Kunitoraya

Eating out in Paris can be expensive but I always make an exception for Japanese food. It’s funny how even though I’m in gastro-fabulous France, my favourite restaurant in all of Paris is a little hole-in-the-wall (and sub terrain cave) Japanese rice and noodle place.

The queue hanging in front of its entrance is proof to its popularity, as well as the Japanese family and businessmen clientele. Inside, on the ground floor, there’s a hot and steamy open kitchen where large pots of soup bubble away and counters of hungry stomachs wait patiently (or impatiently) for their bowls of sublime goodness.

Head downstairs to the basement and you’ll find yourself in a windowless (sweat-inducing during summer!) whitewashed cave with as many solid wooden tables for two and four crammed in as possible.

My favourite and regular order is the Tendon – super light and crispy tempura vegetables and prawn on a bed of white steaming rice, served in a large, deep bowl and accompanied by a separate delicate sauce which I use to drench my meal.

However on our last visit there, I opted for the Kitsune-Udon, a voluptuous meal of slippery firm udon in a tasty broth with a large piece of sweet fried tofu floating on top. Yum!

Hubs had the Katsudon, a bowl of fluffy grains of Japanese rice topped with lightly crumbed pork and onions combined with egg, with a sprinkling of a simple yet flavoursome sauce, accompanied by tangy pickles.

It’s a little on the expensive side but definitely worth every centime.

If you’re in Paris, try to get there early (before 12:30PM), or late (after 3PM), or be prepared for a long and hungry wait!

Can’t wait to go there again!

Address: 39, rue Sainte-Anne, Paris
Website: http://www.kunitoraya.com/