Fuxia
Doughy bread, a tipi of prosciutto protecting sprigs of arugula, ravioli smothered in rich cream, and adorable little profiteroles lined up in a row--this was my dinner last night. My friend, Shonali, and I dined at Fuxia, a restaurant that my "host sister" recommended.
This buzzing Italian chain crops up in several different locations around Paris, and even around other parts of France. Shonali likened it to Bertucci's in the U.S., and I think her comparison has merit. Its commercialized Italian found outside of Italy. It's delicious, but nothing special.
We started our evening off with some fresh bread. If you like your french bread crackly on the outside and light on the inside, as many Frenchmen do, this heavy, doughy bread may not meet your expectations. If you're like me and you can find the silver lining in almost any chunk of carbs, I'd say that these slices of bread were the perfect taste and texture to swirl around and gather up leftover ravioli cream sauce (but I'll get to that in a minute).
While we were waiting for a table (about a 20 minute wait during the dinner rush) we took mental notes of the food around us so that when the menu came we had already decided on an appetizer. Although we had to do some hunting and guessing for the proper selection, we managed to land on the proper one: a massive plate of prosciutto and cheese-covered arugela. The leafy greens, which formed a grassy hill in the middle of our plate, were then covered over by the meat, solidifying the mound. Cherry tomatoes, olives, and balls of mozzerlla cheese seemed to have rolled down the mountain side to land in the valley below. Everything was delicious and flavorful, until the excess arugela, sad and uncomplimented, even by a little splash of salad dressing, was left like unattended weeds. We decided the flavorless greens weren't worthy of our stomach space, especially since dinner hadn't even arrived yet.
When it did arrive, I wasn't dissappointed. The portion was large enough to fill me up, but not so large that I couldn't finish it. (For those of you who know me well, or have just seen me eat, I know that this description doesn't exactly give you a good size estimate. Would a normal eater be able to finish it? Well, it was just Shonali and me, so I would have no way of knowing.) The cream sauce was rich and heavy, but not overly so, and it coated the little pouches of ravioli quite nicely.
For dessert Shonali insisted on profiteroles. They came all cute and round, lined up five in a row on a long, thin plate. I was surprised to find that they weren't filled with cream but with ice cream. The ice cream and the chocolate drizzled on top were both very good, but I have to admit that the tasteless, almost cardboard like "puffs" didn't live up to what was sandwiched inside.
We got all this, excellent service, and a glass of wine each for just 56 euro. That may not seem inexpensive at first glance, but I believe everything was very reasonably priced, even a bargain in comparison to any other restaurant that offers three courses.
This buzzing Italian chain crops up in several different locations around Paris, and even around other parts of France. Shonali likened it to Bertucci's in the U.S., and I think her comparison has merit. Its commercialized Italian found outside of Italy. It's delicious, but nothing special.
We started our evening off with some fresh bread. If you like your french bread crackly on the outside and light on the inside, as many Frenchmen do, this heavy, doughy bread may not meet your expectations. If you're like me and you can find the silver lining in almost any chunk of carbs, I'd say that these slices of bread were the perfect taste and texture to swirl around and gather up leftover ravioli cream sauce (but I'll get to that in a minute).
While we were waiting for a table (about a 20 minute wait during the dinner rush) we took mental notes of the food around us so that when the menu came we had already decided on an appetizer. Although we had to do some hunting and guessing for the proper selection, we managed to land on the proper one: a massive plate of prosciutto and cheese-covered arugela. The leafy greens, which formed a grassy hill in the middle of our plate, were then covered over by the meat, solidifying the mound. Cherry tomatoes, olives, and balls of mozzerlla cheese seemed to have rolled down the mountain side to land in the valley below. Everything was delicious and flavorful, until the excess arugela, sad and uncomplimented, even by a little splash of salad dressing, was left like unattended weeds. We decided the flavorless greens weren't worthy of our stomach space, especially since dinner hadn't even arrived yet.
When it did arrive, I wasn't dissappointed. The portion was large enough to fill me up, but not so large that I couldn't finish it. (For those of you who know me well, or have just seen me eat, I know that this description doesn't exactly give you a good size estimate. Would a normal eater be able to finish it? Well, it was just Shonali and me, so I would have no way of knowing.) The cream sauce was rich and heavy, but not overly so, and it coated the little pouches of ravioli quite nicely.
For dessert Shonali insisted on profiteroles. They came all cute and round, lined up five in a row on a long, thin plate. I was surprised to find that they weren't filled with cream but with ice cream. The ice cream and the chocolate drizzled on top were both very good, but I have to admit that the tasteless, almost cardboard like "puffs" didn't live up to what was sandwiched inside.
We got all this, excellent service, and a glass of wine each for just 56 euro. That may not seem inexpensive at first glance, but I believe everything was very reasonably priced, even a bargain in comparison to any other restaurant that offers three courses.
Are you sure you don't want a side venture as a restaurant critic?? Love the description of the arugula salad.
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