Le Pain Quotidien

I love wandering through The Rocks, especially around lunchtime, when you can be tempted by all sorts of lovely smells in the narrow alleyways. I stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien from the backstreets, and moving inside, I was delighted to discover secluded little private rooms – sure they seemed small, but quaint. It was only when I took my seat in the main room that I realised the restaurant/bakery occupies the old police station! The space is utterly charming, and one menu item leapt out at me – chacuterie. I ordered it ($26) with a jug of housemade lemonade ($4.50), both of which arrived quickly. The lemonade was everything I was hoping it would be, not overly sweet, but not mouth-puckeringly sour. The chacuterie? Oh my. Apart from being beautifully presented on a bread board, I was smitten with every flavour included. There were generous servings of ham (simple and fresh), proscuitto (rich and salty) and salami (just plain yum), as well as a subdued but elegant wedge of pate, which, combined with the range of bakery breads, stole the show. I adored the olives, baby cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as the dressed lettuce, to break up the meat-fest. Hearty, tasty fare that I will be back for.

Le Pain Quotidien, 127 George Street, Sydney NSW, http://www.lepainquotidien.com.au/

Paul

I’m not generally one to shy away from a good sweet, and seeing Paul on Kagurazaka-dori, it’s pretty hard to just walk past. Their window display is just a sample of the baked goods heaven inside, and I was drawn in by the promise of a good canelle. I had my first canelle in Paris at a street stall on the Champ-Elysees and have been smitten ever since, so was keen to see how this French patisserie in Tokyo compared to the real deal. The outside was lovely and crisp, with a slight burnt flavour, but not overpoweringly so. The inside has the good stuff – a custardy cake that is spongy and soft but thick, with a distinctive milky flavour. It was small, but it passed the test. Next up was the apple danish – this was a real winner, with crisp, flaky pastry and glazed, soft apple pieces inside. The lady initially got the order wrong, but happily swapped for the apple turnover she’d given me for the danish. Both of the sweets had great flavour and texture, and I was disappointed not to have stomach space for more.

Paul, Kagurazaka Terrace 1F, 5-1-4 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo Japan  http://paul-inter-release.fo-02.naxeo.net/

Bourke Street Bakery

Ah Bourke Street Bakery, it has been some time! On my last visit I couldn’t go past the soup of the day, and being another wintery day, I just stuck with what I knew (although I had some order envy about Dad’s reuben sandwich, which looked fantastic!). The cauliflour soup came out in a large bowl with a garnish of parsley, chives and pepper, all of which complemented the soup perfectly. Cauliflour soup is something that everyone should try at least once – there’s a lovely creaminess and heartiness that comes from its unique texture, and Bourke Street Bakery knows how to put that flavour on show. It’s also not a perfectly pureed soup, so there’s still some texture in there, and with such a generous portion size, you won’t leave hungry. The soup was served with a wedge of sourdough bread and a little tray of butter (such a luxury!) – it was perfect both by itself and dunked into the soup. I picked the homemade lemonade to have with my soup and it was really refreshing and not sickly sweet. Perfect for a chilly winter’s day.

Bourke St Bakery, Shop 7/19-25 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/

Braidwood Bakery

On the way back from the South Coast of NSW, my friends and I decide to stop in at the Braidwood Bakery for a snack to keep us going as we drove back to Canberra. There really is nothing like a good country bakery, and the one in Braidwood carries on this fine tradition of offering reliable, classic bakery food. We stopped in mid-afternoon, so decided to treat ourselves to something sweet. I ordered the small apple pie, which wasn’t actually that small! The pastry was incredible – thick, well baked and sweetened by the dusting of icing sugar on the top, biting into the crumbly pastry was a real treat. There was a good amount of apple inside, and there was plenty of sweet syrup coating it. I always like more fruit, so this pie was a little bit too heavy on the pastry side for my ideal pie, but the flavours were classic and didn’t disappoint. We ate leisurely, taking advantage of the nice weather and the outdoor seating – for a local bakery, it’s actually quite a large store with plenty of seating inside, and outside at the back. Worth a stop for tasty, reliable classics.

Braidwood Bakery, 99 Wallace Street, Braidwood NSW http://trappersbakery.com.au/?post_type=restaurant&p=3630

Bourke St Bakery

On a recent sojourn to Sydney, I was told that Bourke St Bakery was a must visit, and who am I to argue when there’s cake involved? In a long held tradition, Dad and I went out to lunch with our chiropractor/old family friend in Neutral Bay, and when I realised this was an option it was decided! The entrance is heralded by a sandwich board and cute bicycle leaned against the wall. This boded well. I was a bit dismayed at the high savoury-to-sweet ratio, but that was foolish – I thoroughly devoured my cauliflour and celeriac soup, served with a chunk of the best seed bread I’ve ever had. Nutritional balance satisfied, it was finally cake time. After much deliberation, I went for the strawberry meringue tart, which was absolutely a winner. If you think the strawberries on top are it, get ready for awesomeness, as underneath the meringue was more strawberry goodness. If #cometocanberra is a thing for restaurants, let’s bombard Bourke St Bakery with it. Please.

Bourke St Bakery: Shop 7/19-25 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay, NSW http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/project/neutral-bay/