Scrumptious galettes @ Crêperie Ahna, Dinan (France)

We ate Breton galettes for our final meal in Dinan, a specialty of the Brittany region. Crêperie Ahna was always full whenever we walked past, and that particular day was no different. I was told that there would be a 45 minute wait for a table, so we came back later at the specified time. This crêperie had a lively atmosphere, and there were large family groups as well as couples enjoying many types of buckwheat pancakes. Service was prompt and helpful, and the food was delicious.

Full house at this popular crêperie:

Our last meal in Brittany would not be complete without another of its specialties, apple cider. This was one of the Val de Rance ciders:

The menu was in French, offering a comprehensive list of galette fillings, and they all looked good. We knew we would take awhile considering the menu, so we placed an order for the boy from the Menu Enfant (kids menu) first. The kids menu was affordably priced at 6.50 euros, included a soft drink or juice, and the boy could choose from four types of simple galettes and either a chocolate crêpe or two scoops of ice cream flavour of his choice. We were all happy with our choices of galettes and desserts.

The boy was given a tin of colour pencils, to colour in the other side of the Menu Enfant, which entertained the boy for awhile until his food arrived. Also on the table was his apple juice (included in the kids menu) and a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower, the boy's most favourite toy on this whole trip and for awhile after we returned home (to say he was obsessed with Eiffel Tower would be an understatement):

Galette Jambon Oeuf (ham and egg galette), from the kids menu:

Hubby's choice of galette was La Picarde St-Jacques (fondue de poireaux, coquilles St-Jacques, crème fraîche, 10.65 euros). Creamy scallops with leeks was a winner with hubby who loves scallops and everything creamy:

Mine was La Galette Ahna (filets de magret de canard au beurre d'escargot, salade, 9.65 euros). I figured this must be a special dish as it was named after the crêperie. The duck breast was succulent, and finished off nicely with the 'snail butter' (there's no actual snail in the butter):

The kid enjoyed his two scoops of chocolate ice cream and Smarties:

La Délice D'Ahna (crêpe chocolat chaud, glace vanille, griottes, chantilly, 7.15 euros). The hot chocolate sauce contrasted nicely with the vanilla ice cream, though I wasn't a big fan of the morello cherries and cream. No complaints from hubby, except that he'd eaten more than he ought to:

This was an excellent meal to fare us well on our way from the region of Brittany. Reservations are highly recommended.

[Prices quoted above do not include tax and service charges.]

Creperie Ahna
7 rue de la Poissonerie
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 39 09 13

Dinan (Part 3): Walking tour of the ramparts

This is the third and final post on our walking exploration of the ancient port town of Dinan (click to read parts one and two). There aren't many photos in this post, as the rain had cut short our plan to complete a walking tour of the entire ramparts that fully encloses Dinan, and we also had a bus and train to catch back to Paris in the afternoon so we didn't have the luxury of continuing if the rain stopped (which it didn't). Dinan's ramparts may not be as big as Saint-Malo's wall, but it possesses a certain rustic charm that conveyed better of an era long gone by.

The starting point of our walking tour of the ramparts was Dinan Castle, which also houses the museum:

St Louis Gate by the castle keep:

The exterior of the castle keep:

The exterior of the rampart was mostly monotonous (see next photo) except for occasional features such as this:

Looks pretty ominous and effective at keeping out any unwanted visitors in ancient times:

Residential area outside the wall:

Taking shelter from the drizzle under a large tree that hadn't yet been soaked through its foliage:

Modernity juxtaposed with the medieval. We were heading towards the main part of town. If you look closely, the steps are wet from the drizzle except for where it is sheltered by the foliage of the tree we were resting under:

A medieval building:

We really enjoyed our trip out to this part of France - it was a refreshing change from the busy fast-paced ultra-modern life in Hong Kong.

Excellent French dinner @ La Fleur de Sel, Dinan (France)

After our day trip to Saint-Malo, we were ready to sit down to a delicious French meal. We'd made reservations at La Fleur de Sel the previous evening after dinner across the street, and we arrived a little before the restaurant opened for dinner service. We were seated anyway, at a table towards the back of the second dining room - which was perfect for us with a noisy 5-year-old child.

The empty second dining room, before the restaurant began dinner service:

Despite the isolated location, we weren't at all neglected, and we were attended to by the owner himself, who was a personable and charming chap. The service was attentive and helpful, and the food was excellent. There were three levels of prix fixe courses available, as well as a kids menu (only for the under 15s) and an a-la-carte menu. The 26€ prix-fixe menu gave two choices for each of the three courses, and the 34€ menu gave more options with completely different dishes to the 26€ menu. I went for the former and hubby had the latter. The boy got a 2-course meal from Menu Junior (13.90€), which also offered a 3-course option for 4€ more. The kids menu was the most sophisticated kids menu I have encountered, with three choices for each course. We all enjoyed the delicious food, including the 5-year-old, who can be picky when dining out.

