Hai Kai in the 10th is a place described by Bobosvientdouble as both hipster and Bobo and as one of Garrison Keillor's "English majors" albeit from Cambridge Community College not U. Minn., I went back with Colette today eager to figure out the difference. It's on the Canal St. Martin and as you look out the window with the cool Hai Kai lettering spelled out with cool strips of scotch, you see a never-ending parade of 5-50 year olds on bikes, running shoes, skateboards, skates and dress shoes with and without pousettes and occasionally one or more enter the resto. The carte is composed and printed at the last minute so you know it's got to be fresh.
Colette passed on a first but helped me finish a generous portion (all portions here are generous befitting the young ages of the clientele) of a tartare of maigre with a mousse of mild herring; then she had the room temperature Bonito tuna with confited beets and I had the farm pintade with pleurottes (half of which is tonight's dinner). Good product, well-cooked and prepared.
Our bill, with a bottle of wine, no bottled water, fine six-cereal bread and two coffees, was 76.60 E.