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We came, we ate, we went home happy

Growing up, prowling the pasar malam at least once a week for food was pretty much a given. Cheap yet delicious street food easily attracted the throng, and at some stalls, show up late and you can forget about tasting their goods. I miss the hustle and bustle of food preparation by the street, the perfection achieved by stall owners who have run their business for (often) decades. I also often chide my younger self for taking such wonderful thing for granted.

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

With the advent of globalisation, food truck and street food have arrived in Paris, although often with a price tag that had me mentally calculating how much more food I could buy at the same value and I’m not even taking into account currency exchange – just the figure! On the other hand, the joy that I get from reliving my childhood habit is kinda priceless, so who cares if I’m not one of the cool kids and I pay a wee bit more? Luckily, Le Food Market came along.

Participated by nearly a couple of dozen food and drink providers (not always the same ones each time) on Boulevard de Belleville between métro stations of Couronnes and Menilmontant, this street feast takes place once a month. The first edition kicked off this summer in July, went on the summer break, and came back with a hurrah in September. That was when I caught wind of this fantastic market, and vowed I’d make it to the October party, even if it’s located on the other side of the city from me!

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Le Food Market

Together with Soph, we headed straight to Belleville from work. It took us nearly an hour to get there, spiced up with some drama on the métro when irate commuters had a go at one another… We were also greeted by light drizzle, but at the flavours that permeate the air, revealling the variety of cuisine that can be found here, from Asia to America, both savoury and sweet, we knew our effort had been repaid. I tried to take a few photos but I was mostly distracted and starting to feel hunger kicking in.

Handily, long tables and benches were aplenty to give us spaces to sit and eat. The crowd just grew thicker and the queues longer as the evening advanced. The convivial mood, soothed by a jazz quartet playing near the Couronnes end, was definitely different from the loud, hot and near-frantic pace of an Asian street food market. As we weaved through the crowd, I thought to myself, I’d happily return to Le Food Market every month should the standard be kept high while the prices affordable, like now.



Category: Event, Food & Drink, Paris

Tagged: , , , ,

4 scribbles & notes

  1. med says:

    I miss pasar malam or just plain cheap hawker food too ;) there are also similar night market here in melb but prices are definitely not cheap hahaha

    • Lil says:

      In general, most street food thingy here are not cheap either. This is the first that I found reasonable and worth making an effort to go to.

  2. Chloé says:

    Oh please do take me along ^_^

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