Cheese and fruit at a farmers’ market in Paris and a dreamy feast on a boat: where model and writer shops and eats in the French capital

Vanessa Yeung Tsang goes to Terroirs D’Avenir, one of the most influential wholesalers in Paris, for all the ingredients she needs to cook at home

In Paris she would take visitors to the world’s first electronic vessel, Ducasse Sur Seine, and eat in Alain Ducasse’ dining salon as it floats along the river

Reading Time:2 minutes

Vanessa Yeung Tsang in Paris. “Every chance I get to travel to Europe, I stop over in the City of Light and fall a little deeper in love with it,” she says. The Hong Kong-based model made some culinary discoveries while stuck there for eight months by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Published: 3:15pm, 26 Dec 2020Updated: 3:32pm, 26 Dec 2020

Vanessa Yeung Tsang – model, television personality and award-winning food author of the book For Two in 32 Minutes – has been splitting her time between Paris and Hong Kong since 2015.

For nearly 20 years, ever since I was recruited by French model/actress Laetitia Casta’s manager, I’ve spent time in Paris. Life was surreal and unforgettable during those years, hitting the runway and shooting magazines and commercials for brands like Hermès, Agnes b and Chanel.

I’ve gradually shifted my base back to Hong Kong, but every chance I get to travel to Europe, I stop over in the City of Light and fall a little deeper in love with it.

I went back to Paris when the pandemic first broke out in Asia, and I ended up spending almost eight months there. Here are some of my latest favourite addresses in the French capital.

La Maison du Mochi is a cute, cosy, vegan, no-gluten pastry shop opened by a French lady.

I like to cook at home and there are many outdoor farmers’ markets across the city. If you like exploring and getting everything in one go, I would go to Terroirs D’Avenir (rue du Nil, 75002) in the second arrondissement. They are one of the most influential wholesalers in Paris, work with the best producers, and supply over 300 restaurants – including many Michelin-starred ones.

A few years ago, they started their own retail shops. On that charismatic short street, rue du Nil, Terroirs D’avenir have five different outlets – Boulangerie-Pâtisserie, Boucherie-Charcuterie, Crèmerie (which offers wonderful cheese and dairy products), Poissonnerie (for fresh seafood) and Épicerie-Primeur (for seasonal vegetables and fruits).