also insisted that the steak frites was a single serving. He is a dirty filthy liar. Even in France this is not a single serving.

So Fatty! So Good!

The food is mostly Lyonaise style. They even have the firemans apron (stomach, crumbed and fried) which is famous in Lyon. Personally I think the foie gras was not the best I have had as it was too soft but that might be to your taste. For me, you wanna go lentil salad, steak frites. And that is if you are hungry. They have some great bordeaux wines at cheap prices and a seriously good chateau neuf de pape. I don't care if the brand has been destroyed because english chavs choose it because they can pronounce it. Shiraz/Grenache is the greatest varietal blend ever. Even our white wine drinking friends are like "oh that was a fucking great wine". To which I said "it is a shame you feel that way as it is not exactly priced for everyday drinking"

But go there.

We are planning to use this place for our farewell party. Seriously if you like good food. Go there.