Why the Asian Food in Paris Is So Bad

PARIS—There are a few stereotypical things an ex-pat moving from a city like New York can anticipate when coming to Paris. In terms of positives—crisp, warm baguette at the local boulangerie, delicious and inexpensive cheese at the corner market, and generally, a slightly slower pace of life marked by lazy strolls on beautiful cobblestone streets, surrounded by even more beautiful people. As far as trade-offs go, you can rightfully expect those great boulangeries and corner markets to close down come Sunday, and those beautiful cobblestone streets to be smeared with dog poop, probably thanks to the carelessness of those beautiful people who blow smoke in your face as they pass you by.

One thing that is entirely unexpected in coming to a city as internationally renowned as Paris is the sheer lack of good Thai, Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants, good being the operative word here. There is certainly no lack of Generic Pan-Asian take-out places— they're a staple of practically every Parisian neighborhood, and more and more, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are popping up all over the map.