Dinner at Roger la Grenouille, Paris - not your typical French bistro!

This evening, I went for a rather unusual restaurant experience with a newfound friend Satoshi from my summer course. Everyone knows about French escargots, but frogs' legs? Roger La Grenouille, located in the heart of the St. Germain district near to St. Michel metro station, is a Parisian institution specialising in exactly that. Whilst nowhere as ubiquitous as escargots, and perhaps understandably so, for the images it conjures in the minds of the uninitiated, frogs' legs have always been part of the traditional gastronomic repertoire. I was indeed very glad to have finally located a restaurant serving it - not as easy as you might think, even in the capital city!

I should mention that frogs' legs are also very much a part of Chinese cuisine (usually steamed or sautéed with ginger and spring onion), and as such I was already familiar with them - but I'd never tried them done French-style. On the other hand, Satoshi had never heard of frogs' legs in either French or his native Japanese cuisine, and he readily agreed to tag along when I suggested this place. We were both very excited by what this dinner might bring to our adventurous palates.

Tucked away in a quiet side street far enough from the countless overpriced and touristy bistros nearby, Roger La Grenouille is known mostly to locals and tourists seeking an off-the-beaten-track experience. The restaurant is small and surprisingly popular, considering that it was nearly full on a Monday evening. Although we were lucky to be seated without a reservation - that's not something you'd think of doing for a bistro I suppose - it might be worth booking a table well in advance for peak periods such as weekend evenings.

No prizes for guessing what they do best here -
'grenouille' is French for 'frog'.

Entering through the courtyard with
adorable frog sculptures.

Rustic charm with artefacts dating back to the
1930s, when this restaurant was established.

Just really bizarre drawings along the side walls.

For the less adventurous, this bistro offers a comprehensive standard menu with more typical French dishes as well, but who really comes here for duck confit no matter how excellent it might be? Nevertheless, it is worth considering if you or your dining companion(s) are really not keen on the frogs; there will be something for everyone. For Satoshi and I however, it was a no-brainer and we went straight for the special frog menu.

Here, the frogs' legs are all pan-fried (quite different from steaming and sautéing in Chinese cuisine) and jazzed up in various styles with different accompaniments. The range of choices is quite impressive; 10 items are spread out under 3 categories 'Classics' (with traditional accompaniments), 'Inventions' (creations of the house reflecting other regional French styles) and 'Others' (using exotic condiments and herbs). All frog dishes are served with a portion of steamed basmati rice. There is also the possibility of choosing between a small and large portion of frogs' legs, though if our experience is anything to go by I would advise readers to head straight for large portions. As the photos below will show, we found our 'large' orders still somewhat petite! Also, the price difference between the two sizes is relatively small.

We decided to go for a full-on traditional experience and picked two items from the 'Classics' section. This one here is a pairing with garlic purée and parsley jus; it doesn't get more French than that! Heavenly aromas wafted through the air as the dish was being brought to our table. Here, the balance in flavours was very effectively judged. I really liked how the rich and silky purée enhanced the tender and juicy texture of the frogs' legs without overpowering their naturally delicate taste, while generous amounts of parsley kept the dish feeling fresh and light throughout.

Next up and enjoyable in a very different way was frogs' legs done Provençale-style, paired with tomatoes, olive oil, and other fresh herbs. The juicy chunks of cherry tomatoes went particularly well with the succulent texture of the frogs' legs. The underlying pool of sauce - a mixture of tomato juice and olive oil - was very mild with a good balance of sweetness and acidity, allowing the taste of the frogs to shine through. Compared to the previous dish, this felt really weightless and somewhat more healthful.

We still had some stomach space after the frogs' legs, so we decided to share a dessert. This would be another French classic: home-made dark chocolate moelleux with crème anglaise (custard) and mint granité.

Picture-perfect molten centre -
exactly how it should be done!

To be honest, I think I might return just for desserts - this moelleux was incredible! Fresh from the oven, with a crisp outer crust, rich and moist interiors and the most generous molten chocolate centre that gushed out as soon as I cut it with my fork, what more could one ask for? The chocolate used was of such astonishing quality that I'm sure this dessert would give much posher establishments a run for their money. The fresh and spicy mint granité, the proverbial icing on the cake, was the perfect complement to this rich and powerful moelleux in terms of both taste and texture. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the best moelleux I've ever had, and will probably have for quite a while. What a pleasant surprise indeed!

To round off an excellent dinner, our waitress even offered us complimentary coffee, and chatted to us about our first experience with frogs' legs. She had a most friendly and casual demeanour, and seemed genuinely interested in engaging all her customers that evening. I found that very refreshing compared to the usual aloofness (some call it 'efficiency') of French wait staff that I've experienced in similar establishments. Her manager, who both welcomed us and saw us out, was also very cordial.

In a city teeming with increasingly touristy bistros and cafes, this establishment stands out for its unusual culinary identity and quaint location known mostly to local aficionados. It is not exactly cheap by normal bistro standards and the portions could be more substantial, but it is certainly a place worth checking out for its excellent food, cosy atmosphere and warm service.