Paul @ Paris

The first encounter of heaven was after a gruelling 17 hour flight (stopovers included) from HK to Paris. Overambitious me wanted to head straight off to Brussels the moment I touched down, major major major major mistake. For the record, the plane was unfortunately flying full load so sleep was hugely deprived given the ridiculously light sleeper I am. So after 17 hours up in the air, 3 airline meals and 2 snacks, half a continent later and with about 4 hours in between before the next train...Paul was godsent.

I paid homage to Paul in Shanghai so for Paris, it was a must. Paul is like BreadTalk locally, ubiquitous. For convenience sake, Paul always ended up as a quick fix as we dashed in between attractions.

Croissant (1.85€)

Declared "the best" as overheard from the travellers infront of us, Asians being asians...we followed suit. The best?

Hardly, crispy and fluffy though somewhat cold but I'm sure I have eaten better elsewhere. 

The festive sign.

All dressed up pretty.

Macarons (7,90€ for 12)

The mind was tuned to suss out macarons in every nook and corner so these were the first bites of Paris' infamous export. Way better than those in Shanghai, the chewy fillings were y-u-m. Even the Dad could appreciate them, that already says alot.

Props are given to coffee, chocolate and pistachio.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

The Europeans have a habit of eating their food cold, same goes for sandwiches. Despite the chilly weather, we found the stomach and guts to take on an equally cold sandwich. No regrets, honestly. The best cold food eaten under such cold temperatures, the way the cold chicken fillet and mustard dressing was combined with a lovely chewy sesame-dusted baguette. Figuratively, I will remember that moment as I huddled in one corner clutching the prized baguette, I was in heaven.

Surprisingly, the very same selection at a different outlet was cheaper but without the salad dressing...naturally not tasting as sublime.

Petit Pain Aux Lardons (0,55€)
Petit Pain Aux 2 Olives (0,55€)


By no means an easy feat for those with weak gums. These were like rocks.

Brioche (Weekly special: 2,50 € )

Humongous in size and baked to an awesome shade of brown. Pity it ended up tasting most like the bread from our local bakeries.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich

We thought Paul's Sandwiches should be uniform across all outlets, definitely not. This was simply put together without any dressing!

Cheese Stick

By now, Paul became a great buddy for quick fixes and their cheese sticks were not as memorable as the cheese pretzel hawker at Frankfurt.

Bacon Bread

The most unassuming bacon bread ever. I mega mega mega mega loved it, ranked second after the chicken baguette.

Be prepared to pay for the location. Prices at the airport are naturally higher than anywhere else. The priciest at CDG Airport, followed by Gare Du Nord Station and then Champ Elysees. Selection varies according to location as well. A case in point; the croissant was priced at least 0,50€ cheaper at different locations!

Paul