What rice is to Thai people, bread is to the French. In fact, the word bread in French, pain, is a very powerful word deeply rooted in their culture. Even copain, or mate in French, stems from having a person to share your bread with. For these obvious reasons, heading to a French patisserie should give you a head start for finding top-notch breads and pastries that cater for richer tastes than the usual offerings at supermarkets. You can carry out your mission at Paul, a 125-year-old French boulangerie, patisserie and "salon de the" chain which recently opened up at Central Embassy.
Christmas igloo cake.
Don't let its Central Embassy address fool you, because the prices at Paul are in no way sky-high like other establishments under the same roof. Although it bills itself as a premium bakery, it's basically the S&P of France, meaning it's practically found at every other street and corner. That doesn't mean it's generic though, and the breads are nothing less than artisan, some taking three days to make as opposed to three hours. If you can manage to see through the crowd that usually gets thick at 11am, the glass case changes around four times a day to display an amazingly mouth-watering selection of baguettes, tarts, pastries, giant macarons, sandwiches and cakes, whereas simple authentic dishes can be ordered at the all-day dining section.
Over 300 croissants (65 baht each) are sold every day at the Embassy branch and even that doesn't seem to be enough for the solid, snaking lines that last endlessly. But for a real treat, dine in and order the croissant jambon fromage (230 baht), where the croissant comes with a stuffing of delicious ham, Emmental cheese, bechamel sauce and a side of vinaigrette-tossed salad. The thick but tender slice of Parisian ham makes for a mellow taste, while the cheese and sauce doesn't overpower and complements everything splendidly.
All croissants that aren't bought are thrown out every four hours, so you can be sure that your picks are fresh, right from the on-site kitchen behind the glass display.
Perky, sweet bites that we recommend you to grab for breakfast are the chausson pommes (80 baht). This light and flaky apple turnover is baked until golden brown, with delightfully crunchy sugar sprinkles to chew on. The fresh pieces of apple and tangy sauce inside are sure to start your mornings with a curt kick. The grand macarons, at 140 baht a pop, are also a pretty sweet value buy — they're twice as big as the ones from Laduree and cost only 20 baht more. Keep in mind that the mindset to decorate the hell out of everything is in line with modern French cuisine, while authentic French actually looks plain Jane and focuses on taste. What Paul does is authentic, so your crepe chocolat (200 baht) isn't going to come under oodles of flowers and sugar dolls. The feather-light Chantilly cream and the crepe's chewy, almost gummy-like texture don't disappoint, despite the dull appearance. If you'd like to celebrate Christmas with traditional French flair, give the yule log (1,190 baht), igloo (980 baht) or candle cakes (1,650 baht) a shot. Most follow the soft sponge cake format enclosed by a thick and luscious layer of cream, with lots of divine fills such as praline crisps, almond milk mousse or crystallised pear compote, just to name a few. The four different yule logs available (chocolate mousse, almond apricot, raspberry pistachio, pear chocolate) close a feast perfectly and make great presents for loved ones. Do try it for an authentic taste of France. Bon appetit!
Paul is on Level 1, Central Embassy. Open daily 8.30am-10pm (restaurant 10am-10pm). Visit www.paul-thailand.com.
Bougie (candle) cake.
Croissant jambon fromage.
Crepe chocolat.
Chocolate mousse yule log.
