Maroco - Taipei

Thick Toast Wake-Up Call
Before I arrived in Taipei, Dodo had already scouted a breakfast spot near our hotel.  She described it as a "thick toast spot" and I knew exactly what she meant.  Maroco makes their own bread, slices it thicker than your head, toasts it and loads it with butter.  They do much more - feast your eyes on the tarts.  Though our Taipei trip wasn't a long one and repeating visits to a single place makes little sense, we came to Maroco many times - because of the toast.

Dominique Saibron - Paris

The Drive By Methodology
My girlfriend amazes me.  On a recent taxi ride from Orly airport, as we sped down the street,she tapped me excitedly and said "remember Alesia."  Yep, got it, Alesia, I said, barely looking up.  This, folks, is the "drive by methodology" whereby Dodo sees something as we drive past and makes a mental note.  It's a proven methodology, yielding such gems as Les Pates Vivantes and Jean Millet.  So, this morning when she said "remember that place we saw last week near the Alesia Metro?" I didn't even hesitate.  I jumped up, got on the net and found the name: Dominique Saibron.  Within an hour we were there and folks, it's a keeper.

Chez Pipo - Nice

Trying Out Socca
I didn't know anything about Socca until I arrived in Nice.  It's a regional flatbread made from chickpeas and olive oil.  It's for sale all over the place but I got a recommendation to go to Pipo, which is supposed to have a good version.  We took a long, leisurely evening walk from our hotel on the Promenade des Anglais and arrived at the already packed Pipo at around 7pm.  We lucked into an outdoor table and scanned the menu.  It's pretty straightforward: you either get a single serving or a double serving.  They also serve tapenade, but we mistakenly passed on that.  We should have gotten some since it took quite a while to get our Socca.

Toh Soon Cafe - Penang, Malaysia

Kickoff Breakfast in Penang, Malaysia
I'm here for a three day weekend with Puffin and some of her girlfriends and the goal, funny enough, is to eat as many different things as possible. Keeping it simple for the first meal: charcoal-cooked toast and coffee. Toh Soon is a sliver of an alley that is known for its toast and after trying it out I can see why. It was wonderful.

Toast Box - Singapore

More Peanut Butter Love
I think I was missing the Bangkok sugared-buttered-toast lady because I've walked by Toast Box a hundred times on the way to my outdoor office and have never felt tempted. Today, I wanted some thick toast! I got the peanut butter version - a thick slice of toast with melted peanut butter, cubed for easy eating. Again, nothing I couldn't do myself but this is an example of the "how something tastes better when you don't have to do the work" theory. Toast Box makes it so easy, eating toothpicks included.

Blé Sucré - Paris

Pssssssssst, I Got That Sweet Wheat
Google translate - you fail me, I'm sure there's a more streetwise translation for Blé Sucré. Not to worry fiends, the photo of their coffee eclair translates primally. My cavities hurt when I gazed at it but I didn't care, I had to have it. You know what I'm talking bout. I'm addicted!

Le Moulin de la Vierge - Paris

Sucker for the Old School
I love classic, ornate Parisian patisseries. They transport you back a hundred years with their dark wood, low lighting and painted tile ceilings. Le Moulin de la Vierge is a particularly good example - if you catch just an eye-sliver of it from the street you're bound to come in for a peek. I noticed it while walking down rue St-Dominique on my way to Jean Millet.

Jean Millet - Paris

Firing on All Cylinders
We rarely cross from the right to left bank for eats. Not because we don't think there isn't good stuff over there, we're just kinda lazy. We made an exception to go check out Jean Millet, a patisserie in the 7th. Puffin saw it once while riding a Velib and made a mental note. We jumped the 69 bus for the short ride over. As soon as I walked in I had good vibes. Everything looked good. I ordered a Mont Blanc (chestnut cream cake) which was sweetly smooth and came with a section of chocolate picket fence stuck in its cranium.

Trdelnik Stall - Prague

Wooden Stake and a Fire...
We're on a short vacation in Prague and as always, our eyes are peeled for street food. As luck would have it for me, one of the first stalls we encountered was making a pastry called Trdelnik. It quite literally is dough on a wooden stake, roasted on an open flame and then sugared and spiced. It tasted like a snickerdoodle. Not too bad, not overwhelmingly good.

