Oh La La Asia? Moulin De Paris Offers Surprises

By Serena Spencer

Tell someone you are dining at Moulin de Paris, and they’ll probably picture a quaint French bistro. That is, unless they’re from Pasadena; then they’ll picture a hip, upper-scale “Euro-Asian Bistro.” Don’t let the strip-mall location fool you; this place delivers a wonderful dining experience.

For lunch or afternoon tea, Moulin de Paris is a top-notch choice. But they really shine at dinner and dessert. The wine list is extensive, with some surprising gems, and the menu is heavy on the Asian element. Fusion cuisine is usually a hit or miss, and at Moulin de Paris, it’s mostly a hit.

We kicked off dinner with garden rolls, which were simple with a lightly sweet peanut sauce, and charbroiled oysters. The oysters were a special, and so good someone needs to tell the chef to put them on the menu permanently.

For entrees, we selected soft rice noodles with shrimp and lemongrass chicken. The rice noodles were mild, served with a very light peanut sauce and sautéed vegetables. The chicken was sublime. The meat was perfectly cooked, seasoned just right and served on a bed of “fried rice” unlike any take-out fried rice you’ve ever experienced. Instead of being overly doused in soy, this boasted a delicate pan-fried flavor that was the perfect complement to the spicy-sweet sauce. The only disappointment was in the signature mango salad. While lovely to look at and a beautiful mix of flavors, it was marred by under-ripe mango.

Dessert was a standout. Our server brought a tray overflowing with delectable selections, from a hazelnut mousse, to three different Napoleons, éclairs, assorted tarts and sorbets. When we learned all of the desserts are crafted in-house, we were delighted. We finally settled on the strawberry Napoleon. The coffee was strong and rich, and the Napoleon was a just-right blend of crispy-tender pastry, rich cream and sweet fruit. While many pastries can err on the cloyingly sweet side, this was a perfect balance.

Service was impeccable, neither too present nor not present enough and the food was delightful, making for an experience worthy of repeating. The minor negatives were not enough to mar an otherwise wonderful dinner. Pricing is in the moderate range and there is a prix fixe menu offering a selection of appetizer, entrée and dessert for $26 per person.

Website: www.moulindeparismd.com

Phone: 443-817-2942