Finally, a real lunch!

I’m feeling quite proud of myself so I had to share… since I work on the Champs Elysees, there are dozens of cafes and places to get lunch. But of course, you end up paying about 8€ for a stale, disgusting sandwich in a crowded shop, simply because its on the CE. Last Friday, I went to lunch with a woman I met at church a few weeks ago. She introduced me to the shops BEHIND the CE, where all the French people working in the neighborhood take lunch. It's cheaper and the food is much better—and you won’t find tourists wandering along those back streets (well except for the clever ones). We had a great meal of Moroccan home cooking that day. I decided to try to find a place on my own this afternoon and stumbled upon Petit Panier Vert (the Small Green Basket), a tiny Korean shop a few blocks from my office (8, rue d'Artois) owned by the sweetest little couple. I paid 6€ for my lunch—a big (big by French standards of course) bowl of steamed rice with veggies and beef. It was delicious!