Pop-Up Dinners in Paris

Last Saturday I went to a popup dinner organized and prepared by Foodshootr and Chef Papa Serra Jr. The concept is simple: foodies getting together over a chef-prepared meal. Sounds simple right? Except you actually eat with strangers. I was a little apprehensive upon entering, but as soon as I stepped inside, I was warmly welcomed by the organizers.

After downing a delicious strawberry Bellini, we kicked off the festivities with humungous Spanish olives stuffed with guava and fresh goat cheese…YUM!!

It sounds weird, but tastes amazingly good.

Then we were served our starter #2: crumbles of sheep’s milk cheese, banana pepper and jelly on a red chicory leaf. Not only was the composition oh-la-la pretty, but it was actually quite delightful. Sheep’s cheese and jelly is already a winning combo in my book, and to pair that up with a slightly tart banana pepper and bittersweet red chicory leaf felt very creative.

Next we had a toasted almond gazpacho with pomegranate and basil oil. A bit too liquidy for my palette, taste-wise the combo was interesting and not displeasing at all.

Then came the marinated carrots with hazelnuts, capers and sumac yogurt. I wasn’t into the rustic presentation. I expected something a bit more elegant…the huge chunks of carrot kind of plopped together didn’t really work.

Next in line was roasted potatoes with a red pepper topping. The presentation was as rustic as the previous starter. Luckily the taste was extremely good. If you’re into hearty country-style food, then this is for you.
Then we had prawn on a mini-bed of ratatouille, topped with chorizo crumbs. This was quite the treat! The prawn was plump and juicy and not one second overcooked. The ratatouille was seasoned to perfection and had a nice chorizo crunch that I really enjoyed.

We continued with a salmon tartare with pink peppercorns, shallots, avocado, cured lemons, crispy potato. This was probably one of the most decadent salmon tartares I’ve ever had. It was refreshing, but creamy and with a hint of comfort-food feel to it as well.

The last main was a spiced chicken with fresh cheese, raisins, walnuts, fine salad leaves and green hummus…sounds good right? Well….it was! I loved finding delightful bits of raisins in my mouthfuls, and the earthy green hummus just bridged everything together and made the combination all the more delectable.
 

For dessert we had scrumptious homemade hazelnut ice cream accompanied by crushed pistachio plus a healthier yogurt with fresh fig, honey and a hazelnut crunch that was quite lovely as well.

While I can’t rave about every single dish at this EatUp dinner, but that’s not surprising considering there were ten courses! What I did find fabulous was the experience I had of this memorable dinner…I met and mingled with so many interesting people from all different backgrounds, but with something in common: the passion for good food.

Eat Up Europe Price: 10-course dinner US$62
For more pop-up dinners in Paris read our latest food article.
About the Author: Fooled one too many times by tripist traps, Paris for Epicureans scours the city hunting out restaurants worth your time and money. Fabulous, so-so, flat out bad, she tells it like it is! Photos taken by Paris for Epicureans unless noted.