Many come to Paris seeking simple, flaky croissants or buttery pain au chocolat. Steak frites, too, of course. And definitely le vin. But other people—my people—are on the lookout for choux*. In which case, I am here for…CHOU. (:
This cream-stuffed puff pastry, similar in style to the profiterole but made with cream not custard, is so heavenly that when I see one at a bakery or on a dessert menu I simply cannot resist. To me, they’re best when eaten with your hands in two, maybe three bites. Also: on the street as an afternoon “goûter,” or snack.
There are a few restaurants around town—namely Mokoloco and Recoin—currently offering a chou for dessert (“tiramichou” and “chocolate mandarin” flavors, respectively), but for the purposes of this albeit niche post I will stick to the grab-and-go spots where they’re always on the menu.
*You will see me spell it “chou” and “choux.” Neither are to be confused with “chou,” which also means cabbage. (As in, the leafy, fart-inducing green.) Rather “chou” and “choux” here are the puff pasty in singular and plural form because that’s French for ya.
Tapisserie
When this bakery from the Septime crew opened a couple years ago, they quickly became known for their “choux a la flouve.” It was then that I learned “flouve odorante” (translated by Google as “fuzzy fragrant”) is a type of sweetgrass native to Europe and North Africa. To be honest, the infused cream still tastes vanilla-y, but it definitely has a hint of something unique to it. While I’ve occasionally seen them offer other flavors, such as chocolate, let the flouve be with you.
Price: €2,20
Address: 65 Rue de Charonne, 75011
Hours: Mon.-Fri., 8:30a.m.-7p.m.; Sat., 9:30a.m.-7:30p.m.; Sun. 9:30a.m.-5:30p.m.