I had two different ideas for the first sentence of this article. The first one was to write about how fast I walk on Rue Réamur & Rue de Bretagne until Les Enfants du Marché after getting off at Arts et Métiers station. The second one was that I had actually wanted to write this article many times before, but I gave up thinking that something might be missing if I wrote it now.
I'm writing both of them because I still can't decide which one to choose. My relationship with Les Enfants du Marché began in 2018 when I was exploring the 3rd arrondissement. While walking down the streets, I came across the entrance of Marché des Enfants Rouges. I was very excited when I went inside because I had discovered a covered market with different stalls inside, just like La Boqueria in Barcelona and Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid, which I had seen on previous holidays and enjoyed more than just eating. It seemed like a guarantee that I could find good food. This market is the first covered market in Paris. It was established in 1628 and has been protected as a "historic monument" since 1982. I went inside and examined everything, and then it was love at first sight !!! At the far end of the market corner, there's a team working like bees, led by a boss who clearly seems like he loves his job, and customer base made up of locals and tourists sitting on high bar stools. I have to be honest, when I first saw the bar stools, I never thought they would be comfortable, and even after all these years, I still feel the same way, even though I can sit on them for up to three hours at a time. But I've learned not to get hung up on these details in Paris. If the main product, i.e. the food, is really good and the accompanying wine supports it, then the plate, glass, music, and decor are all in the background and most people don't care, including me. So if you're someone who gets hung up on these things, you won't be happy here. Imagine you're sitting on uncomfortable bar stools with limited space at the bar in front of you, and no heating. Plus, you can't make a reservation. Who would want to come here? Let me explain. Anyone who loves to see seasonal ingredients on the plates, enjoys simple but creative dishes, focuses on savoring every bite of their food, loves natural wine with their meal, respects to people who love their work, is patient, and follows the rules will be happy here. I am happy every time I come here. That's why I walk here quickly with excitement every time I get off the metro.
Would you like me to share my experiences? I imagined you said “yes” 😁
Ok, let’s go; coming here on my birthdays was the best gift I could give to myself. Last summer, I was lucky enough to celebrate my sister's birthday here too. Actually, I recommend this place to anyone who comes to Paris and loves good food. Especially if i have the time and can meet these people, I'm coming right away.
For example, I have come here with Defne and her daughter Ilayda in February and sat in 3-4 degree cold weather, but still left very happy. Another 2 different times, I have seen the sparkle in the eyes of my two favorite chefs from Istanbul, Inanc and Mustafa, when they tasted the food. In fact, Mustafa and I even decided that the crispy pig’s foot couldn't be any better. Every adventure here teaches me something new, when we made Burcu wait in line for about 30 minutes with Banu, we thought she might be annoyed with us, but we learned that no one could get between her and a good onion soup. In January, I saw the respect and love in our experienced chef Seray’s eyes to the young chef Shunta after she tasted mussels with Gorgonzola. All of these signs were encouraging me to write this article, and on March 14th, there was a small wine tasting event. I had the opportunity to taste international wines (There are very good Greek wines, just so you know.) While tasting, i also had a chance to chat with people from different countries whom I had never met before. Both amateur and professional people shared their stories and knowledge about food and wine, and for a few hours, we forgot about the difficulties of life. Therefore, I saw once again that Mika and his team have done a great job of creating an international community that pursues good food and wine. Then I decided that it was time to write this article because I felt like i am also a small part of this community.
Perhaps my indecisiveness for the opening sentence helped me in creating the entire article. It is fantastic, right? But I wish I had also talked about Mika a little bit in my article. I wish I had talked about how disciplined he is despite looking very relaxed while doing his job. I wish I had talked about how he helps his entire team during lunchtime, especially on weekends and holidays, between 12:00 and 14:30, by working at the rotating very crowded market how he maintains order and ensures that no one cuts in line without losing his composure. I wish I had written about how he confidently handed over the reins to his assistant chef Shunta when his former chef Masahide wanted to start a new adventure and supported Shunta in taking his dishes to the next level. I wish I had written about how Shunta added more elegance to the plates after taking over the role. I wish I had written about how Shunta's smile adds positive energy to those around him. I wish I had written about Shunta's passion for vegetables.
Oops, I guess I wrote them all.
