By Jordan Katz
When craving that flaky, delicate pastry and chilled and refreshing iced-latte on your way to work, no one does it better then Le Blanc Boulangerie. Located on Sukhumvit 39, this quintessential French bakery puts those sweet tooth cravings at ease by offering an array of classic Parisian baked goods combined with Japanese innovation and creativity that would make any skinny bitch break down and scarf down their most popular item, the chocolate croissant (THB50).
This tiny bakery is both warm and inviting. In fact, Le Blanc makes it near impossible not to walk out with at least two baked goods, one for the way home and one for when you get to your couch.
In its sixth year of running, Japanese owners Suzuyo and Shinichi Ikemoto first came to Thailand to open up shop when a friend told them that there was stagnation in the creativity of pastries here. While Suzoyo functions as managing director, Shinichi is the baking master.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”16309″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”503″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”670″}}]]
The clientele is roughly 60 percent Japanese, 30 percent farang, and 10 percent Thai. “The Japanese consumer market has a more curious palette so we play on traditional French baking. We don’t just use typical French fillings for our danishes like peach, but have invented the Japanese one with red beans and green tea, “ says Suzoyo.
With a total of 50 different baked goods to choose from, the shop often shuts down well before its 6:30pm close time as the products sell faster then hot cakes. With a fresh baked policy, you will never expect day old products like many of the bakeries sprinkled amongst BKK.
Starting at 2am, Shinichi gets to work by preparing all of the baked goods for the morning shift, which take six hours for the doors to be open for customers at 8am. The baking doesn’t stop as the afternoon menu changes to heartier delicacies such as Le Jambon or Chicken curry on a baguette (50 baht). The staff of five can finally rest when the day’s baking is completed by 4pm.
[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_original”,”fid”:”16310″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”503″,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”670″}}]]
“We like staying as a small boutique business because our quality and standards are able to remain high. We are a petite bakery and so busy that we have to turn down restaurants and hotels in order to keep our pastries up to par,” Suzuyo says.
Writers typing away on their laptops or groups of friends chatting over an espresso (THB45) or Café Latte (THB70) can be found amongst the white couches.
Photographs of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn can be admired while embarking on a succulent tuna sandwich (THB65) or orgasmic almond Danish (THB65). Add the free Wi-Fi and dog friendly aspect, and you’ve got yourself you’re a little slice of St. Germaine.
