First Look: Hawai‘i’s First Paris Baguette Opens Thursday

Photo: Andrea Lee

I’m Korean and I love bread, so I was excited to hear that Paris Baguette, a global chain that started in South Korea, was coming to Honolulu. And lucky me, as part of the Frolic crew, I got a first look at the new bakery café that opens to the public Downtown on Thursday, Feb. 22.

With more than 4,000 locations, Paris Baguette seems like it’s taken over the world, but this is my first encounter with the brand. The old Starbucks space on Bishop Street next to Territorial Bank is completely transformed. Display cases are filled with pastries and cakes and a refrigerated section offers sandwiches and salads. In all, more than 200 menu items will be on rotation—easy grab-n-go options for office workers on break.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Everything is made fresh in the morning and meant to be eaten the same day. Pastry and cake prep takes place upstairs with the same attention to detail that has driven the chain’s growth and made it a fan favorite.

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My preview tasting includes 18 pastries (thank goodness I love bread). Here are my favorites:

• Mini garlic croissants – The hype is real. Every bite is a garlic flavor bomb. Plus, you get six croissants in a bag.
• Crab meat croquette – Contains not only yummy shredded crab but also crunchy bits of veggies like carrots and corn, with a crispy crust and fluffy interior.
• Ham and cheese pastry – It’s huge! If you love crisped-up cheese, grab one.
• Smoked sausage bread – Shaped like a taco with a big ol’ sausage in the middle, this delivers on savoriness and cuteness.
• Jumbo twisted donut – This tastes like a cross between a churro and a youtiao, or Chinese donut stick that’s typically served at breakfast. Great chewy yet fluffy texture with a light cinnamon sugar.
• Tarts – As a crust girl, the tarts’ soft, crumbly crusts make my heart sing. Perfect combo with the mildly sweet cheese or tiramisu fillings.

Note: Prices had not been set, so those have been blurred out in my photos.

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The bakery café soft-opens tomorrow at 6 a.m. I’m told the first person in line will win a prize, so head over early. Also, while we don’t have many more details right now, the franchise owner says more locations are coming to O‘ahu.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Tips:

• Wax paper dispensers are under the display cases. Use the wax paper to grab pastries.
• There’s a points system called PB Rewards that gives you one point per dollar spent. You can sign up online or by downloading the free Paris Baguette app on your phone to rack up points for free pastries and drinks.
• Order ahead for pickup using the same app or website. You can even get catering for meetings or events.
• Preview the selection of food and drinks online.
• I got sugared out (those 18 pastries), and an iced matcha latte added to the overload. Next time, I’d get a hot coffee to better complement the pastries.
• If you’re like me and not much of a sweet tooth, try the fruit pastries. They get most of their flavor from the fresh fruits’ natural sweetness.
• If you like your pastries hot, I recommend a toaster over a microwave.
• If you want to be the hero of your next office meeting, you can get a 96-oz. box of coffee with a spout.
• Remember the old Starbucks café tables outside? They’re now Paris Baguette tables, identified by the umbrellas.

Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, 1000 Bishop St. Suite 801, parisbaguette.com, @parisbaguette_usa