Left: A yellow and green bun filled with brown nuts. Right: A Parisian café with white chairs, black tables, gray parasols, and beige decor.
Top: A waiter in Le Nemours by @frammentidiparigi / Late night by Dosanko Larmen by @felice.wredinho
Above: Matcha Brioche by @akiboulangercafe / Le Nemours after the rain by @cestmaikka

Enthusiasts of Asian cuisine will want to visit rue Sainte-Anne, a quaint little street close to the gardens of Palais-Royal. Stretching from Avenue de l’Opéra to rue Saint-Augustin, rue Sainte-Anne delights with authentic Asian feasts. 

This street was once the original gay district in the 1970s before it moved to Le Marais. Today, it has been reinvented as Little Tokyo – including Asian restaurants, grocers, shops, bakeries, and more. It attracts locals and tourists alike in search of authentic Asian food in the heart of Paris’ 1st and 2nd arrondissements. 

The following spots are my treasured go-to’s any time I crave zesty Asian flavors to spice up my sweet Parisian life:

Left: A lady in black reads the menu of a Japanese restaurant with white and beige walls and blue curtains. Right: A Japanese ramen with beige pork cuts, black sesame seeds, yellow noodles, and beige broth.
Dosanko Larmen’s Rue des Petits-Champs side by @ricky_zrz / Dosanko Larmen’s Mushroom Ramen by @_seungwoo_baek

Dosanko Larmen: for Ramen and Gyoza

Don’t be fooled. The space may be small, but their ramen bowls are huge! Top it with their unforgettable gyozas and you’ll be yearning for more. I was lucky to come here the first time without waiting in line. But don’t let the usual queues deter you! You’ll be transported to Japan as you sip that rich broth and watch the chefs hard at work by the bar.

Left: 2 women, both with black sunglasses, are sitting in a green park bench. Right: A triangular Japanese sandwich with green seaweed, white rice, and fried shrimps.
Lunch friends by @clementblt / Onigiri Ebi Fry by @akiboulangercafe

Aki: for Pastries

Aki is a staple in rue Sainte-Anne. It has earned its reputable standing through its 3 locations (Aki Boulangerie, Aki Café, and Mochi Mochi Aki) all in one street. From French-Japanese viennoiseries, bento lunches, origini sandwiches, matcha drinks and more, Aki caters to your cravings day or night. It’s impossible not to satisfy your sweet tooth here!

Left: A Parisian street full of beige buildings, a white van, and an orange store. Right: A picnic blanket full of colorful pizza, red fruits, green grapes, green drinks and more.
Rue Sainte-Anne seen from Rue Thérèse by @benjamin_legourd / A picnic blanket with Asian goodies by @emizh__

K-Mart: for Groceries

When you’d like to impress guests with a lavish Korean Samgyeopsal BBQ or if you want to improve your sushi-making skills, this place has you covered. K-Mart is where I stock up on Asian goodies for any occasion – like, that midnight instant ramyun, or fresh seaweed and squid ban-chan. They also have products you can’t find elsewhere in Paris like Gatorade, Pocari Sweat, special Soju, and really good organic Matcha. Their Dosirak (lunch meals) and party packs are amazing too!

Ace Boucherie: for Homemade Takeouts

At first glance, this shop can go unnoticed. However, this is where you should go if you’d like to take the experience up a notch. Everything here is homemade with love. While you can’t eat their lunch boxes sur place, you can always sit in the gardens of Palais Royal to enjoy their delicious meals. They offer high-quality Wagyu beef, excellent customer service, and great recommendations if you’re hosting a party! 

Left: A restaurant with warm light, brick walls, and beige flooring. Right: A pixel wall art of a white kitten on top of a restaurant.
Menkicchi Ramen by @ollypi / A space invader by @flopirrata

Jantchi: for an Effortless Korean Experience

Technically speaking, this place is off of rue Sainte-Anne, but whenever I crave an authentic bibimbap or kimchi-jjigae, this is THE place. Loved by Parisians and tourists alike, this Korean restaurant keeps surprising me with their formules that are not only good, but are also inexpensive. If you’ve never had Bokbunja or raspberry wine, give it a try here!

Bon appétit!

Addresses:

Dosanko Larmen – 40 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75002 Paris

Aki Boulangerie – 16 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris

Aki Café – 75 rue Sainte-Anne, 75002 Paris

Mochi Mochi Aki – 28 rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris

K-Mart – 4-8 rue Sainte-Anne, 75001 Paris

Ace Boucherie – 58 rue Sainte-Anne, 75002 Paris

Jantchi – 6 rue Thérèse, 75001 Paris

Left: 4 friends walk past a restaurant with white walls and beige finishings. Right: 2 large white dogs are sitting on the ground in front of a Parisian terrace.
Friends heading to dinner by @benjaminloembet / Dogs at Le Nemours by @knzea

Written by Maikka Piquemal for HIP Paris. Looking to travel? Check out Plum Guide and our Marketplace for fabulous vacation rentals in Paris, France or Italy. Looking to rent long or short term, or buy in France? Ask us! We can connect you to our trusted providers for amazing service and rates or click here. Looking to bring France home to you or to learn online or in person? Check out our marketplace shop and experiences.

WRITTEN BY

Maikka Piquemal

Maikka is a Philippine-born, Brooklyn-trained creative who traded the Big Apple for the romance of Paris and a French man. She holds a degree in Fashion Design from Parsons the New School of Design and currently works full-time as a writer in Paris, focusing on adtech, fashion, real estate, and more. When not fondly observing the Parisian fashion scene or engrossed in a good Gallimard book, she escapes to the French Basque country, daydreaming of living in the other two fashion capitals, London and Milan.

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