Photos by Khanh-linh La and Medhi Hercberg, aka Shoboshobo
Shoboshobo shows us how to ward off curses and introduce us to the wizard of Un Regard Moderne bookstore.
Shoboshobo Bio
Age: 30 & 34
Brief bio, occupation: We are Shoboshobo. Shoboshobo makes drawings and installations, organizes music events, creates clothing, edits books and makes music. Shoboshobo was founded in 2001 to organize concerts for Japanese musicians in Paris, and graphical aspects of Shoboshobo soon followed. All Shoboshobo activities and commentary can be found on our website. Khanh-linh also teaches French to foreigners in Paris, and Mehdi teaches graphic design in an art school.
How long you’ve lived in your city: 10 years
Eat & Drink
Favorite high-end restaurant:
Mabel 62
62 boulvard Barbes
Don’t know as I’m not interested in high-end, but if you want to spend their money on unreasonable things I highly recommend one of the weirdest shops in Paris: Mabel 62, where you can find all sorts of elixirs for various effects. For example, if you are about to have an exam, there is this potion you can put in your bathwater and then you will supposedly be successful! You can also find love powders, curse powders, luck powders, etc. The design of all the little bottles and bags containing the brews and powders are wonderful and unexpected.
Best deal restaurant:
Le Melinda
30 av de la Porte de Choisy
Easy, Le Melinda! A very small Laos-Vietnamese restaurant, very limited menu but very exclusive dishes. We highly recommend the Saigon spaghetti!
Best street food:
Thieng Heng
48 avenue d’Ivry
Two blocks from Le Melinda is the best Vietnamese sandwich shop in Paris: Thieng Heng. Sandwiches made with carrots, cucumber, and coriander; tofu, duck, chicken, pork or beef; and the special “Maggi” sauce. The whole thing is stuffed in a fresh and crunchy baguette, delicious! Price : 2,50€
Favorite cafe:
Le Bar Fleuri
1 rue du Plateau
There are still a lot of sweet places in Paris--Starbucks hasn’t killed them all yet. When I want to meet someone at a typical French café, a quiet place that’s not too crowded and no loud music, I often go to this place called “Le bar fleuri” (meaning the flowery bar).
Best place to work on laptop with free wi-fi:
What do you think this is, New York, or Berlin? We barely have internet, so wi-fi’s too much to ask for!
Best bar:
Le bar Ourcq
68 Quai de la Loire
Le bar Ourcq is a nice place along the river. I like it because they have the most extended list of syrup I’ve ever seen in any bar. There’s often good DJs playing there too.
Le Zorba
137 rue du Faubourg du Temple
Le Zorba, a very dirty and small bar in Belleville, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Paris. If you are looking for a folksy place in Paris you should go, you’ll find some real characters there and someone will surely talk to you if you’re there longer than 10 minutes. This place is also the headquarters of several Parisian underground art/music figures. In the basement is the smallest venue and I have seen in Paris and incredible noise music, extremely harsh pop and dada concerts.
Read
Best bookstore:
Un Regard Moderne
10 rue Gît le Coeur
Small shop, maybe 30 square meters, full of books from floor to ceiling. Gets more packed every time I go, and is one of the rare places where you can see an actual book avalanche! The books--and you’ll want to buy every one you see--are rare, twisted art books filled with strange imagery. Jacques Noel, the owner, is the wizard of this enchanted cave--he can tell exactly what book you are here for just by looking at you, it’s true! Noel is one of the most important supporters of young, underground comic illustrators. Last time I was there, I found an incredibly weird Japanese comic book by Sukeban Kizoku.
Best magazine stand:
1st floor of the bookstore La Hune
170 boulevard Saint-Germain
Bookstore of Palais de Tokyo
13 avenue du Président Wilson
Shop
Best Boutique:
Neptune
36-38 boulevard Paul Vaillant Couturier (Montreuil)
This is a treasure-filled secondhand shop selling tableware, knick-knacks, toys, clothing, and jewelry. The ridiculous, cute, and unexpected shapes inside are a great source of inspiration for my drawings. The well-stocked shop is managed by people who have had problems in their life, and working there is a step forward for them. One of my favorite shops in Paris!
Sightsee
Favorite art space/gallery/museum:
Le Palais de Tokyo
13 avenue du Président Wilson
Le Musée d’art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
11 avenue du Président Wilson
Two spaces that face each other. One is dedicated to young contemporary creators and the other holds exhibitions of modern established artists. The last exhibition I saw there was of Alfred Kubin’s drawings, a weird early 20th century German illustrator.
Favorite outdoor space:
Les buttes Chaumont Park.
Built during the 19th centur, it’s a totally artificial park trying to look as real as possible. Fake waterfalls, fake caves, and fake wood bridges made with concrete. The place is charming and at the very top is a kiosk offering a very unique view of northeastern Paris. During summer it is a hot spot for picnics!
Best touristy thing to do :
All the flea markets open on the weekend. In the North-Puces de Clignancourt, East-Puces de Montreuil and South of the capital Puces de vanves.
Only local knows about :
Make that what locals don’t know about, which is not to let their animals poop on the pavement. Mind your step!
The must-see thing in your city:
Guerrisol.
Events
Best events in each season?
In Autumn, returning to school; in winter, the sweet smell of grilled chestnuts sold at the exit of the metro station; in spring, the celebration of cherry blossoms (O-Hanami) in the cherry tree garden of Parc de Sceaux ; and in the summer, riding our scooter in (almost) empty Paris.
Tips
How would you spend a day off in your city?
Buying a round-trip ticket from Paris to Ho Chi Minh.
Best website for local info :
Anything else you want to mention?
I’m really ashamed that there is no Whole Foods Market in Paris; maybe I have to move.
Issue 24 Apprentices
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