Located right next to the Element Fresh in the Shanghai Centre- Portman complex, this is one of a series of Paul Bakeries that have opened around Shanghai in rapid fire in the last 6 months. Hailed from France, Paul's key selling point is that they even import the flour from France. I'd have to agree that basic ingredients matter a lot in baked goods; for some reason, the local flour just does not produce very aromatic breads and cakes (or I'm just prejudiced?) That said, I still think Paul is too expensive to make it an everyday affair. The Centre location has a pretty sizable sit-down area --- atmosphere is great with large windows looking out to a terrace, which will make excellent outdoor seating in the summertime.
We ordered a croque monsieur, a croque madam, and another kind of sandwich, along with some coffee drinks. The sandwiches range in the high $20's to $40', and drinks are Starbucks prices. The food is decent, but I think it's the location that's really worth the bucks. Didn't try their desserts yet, and think I'll go back for afternoon tea next time. They offer a $45RMB set where you can choose a drink + dessert during the weekdays.
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Tags: french cafe,
sandwiches
I was walking down Urumuqi Rd to check out whether the new Village complex is open and also found La Creperie, which is at the end of Dong Ping Rd/TaoJiang Rd near YueYang Rd. It's still in soft opening so they put up a sign to say they don't accept credit card and also don't give fapiao yet. This is a lot more decent than some of the existing restaurants who always tell you they're out of fapiao. There was a wine tasting instructor there teaching the staff on how to appreciate the Rosé wine.
The interior was of Brittany style with wooden panels and flooring, with high chairs and tables. I keep wondering what the small bowls on the tables are for, cuz they take them away when you're seated... the crepe menu is pretty extensive but the pricing is definitely not cheap. The afternoon tea set is $45RMB for a crepe and a cup of coffee or tea (I was told that you get the coffee/tea for free and pay just the crepe's menu price but apparently there was some mix-up). I order the stewed apple and caramel sweet crepe ($38RMB). The crepe came promptly, with a big serving of the caramelized apple. The taste is pretty good except maybe a slightly stronger alcohol taste. I think the serving would look a lot prettier and more complete with some garnishes, like fresh fruits or whip cream.
With the expensive rent around the HengShan Rd area, I can understand why the pricing is such. So the thinking should be how to make your customers feel like money well spent by packing more into the dishes? I was reading the crepe recipe books in the shop and realized that you can make crepes ahead of times and store in the frig for up to 3 days. Hmm... I think I'll try that at home now that I got some good tips on making them...
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French cafe that serves crepe in Shanghai...
This location on the corner Urumuqi Rd and ChangLe Rd just opened in July. I used to go to their XiangYang Market location until the Market was shut down June last year. This old cafe was more "frenchy", crowded tables, full of smoking foreign tourists, and served crepes from the crepe station. This new one as well as their two other branches in HongQiao and north JingAn's TongLe Fang (Haifang Rd), are more like full-range restaurants than casual cafes. I'd say that with the spanking new furnitures and decor, the casual romantic French feel is lost somewhat. Also, they need to beef up on the waitstaff and turn that thermometer way down! The Mon-Fri business lunch for $55RMB was a pretty good deal. You have a choice of pastas, sandwiches, or quiche to go with a soda or coffee/tea. They also write their daily specials on a chalkboard and bring it to your table. Brunches are $125RMB. At the moment, they have not set up the crepe station, so there's only one kind of sweet crepe you can order. I'm looking forward to being able to order savory crepes again soon. I will also check out another crepe shop, La Creperie, which is not far down on near DongPing Rd. Why aren't there just little take-out shops that sell crepes on the cheap?? No need for fancy deco...
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