An apéritif for hubby:

Amuse-bouche was a delicious cold pumpkin soup:

Hubby's entrée: 6 huître de Bretagne, vinaigre d'échalotes et blinis de sarrasin (half-dozen Brittany oysters with shallot vinegar and buckwheat blinis). I love oysters au naturale, and these were yummy, however I am still partial to the plump Pacific oysters we used to get in Australia and Japan:

My entrée was Tartare de saumon aux herbs fraîches, caprons et croustillant de galette (salmon tartare with fresh herbes, capers and crispy galette). Beautifully presented, and the tartare was seasoned well with a good balance of salty and sour. I'd never had such large capers before:

The boy chose fish for his main course, Filet de poisson du marché, petits légumes au beurre (fish of the day with buttered vegetables). The cod was cooked perfectly, and the buttered vegetables were fantastic (though it was near impossible to get him eating the veges):

Hubby's Dos de cabillaud au four & Tranche d'aubergine confite à la pulpe d'olive noire, salade de roquette & ail caramelisé, vinaigre de citron artisanal & mousse d'avocat (baked cod and sliced eggplant confit in black olive pulp, with rocket and caramelised garlic salad, artisanal lemon vinegar and avocado mousse). This was a creative dish that was well put together. Hubby is not a big fan of aubergine, so that baby came to this mama. The 'salad' was interestingly presented and very tasty with the sweet caramelised garlic. And lastly, the components of the avocado mousse combined well, with the slightly crunchy vegetable cubes offsetting the soft texture of the mousse:

My main was Aile de raie en vol au vent, pesto de roquette & basilic aux noix et légumes d'été confits (skate vol au vent with rocket & basil walnut pesto, and summer vegetables confit). Gorgeously presented with amazing flavours:

For dessert, the boy chose chocolate ice cream, and it was yummy! This, he had no problem finishing on his own (without touching the fruits, of course):

Hubby could choose any dessert from the a-la-carte menu, and he opted for the one that gave a variety of sweets on one plate. Good choice, as we got to taste many desserts offered on the menu, including an apricot madeleine, chocolate creme, salted butter caramel profiterole and a fruit parfait. They were all scrumptious:

My dessert was Profiteroles au chocolat, amandes grillées, crème fouettée et glace vanille (chocolate profiteroles, grilled almonds and vanilla ice cream). This was every bit as good as it looks! Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream sandwiched within and topped with melted chocolate. This had to be the best version of profiteroles I've ever had!

And that, my friends, was another excellent meal in France!

La Fleur de Sel
7 Rue Sainte-Claire
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 85 15 14

French baked goodies in Dinan

If I felt that our trip to Bali was a lifetime ago, our summer trip to Europe was eons ago. But I still have many many photos waiting to be chronicled, so here I am trudging forward. One of the things I miss the most about France are the delicious baguettes from boulangeries that seem to be on every street corner, whether in a big city like Paris, or a small medieval town like Dinan. I was in foodie heaven every morning in France as we ate freshly baked goodies for breakfast. Here are some of what we ate for breakfast during our short stay in Dinan.

In Place des Merciers in the middle of the town centre, there's a boulangerie called Fournil des Cordeliers which belongs to the Ronde des Pains network.

Fournil des Cordeliers, where we bought...

... a pain au chocolat (chocolate bread, one of my son's favourite)...

... a pain aux raisins (raisin bread, another one my son always chose for breakfast in France)...

... and finally a multigrain baguette for hubby and I. There's nothing quite like biting the crispy crust of a freshly baked baguette into the soft chewy middle of a tasty baguette, and the multigrain factor was an added healthful plus for protein and fibre:

Fournil des Cordeliers
8 Place des Cordeliers
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 39 11 23

For breakfast on our second morning, we got our breakfast goods from three different spots.

First boulangerie we hit up was La Mie Caline, where we bought...

... a pain au chocolat for the boy...:

... and a chocolate bread for hubby:

La Mie Caline
22 Rue du Marchix
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 87 52 43

Next we went a couple of shops down the street to La Flûte Gana:

From there we bought a pain aux raisins for the boy:

La Flûte Gana
26 Rue Marchix
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 85 29 76

Finally we went to the boulangerie inside one of the oldest remaining markets in Dinan known as La Cohue (where there are many other shops selling everything like fresh fruits and vegetables, charcuterie and cheese, and you can also eat-in or take-away food from a bistro, a café-crêperie and a rotisserie-friterie):

A cheese baguette from the boulangerie inside the covered market for me:

La Cohue
Les Halles
Entrance via Rue du Petit Pain or Rue de la Ferroniere
(between Rue de la Chaux and Rue de la Mittrie)
22100 Dinan
France

There were a few more boulangeries in Dinan that we missed but would have loved to try. Perhaps next time if we ever find ourselves back here!

