[Shanghai 上海] Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon

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Salon de Thé de Joël Robuchon

Add: 1F No. 18 Zhong Shan Dong Yi Road
Tel: 6070 8888
Hours: 10am-10pm
Price: [Afternoon Tea] 328 RMB/person, 588 RMB/2 persons [a la carte] 65-88 RMB
Visited: Apr 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

So, Robuchon is finally in Shanghai. He who owns the most number of Michelin stars in the world recently opened his first L’Atelier and Salon de Thé ever on mainland China, both located in Bund 18. Let’s go take a look.

請注意本次為餐廳安排試吃。

終于,Robuchon來了。這位在全世界擁有最多顆米其林星星的 “世紀名廚”,這兩周先後在上海外灘 18 號開了他在中國內地的第一家餐廳 L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon 以及茶室 Salon de Thé。不囉唆,去瞧瞧。

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On the first floor is Robuchon’s pastry boutique, displaying rows of alluring cakes, macarons, chocolates, and breads. The design is his signature red and black, the stark contrast is sleek and eye-catching.

一樓進去首先是 Robuchon 的面包甜點店,陳列著各式令人垂涎欲滴的蛋糕、馬卡龍、巧克力、和面包。裝潢風格是 Robuchon 一貫的紅黑色強烈對比。

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[Paris] Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain

Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain

Add: 155 Boulevard Saint-Germain, Paris 75006 
Tel: n/a
Hours: 10am-10pm (open daily)
Website: www.cafe-pouchkine.fr
Price: [pastries] 7.90~10.20 [drinks] €6.10~6.40
Visited: Jan 2015

I’ve never been a fan of Café Pouchkine. Like I wrote in a previous post, the pastries here are real attention grabbers with their dramatic colors, sensual forms, and lavish use of gold leaves, but I personally find the taste to be rather disappointing. Having said that, its third and newest location in Paris, situated on the very posh Boulevard Saint-Germain, is rather attractive as it’s not just a boutique, but a salon de thé as well. Since most pastry shops in Paris don’t offer seats to customers, Café Pouchkine Saint-Germain naturally becomes one of the more interesting options.

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There are about 35 seats in the 80m² cafe. It’s not an especially spacious room, but tables are placed at a comfortable distance from one another for Parisian standard (read: slightly better than elbow to elbow). I visited on a Sunday afternoon, and the space quickly filled up around 4pm.

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One thing I loved about Café Pouchkine Saint Germain was the friendly and attentive service, despite it being a full house during my visit. From taking orders to refilling teapots with hot water, the staff always served with a warm smile.

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The pastry selection is exactly the same as those at Cafe Pouchkine’s Printemps and Marais boutiques.

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