the french baker – Jellybeans in the City

I can barely remember a time when The French Baker was not around.

Since the early 90’s, it has been making affordable, premium-quality and freshly baked European-style breads available to more Filipinos, thereby broadening our food horizons beyond the neighborhood panaderia.

The French Baker was born out of founder Johnlu Koa’s desire to bring his Paris experience back to the Philippines in the form of French breads and pastries. Since then, the bakery-slash-restaurant has been churning out baguettes, croissants, sourdoughs and tarts alongside local bakery treats such as pan de sal and ensaimada, and cafe fare like soups, salads, pizzas and pastas.

If it weren’t for The French Baker, I might not have developed such a deep appreciation for the art of bread and pastry-making, and my family also would not be enjoying our favorite baked goods so easily.

These include:

Apple Crumble Danish (Php105). Layered and glazed pastry topped with cinnamon-infused apple streusel. While I usually gravitate towards The French Baker’s Blueberry and Peach Danishes, this is a welcome addition to my faves.

Choco Walnut Danish (Php105). Another variation of the delightful Danish pastries, this time with a chocolate cream filling topped by crunchy chopped walnuts.

Blueberry Muffin (Php72). A buttery quick bread with sweet and tangy blueberries mixed in. This is great for a fuss-free dessert after a meal, or a sweet snack.

Butter Croissant (Php73). A crescent-shaped viennoiserie made by layering the dough with butter, rolling it out and folding it several times resulting in a flaky textured roll with the same airy texture as a puff pastry. This goes so well with butter and coffee as a breakfast treat, and is my daughter’s favorite pastry.

Almond Croissant (Php115). A tasty expansion to The French Baker’s croissant possibilities, thanks to the addition of toasted and sweetened almond slices.

Beef Turnover (Php118). The French version of the empanada, this consists of savory ground beef filling encased in the flaky pastry dough. This is my husband’s go-to quick eats, whether for his coffee break or midnight snack.

What I love most about these baked goodies from The French Baker is that my family and I can enjoy them at home!

Whether with our coffee or hot chocolate in the morning, a sweet way to cap our lunch or dinner or as a delicious snack in between meals, these yummy pastries are always within easy reach.

You too can stock up on your favorite European-style baked goods from The French Baker by dropping by the outlet nearest you and ordering them for takeout. With over 50 branches nationwide, this shouldn’t be too hard. 🙂

You can also order for delivery from its website or via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Back when I was in grade school, a French Baker branch opened in the only nearby shopping mall at the time and introduced me to the amazing pastry called the Danish.

The Danish is viennoiserie baked good which was among the pastries introduced by Austrian bakers hired to replace the bakers of Denmark who went on strike in 1850. After the labor disputes were ironed out and the Danish bakers went back to work, they adapted the Austrian Plundergeback pastry and made it their own by adjusting the amount of egg and fat, coming with what is now known as the Danish pastry.

The French Baker is said to have revitalized the breadmaking industry in the country, bringing to light various ways to enjoy breads and pastries with European origins – such as baguettes, scones, crepes, bagels, sourdough, ciabatta, and, of course, Danishes – which were unfamiliar to the Philippine mass market when the chain opened its first stores more than thirty years ago.

The French Baker’s version of the Danish Pastry consists of the layered and glazed pastry topped with a creamy custard and a fruit filling. My favorites since childhood are the Blueberry Danish (Php88) and the Peach Danish (Php88).

On my way to parking lot after running some errands, I espied a takeout counter at The French Baker branch inside the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. I dropped by and picked up a few pieces of my favorite Danish variants as my pasalubong for the kiddos (and a treat for me!) as well as a bag of Crack Pan De Sal (Php102 for 10 pieces).

The pastries were a hit with the kids; we liked the sweet and flaky bread that frames the creamy custard and luscious fruit filling perfectly.

I saved the pan de sal for later when I prepared my midnight snack with Hubby. I heated a couple of pieces and filled them with shredded Purefoods Fiesta Ham. Oh my! Those fluffy pan de sal went so well with the ham and really sated my late night food cravings.

From my childhood to today, I continue to appreciate how The French Baker has expanded my foodie horizons.

Aside from dine-ins and takeouts, you can also enjoy The French Baker baked goods by having them delivered to your home. For inquiries, call +63 917 6353026 or +63 917 5423125. Order online or via GrabFood or FoodPanda.