We did a lot of walking today! We slept in and started the morning off with some casual walking near where we’re staying for some exploration while we waited for Vince’s dad’s older sister and husband to meet up with us. To our pleasant surprise, we accidentally stumbled upon a restaurant called Dakao, which is a similar name to a really popular pho restaurant in Saigon and in Garden Grove! Except this was so much more intricately decorated. It was beautiful. They only open from 1230-330pm for lunch hour for nearby workers but was nice enough to let us place an order before they opened. We didn’t know they weren’t open yet!!
We tried a banh bao to get a small bite in. They were huge and juicy and so flavorful! The juices were even seeping out of the dough.
After we met up with the auntie and uncle, we walked to Les Docks Village (french mall) and Le Printemps Terrasses du Port (American mall) right across from each other.
For lunch, the uncle wanted to treat us out at a really fancy restaurant right on the Oceanside pier of the Port de Marseille called Le Roy Rene Marseille. It had beautiful ocean views and fresh ocean breezes.
Pussy Foot. Fruits de la Passion – Jus D’Ananas – Jus D’Orange Grenadine. I got a mock tail, which was so delicious, fruity and sweet.
Tataki de Thon Rouge “Sashimi.” Escalivada de Legumes Grilles – Reduction Teriyaki Citron Vert. I honestly did not know what to order and just asked the waiter what he recommended. He suggested this! It was like a seared ahi tuna on baked vegetables that consisted of bell peppers, egg plant, squash, and zucchini. The ahi tuna was very fresh and dressed with a light oil. I tried an eggplant and stomached it, but Vince ate the rest of my vegetables.
The freshly light boiled shrimp were huge and superb. It tasted mildly of the ocean, was deeply sweet and easy to peel. It was so good. One of the best shrimp I’ve ever had!
Carpaccio de Boeuf. Jeunes Pousses – Copeaux de Parmesan – Capres – Frites. He ordered this and I was so surprised. He never cared for beef carpaccio in the past, but I was glad he ordered it because it was actually delicious, light and refreshing. There was a light salad with olives, sun dried tomatoes and cherry tomatoes on top of the raw beef with a light oil drizzled on top.
They also gave us a small bread-shaped cookie at the end that had a nice aroma to it and tasted weird but good.
Then, we walked to the MUCEM and the Cathedral de la Major. I’ve done a total of over 20,000 steps so far yay!
After dropping our things back at the hotel, we got picked up by family again to have dinner at our cousin’s house. I am excited to see what they have in store for us today! Also, I remembered my camera this time!
Dinner at the cousin’s house was so lovely! There was a large table full of cheeses, meats, dips and breads. Everything was so delicious, especially because that’s everything I love! It’s like a large platter of charcuterie. A standout was a cup of super melty gooey cheese that reminds me of raclette. Another was a type of fish egg dip.
I also loved these tiny flaky pastries with different fillings inside that range from a fish to pepperoni to pate type. Also, they’re pizza like flatbread with cheese, spinach and mushrooms!
It was also nice to see the family again, especially not so tired and more refreshed. It also was heartwarming. The cousins are very nice, gracious and kind. Their hospitality is beyond I have ever experienced, especially because we were strangers just before.
