Exploring the ethnic food scene during my visit to Europe

Crispy duck in a red curry at Aurora

We spent a week in rural Austria and a weekend in Paris and had had the opportunity to experience the local Asian food scenes. In both cases, we left very pleased. 

We visited two Asian places in and around Salzburg in Austria: one was Japanese and another Chinese-run establishment. China restaurant Aurora in Kirchberg surpassed any expectations I had of this sparsely populated Alpian region. It was a family-run restaurant offering a diverse menu of which my personal favorite was the crispy duck in a red Thai curry. We also tried their Mie Goreng, the Malaysian specialty with fried crispy noodles and veggies and a side of sauce. Dishes seemed like were made to order, as the ingredients were fresh. The portions were decent. 

Mi Goreng at Aurora

In comparison to the US dining experiences, dishes we tried during our trip to Europe, especially in Paris were significantly smaller and perhaps double in price. However, the experience generally was much more satisfying, we were never disappointed with how the dishes tasted. Consequently, we were more than willing to pay the price. 

Paris, like most would expect of a big metropolis, offered an eclectic mix of cuisines to choose from. I got to try Senegalese cuisine for the first time and loved it the most amongst all the dishes we tried. I was even more pleasantly surprised when we found two Bengali sweet shops which allowed me to partake in some desi sweets that I hadn't eaten in over two decades. 

Senagelese chicken stew

The Senegalese flavors Les Marmitas de Fa had to offer were leaning spicy and gave you a feeling of homemade dishes. We tried a peanut based chicken stew with fish croquettes and came out wanting more. The server even brought me a spicy sauce to try with the croquettes on request.  Likewise, the Sichan style Chuan Wei Yuan , a small, cozy restaurant nestled in the cobbled-street neighborhood of downtown Paris made chicken with cumin taste and look so special - fried chicken cooked with copious amounts of onion and peppers, in a sizzling pan and bowl of hot sticky rice made the whole experience so delightful and memorable. 

Finally, for the South Asian/Indian food, our favorite was the meal we ate at a restaurant called Best of India and were so satisfied with their choices. They had a wide variety of South Asian/Indian dishes like the Sri-Lankan specialty kothu paratha (a paratha shredded to pieces and cooked with spices, eggs, veggies and chicken), Chettinad and Andhra chicken, known for its extra spicy flavor profile. To my hearts delight it was served with a freshly made Kerala paratha that I had eaten last at the "Mallu dhaba" in Pune a couple of decades ago. The experience stood out when I compare them to the Indian/desi restaurants in the US - my guess is the use of fresh spices, fresh vegetable as opposed to canned foods, is what makes these dishes so special making you always want more.  

All in all, if you have a palette for spicy Asian food like mine, experiencing the ethnic food scene in Paris will be completely worth your while.