A Gourmet Stroll in Paris: And There’s More!
After an incredible yet exhausting day walking around Rue du Bac at the end of December (which I told you about in this article), I’d like to continue our gourmet adventure. Because you’ll no doubt have guessed that it’s impossible to do and eat everything in a single day.
I absolutely wanted to try Christophe Michalak’s new address as well as Christophe Adam’s éclairs. Mission accomplished, and I’m telling you all about it in this article (and more!).
Christophe Michalak — 16 Rue de la Verrerie, 4th arrondissement
We head to the 4th arrondissement of Paris to visit Christophe Michalak‘s brand new shop. Fans, connoisseurs and admirers already know that Christophe Michalak had been offering a selection of his signature desserts at Michalak Takeaway (60 Rue du Faubourg Poissonnière in the 10th arrondissement): the Fantastik of the day, as well as cakes and Kosmiks. All that was missing was his own pastry shop, and now it’s a reality.
We arrive at a small shop whose window reveals stunning creations. Once inside, I’m immediately struck by the look of the shop, which is very bright. The decor is minimal but very stylish, and you can spot the chef’s famous logo — the superhero-style “M” — which also appears on each of his pastries. The wall behind the window features photos of the chef’s creations. It’s gorgeous!
Speaking of that magnificent window — it showcases the chef’s signature products: the Klassiks (Paris-Brest with Piedmont hazelnuts, chocolate banana lime tarte, meringued yuzu lime tarte, blueberry blackcurrant lime cheesecake, raspberry lychee Pavlova), the cakes, the Miss K (in other words, the religieuses) elegantly displayed under little glass cloches — chocolate praliné gianduja, but above all the chef’s signature creation: the salted butter caramel religieuse — and plenty of Kosmiks, as varied as they are elegant in their little take-away jars.
But that’s not all — to the right of the shop you’ll find the chef’s books and a whole array of sweet treats (jams, chocolate bars, biscuits, spreads…).
Tasting
I won’t hide the fact that it was difficult to choose. You want to try everything, but in all honesty, the price of the pastries brings you back to reality. Expect to pay around €45–48 for the Klassiks, €22–24 for the cakes, €9 for the religieuses and €7.50 for the Kosmiks. The price of the religieuse (an individual pastry) put me off a little. €9 — I find that very expensive!
I was tempted by the chocolate praliné gianduja religieuse and my partner by the vanilla caramel pecan millefeuille Kosmik. I really liked the religieuse, even though I found it ever so slightly too chocolatey (then again, I’ve become a real fan of praliné and gianduja). Overall, I found it almost too small for the price, and I was left a little wanting. Don’t get me wrong — this dessert was very good.
As for my partner, he really enjoyed his Kosmik — a lovely vanilla flavour — but he too was quite taken aback by the price. Overall, I feel the jar could be a little more generously filled. I’d already had that same thought after getting 2 Kosmiks at Michalak Takeaway.
All in all, we enjoyed it, but you really do want to take your time here. I know full well that quality has no price, but compared to the pastries I tried on Rue du Bac, I do find the prices a touch high. That’s just my opinion, of course. I’m nonetheless delighted to have tasted Christophe Michalak’s desserts, and it won’t stop me from going back on occasion 🙂
L’Éclair de Génie — Lafayette Gourmet, 35 Boulevard Haussmann, 9th arrondissement
On another day, I had the chance to visit L’Éclair de Génie by Christophe Adam at the Galeries Lafayette (Lafayette Gourmet, 35 Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement). At this address, it’s not a shop as such — more of a stand — but I’m immediately drawn in by the display. The éclairs are displayed to perfection. I look, I admire and I wonder which éclairs I’m going to choose to try.
But there’s more than just éclairs at Christophe Adam’s. Much like his fellow Christophe Michalak, you can also find all kinds of treats here: chocolate bonbons, chocolate bars, spreads, hazelnuts…
Tasting
The vanilla pecan éclair has been catching my eye for ages (even though I’m not a big fan of nuts, I do love vanilla). I set my sights on that one, along with the hazelnut praliné. I don’t forget my partner, who loves lemon, so I pick up the lemon yuzu for him. I find the prices more than reasonable (between €4.50 and €5.50 depending on the éclair). Naturally, I find these prices more affordable, especially after visiting Rue du Bac and Christophe Michalak’s.
Verdict for the vanilla pecan: it’s absolutely incredible!!!! The vanilla pastry cream is delicious, I still can’t get over it. The pairing with the pecans is perfect (coming from someone who isn’t a nut fan, that says it all!). The éclair is generously filled — a real treat. As for the choux pastry, I found it slightly dry, the only minor quibble. This is an éclair to discover and rediscover!
The hazelnut praliné éclair is almost as good as the vanilla one (almost!). The hazelnut flavour is very pronounced, the cream is delicious. The little caramelised hazelnuts on top add an extra touch of crunch. A very good éclair!
Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit, hard to come by, with a very distinctive flavour sitting somewhere between lime, yellow grapefruit and mandarin, with a noticeably sharp acidity. In the lemon yuzu éclair, the yuzu comes through clearly and the cream is smooth. A good éclair overall, but I almost want to say “nothing more”.
Ladurée — Galeries Lafayette
At the Galeries Lafayette you can also find Ladurée. I was on a macaron mission, so I naturally stopped there. The stand is small but pretty, and the choice of macarons is vast. I chose 3 macarons: chocolate, vanilla and praliné. Classics in their own right.
Well, believe it or not, I really didn’t enjoy them at all! Not at all! I couldn’t taste the vanilla or the praliné. A blind tasting would have left me completely stumped. The chocolate one was the least “disappointing”, if I can put it that way — it did taste of chocolate (that’s something at least!). In short, I was as disappointed as I was surprised (this is Ladurée, after all!). And having tasted plenty of “amateur” macarons during the competition, I can tell you that we hold our own rather well in the end. 😉
Arnaud Larher
Before the results of the amateur macaron competition (which I had taken part in!), I went to visit one of chef Arnaud Larher‘s shops — the chef who had organised the competition in his workshop. I hadn’t had the chance to go yet. I got to admire the window and the pastries on display, and I found them magnificent. I didn’t buy anything that day as I knew we were going to enjoy a delicious buffet at the prize-giving in the workshop, but one thing’s for sure — I’ll be going back. The shop is truly inviting!
And that’s already the end of our gourmet stroll. But I still have a few more addresses to try. I can’t wait! Something to look forward to for the warmer days 🙂