Le Comptoir Di Relais, Paris

"1-hour waiting time, no table!" These negative words greeted us by a snobbish yet good looking Maitre D' (Oliver, if I recall correctly) when we arrived at 12:15pm on a busy Monday. Hmmmm, do we move on or patiently wait?  We opted for the latter as Le Comptoir du Relais, a small bistro by world-renowned Chef Yves Camdeborde that seats only 20, was highly recommended by friends, and almost always appears on the "must visit" Paris eating haunts of foodies (the name literally translates as "the artists' bar", which makes apt sense since the restaurant is located in Paris' theater district). Case closed, we're eating here no matter what!

Foie Gras de Canard
to start our meal

Once seated and well-settled in the casual and unpretentious interiors, we wasted no time and scanned the menu, ordered away, and became living proof that this place is indeed one of the best "Good Eats" France has to offer.

As an opening salvo, we opted for the Escargots de Bourgogne, or wild snails from Burgundy sauteed in garlic butter and minced parsley. Like an itch that need to be scratched, we just had to sample what the fuzz is all about. Tasty!

Our first course was a no-brainer, Sweet Roasted Scallops In Butter With Soft, Bitter Endive. This dish is a gold mine for seafood lovers like us. 6 plump and succulent scallops expertly seared and infused in a hot butter-based sauce made with a reduction of vermouth. Winner!

And now for our main course, what caught our fancy was the Cochon de Lait, which literally translates as "pig in milk" or "suckling pig." Le Comptoir's interpretation consists of slow-cooked pork, deconstructed and reassembled into a ring form and served over stewed lentils. Now this is French Cooking at its best!

Overall, lunch at Le Comptoir was a grand experience! Our bill for 2 (make that 2 and 1/2) came out to be EUROS 80. Not exactly cheap, but truly exceptional! BON APPETIT!