Delightful dining with Monsieur Fauchon

FRENCH EXPATRIATES and everyone else who loves Parisian pastries, right this way, s’il vous plait. Fauchon – an institution among patisseries in the French capital since 1886 – now has an outlet at CentralWorld.

The little shop that grocer Auguste Fauchon opened a century and a quarter ago has found “un bon ami” in the firm Tea The Cha, its first Thai franchisee, and together they’ve set up a combined pastry shop, tea room, restaurant and grocery store under one roof. 

There is seating for 120 indoors and out, all very stylish and contemporary – vivid pink facade, black floor and silver and gold ceiling, the latter theme matched by the cutlery. The baked goods are on tantalising display in glass cases, and at the entrance are shelves full of gourmet products and snacks from France. Try in vain to resist the chocolate, macaroons, teas, jams, wines and biscuits on offer. 

Even more irresistible are the scrumptious, melt-in-the mouth desserts that executive pastry chef Bruno Le Francois creates, like eclairs, smooth dark-chocolate ganache and Megeve – traditional French meringue made with Tahitian vanilla.

In the kitchen, executive chef Jerome Deconinck and his team prepare brasserie-style fare using time-honoured French techniques and the best ingredients. He trained at the Michelin-star restaurant La Ciboulette in Annecy, France, and has worked for the French Embassy and high-end eateries in Kuala Lumpur and New Delhi, as well as in Saudi Arabia and Japan. 

“I’ve been in Asia for 15 years, so I know what travellers are looking for,” Deconinck says. “Fauchon’s concept is to bring in great ingredients and prepare them in very traditional and respected ways, to bring the ingredients to life, while at the same time keeping the presentation quite simple.” 

True enough: There’s nothing complicated about the dishes, though the way they appear on the table can be quite stunning, in fact. Fauchon offers a wide range of easy-to-eat dishes in classic flavours, including its signature platter of favourites and an all-day brunch. Wine is available along with healthy smoothies. 

Ninety per cent of the main ingredients – such as the butter, duck, foie gras and oil – come from France, but the beef is Australian, the salmon is Scottish and the organic vegetables are locally grown. 

“We’re not a fine-dining restaurant, but the dishes are traditional and made with the best ingredients,” Deconinck stresses. “Anyone can afford our dishes, even though we use imported ingredients.”

Our meal begins with Trio of Escargots (Bt280), the snails in a red-wine sauce with mushrooms, bacon and garlic-parsley butter. “It’s a small portion because we want Thais to sample the escargots as a starter. This is the traditional way to prepare them – it’s a ‘home dish’ that we do in a different way.”

The Assorted Salmon Platter (Bt990) comprises salty salmon roe and smoked salmon from Scotland, served on a hot plate and, for an extra Bt450, paired with a glass of Fauchon Chablis. The tender Roasted Lamb Saddle (Bt740) is stuffed with bacon and served with green peas “a la francaise” and carrots in white onion sauce. 

“Salmon from Scotland is always limited in quantity,” the chef says. “This is fresh salmon, not frozen, so it’s really juicy, while the lamb comes from France or Italy. The flavour of the bacon gets into the lamb and makes the meat truly moist.”

The Strawberry eclair (Bt175) has its own strawberry glaze and, inside, a light strawberry cream that freshens up the mood. The Strawberry Tiramisu (Bt250) seems traditional in form but is just as refreshing with its juicy jelly and smooth cream filling.

The must-try macaroons – made with pistachios, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and lemon (Bt95 each) – are paired with a pot of hot Fauchon blended tea for an extra Bt290. 

“We develop the dishes year by year, always looking for new flavours,” says Deconinck. “The idea is to offer many things in limited editions. We have eight kinds of macaroon at the moment. It’s like showing a fashion collection in Paris – you get three or four new flavours and then the next year they’ll disappear. But we always come up with special editions. Right now we have the Strawberry Eclair and Tiramisu until the end of June, coinciding with strawberry season in France.”

Among the refreshing smoothies (Bt250), the Croisette is a blend of pineapple, passion fruit, lime and mango with vanilla syrup, while the Macaroon Iced Tea features a berry puree, Earl Grey tea and macaroon syrup.

 

 

BON APPETIT!

>>Fauchon is on the second floor of Groove at CentralWorld and open daily from 10am to 10.30pm. 

>>The opening hours are subject to change due to the current political uncertainty. Call (02) 264 5808-9 or visit the “FauchonThailand” page on Facebook.