Paris Baguette in... Paris, France
Paris Baguette?
For those of you who haven't read my previous article about Paris Baguette, it is a Korean chain, selling (supposedly) French style bakeries.
I tried it a few times in the US (in the Bay Area) with my colleague Eric, who's a big fan of it.
While I wouldn't qualify it as awesome, it's a decent experience while in the US,
and also they have some interesting/unusual bakeries.
So when I saw that they opened shops in Paris, I told Eric I would be trying next time I'll be at the F5 French office.
Even more convenient shop!
When I checked a few months ago, they had only 2 shops (Chatelet and Saint-Michel).
But when I looked at their website 2 weeks ago, I saw that they had opened a new shop near Montparnasse,
which was super convenient since this is where my train arrives when coming to Paris!
So the plan was to go there on my way back home, having breakfast in the morning and then hoping on my train.
Deserving it!
I stayed in a hotel near Pigalle, so for some reason, I decided to walk to Montparnasse, which is a good
5 kilometers / ~1 hour walking.
Not a big deal you would say, but what I hadn't taken into account was heavy rains...
I use to tell my kids and my wife that "I'm not made of sugar" when I go for a run and it's raining
(they usually call me crazy or tell me I'm gonna be sick), so I opened my umbrella and walked to Montparnasse.
Notwithstanding the elements against me, I made it to Paris Baguette (albeit completely soaked of course - even with an umbrella!).
So I clearly deserved some French bakeries now!
"Local" choice
The Paris Baguette in San Jose, CA, had a selection of not-so-usual bakeries.
I was half-expecting to get a few options when entering the shop, but sadly it was only classical French bakeries.
I say sadly - maybe not - when I discussed with the staff member, he told me that even though the chain is Korean,
they adapt to locals.
Enjoying the shop
Not only had the shop opened recently, but there were scaffoldings outside, making it not really appealing to enter it.
So it was mostly empty when I showed up.
There's a room in the back to seat and eat, so I went there and enjoyed my freshly bought bakeries:
I went for a pain au chocolat aux amandes and a pain aux raisins, as well as a latte.
There were also electrical sockets, so I sat there and got some work done.
Finding a Korean specialty!
When I discussed with the staff member and told him I was expecting some unusual bakeries, he told me that they had a Korean cake: the Grand Chiffon.
I bought one and will taste it with my wife - I went for the small version, and if we like it, I'll probably buy the large one next time.
Wrap Up
I have mixed feelings:
- on one hand, there's nothing special about the shop and the bakeries - don't get me wrong, they're OK and rather in the higher part of my ranking, but when I tasted their bakeries, I didn't have a kick in the butt like I had a few years ago in San Francisco (I should probably write about it by the way).
- on the other hand, the place is clean and comfortable, and it's conveniently located near the
Montparnasse train station, and there are electrical sockets for me to work - so it's definitely
a lot better than sitting in the (quite often) overcrowded SNCF lounge.
Also, the staff members I dealt with were super nice, which I think goes a long way to appreciating a shop.
Overall I'd say the experience is positive, and I'll probably come back when I'm in Paris.
Tags: Food