Le Lys d'Or, the 12th arrondissement's Chinese institution for over 30 years

A veritable institution in the 12th arrondissement, the Le Lys d'Or restaurant is still standing, more than 30 years after it opened. And yet, it's not always easy to keep up with the times, while preserving the strengths that have made it such a hit with local gourmets.

Danyang and Shimin Chen, who have been at the helm of Le Lys d'Or for several decades, have succeeded in solving this equation, delighting lovers of authentic Chinese gastronomy with their family-style cuisine featuring China's 4 great gastronomic regions.

In the past, Shimin Chen's creative signature dishes have been crowned in numerous prestigious cooking competitions in mainland China, such as the "Zen Flower", gold medal in Shanghai in 2006, or the "Seven Treasures of the Lotus Flower", gold medal in Dalian in 1998 - now removed from the restaurant's menu.

The Chen family has managed to renew itself over the years, offering more affordable and perhaps even simpler dishes, always in an elegant, traditional atmosphere, with its luxuriant decor, revised from top to bottom a few years ago, made up of numerous hanging and climbing plants, fountains and small streams.

For starters, the great classics are on parade: very, very plump, grilled pork ravioli (8€ for 4), with their tasty stuffing in which you can distinguish real bits of vegetable and meat; chicken egg rolls (7.50€ for 4), crisp as you like, to be wrapped in the traditional way in fresh salad and mint leaves; and of course an assortment of homemade dim sum (9€).

Note that Le Lys d'Or also offers affordable formulas: a bento express lunch formula at €14.90, and a full Saveur formula at €22.90. New for the fall season, the menu also features bian dan, warm, comforting dishes with leeks, kale and bean sprouts at the bottom of the pot, served in stainless steel bowls that add a modern touch to the dishes.

We opted for the pad thaï with beef dumplings and ginger (15.90€) and the noodles with minced Peking duck (16.90€), but the choice was tough, so much so that the pad thaï with braised pork ribs (15.90€), cooked using the Chinese hongshao technique for two hours in a dark, amber soy sauce, caught our eye.

What's certain is that the pad thai, udon and other bo buns are served so generously that we couldn't even try the desserts at Le Lys d'Or. But that's just a temporary reprieve!

This test was conducted as part of a professional invitation. If your experience differs from ours, please let us know.