Paul

More than a year since Paul opened on the 3rd floor of Ngee Ann City (better known as Takashimaya), queues could still be seen at this French bakery café unlike Ladurée that opened two months ago. Both are owned by French company Holder Group but the latter in Singapore only has a counter and a boutique on the 1st and 2nd floor of the same shopping mall. My 1st experience with Paul was in France and fond memories of its tarts and sandwiches meant I had them more than once during my Europe trip. In fact, was happy to see it in Kobe while on holiday except I was then looking for a place to eat Kobe beef. Visited the boulangerie / patisserie a few times in Singapore when the queue was short, so the wait time was still reasonable but I haven't had the chance to sit by the window yet. Could see splatters of gold against dark wood in the brightly-lit (with sunlight streaming in, ceiling chandeliers and wall lamps) place with comfortable seats and simple yet lovely table set-up.

It was difficult to get staff's attention whose service was mediocre and mains on the menu did not entice me enough to order. Was disappointed by the sour strawberries in Tartelette Fraises though the tart was still as good and tried it more than once in case sweet strawberries were not in season the 1st time. Found its Tartelette Citron a tad tart and the Moelleux Chocolat bitter-sweet, smooth and rich – only recommended for chocolate-lovers. Aroma of warm Croissant was more charred than buttery and its crust was crisp and flaky with soft and airy insides. But better ones can be found at Japanese's Maison Kayser and Korean's Paris Baguette. Tried Olive Bread, which was wonderfully soft and fluffy with a tinge of salty taste and bits of olives in it. There was a faint aroma of roasted beans in the medium-bodied, bitter and acidic Espresso while Grand Café (long black) with the same aroma was smooth, bitter with muted acidity and good enough sans condiments.

Macarons here are not sold in regular sizes, only Le Grand or Minis where flavours are seasonal and include vanilla, chocolate, coffee and praline among others. Once, I ordered Café Gourmand – coffee, tea or cappuccino served with three mini macarons, which I thought was a perfect way to while a lazy weekend afternoon away watching the busy shopping crowd and at the same time try its macarons. I could not choose the macaron flavours though, and asked for the Coconut one to be changed as I am not a fan of the tropical fruit. Almond and pistachio taste in the Pistachio macaron was distinct but it was artificially sweet and too chewy for my liking. Citron macaron had a crispy outside that crumbled to yield a softer but still chewy inside, with the lemon flavour coming through, and a creamy filling. Sweet Raspberry macaron was the least chewy of the trio and though not as crispy as the Citron one, was my favourite with its sweet raspberry taste, essence and texture.

Update: It is also now available at Tanglin Mall, Ocean Financial Centre and Westgate.