Huré - Paris

The Rich Get Richer...
Some blocks in Paris barely have anywhere to eat, others have a place sprinkled here and there. Then there is rue Rambuteau - specifically, the two blocks between rue Beaubourg and rue des Archives. It's ridiculous: 3 green grocers, 3-4 brasseries, two Chinese restaurants, a Greek traiteur, two butchers, a creperie, an Italian restaurant, a fish monger, and the patisseries Pain de Sucre, Pralus, Berko Bakery as well as an outlet of LeGay Choc and probably 3-4 more things I'm forgetting. Now, out of nowhere, a brand new patisserie called Huré.

Gérard Mulot - Paris

Surprise, Surprise.....
You probably already know about the incredible cakes at Gérard Mulot. They stand at attention in the window like a small army - polished and attentive.

Au Levain du Marais - Paris

An Embarrassment of Riches
I have countless breakfast options on the 20 minute walk from my apartment in the Marais to the job in La Bastille. This is the first post in an attempt to document them all. One that stood out to my eye is a traditionally decorated corner patisserie on Boulevard Beaumarchais. I popped in and was overwhelmed by the choices.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast - Singapore

Uniquely Singaporean Breakfast
Today we went for a breakfast of kaya toast and coffee. Kaya is a jam made out of coconut milk, egg and sugar and flavored with pandan leaf. The word kaya comes from the Malay word for "rich", which is pretty accurate - it is deeply sweet - perhaps even an acquired taste. It's usually served with butter between two pieces of toast, as shown below. It's also used like syrup for french toast.

Trois Pommes - Brooklyn

Expensive, but Worth It
I don't like to overpay for stuff, but for some reason I have a soft spot in my heart for Trois Pommes bakery. It is pricey but I simple love the place. Perhaps it's because they make so many peanut butter treats. Perhaps it's because they make old-school favorites, like the hand-made Oreos on the left of the pic, below.

La Fougasse - Paris

Another Local Boulangerie to Try??
Man, lemme tell ya, it's hard to keep up with all the local bakeries near my apartment in the 3rd. I'm making my way round to all of them to choose one as my real "local." I'm leaning towards La Fougasse, which is about a 5 minute walk and is always stocked with bread and other treats. I like to pass by, snatch a fresh baguette, walk down the street with it and kid myself that I'm a real Parisian.

Korcarz - Paris

Jewish Bakery Nirvana
Sunday's are pretty quiet in Paris - most businesses are closed and a lot of the restaurants, if not closed, don't open until late morning. Bucking the trend for obvious reasons are the Jewish eateries in the Marais. I walked by Korcarz a few times and stared in the window, overwhelmed by the many choices.

Du Pain et des Idées - Paris

My "Local" Boulangerie
Ok, so it's not really local - I live in the 3rd and it's in the 10th. Yes, I have to walk like 25 minutes, but let me worry about that, ok? If they're willing to get up at 2am and bake all night for me then the least I can do is hoof it a bit, right? Like La Bourse ou La Vie, this is another example of someone changing careers mid-stream, as explained here.

Arnaud Delmontel - Paris

Checking Out the Award Winner
After a long walk I took one look at the line coming out of Rose Bakery and decided to move on. Not far - just across the street to Arnaud Delmontel - the winner of the the "patisserie of the year" in 2006 and the 2007 "best baguette." Why didn't I simply start here in the first place? Yes, there was a line, but at least it was moving quickly.

Poilâne - Paris

Old-World Bread Meets Upstart American
When I walked by Poilâne the first time, I thought it was an art gallery. The sculptures propped up in the window looked just like bread.

Bread & Roses - Paris

Oh The Choices One Must Make...
No silly, not between bread and roses - that's the name of the place. Imagine you gotta choose amongst the killer cake line-up, below. Put yourself in my shoes: in Paris, wobbly French skills, seated ten feet from the counter where these babies peer out at you. The waitress arrives and boom, you're on - "Avez-vous choisi, Monsieur?" Me? I point like a dummy in their general direction, until the waitress asks an unknown question to which I answer "Oui." Phew, that wasn't as hard as I thought. Just like a native.