Legends of France

THE PAST DECADE or so has seen Thais travelling more than ever before, so it’s no surprise that we have become more open to international tastes. A new-found willingness to sample foods from beyond the country’s borders has encouraged such big names as Twinings and Harrods to set up shop here, and along with less refined but no less tasty American crunchy corn outlet Garrett Popcorn, they are doing a roaring trade.

French bakeries and patisseries have enjoyed an especially warm welcome since well-known Paris epicerie Lenotre introduced real French pastries to Bangkok a few years back. Today, the city is home to several leading European cafes and restaurants sitting cheek-by-jowl with some of the biggest names in the fashion world in the city’s luxury malls.

 

FAUCHON

A fine-foods grocery opened by Auguste Fauchon in 1886, Fauchon has come to symbolise French-style luxury. It opened its first Bangkok outlet at The Groove, CentralWorld in August and expanded to include a second branch at Siam Paragon two months ago. 

Operated by Thai franchisee Tea The Cha, the Groove’s outlet brings together a Parisian-style pastry shop, tea room, restaurant and grocery under one roof. 

Like the original shop in La Madeleine area of Paris, the Bangkok outlet sparkles in shades of pink and silver and offers a range of eclairs, melt-in-the-mouth cakes and sweet macaroons alongside gourmet merchandise flown in from France. 

“Thais are increasingly choosy about what they eat and recognise the difference between traditional French pastries and local sweets,” says chief executive Chirapong Sakullachat. 

“Fauchon is famous for its eclairs, premium desserts and signature French dishes. We received good feedback from our first outlet, which gave us the confidence to open a cafe at Paragon.”

 

 

The kitchen is in hands of executive chef Jerome Deconinck, who trained at the Michelin-starred La Ciboulette in Annecy, France. He offers a range of brasserie-style dishes prepared to traditional recipes. 

“Fauchon’s concept is to bring in great ingredients and prepare them the traditional way. We bring the ingredients to life and keep the presentation simple,” he says.

Ninety per cent of those ingredients are regularly flown in: the butter, duck, foie gras and oil from France, the salmon from Scotland, and the beef from Australia. The vegetables, all of them organic, are sourced locally. The menu includes Roasted Lamb Saddle (Bt740) with green peas “a la Francaise” and carrots in white onion sauce, and Trio of Escargots (Bt280), where the snails are cooked in a red-wine sauce with mushrooms, bacon and garlic-parsley butter.

Among the sweet treats are the Strawberry eclair (Bt175), Strawberry Tiramisu (Bt250) and macaroons filled with pistachio, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and lemon cream (Bt95 apiece), which are best enjoyed with a pot of hot Fauchon blended tea. 

 

LADUREE

After titillating Asian taste buds in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Taiwan, famed Parisian luxury bakery and patisserie Laduree arrived in Bangkok in September under a collaborative deal with Thai luxury retailer PMT The Hour Glass. 

Located in Siam Paragon, the elegant 18-seat boutique teashop boasts a similar decor to its Rue Royale “mother shop” with wallpaper from Maison Braquenie covered in hot-air balloon motifs in pink and pale green.

Established in 1862 by French miller Louis Ernest Laduree, the patisserie invented the world’s first double-decker vanilla macaroons.

“The retail food market in Thailand is growing fast and Laduree has the potential to satisfy the demand for luxury foodstuffs. Thais have more purchasing power and are happy to pay more money for a meal. They also like to share photos of luxurious fare on the social networks,” notes general manager Penprapai Siridanupath, adding that Laduree has developed a technique for keeping its macaroons fresh for five to seven days.

Along with the macaroons, customers can enjoy one or more of the 15 different ice creams on offer. These include the Coupe Ispahan (Bt440), a raspberry sorbet and rose petal delight with berries and lychees in raspberry sauce smothered in whipped chantilly cream, and Coupe Laduree (Bt440), a dessert of smooth chestnut ice cream served with chunks of chestnut and cream. 

The macaroons also boast luxurious fillings including chocolate, pistachio, lemon, vanilla and rose petal and are priced from Bt120 to Bt240. A pot of Melange Special Laduree (Bt290) marries the best black tea from China and Sri Lanka with citrus fruits, flowers, sweet spies and vanilla.

 

PAUL 

The newest French kid on the block, Paul is a chain of bakeries and cafes that’s been around since 1889 and is now owned by the same group as Laduree. Open since last month at Central Embassy, it boasts more than 400 shops in 24 countries including England, the US, Japan and Singapore. 

Run by Thai franchisee Bakehouse – a subsidiary of CP Group – the Bangkok outlet takes its inspiration from the Singapore branch and operates as a cafe-cum-restaurant offering freshly baked pastries, exquisite main dishes and salads as well as smoothies and teas.

“With more than five generations of experience under its belt, Paul offers a strong lesson in top quality products. Fresh baked pastries are increasingly popular with Thais |and we want to offer them some |new choices and tastes,” says Bakehouse director Dr Papon Ratanachaikanont.

“We have more than 150 pastries to eat here or to take away along with main dishes for all-day dining. We use only the very best quality ingredients and keep our prices reasonable. We are targeting foreign tourists from Japan, Hong Kong and Europe who are familiar with Paul.”

 

 

The 230-square-metre restaurant, which seats 78, offers both indoor and outdoor dining options and boasts mirrored walls, giving it a spacious, clean look. An open kitchen allows customers to watch head baker Thana Pongwichit and his team making croissants, pies and the traditional French baguette. 

“Ninety per cent of our ingredients, like the flour and butter, are imported from France. We follow original recipes to the letter and spend two days making our bread,” Thana says. 

Must-try dishes include the open ham-and-cheese sandwich known as the Croque-madame (Bt320) and the Cuisse de poulet rotie (Bt390) – roast marinated chicken leg served with salad and sauteed potatoes. 

Among the signature sweet treats are Moelleux citron framboise (Bt175), a lemon and raspberry sponge cake, and Croissants Amandes (Bt95) and Canele (Bt70), a small French pastry with a soft custard centre and a caramelised exterior. Here too you can enjoy your macaroons as a drink, with the Macarons Frappes going for Bt185.|

 

SWEET SENSATIONS

>>> Fauchon is on the second floor of Groove at CentralWorld and the ground floor of Siam Paragon. Visit the “FauchonThailand” page on Facebook.

>>> Laduree is located on M Floor of Siam Paragon. Visit www.Laduree.com.

>>> Paul is on the first floor of Central Embassy. Visit www.Paul-Thailand.com.