PAUL 's Singapore review and new menu items
I still remember the news spreading like wildfire - the famed French boulangerie, PAUL was coming to Singapore and opening their first outlet at Takashimaya. Tai tai's and hipsters both queued for HOURS just to score a table at the hottest new joint in town.
Needless to say, I was one of those crazy people (neither Tai tai nor hipster) waiting in line, and boy was it worth it! PAUL 's greatest draw has got to be their pastries, their specialty French breads that are just simply delicious. Feed this to a kid who hates having bread for breakfast and they'll be a converted fan lol.
Not many know that PAUL was actually established in 1889 in the city of Croix, near Lille in Northern France, and this year marks their 125th anniversary. To bring more tastes of France over to sunny Singapore, PAUL has revamped their menu and included three new main french courses. Who needs to fly to France to satisfy cravings anymore?
Salade de la mer
So when PAUL invited me for a food tasting, I immediately accepted. Not many can resist quality French cuisine at affordable prices, The meal started off with a low carb seafood salad with prawns, mussels, octopus, avocado, grapefruit and slices of red radish. I'm not a big salad fan, so this was so-so for me. The prawn was nice and chewy, while the grapefruit added the right amount of sweetness, and the avocado brought it all together. Portion is good enough for a lady as a main course!
Tartine boeuf
The next dish, grilled sirloin steak with herb cream cheese, caramelised onions topped with a dash of balsamic glazing, was a winner for everyone at the table. G (D's date), pardon the acronyms, who lived in France for over 10 years, told us that steak in France is usually served rare. Basically, the rarer you want your steak done, the more respect and admiration you'd get from the chef! If you ask for something well done... well... the chef might excuse you because you don't look local, but for anyone else, it's sacrileges.
Back to this steak, the blend of flavours really brought out the tenderness in the steak, and this definitely isn't a dish to be shared with a guy, he'd finish it in no time!
By then we were getting a little thirsty, so we tried out their new iced teas.
I opted for the sage camomile iced tea, which is a calming concotion with sage, camomile and honey. I absolutely enjoyed this drink, and it's a great thirst quencher! No pictures of it because... well I gulped it down too fast haha!
Tried their new Lemongrass iced tea with ginger and it's a refreshing drink, though I personally prefer the sage camomile as it's sweeter. The ginger in the lemongrass tea really gives you a kick.
Back to the main courses.
Confit de canard
We were presented with a slow marinated duck confit served with roasted vegetables and seasonal cranberry sauce. This classic dish is rubbed in herbs and cured in its own fat for up to a day before roasting, to bring out its rich flavours. The sweet cranberry sauce really brought out the texture of the meat, and it really was quite authentically french.
Longe de thon
By this time, we were all getting rather full, but our bellies perked up when we saw the seasoned seared tuna loin served with vegetables and seasonal cranberry sauce. This was like seared tuna sashimi to me, and was really easy to eat. I liked it better with some lemon squeezed on top. This is great for days where you don't feel that hungry but you want to fill your tummy with the good stuff.
Hazelnut Eclair
The highlight of the day for me, has got to be this Hazelnut Eclair. I am usually not a big fan of Eclair's because of all that thick, overpowering cream, but this was a masterpiece. The actual caramelized hazelnuts comes from an ancestral recipe of PAUL, and provided a nice crunch while the Hazelnut cream was soft and tasty. If I wasn't that full I would've had 2 servings all to myself! This is a MUST TRY, take it from me.
Gaufre avec glace
Last but not least, we tried the waffle with fresh berries, vanilla soft ice cream and homemade chocolate sauce. This has got to be one of the crispiest waffles I've ever had! Fans of crispy waffles please take note and try this. The vanilla ice cream was also a huge hit as it was perfect - just the right amount of everything. Great size for sharing with friends over tea!
As our tasting was coming to a close, we were informed that PAUL makes their own chocolate. We had no idea! Was pleasantly surprised and invited to try their Signature Hot Chocolate. It was quite thick and sweet, a great way to end the meal! Will definitely order this again next time.
The new menu is available at all PAUL restaurants in Singapore.
Thanks for the invite PAUL! Don't forget to try their new apricot jam which gives a zing to your taste-buds while having your pastries or bread.
Cheers!
