Mon Dieu! I was super blessed when I reserved a van way ahead of the online surge for available taxis during this day when the whole of France dedicates impromptu street performance to trance dance down the block. I would have reveled gladly if not for my torn tendons.
Darting down the streets and grand boulevards sparked by heavy pedestrian traffic swaying to the different beats that transfixed the whole of Paris that night into fiesta mode, again! Au revoir Covid pour le moment and salut to a cool summer night just ready to celebrate life.
On one side of the capital was my distraught male therapist who left his keys in the flat, much to the distress of his childhood sweetheart, and cost the couple a hefty sum to tear down the door while I was in an “Emily in Paris” moment speeding for dinner given by Melissa Lopez to mark the bday of her recently departed French husband Joel Journe.
We arrived at the famous “L’Orient d’Or” who whipped open their walls to the night air revealing a little corner of China a napkin’s throw away from the iconic Folies Bergére theater. You don’t need air conditioning just yet, although a short 3-day heatwave just hit us a week ago. We were led to the interior section which was more private and we ordered immediately a chilled bottle of white Sancerre wine.
Tout de suite, our hostess appeared in a white lace froth of a dress and immediately ordered a feast! Pretty and soon, the select group arrived – Ria Augousti just jetting in from Cebu, top bureaucrat Ina Mejía, Makati real estate magnate Nonoy Campos and Hotel Meurice Paris’ charming asset Pauline Lepoutre completed our round table.
We had dried beef tongue and fired up cabbage leaves in a bouillon fondue, pork belly caramélisé with garlic cloves, crispy pork on crepes wrapped with scallion and cucumber strings special sauce, more pork-this time sweet and sour tempura coated, sautéed aubergine topped by the house speciality lamb.
Of course, we did not forget the rice special and a bowl of plain white rice. Dahlinks, we ate like hoes! Social banter steered to Ria’s most beautiful granddaughter River and our fave pet peeves of the week. But most of all, the dinner was full of toasts to Joel, our débonnaire French bon vivant!
MY PRAYER
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. Psalm 59:16–17, NIV*
