6.1 Jin Xin Lou, 63, rue de l'Amiral Mouchez in the 13th (01.53.80.27.89) closed Wednesday dinner, Saturday lunch and Sundays is a place "discovered" by Heidi Ellison of Paris Update (I only use names when friends have already disclosed their identities), who herself learned about it from one Therrese who works in the 'nabe, which i believe because while I was being welcomed another neighbor came in and said to Mr. Wang she'd heard great things about it. It's a strange juxtaposition; a Gagnaire-trained guy cooking French food in the midst of his parents' Chinese/Viet Namese/Thai takeaway shop. His blackboard has a Chinese rope tastle thingy dangling off it; the bread basket is filled with rice crackers; and the locals are pouring in to eat there or take-out.
When my dining companion who is in the food biz learned that the 3-course "menu" was 19.80 E he had already fugured out where in the area we could bail-out if it was horrid. But no, his soup of lettuce, haddock and chorizo was truly outstanding - he and I both loved it; and my fine tarte of tomatoes, ham and cheese was equally meritorious - excellent crusty tart, tomatoes OK out of season but ham zesty and cheese neat.
Then my friend had an entrecote cooked saignant to his liking with mashed potatoes (which lacked a bit of butter but for under 20 E one doesn't overdo such ingredients) and I had the jarret and poitrine of soy/caramel laquered pork and ginger; quite yummy.
We had a bottle of Brouilly and that with no bottled water and nice coffee resulted in a bill of 54.80 E.
Go? Heidi, I apologize for queestioning your sanity - you were right and tonight I'll test some of Mom and Pop Wang's Chinese takeout dishes.