Fancy something other than the usual Japanese spot or yet another pad thai? This autumn, Paris is welcoming three new restaurants bringing the flavours of Asia to the capital. From fine Chinese cuisine to a seriously comforting Vietnamese eatery and expertly crafted Japanese ramen, these three new addresses are well worth adding to your foodie list.
Bund
Why we love it: Just a stone’s throw from the lively Grands Boulevards, this new Chinese restaurant is taking a fine-dining approach and stands out as one of the only restaurants of its kind in the neighbourhood. Behind the stove is Japanese chef Ryuya Ono, whose Magma restaurant we recently loved. He is now turning his attention to the specialities of the Middle Kingdom, reworking them through his own Japanese sensibility and creative eye. The setting is just as appealing, with a colourful dining room inspired by the interiors of 1990s Shanghai.
What to order: Although the dishes can also be ordered à la carte, we recommend going straight for the Signature eight-course menu (€95) to experience the full range of flavours. Start with the highly addictive pork wontons served in chicken broth (€6). The silky tomato and scrambled egg (€12) is an instant favourite, as are the melt-in-the-mouth marinated langoustines (€20). More adventurous diners can try the veal brain mapo tofu (€26) – surprisingly excellent – while we have a soft spot for the meaty texture of eel with sweet-and-sour sauce (€30) or the aged beef fillet with black pepper (€49). The menu is full of delicate flavours and playful textures, right through to dessert, with a silky almond flan topped with black sesame (€10). An excellent lunch option too, with set menus at €29 and €35.
Bund, 24 rue Feydeau, Paris 2nd*. +33 1 42 60 06 28. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner. The restaurant's official website currently lists lunch from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 7pm to 11pm.
BẾP
Why we love it: Just a few steps from Pigalle, BẾP feels like stepping into a Vietnamese street-food shop, with a setting inspired by the markets Marie and Antoine Nguyen used to visit as children with their grandmother. Part of the second generation of their family to settle in France, the brother-and-sister duo are now continuing the story of the family restaurant where they grew up, alongside Émilien Quéméner. Take a seat at one of the Formica tables or at the counter overlooking the open kitchen and enjoy a lively, instinctive and downright delicious style of cooking.
What to order: At BẾP, southern Vietnamese cuisine is all about sharing, with beef carpaccio, butter-fried corn and nuoc-mâm chicken wings among the highlights. Then come three generous sharing baskets served with rice paper, salad, pickles, pineapple and cucumber: Heo Quay, featuring crispy pork belly (€19 per person); Nam Xao, with grilled oyster mushrooms in coconut milk and crispy enoki mushrooms (€18 per person); or Ca Chien, made with the fried fish of the day (€21 per person, minimum two people). Everyone builds their own perfect rice-paper wrap before dipping it into their chosen sauce. Our recommendation? Whatever you do, save room for the Banh chuoi, an absolutely divine banana cake (€8). We could almost come back just for dessert…
BẾP, 49 rue Marguerite-de-Rochechouart, Paris 9th. +33 6 18 39 36 44. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 7pm to midnight. Reservations via Zenchef. Sharing platters are available at weekends only (Friday and Saturday evenings). Sharing dishes are available during the week.
© Yves Kharfan
Toy
Why we love it: Just a few steps from Bastille, a wonderfully comforting aroma leads you to Toy, a ramen restaurant with a raw yet cosy interior and a decidedly cool atmosphere. There are two options when you arrive: a more traditional table for face-to-face dining or a seat at the counter, right in the middle of the action. The open kitchen offers a front-row view of chef George Black, a true ramen obsessive, and his team as they prepare this wonderfully delicate Japanese dish. Order a glass of wine (€8–10) on the server's recommendation and sip it while watching the magic happen.
What to order: The keyword here? Minimalism! The menu is deliberately concise, offering four ramen bowls, the result of years of research. The base, somewhere between land and sea, gets its unique depth from a broth combining chicken and smoked eel. Choose between the delicate Shio (€21) and the more intense Shoyu (€21). Each bowl comes with a perfectly runny egg, beautifully grilled pork and house-made noodles with just the right texture. There is also a veggie version with miso (€18), grilled vegetables and mushrooms, plus a new cold ramen (€20) that is fresh, light and seriously satisfying. A few small plates are designed to pair perfectly with the steaming bowls. Our pick? The Singapore-style fried chicken (€12), served with plum sauce and nori seaweed – absolutely irresistible!
Toy, 21 rue Saint Nicolas, Paris 12th*. Open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 6pm to 10:30pm, Saturday from 12:30pm to 3pm and 6pm to 10:30pm, and Sunday from 12:30pm to 5pm. Current listings confirm these opening hours.
Also discover our favourite Paris restaurants for lunch under €30 and Orson, the new hot spot in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
