Liana L.
Yelp
I think I'd give Les Pâtes Vivantes a 2.5. :x Not entirely sure.
The first time I tried to come here, they told us they were closed. Granted, it was past 2:30pm, so I conceded defeat and left. This time, I had gone in the wrong direction, so I arrived just a tiny bit before 2:30pm - and to my horror, they were like "C'est terminé." I was almost on the verge of tears; I was hungry, I had made the trek over, and I really craved hand-pulled noodles. I dejectedly left, but my friend asked me to ask what time they normally close. After all, we wouldn't want to come here for the third time again to the same thing. To my surprise, they replied "Quinze heures" (3pm). I looked at my watch, and looked at him again. We had a few communication issues, where he alternated between telling me that it's closed and that it closes at 3pm. It was definitely only 2:20pm. I heard him exchanging words in Mandarin with his coworker, expressing his frustration that I was not understanding him properly.
He finally called over someone else, and after a brief, confusing conversation, he said we could still eat. What?? Well, that didn't matter; I was delighted to sit down.
A group of 4 French (or American? they were talking in French, but they kept referencing the United States and said several words in English) people came in, and were seated promptly. Nothing like "It's closed" for them. Weird.
The waiter actually went over to them to get their order first. Granted, they had closed their menus, but I thought it was strange that we had arrived first and they didn't check with us before them. We were actually pretty decently dressed, too (I was wearing a summery dress with a cardigan and a scarf, and my friend was wearing a nice polo and jeans). Maybe it was the fact that we looked obviously Asian and didn't communicate with them in Chinese. I don't know. o_o
Okay, enough about the service. Obviously, I wasn't extremely pleased, but it looks like the people around us received much better service. So maybe you'll have better luck.
The food itself - well, I was frankly disappointed. It was clear that they had been hand-pulled; the noodles were thick, rough, and strangely-shaped. They didn't look anything like the hand-pulled noodles I've had before (which are usually pulled until they're a little thinner, and smooth). Of course, the noodles didn't taste rough; they were firm and chewy, like the other reviewers have said. However, they did not taste obviously fresh, as I expected them to. Perhaps it's beause we arrived late.
Overall, I found that my hand-pulled noodles (9.5€, according to the lunch formule) tasted like a mediocre pho bowl. The broth was mild and savory (I liked it, actually), but not particularly noteworthy. It's very good if you're craving Asian soup, or if you're sick. (I wasn't really feeling either). The noodles were normal, as was the beef. They were fine, but I'm used to much better (for much cheaper, as well) in New York. Then again, this is Paris, so I shouldn't carry my expectations over.
So for a lunch meal in Paris, I'd definitely say that this is "A-OK." It's not very expensive, as far as lunches go, and it's definitely very filling, but not heavy at all. My friend got the sauteed noodles with vegetables and chicken, which had a good sauce that disguised any freshness that the noodles may have had.
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Les Pâtes Vivantes ne sont pas si bons que j'ai voulu, mais ca va pour un repas a Paris. Il n'est pas trop cher et la nourriture est satisfiant. Ce n'est pas si bon qu'on peut trouver a New York, mais nous sommes a Paris et pas New York, donc je ne dois pas faire les comparaisons. Je ne pense pas que je reviens parce que je preferais avoir de la nourriture francais pour le meme prix, mais c'est une bonne choix si on veut quelque chose differente.
La service n'était pas tres bon pour nous, mais il semble que c'etait parfaitement bon pour les autres qui etaient la. Peut-etre ils etaient prejugés contre nous parce que nous étions chinois mais nous n'avons pas parlé en chinois. Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe, mais il faut que vous ne pensez pas que vous recevrez le meme service.