It was a lazy Sunday morning but I woke up early feeling bright and cheery. The husband and I had been ill and got no choice but to stay home over Christmas and do nothing. BORING was the word. When I felt myself in top form on the weekend, I was excited to make the most of the day and so I dragged the sleepy husband out of bed and headed to Orchard for some shopping to grab some belated festive gifts.
An impromptu decision brought us to Paris Baguette Cafe which was the perfect move as there wasn’t any queue at all (and with plenty of empty tables) when we were there. So folks, Sunday morning is the key. Lol.
The open-concept cafe is located just outside Isetan on the 2nd level of Wisma Atria.
Cafe was quite empty when we were there
Counter staff were loading trays of freshly baked pastries onto the display shelves
Delectable pastries and snacks that were calling out to us. I wish I could just order one of each!
Ordering is pretty simple. Just have a look at the array of available pastries and let the counter staff know what you want. He/she will grab your orders and place on a tray on top of the display shelves. Then you just take the tray to the cashier at the end, order your drinks, make payment, get a number plate and find a place to sit.
As my husband and I were marvelling at the pastries, I was quite amused by the young boy who was serving us because he literally followed us when we paced up and down in front of the display shelves, trying to make up our minds on what to order.
I have heard stories about their bad service which I feel is more of a lack of experience. The counter staff looked like students on vacation jobs and were quite shy in behaviour when communicating with us. Service wasn’t impeccable but it didn’t put me off either.
When we were sitting down and waiting for our drinks to come. I was admiring the sights and sounds of the bakery in action. In full view.
What a joy to see chefs scurrying out of the kitchen with fresh-from-the-oven pastries and I just love the smell of these pastries in the air!
Apple Pastry $3.50
What really enticed me on this pastry were the big cubes of apples that looked so beautifully caramelized. Normally, we’d only see apple slices on similar pastries so this was really a generous helping. The apples were nicely baked and retained a lovely crunch. The sugar, raisins and a touch of cinnamon gave the apple cubes a rich, divine flavour without being too sweet. The best part? The crust or puff pastry gave a sound of crunch when you cut it through with the fork and knife. And gave another crunch when you chew on it. How did they manage to make the pastry so crispy despite the top being laden with heavy syrup spiced apples? A dust of icing sugar made the whole pastry even more intoxicating. It’s probably my first time enjoying and actually liking an apple pastry!
From top to bottom: Hannam-Dong Hotdog $3.60, Sweet Bacon Roll $3.60
The Hannam-Dong Hotdog is a rolled-up cheese sausage hotdog with marbled beef whereas the Sweet Bacon Roll is a crispy bacon and egg roll, probably basked in glistening sugar syrup or honey.
And here’s what the insides looked like. The cheese-oozing sausage was moist and juicy. Every bite of it was like a snap, really crunchy. The marbled beef was very well marinated and was full of flavours. The crust was like a thin pita bread. Everything just married within that roll. This would be one thing I’d come back for.
The bacon roll on the other hand tasted too sweet for my liking. I love eggs and bacon very much but just not when they are sweetened. Something just didn’t taste right for me. The husband loved it though. The egg mixture was stuffed compactly in the roll so every mouthful was brimming with eggy aroma. If this was more savoury, I’d probably enjoy it more.
My cafe latte ($6.00) perks me up!
Well, the coffee wasn’t spectacular but good enough to give me my caffeine kick.
Mango Latte $9.00
The husband ordered the mango latte at an unbelievable price of $9.00. It was like a mango milkshake made of fresh mango puree and milk. Not sure why this would cost so expensive. It tasted pretty good though. The mango was rich, not diluted. If you’re a mango lover, this would be perfect for you.
I like the extra touch of thoughtfulness with these wet wipes which would come in handy if you eat with your hands.
The cafe also offers salads, phad thai, rolls and sandwiches to go. All nicely packed in see-through plastic boxes. Everything just looked so appetising. I’d have to take away some of them one day!
And this is the cheese cake that I was raving about earlier in my What to buy from South Korea? Part III post. A box of two mini cheesecakes at $6.00. Overpriced in Singapore. But taste so good.
Will I be back? Of course. With so many tantalising treats on display, I’d have to come back several times to try them all. I’d likely skip in-dining and just go for take-aways.
Paris Baguette Cafe
#02-48/53, Wisma Atria Shopping Centre
435 Orchard Road
Tel: 6836 2010
Opens: 10.00am to 10.00pm daily
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