Brunch at Paris Baguette

After hearing about ravings about Korean's bakery Paris Baguette for its freshly-baked, creative pastries for months, but having preferred to avoid the crowds back then, I finally managed to get myself into the bakery cafe for a meal! Located at 435 Orchard Road #02-48 / 53 Wisma Atria, Singapore 239977, the telephone number is 6836 2010.

Don't be fooled by the name, Paris Baguette is not a French bakery. But it does offer a very cushy setting with plushy armchairs and soothing gray hues, brightly-lit. What awed us were the rows of delicacies lining the shelves, and while I was spoilt for choice, the Buddy already knew what he wanted. I ventured around trying to make up my mind.

There were rows of sumptuous-looking cakes with interesting names and flavors - Strawberry Short Cake, Earl Grey Cake, Camembart Cheesecake, Strawberry Fell in Love, Oh-My-Baby Crepe and I'm a White-something, etc. I was spoilt for choice, and wished I could order one of each.

Next, there were all these fruit- flavored, panna-cotta like, milky pudding in tiny glass bottles. I was rather tempted to give them a try, since they looked so tempting, but I was here for coffee, so I decided to save the pudding treat for another visit.

For the savoury stuff, appetisers or cold meals, they have these plastic cartons of mini croissant sandwiches and finger sandwiches stuffed with egg mayo, ham and cheese etc. Or if one prefers something healthier, there is a variety of salads - Seafood and Pasta Salad or Chicken Salad etc, all filled with lots of colorful and scrumptious ingredients.

Next, I explored the breads section, and it was an eye-opener for me. The assortment of breads with interesting names and flavors and shapes wowed me - Flying UFOs, sweet potato, dancing coffee, sausage-like bread, apple pies, egg tarts all lined the shelves dutifully, plonking themselves on full display to tantalize the patrons.

Now, I finally selected what I wanted and sat down to enjoy my brunch. I had wanted the Seafood Chowder in Bread Bowl, but the staff informed me that it was not ready yet. It was already 11.30am in the morning....No choice, I selected a fair-skinned beauty, the Seafood Calzone and began to dig in.

Pale and grainy looking on the outside, shaped like a miniature Calzone or curry puff, this beauty opens up to reveal chunks of fresh prawns and vegetables in a sweet mayo-like sauce. The flour is minimal, so we got to taste more of the delicious ingredients within.

Then there is my Hill Earl Grey Cake - a soft spongy delicacy of tea-flavored delight with layers of sweet cream and strawberries to add fruity hints to the flavor. The Earl Grey flavor was not too strong, so it was easy on the tastebuds and the buttery-softness practically melted in the mouth.

Finally, we washed down our delicious brunch with Cuppacino and Mocha - piping hot, soothing caffeine boosts with awesome aromas and a little foam-art atop the drink.

We spent just SGD$26.00 each.