Tuesday 28 October 2014

Vegetarian in Paris - Loving Hut

Within my first few days in Paris, I was wondering the atmospheric streets around Bastille and, often, in search for suitable places to eat.  Loving Hut with its too sweet name and too calm interior is out of the Paris typique, but with a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, it was as welcoming as ever.

In truth I was craving pho, after seeing others eating it at Paris Hanoi, while I was served a plate of undercooked and bland stir-fried noodles.  It is rare to find the Vietnamese noodle soup in a meat-free version (even in Melbourne).  For this, I saw myself craving a meal at Loving Hut several times throughout my stay in France's capital.

The eatery seems to be served by a single man who calmly takes orders, runs meals, takes dishes and organises the bills.  With therapeutic music and slogans about the benefits of animal free eating, one can feel relaxed in mind and in spirit with a guilt-free meal.

The entrees are creative with several mock meat dishes.  I tried the tofu wrapped in seaweed, giving it an appearance of fish.  This was served with cabbage dressed with orange juice, a tangy miso and peanuts.  There were also carrots and beansprouts.  It was a clean, well presented dish.



The pho was beautifully fragrant.  Sprouts, mint and lime were on the side.  The broth held an interesting flavour.  Gluten was used as fake meat as was firm soya with a hint of salt.  Spring onion and coriander added to the flavours.    Thin rice noodles were used instead of the usual vermicelli.  Whilst lacking in vegetables as such, it featured a lot of herbs.  I felt relaxed and took my time over each mouthful.


Each time I went to Loving Hut, there were a few occupied tables, but the ambiance was one of tranquility.  I became into the habit of ordering pho, but tried other entrees too.  In a hectic city of carnivores, the best aspect of this restaurant is the guarantee of vegetarian food without being judged.

Loving Hut
92 Boulevard Beaumarchais
75011 Paris, France
www.lovinghut.fr
+33 148 06 43 84