Review: Paris Tour

Paris Tour is a restaurant that suffers from trying to do too much at once. If the result was fantastic, we’d be lauding their blend of French, Vietnamese and African cuisine. However, it flows more like a patchy mash-up mixed tape.

The link between the cuisines on offer is assumedly the French influences in their respective countries and regions. The menu speaks of classic French bistro dishes, African-influenced grilled meats with rice, and a bowl of pho. All is served to a backdrop including a huge golden Buddha, Chinese calligraphy friezes and way too much garish furniture.

We didn’t pause to ask questions. Hot towels and a warm baguette are served quickly enough to take things down a relaxing notch. A large glass of draught Tiger (RMB35) is just the ticket to regain full normality.

The food that follows doesn’t deliver a significant reward. Too imbalanced and dry is a duck confit with a mountain of mushrooms and a slice of pear-infused potato gratin (RMB130). Too disparate and unfocused is a half a grilled chicken with a mound of fragrant rice and blackened bananas (RMB168).

The appetizers, on the other hand, fare much better in comparison. A generous plate of cold cuts (RMB88) has a fine selection of salami, mortadella, prosciutto and a perhaps defamatory, but also tasty, sprinkling of grated cheese. A mound of salmon tartare (RMB68, pictured in the headline) blends raw fish, capers, spices and egg yolk into a mouthful of decadence.

Sometimes, appetizers are the true reason to frequent certain restaurants and we’d love to say the same here. Unfortunately, given Paris Tour’s mishmash of styles and cuisines, we’re left in a head spin. Here on Nanchang Lu’s leafy streets of cute boutiques and coffee shops, it feels out of sync.

We'll be popping back in for an order of those blackened bananas though. They’re truly delicious.