I really, really love people who have a great passion for something (perhaps because a large part of what I do stems from my passion for France and its culture). One of those people is Ren Verdi, who created three products that every French culinary enthusiast traveling to Paris must know.
Before I start telling you about Ran's culinary recommendation kit, culinary tour, and lecture, let me tell you a few words about him.
Ran Vardi – Culinary Francophile
Ran was born in 1962 and has loved to cook since the age of 5, even though he did not have a mother or grandmother who was a cook.
As a student, he turned his love of cooking into a living and worked as a one-man caterer. He cooked for events in homes for up to 100 people and later also started cooking for people on a regular basis every week. Between his first and second degrees, he considered dropping everything and going to study at the Cordon Bleu, but life pulled him in a completely different direction. And so, for about 20 years, he led a career as a manager and VP of Human Resources at the largest companies in the country: Teva, Migdal, Bezeq and more.
In 1993, Ran and his partner traveled to France to stay with his brother-in-law, who lived there, for about a month. They lived near Paris, and it was there that Ran contracted the Francophilia bug, from which he has not recovered to this day. Since then, there have been more and more trips to France, which have increased over time.
In 2010, Ran went independent and opened a mediation office, specializing in labor and family law, which is still operating today. However, over the years, he realized that he had reached a stage in life where he wanted to devote himself only to what he loved, and first and foremost to French cuisine, which is a combination of his two great loves: cooking and France.
After years of reading dozens of books on French cuisine and accumulating a great deal of knowledge on the subject, Ran decided to take action and promote activities in the field.
In 2017, Ran opened Unique food blog which gained over 30,000 followers. This continued in 2018 with an idea for a huge project, but just before the breakthrough, the coronavirus came and shut it down.
Following this, Ran decided to start small and opened A Facebook group dedicated to French cuisine And to that, after a while, he added three tourist products that can upgrade the culinary experience of both people coming to Paris for the first time and veteran Francophiles, like me.
So what does Ren offer to all those gluttons who want to get to know and taste the best that French cuisine has to offer?
Hungry Paris products
In 2021, Ran launched 3 (or actually 4) products, which in my opinion complement each other, and aim to maximize the culinary experience of both those who are about to travel to France and those who have returned from it.
Lecture on French cuisine
The first product I want to write about is Ran's culinary lecture, which you can attend before Your flight to Paris, with the aim of “gathering intelligence on the ground” or after the trip, in order to enjoy the memories of the trip again and start planning the next trip.
During the lecture, which can take place at your home or workplace, you will experience a kind of culinary journey through the streets of Paris, using sound and light, and during which you will receive a multi-sensory experience. The informative lecture includes fascinating explanations and important tips, with culinary Paris accompanying you every step of the way and projected on a giant screen.
More information about Ran's culinary lecture and reservations
Culinary recommendations kit in Paris
As you all know, Paris has many hundreds (if not more) of restaurants, patisseries, boulangerie, charcuterie and chocolatiers. The problem is that time is limited and so is the amount of calories our bodies can afford, without having to pay for excess weight on the return flight.
Beyond all of this, it's important to remember that a very large portion of the restaurants in Paris are mediocre at best, and tourist traps at worst. To save you from culinary heartache, Ran has created a set of culinary recommendations.
This assessment is divided into 16 culinary categories, restaurants of different types and price levels, and shops specializing in various culinary fields (Cheeses, breads, meats, etc.). In short, there is no culinary topic that is not covered in this kit.
So yes, this kit costs a nominal amount (95 NIS), but it will save you a lot of searching time, and bring you the best of many years of searching. The kit is constantly updated online, so if you purchased it three months ago, when you travel tomorrow it will be updated for tomorrow. Ran is currently upgrading the kit to an app.
More information and ordering the culinary recommendations kit
Culinary Tours in Paris
There is no greater pleasure than traveling through Paris with someone who truly understands culinary art. FrenchTherefore, when Ran Vardi comes to the City of Lights (and this happens every few months), it is an exceptional opportunity to have a first-class culinary experience.
The culinary tours are conducted in small groups and contain high-quality, contemporary professional content, with an emphasis on understanding French culinary culture. All of this is accompanied by tips that will be useful to you in Paris, markets, fine shops, the truly worthwhile places, often far from the eye, and of course a host of fine tastings and worthwhile culinary purchases.
The price, as of September 2022, is 390 NIS. True, it doesn’t seem the cheapest in the world, but you should remember that many of the leading culinary tours in Hebrew cost around 180 euros per person, while good culinary tours in English will cost you around 120 euros. In addition, the cost of the tour includes the price of the tastings, so you essentially get a fascinating tour and a full meal in one package.
Information and reservations for culinary tours of Ren
Independent culinary tour
Are you coming to Paris when Ran Vardi is in Israel? Do you like to travel alone and at your own pace? Don't worry, Ran thought of you too!
This is a web application, which does not require a mobile download, through which you can take a culinary tour ofMarais District At your own pace. The app includes GPS that will easily guide you to some of the best food shops in the Marais. At each store, you will buy the best products they have to offer, and have a culinary picnic in one of the charming gardens of the district.
But that's not all, because at each stop you can hear Ran providing you, via audio, with super-interesting information about the culinary history of each dish, the people who make it, and the methods of preparing it. It will feel as if Ran is right next to you, giving you a private tour. I can say from personal experience that during my visit to Paris in May 2022, I took this trip, learned quite a bit, and enjoyed every moment.
Since this is an independent tour, it costs less than a guided tour, and as of today (September 2022) its price is 190 NIS. In my opinion, this is a fair price and worth every shekel.
More information about the independent tour and reservations
Want to benefit even more from Ran's knowledge?
Have you booked a lecture, a recommendation kit, or a culinary tour and would you like to learn more about French cuisine? Here are two options:
- You can read Ran's articles on my website by clicking on theLink this.
- You are welcome to visitRan Vardi's blog And read about French cuisine.
Always good to read you on Saturday morning
Happy to hear this 🙂