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2013-12-16
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When I first heard that Paul Bakery, a boulangerie that originated from France, was going to open another branch at Westgate, I was thrilled to say the least. I've heard so much about them but never really found the chance and time to check out the branch at Orchard since I was always either side-tracked or out-voted when it came to dining choice whenever we were in the area. Now that there is a branch closer to home, it made the trip to Paul all the more inevitable! Unfortunately, the first tim
The restaurant is immediately noticeable and certainly stands out with its distinguishable black shop front. With its elegant exterior and refined interior, it certainly gives off an air of class and sophistication!
The bakery is separated from the dine-in restaurant and is located just next to the restaurant. The bakery is for takeaway although there are also a few seats in this area if you want to sit and eat. This was where my mum and I had our afternoon tea at. According to the staff, there is no service charge to eat in this area since it's basically takeaway (they give you the food in takeaway carriers instead of serving them on a plate unless you're dining in the restaurant). Even so, we decided to stick to our decision of eating outside at the bakery instead.
This is because here, you can find the display of their bread, viennoiserie and pâtisserie range across a spectrum of prices such as the Croissant ($2.70), Palmier ($3.60), Pain Chocolat Amandes ($4.20), Chouquettes Fromage ($5.80), Éclairs like the Éclair Vanille ($6.60), as well as Tartelettes like the Tartelette Citron Meringuée ($7.30). I nearly died at the sight of their display counter with all those big eclairs, large tarts, huge macarons.... If it weren't for the staff eyeing us and waiting for our order, I've have been contented just to stand there and take my own sweet time soaking in the lovely sight of all the freshly baked breads, pastries and confection!
Eventually though, we got around to order a few items, which they gave us in takeaway boxes and a carrier bag.
Espresso ($3.50)This espresso had a a thin layer of crema on top and was quite bitter to taste. I wasn't too particularly keen on this although it got the thumb up from my mum who liked the bitter taste. She didn't even add any sugar to it!
Croissant ($2.70)This pure butter croissant was quite buttery! It was also very crispy on the outside and was quite flaky with bits falling off as we bit into it! My mum liked the crispy and buttery taste which was just right for her, although I prefer my croissants to be slightly more softer.
Pain au Chocolat ($3.00)The addition of two chocolate bars to the croissant was a nice treat for people like me who want to have their pastry with something sweeter. Like the standard croissant, this was also quite crispy and flaky. The melted chocolate was not very sweet but it was chocolate-y enough for me!
Tartelette Chocolat ($6.90)This tartelette was my favourite among all the items we ordered. The tart base was buttery, slightly moist, and crumbly but yet strong enough to hold together without falling apart upon picking up. Velvety smooth and wickedly rich, the dense but not overly sweet chocolate filling worked well the buttery, crumbly tart to deliver a luscious, melt-in-the-mouth chocolate treat that simply hit the spot on every bite! Oh my Paul, this was simply divine! I'll admit to shamelessly hoarding this for myself!
Pure Jee ($8.88)We were a tad full after the food, so we took this pretty little dessert home instead. I must admit that I did have rather high expectations for this after the Tartelette Chocolat. After all, the shiny and silky smooth Pure Jee is the darkest chocolate dessert in their range and is made of bitter chocolate (70% cocoa) with a crunchy hazelnut base and rich chocolate mousse with a sprinkling of chopped nuts around the sides. I didn't find this to be very bitter nor was it overly sweet. What I did love, however, was the heavenly combination of smooth chocolate mousse with crunchy hazelnut base and bits! Chocolate and hazelnut is a combination that simply can't go wrong! But while this was also a delightful treat, I still found myself preferring the Tartelette Chocolat more for its thicker chocolate taste.
Overall, our bill came up to $24.98 for 5 items. Admittedly, the price can get a tad steep especially for their pâtisserie range, although I think it is more or less in line with the prices from other specialty desserts cafe or restaurants. My mum though, wasn't sold on the price. Service was also a tad lacklustre, at least from the bakery side. There were no warmth nor were there friendly smiles, just somewhat stoic staff doing their jobs. Considering the price and reputation of the Paul brand, we had expect something a little better.
We may not have tried most of the items in their range but so far, based on our limited sampling, I found myself leaning towards their pâtisserie items more than the viennoiserie items. I am certainly a converted fan of their pâtisserie range, especially the Tartelette Chocolat, and I highly recommend the tartelettes from Paul Bakery. It is good enough for me to wonder if a return trip for a proper meal at the Paul restaurant may be next in order. One thing for sure, I will definitely come back again for the Tartelette Chocolat as well as to try the other bakery items like the breads and the other desserts in their pâtisserie range like the Millefeuille Chocolat, which also seem like something worth checking out in future!
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