I love coconut.

I love curry.

I love mango. Shrimp. Coriander….

So naturally I LOVE Thai food. Usually Chéri and I head to the 13th to get our fix of it, but recently we tried a new place that is even closer to our home in the 12th. Chez Sawan, in the 11th at Faidherbe took over a café that used to be called Balthazar (aren’t there like a hundred cafés called Balthazar in Paris?). The decor remains somewhat similar to what it was before, typical Parisian café style, dark woods, colonial styled clocks and wall hangings, with an interesting looking light on the ceiling, bistrot syle chairs etc… (you won’t feel like you are in exotic Thailand here).

But the food was delish! The service was nice, not over zealous but not totally absent either. What I really liked was the entire front of the restaurant is movable window-walls that were opened so there was plenty of light and air circulation, and everyone can view the street. Not that the street is THAT interesting, but in Paris, people like to see other people, hence the desire to view the street.

We were hungry and didn’t want to mess around with an entrée, so we  went straight for the main dish. I had a coconut with red curry chicken dish that was everything you would hope a coconut curry to be. Smooth and creamy without being too rich, and the proportion was perfect. I wasn’t stuffed afterwards. But I think that was also due to the fact that instead of getting rice with it I got the liserons d’eau, which is a green vegetable, that I believe just kind of grows everywhere over in Aisia, like a weed I guess, but the sautée it with garlic and well, I could eat mountainous plates of it! Yum!

For dessert I had the coconut rice with mango. It was sweet sticky rice with a coconut glaze drizzled over it and fresh ripe mango slices. There was a slight hint of saltiness to the dish that made my mouth water at every bite!

Sawan Bistro Thai, 35 rue Faidherbe 75011.