Reclaimed grandeur
Best Thai restaurants, Refugee Food, Nous, Rimal, L’Epicerie Sabath, Picpus properties, Babeuf, MORE
WORK • Friday Routine
Global inflection
HAROUNA SOW • head chef • Refugee Food
Neighborhood you work in: 13th, 14th, & 12th arr
Neighborhood you live in: 19th arr
It’s Friday afternoon. What’s the scene at your workplace?
What I love doing on Fridays is meeting up with my fellow restaurateur friends. Usually it’s at my place — almost every Friday from 7p, they come over. We talk about Senegal, about food, a bit about current events, and we sometimes plan things like Sunday morning outings together.
Another important Friday ritual is doing my shopping at Nous, an anti-waste grocery store in the 19th. You can find amazing products there, either exceptional items or perfectly good ones that don’t meet standard retail “norms” (like imperfect shapes). I usually go around 3p to pick up ingredients and have fun preparing something for aperitifs with friends or for Sunday meals.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today we’re testing recipes for our catering catalogue. We’re working on cocktail-style bites inspired by cuisines from all over the world, and also, testing our summer menu. We started at 7a — there are 14 of us working today, from all over: Lebanon, El Salvador, Mauritania, like me. We’re cooking everything from eggplant and peppers to crab.
It’s a stressful moment, but it’s positive stress. It’s also about really listening to the team. I design the menu, but we involve everyone so that it reflects the diversity of the people behind it.
On a daily basis, we feed a lot of people. On the food aid side, it can be anywhere from 500 to 1000 meals a day. For catering, it ranges from 30 to 2500 guests. During the elections, we provided 7000 meal trays for staff working at polling stations across Paris. It’s a big responsibility, and also a real challenge. We won that contract against long-established caterers who don’t necessarily have a social mission. For us, it’s an honor, and proof that we can compete at that level while staying true to our values.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
One place I went to this week — and where I go all the time — is Rimal in the 17th. It’s a Lebanese restaurant and deli. In my opinion, they have the best hummus in Paris, and incredible kibbeh.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I cycle three to four times a week, usually rides between 40 and 70 km. I usually ride along the Canal de l’Ourcq, sometimes all the way out toward the Seine-et-Marne area, or I take my bike on the RER and head to Fontainebleau — it’s beautiful there. Otherwise, I go to the Bois de Vincennes or Bois de Boulogne.
Any weekend getaways?
This weekend, I’m heading to Senegal to see my daughters, rest a bit, and spend time in the Sine-Saloum region. Senegal may be a small country, but it has very diverse landscapes and atmospheres. Sine-Saloum is beautiful, with mangroves and small islands. Casamance is another incredible region. My home region, Fouta, has many farms and places to explore. And then there’s Dakar — a vibrant city, great for people who love energy, with amazing restaurants and places to visit, like the African Renaissance Monument.
What Paris store or service do you always recommend?
L’Epicerie Sabath in Aligre, in the 12th arrondissement. It’s both a partner of Refugee Food and a place where I shop personally. They specialize in Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, and Mediterranean products. I buy my olive oil, Greek yogurt, feta, everything. For me, it’s one of the best places in Paris for Mediterranean and Levantine ingredients.
Where are you donating your time or money?
I mainly give my time through Refugee Food, where I work. When I first arrived in Paris as a refugee, I relied on food aid from associations. Later, when I trained and became a chef, I immediately knew I wanted to give back. For the past five years, I’ve dedicated my time to feeding people in need and helping those who have come from far away, and are far from home, building a new life in France.
PARIS WORK & PLAY LINKS: JPMorgan relocating roles from Paris to London office • Market watch: spring produce in Paris • How Parisians shop for perfume • Standout exhibitions around town in May • Why is Paris so sporty now?
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Thai and Thai-adjacent
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in Paris and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the full Nines archive.
Lao Siam (19th arr, above), Belleville cult classic, still the most convincing Lao/Thai kitchen in town, tight room, serious heat