I went to Paul a couple weeks ago. Paul is the famous Paris Boulangerie, known for their breads and desserts. It has been around for 120 years and it is a very common fixture in France- much like Paris Baguette in Korea. The first Paul Bakery/ Restaurant is at the Marriott Executive Apartments on the first floor. My friend and I decided to go on a Saturday morning and we got there around 10am. Luckily, Koreans don't like to get up that early so we were quickly able to get a table.

I was hoping to get a croissant and a latte to start but my hopes were dashed when I was told that Paul didn't get their shipment of croissants. They didn't get their shipment of croissants? Hmmm...I thought that Paul would make their own croissants- not have them shipped. It must have been a bad Saturday for them because we were told they were out of many of their signature cakes and eclairs (the only option was the coffee one).

Sigh...instead of stomping out. I ordered a crepe and my friend had a oblong-shaped omelette that had a variety of different mushrooms. I didn't think much of hers- it lacked salt and the texture was too football-like for me. This didn't bode well, especially coming from a restaurant from a country famed for their folds on their toques to transform an egg 100 different ways.

Luckily, my crepe was outstanding. They crepe lightly surrounded the cheese and mushrooms and the perfectly cooked egg yolk made an excellent sauce. The salad was crisp, the greens looked hand picked, and the vinaigrette accented the greenery. The bread that came with the meal was crusty and hinted at the skill of the restaurant to make true parisian loaves.

Oh, the cappuccino that I got was excellent. The foam was miles high and had the sweet, dense microbubbles that you get when a skilled barista makes a drink.

So...would I go back?

Sure. I wouldn't go their everyday for it is a tad far and brunch is around 20-30 a person. There were lots of good things here, but I expected a bit more especially since Paul is an institution in France. Oh, and I hope they get croissants in next time.

Dan

Paul Bakery
Yeouido Park Centre, Seoul – Marriott Executive Apartments
28-3 Yeouido-Dong
Seoul, 150-881 South Korea
Phone: 02-2070-3000 or (02) 2070-3201
Hours: Everyday 7:00am-10:00pm