Le Matin de Paris - 24-Hour Bakery in Koreatown on Little River Turnpike in Annandale - Closed

[DonRocks]

Your landmark to Korean Red Ginseng will be the Le Matin de Paris French-style Korean bakery, which will be on your left as you head down Little River Turnpike (look for the Eiffel Tower on the sign - you can't miss it). This large operation is well worth a stop to peruse and sample some interesting Korean breads, pastries and to wash it all back with a capuccino. Western-friendly, but very Korean at the core.

Guilt

This morning I stopped into Le Matin de Paris to grab a cup of coffee to assist me in my Route-1-esque drive down Little River Turnpike. A small cup of drip coffee was $2.50, and a large cup was $2.95. For a stinking little cup of coffee! Are you kidding me? I often deliberately bypass BarfSucks to support locally owned places, but today I actually made a beeline for the nearest one - a virtual tumor-within-a-tumor, as there was one sitting inside a Safeway down the street.

le matin de paris also does them in annandale with vanilla or green tea ice cream in addition to the ice and fruit. 

For lunch, a tuna-salad sandwich at Le Matin de Paris. Now open 24 hours on weekends, making it a legitimate alternative to Yechon if you're not up for an extended meal at 2 AM.

Minto is the first restaurant you'll come to on your right when you take Little River Turnpike from the beltway towards Annandale. It may be Korean-owned (they have bingsu), but virtually everything else on the menu looks like it comes from Mike's Deli at Lazy Sundae. It's essentially one flat-top grill.

Minto is a large space, with a lounge area (with free Wi-Fi) near the entrance, a tiny karaoke section with piano, and even a little electronics store (!) off to the side. An Egg, Cheese and Steak Sandwich ($4.29) was just as it should be with a competent grill cook behind the sandwich.

There really isn't much on this strip in the lines of traditional American office-building deli fare - I stopped into Le Matin de Paris, and all their sandwiches were pre-made and sitting in a cooler. If it's a turkey and bacon panini you're craving while working on your laptop, then Minto is the place for you. Service is courteous and pleasant.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Le Matin de Paris has closed, and is being replaced by Manoa Bakery & Cafe.