Review: PAUL Boulangerie Patisserie, Authentic French Tastes

Media Food-tasting
Move over Delifrance, there is a new bread master in town. PAUL, a very popular Boulangerie (which means bakery in French) is a 5 generation business that originated from the Northern France. When I was in Paris, PAUL was a highly popular choice for the french people to get their daily bread fixes so I was delighted when it finally reached our shores. But while I've tried their pastries, I had yet to try their brunch dishes so it was a certain serendipity that when I got invited to taste 6 0ut of the 26 dishes from their new menu.

The quiet, laid back ambience seemingly emulated the chi-chi, polished feel of the boulangerie (french for bakery) with its monochrome linoleum floorings and western fixtures; making this perfect for brisk business lunch meetings and social gatherings.

Since the Boyfriend is a true-blue Frenchman, I found no one better than him to evaluate how close was this to taste of home. A unmissable element of a French dining experience always comes with a basket of sliced baguette, and we were served so with a small pot of soft, delicate butter specially imported from France. The unanimous vote of choice was this humble bread platter, and am abit abashed to say we ordered refills quite abit.

Although there's a moderately long list of drink choices, I went with the Lemongrass iced tea ($7.50), which is a invigorating blend of fresh lemongrass and green tea, and just a hint of ginger in the aftertaste. Just the perfect thing to cleanse the palate before tasting!

Salade de la mer ($20.90) which literally translated means salad of the sea, tasted exactly as its name described. This combination featured fresh seafood that consisted of sautéed prawns in translucent bouncy texture, large mussels, slices of octopus. Topping it off with a fruit tangy taste, the leafy greens are paired with Advocado, Grapefruit pulps and pieces of red radish. It's a refreshing change from my usual Garden salads, and a healthy vitamin-packing choice!

For fish lovers, look no further than the Longe de thon ($29.90).  Fresh tuna loin is seasoned with premium herbs before being grilled to medium-rare that keeps the flesh soft and chewy. Served together with roasted vegetables and its seasonal cranberry sauce; the result is a mix of savoury saltiness of the tuna balanced out with the sweetness of the sauce. Its abit unusual to me, but I pretty much like the dish. 

Being the perennial beef fanatic, the Tartine boeuf ($19.90) was the dish I was looking forward to the most. Slices of moderately thick Sirloin steak are grilled to a nice medium rare to keep its pillowy soft consistency, and served over herb cheese and topped with caramelised onions with the tangy flavor of balsamic glaze. I did wish though that the meat could have been less well-done and more to medium-rare as I like it. Servings abit on the small size, which left me craving for more...

And of course, we cannot miss one of the classic french dishes: the Confit de canard ($28.90). Originating from the Perigord region of France, I have heard its one of PAUL’s favorite menu picks. A herb-marinated duck leg is slow roasted in its own fats to preserve its naturally flavourful smokey taste, then served with roasted vegetables and seasonal cranberry sauce. Although abit on the salty side for me, I found it delicious over all with the flesh remaining succulent. 

Have you ever seen an Eclair this big?! 
The Eclair Paris-Brest (S$7.50) is a choux pastry (light dough type) which has hazelnut cream enclosed in the middle. The pastry was as fluffy as they come, and I do like the richness and smoothness of the hazelnut cream. Extra points for the crunchy caramelized hazelnuts embedded within the cream, I definitely see this as a tea-break dish of choice. 

Gaufre aver glade ($13.90) featured a crispy, rather than fluffy waffle towering over fresh berries, vanilla soft ice cream, topped of with drizzles of homemade chocolate sauce. The batter is made in-house, and I like the consistency of the waffle is as I tend to find that when you are done with your main course you hardly have space for desserts. But this was a perfect portion to be shared, and I can't resist the taste of vanilla and chocolate combo.
Apart from the glorious delectable dishes we tasted, the kind people at PAUL also presented us with their specially made jam wrapped in a festive Christmas hamper. Thank you for having us!

Paul Boulangerie Patisserie is located at the following locations below, and the above dishes are currently available at all six of PAUL’s outlets:

• Takashimaya Shopping Centre, #03-16/17 Bakery tel: 68361914 Restaurant tel: 68365932 Tanglin Mall, #01-16/17 Bakery tel: 67363205 Restaurant tel: 67363257 Ocean Financial Centre Basement 1, #B1-01 Bakery tel: 66348580 
• Ocean Financial Centre Level 01 Bakery tel: 63349068 Restaurant tel: 66347686 
• Westgate, #01-05 Bakery tel: 63699082 Restaurant tel: 63699080 
• Marina Bay Link Mall, #B2-07 Bakery tel: 65098339 Restaurant tel: 65098329 
•  Changi Airport Terminal 3, Departure Transite Lounge Central #02-36