French seafood dinner @ Le Cantorbery, Dinan (France)

French cuisine is one of my favourite types of food, and I was in foodie heaven during our week-long stay in France during the summer. The food we had in the medieval Breton town of Dinan may not be as sophisticated as some of the food we ate in Paris, but it was nevertheless delicious in its own way. After a long day of walking and sightseeing around Dinan, we were grateful to finally sit down for dinner at Le Cantorbery.

Le Cantorbery just before the start of dinner service at 7pm. The dining room was full within an hour:

Le Cantorbery is a small and charming restaurant in a 17th-century townhouse. The warm and cosy atmosphere was inviting, and staff were friendly and spoke good English. The menu was in French, but our waiter was happy to explain the dishes and answer any questions we had. Ordering was simple; there were two types of set menus available for 29 euros and 40 euros, and ordering from the a-la-carte menu was also an option. Hubby and I both went with the 29 euros menu, and there were seven choices for each of the three courses. The food was delicious, well-presented and top-notch quality.

Brittany is where good French cider comes from, so hubby took the opportunity to order a local cider: Val de Rance Cidre Bouché Brut:

The amuse bouche of a chilled tomato soup:

For entrée, hubby chose Croquant de lapin aux petits légumes et mesclun de salades (crispy rabbit with vegetables and mesclun salad). Prepared like a spring roll, it was a nice way to eat rabbit meat, which did not have a gamey flavour at all:

I went for the Assiette du mareyeur (seafood platter) for my entrée. Large serving size, and the seafood was fresh and delicious. It was messy eating, but well worth the effort:

Hubby's main - Pavé de lieu jaune au vinaigre balsamique (pollock with balsamic vinegar sauce). The white-fleshed fish was similar to cod, and it was beautifully cooked. The dark balsamic sauce was perhaps a bit too heavy for this mild-tasting fish, but it was nice in its own right - rich, thick and sweet:

I got the Pavé de saumon grillé au feu de bois, sauce béarnaise (wood-fired grilled salmon with bearnaise sauce). I was glad that the bearnaise sauce was served separately on the side because I didn't care too much for it, though hubby liked eating the salmon with the sauce just fine. The salmon was great with a lovely lightly charred flavour:

One dessert was Soufflé glacé é l'Izarra Verte (frozen soufflé with Izarra Verte, a sweet peppermint-flavoured liqueur). The frozen soufflé was like ice-cream but with a lighter texture. I liked the combination of the minty flavoured soufflé with the chocolate disc and sorbet:

The other dessert was Croustillant aux fraises (strawberry croustillant). Layers of sweet fresh strawberries with crispy sweet biscuits in a pool of smooth custard. It was a refreshing and light choice for dessert:

We were very happy with our meal at Le Cantorbery with nothing to complain about. It is a popular choice for dinner, so reservations are highly recommended.

Le Cantorbery
6 rue Sainte-Claire
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. + 33 2 96 39 02 52

Dinan (Part 2): Rue de Jerzual and the old port

Continuing on with our sightseeing walk around Dinan, we headed down Rue de Jerzual, the steep and scenic route down to the old port by River Rance. I wouldn't like to do the walk back up this road into town, unless I was looking for a good workout. Instead, we walked south along the River Rance, through the viaduct, came up alongside the outer rampart walls and went through an entrance that brought us to Jardin Anglais (English Garden). At the top of the rampart wall, we enjoyed a beautiful view of what's beyond Dinan's wall and River Rance. On our walk we also got to try the delicious Breton cake, kouign-amann, which was a much welcomed afternoon snack to fuel our walk (that took longer than planned due to outdated information on the guide map). Without much further ado, here are the photos!

Beautiful medieval houses along Rue de Jerzual:

One of the many gates along the rampart walls that surrounds the town of Dinan:

Stripey paintwork is a common theme:

At the bottom of Rue de Jerzual, opposite the bridge, was a small boulangerie called La Maison de Tatie Jeanne, offering all sorts of delicious-looking pastries, cakes and breads:

Kouign Amann translates to "butter cake". Crusty on the outside, layered puffs on the inside - simply yum:

By the River Rance:

Shops and restaurants opposite the port:

A huge viaduct spanning the valley across the River Rance:

I think the viaduct makes a pretty road bridge:

Walking up the pathway along the rampart wall:

The panoramic view out from the top of the wall (click on image for larger view):

The garden simply known as Jardin Anglais (English Garden):

Saint-Sauveur's Basilica, which we'd seen earlier from a distance in the clock tower:

The clock tower, viewed from inside the courtyard:

There are lots more to show and tell from our Europe trip, and I hope to get through them in good time.