2 weeks ago, I promised with my kids that I will drive them in Taipei to spend lunch or afternoon tea at Paul French Bakery Mitsukoshi Department Store A9 Songshou Road (Sinyi) Taipei City. I saw this restaurant or coffee and bakery shop for many times but I didn't have chance to dine here. So today we give it try some of their meals, Charles was looking for some meat or pasta, our server table answered my boy, we don't have this kind of Italian meals. I can feel that my boy was disappointed! Although salmon is one of his favorite, he still can accept the Paillasons salmon.
We ordered the combo meals, to me nothing so special is like a fast food version of French cuisine. I think one of their best is the pastries, cakes a lots of breads imported ingredients from France. The restaurant and decor is also build in French palace country farm style.
The stores have enjoyed such a great reputation, many people are inevitable, full of people actually have to queue up waiting to buy take-away bread, while others are waiting to enjoy the packages into the tea room. People in Taipei flock in this bakery most of them are all female, young or old. Providing the original bread, afternoon tea and light-fiber food. Lunch, are nearly NT$400 package plus service charge, including soup, main meal, as well as pure coffee or tea. Meals that can be choose from each of the 4 categories: salty faction (quiche), sandwiches, crepe and salad. Three will be attached to a number of salads, nutritionally balanced.
Paul is a chain of bakeries, nice to look at from the outside, the set meals leaves something to be desired and very average on my opinion.
Soup of the day is cream mushroom soup, savory thick on top of floating a piece of french bread baguette. Thankfully we had the soup is quite good!
Tourte aux 3 fromages blue d' auvergne cheese, emmental cheese, fromage blanc, cream egg served with fresh mix of salad greens, and baked provincial tomato. This cheese tart is suitable for people who love to eat cheese.
Paillasons salmon, baked potato cake, smoked salmon, capers and flûte served with fresh mix of salad greens and baked provincial tomato.
My daugter had the crêpes forestière- crepe mushrooms, emmental cheese, egg served with fresh mix salad greens and baked provincial tomato, she seemed to like it. Again with the minimalist concept the salad was nothing more than field greens and balsamic dressing.
*Sweets and Drinks*
We ordered up 2 cups of hot assam milk tea and 1 hot coffee and along with a couple of fresh pastries we were very happy indeed, especially as all that sugar kicked in.
The tartelette framboise (Rasberry tart) plummy goodness it tasted pretty bloody good!
Mille feuille fraise (strawberry millefeuille) The puff pastry was light and crisp and the strawberry, creamy scent was a welcome addition to give the dessert some interest but for me this was merely something pleasant, but delicious flavor profile. Yum!
Extreme aux 3 chocolat a layer of white, brown and dark chocolate it was good too! but slightly north of average.
Grille pomme a bit sour but it was good! However I preferred the taste of classic french apple tart of Rachel Allen that I made a few days ago.
Claire and Charles had their both hot assam milk tea
Hot coffee, nothing like grinding fresh beans from this coffee.
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The staffs are kind and good service, the negative point for us, they don't provide a free glass of water. A nice place to grab all the sweet pastries although is a little bit expensive. However, Paul French Bakery it tends to be a little Starbucks version in the US. It’s not that great???
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Paul French Bakery
台北市松壽路9號2F（新光三越A9‧信義新天地）
Mitsukoshi Department Store A9(2nd floor) Songshou Road (Sinyi) Taipei City.
Website
We had driven our SUV car to Pingxi last Saturday to see the first events and releasing the Taiwan sky lanterns. But we will be back on March 6 on the last events. The main event is on Feb 28 and they will release 2,000 pieces of sky lanterns. And we want to avoid traffic restrictions, the roads will be closed in a afternoon on that day which will be overcrowded. 
The name Chianti there's nothing to do with the menu. The set menu is a combination with western and asean style with average taste. But the beverage here are lovely and delightful.
