Royal Food (Paris, France)

Boulevard de Clichy, 75018, Paris, France

Royal Food is a hole-in-the-wall kebab place in the touristy but seedy area around the Moulin Rouge, which serves kebabs and falafel as well as crepes. It looks quite unhygienic, to be honest, and I don’t even know whether it is really named Royal Food (in fact, I can find no trace of it online).

I get Merguez Sandwich (€5): two small Merguez sausages on panini bread with very spicy Harissa and salad that is strongly dressed with vinegar. Overall more spicy than tasty.

VERDICT: 73/100

Royal Food is a low-level kebab place, which probably changes ownership and name every so many month.

Glacerie Morice Galka (Paris, France)

9 rue des 3 Frères, 75018 Paris, France

Glacerie Morice Galka is a fancy ice cream store in a touristic area of Paris, close to Montmartre. It serves some 30 flavors of “artisan ice cream.” Most are traditional flavors, but there are some more daring creations too.

I get a medium with two flavors (€3.80): Noisette and Lemon. Unfortunately, the flavors are so weak that I hardly taste the difference. The lemon is completely tasteless, the noisette has some hazelnut flavor. Both are mostly creamy.

VERDICT: 72/100

Mostly big portions of flavorless gelato.

Djerba (Paris, France)

55 Boulevard de Montparnasse, 75006 Paris, France

Djerba is a small kebab place on a big street close to Montparnasse, in the heart of Paris. It serves mostly kebabs, fries, and shawarma. It has some seats inside and outside.

I get a kebab salad (€5), which is just a shawarma sandwich. They have a nice spicy mayo sauce, Algerienne (similar to Samourai, but less spicy), and the spiced (chicken?) meat comes on a nice fresh pide bread. I don’t have a Salad or fries; they look standard, but fresh.

VERDICT: 87/100

Djerba offers very affordable and tasty shawarma sandwiches in downtown Paris.

La Pataterie (Roye, France)

Route de Rosières, 80700 Roye, France, T: 03-22-88-88-77

La Pataterie is a French chain, which has restaurants all over France. It is an odd looking place, kind of ski hut. I got off the A1 in the hope to find a kind of Friture, but it is rather a baked potatoes place, which also serves all kinds of salads and their own “Les Patates Burgers”.

Obviously, I get one of those “Les Patates Burgers”, more specifically the Patata Burger “Le Bigre” (€14.90). It really is a bacon burger with caramelized onions, but sandwiched between two röstis (kind of potato cakes) rather than a bun. I get it without cheese, but with a side of fries and mayo. I must admit that I am very skeptical. The burger (minced steak) is very well prepared (medium, as ordered) and tastes good. It is overpowered by the two quite thick röstis, which are also well prepared but just not really my thing. The onions and bacon are also tasty, particularly given that the burger comes without sauce. The fries are airy and crispy, not what I had expected of a place specializing in potato products. Nice though.

They have a huge dessert menu, including Liege Waffles, profiteroles (in different numbers), cakes, and ice creams. I get the “3 Sorbets of Summer” (€5.90): lemon, strawberry, peach, whip cream, and a macaroon. Tastes are not very good, only lemon has some taste. The whip cream is very thick and heavy.

VERDICT: 82/100

Mixed messages. The burger was good, but just not my thing. The ice cream was my thing, but not very good.

Friterie (Onhaye, Belgium)

N-97 & Rue Sur-Le-Mai, Onhaye, Belgium

To be honest, I don’t think this small cart attached to a car, powered by own little generator, actually has a name. It serves fries and a few classic Belgian snacks (from Van Reusel). 

I get a small fries (€1.5) with mayo (+€0.50). The fries are not homemade and thinner than normal Belgian fries, but very crispy. The mayo has a bit weak taste.
 

VERDICT: 80/100

Not the best place, but one of the few remaining caravans on the side of the road.

Cindy’s Diner (Deitingen, Switzerland)

A1, 4543 Deitingen, Switzerland
 

Cindy’s Diner is a Swiss chain of 1950s US-style diners with three locations in Switzerland and four in Germany. I visit the Deitingen Süd location, tucked away in a tank station on the 1 between Bern and Zürich. It is a huge diner, including the obligatory Route 66 signs. They serve various types of burgers, including vegetarian ones, and “Cindy's fries,” chicken wings, ribs.

I get the “Gourmet Burger of the Month”, which is the Spanish Burger (CHF 14.50 or 20.90 as meal). It comes with melon dip, Serrano ham, and lettuce (I opt out of the Manchego cheese). The burger is grilled on a skillet and is very good for European standards, but the ham is a bit too salty and the melon dip is not my kind of thing. The bun is toasted but a bit dry. Overall a good burger, but next time I would go for a more classic choice. The fries are more Belgian than French, thick and double fried. Some of the best fries I have had outside of Belgium!

VERDICT: 89/100

Great place! US-style burger with Belgian-style fries for decent prices (for Switzerland).

Restaurant La Paix (Paris, France)

4 Rue D'odessa, 75014 Paris, France 

 

Restaurant La Paix is a small Turkish-Kurdish kebab place / Turkish restaurant that serves kebabs and grilled meat on sandwiches and plates as well as some traditional Turkish starters and desserts. 

I get the Sandwich Adana (€5.50), which is spiced minced meat. Somewhat surprising it comes on a panini rather than a pita. The meat is very dry, unfortunately. The side of spicy sauce is really spicy! The fries are prefab and ok.

VERDICT: 80/100

La Paix is an affordable place in the center of Paris. I feel that I was a bit unfortunate and that the usual quality is a bit higher.