The “Fou de pâtisserie” Shop

Now that the “I Tested” section has been created, I have no more excuses to tell you about my pastry raids across Paris. A few months ago, I kicked things off with rue du Bac, the famous one! Since then, I have to admit I’ve developed a taste for it and I really enjoy coming to Paris to stroll around while discovering a new shop or a new pastry chef (or should I rather say discovering a new shop while strolling around Paris — let’s not lose sight of the objective) 😛

The “Fou de pâtisserie” Shop

Let me start by telling you about the “Fou de Pâtisserie” shop. You may already know the pastry magazine. I’ve been a fan since the very first issue (now rare!) published in September 2013. Incredible recipes from great pastry chefs, mouth-watering photos, features, interviews — in short, the best of the best! (Yes… I forgive it for all the unfortunate recipe errors…)

A few months ago, Julie Mathieu and Muriel Tallandier, the magazine’s founders, opened the “Fou de pâtisserie” shop at 45 rue Montorgueil 75002 Paris, with a simple concept: bringing together a selection of the best pastries in Paris in one place. A brilliant idea, if you ask me! Some of the pastry chefs you can find at the shop: Jacques Genin, Philippe Conticini, Hugues Pouget, Christophe Adam, Olivier Haustraete, Jonathan Blot, Cyril Lignac, Yann Brys, Fabrice Gillotte, Pierre Hermé, Gilles Marchal…

The shop is small, admittedly, but really lovely; the staff are super friendly and the pastries are deliciously showcased in the display case. Since this summer, you can even sit on the terrace and enjoy the sunshine (though spots are precious since there are only 2 small tables). But it’s not just fresh pastries in this shop — you’ll also find chocolates, chocolate spread, jams, madeleines, macarons, cakes… In short, as you’ll have gathered, there’s something for everyone!

I’ve already been there several times, so I’ve had the chance to try several of their pastries. I’ll add my new tastings as I go…

Tasting the Pastries

The tarte tourbillon by Yann Brys — lemon, basil, apricot

crispy pine nut base, lemon crémeux with a hint of basil, apricot compote

Verdict: an incomparable balance of flavours, an incredible interplay of textures on top of a breathtaking visual — this is a dessert I simply adored! Yann Brys’s pastries are a true revelation for me and I can’t wait to try more.

The tarte tourbillon by Yann Brys — blackcurrant, coconut, vanilla

crispy almond and hazelnut base, dragée/coconut biscuit crémeux with Bolero tea, blackcurrant compote, light vanilla/lime/coconut cream

Verdict: Yann Brys does it again and I succumb, once more… Just like the first tourbillon, we find here a remarkable mastery of textures and flavours. Yann Brys reconciles me with aromas, tastes, and textures I didn’t particularly love before. Thank you, Chef!

The Blackcurrant and Sicilian Mandarin Cheesecake by Jonathan Blot (Acide Macaron)

Verdict: here is a dessert that charmed me visually. But I didn’t taste it myself — my husband took care of that. He loved it; the flavours are bold and they pair perfectly together. A success!

The Phil’goût by Philippe Conticini — chocolate

caramelised hazelnut biscuit, fleur de sel craquounet, soft chocolate cake

Verdict: an absolute taste sensation! Oh my, I have an incredible memory of it. Visually, this is a dessert I find terribly tempting (you can feel a real mastery of textures and you want to plunge your spoon in), the top of the cake is almost “satin-smooth” — it’s sublime. At first glance, you might think it’s a fairly simple dessert. That’s without counting on the extraordinary work of Philippe Conticini. The chocolate is elevated — crunchy, then soft, then melting — you suddenly understand much better the concept of “like a hug”, so true to the chef. In a word, it’s a marvel!

The Phil’goût by Philippe Conticini — red berries and vanilla

hazelnut biscuit, red berry compote and vanilla mousse

Verdict: after a chocolatey Phil’goût, I was terribly eager to try this summery red berry and vanilla version. Visually, I’m just as excited. It’s clean, it’s beautiful and it’s good! Terribly good! The hazelnut biscuit is perfectly soft, the acidity of the red berries pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the vanilla. It’s delicious and wonderfully fresh!

The mille-feuille by Hugues Pouget (Hugo & Victor)

caramelised puff pastry, ganache and light Madagascar vanilla cream

Verdict: at first glance, Hugues Pouget offers us a traditional mille-feuille. At first glance only. You quickly notice there are two different creams in this dessert: a vanilla pastry cream and what I believe to be a crémeux, also vanilla (note: the mille-feuille listing on the Hugo&Victor website mentions a vanilla ganache). It’s deliciously good! The puff pastry is ultra crispy and caramelised to perfection. Magic!

The meringued lime tart by Hugues Pouget (Hugo & Victor)

shortcrust pastry, almond cream, crémeux with lime juice and zest, Italian meringue

Verdict: first of all, I should say I never really liked lemon tart — far too tart for me. Since I’ve been making them myself, I’ve been learning to taste and appreciate it, little by little. I’m not a big fan but I’m now able to eat it and even enjoy it. A fan of Hugues Pouget’s shop, I was keen to try this lime tart (I actually prefer lime to lemon), topped with a pretty meringue. It’s a good tart overall, a smooth cream (I thought I could detect a hint of basil, though I’m not sure there is any) and a meringue carefully dosed to avoid excess sweetness. But for me, nothing extraordinary (the mille-feuille was…).

The Paris-Brest by Olivier Haustraete (la Boulangerie BO)

choux filled with praline cream, pure praline insert

Verdict: I’ve become a praliné devotee and therefore a Paris-Brest devotee ever since I started baking. I genuinely take as much pleasure in making a Paris-Brest as in eating one. So I was eager to try this choux, beautifully displayed in the cabinet with its visible praline cream. Well… what a disappointment! I didn’t like it at all and, worse, I couldn’t finish my dessert it was so heavy (a first!). The cream was far too rich for me — it was actually cloying (especially with the pure praline insert). And I’ve eaten quite a few Paris-Brest in my time; I’ve never felt that way before. So sorry, Boulangerie BO, but I’ll certainly come and get my revenge directly in your shop 🙂

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