A Taste of France: PAUL Melds Flavours of Singapore with French Cuisine In New Menu

SINGAPORE – Just in time for Chinese New Year and its 6th anniversary in Singapore, PAUL, one of France’s best known and oldest boulangerie chains has finally decided to break away from tradition and launched an all new, locally inspired menu this February.

Conceptualized by Executive Chef Benjamin Lee, the innovative new menu features dishes that will remind diners of some of our most familiar and iconic local cuisine, from chili crab to chicken rice while still retaining some of French fare’s most traditional cooking methods.

At a preview of the new menu held at PAUL Paragon, we were introduced to sample sizes of the new dishes, along with some of PAUL’s standard fare, such as their Bangers and Mash and Spicy Seafood Pasta.

But even their usual fare was given a unique twist, as they served up their Roasted Chicken Salad in a deep fried mantou, giving it a taste of Asia amidst the quintessentially French dish.

Perhaps one of the most exciting new dishes to be introduced was the Spicy Soft Shell Crab Pasta. Inspired of course, by chili crab, the dish consists of angel hair pasta tossed in a spicy and sweet red sauce that we thought had enough kick to resemble but not outright copy chili crab sauce. The dish was completed with an entire soft shell crab to top it off, which paired nicely with the sauce and pasta.

PAUL also introduced the all new Honey Baked Chicken Thigh, but this is no ordinary dish – the chicken thigh is marinated in honey and soy sauce mixture for 24 hours, before baked at high heat to gain a tasty glaze on top. The thigh is then served alongside a bed of garlic infused steamed rice, making this PAUL’s first ever rice dish, and of course, inspired by local Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Even for their dessert, PAUL served up a truly their all new Kaya French Toast. Consisting of a stack of brioche bread, the moment you bite into it, you’ll be rewarded with a tasty surprise – a mouthful of kaya and white chocolate lava that oozes out from the bread, making for a sweet finish to any meal.

Of course, a visit to PAUL can never be complete without a taste of some of their desserts. This time around, PAUL’s Master Baker Chef John Tan was even around to do live demonstrations on how they prepared their latest offering: the black forest croissant. Stuffed with chocolate cream and cherries, and topped with chocolate flakes, guests got a chance to fill their very own croissant and take it home to eat!

For this festive February period, PAUL also introduces some all new baked goods for Chinese New Year, for a limited time only. Check out their new butter cake lined with cranberries and dried mandarin oranges, as well as their unique take on the traditional pineapple tart, which combines a French tart lined with a pineapple jam base and topped off with a dark chocolate crumble, a pineapple slice and even gold dust to make your snacks burst with fortune and good luck.

February of course, is also a month for love, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. But whether you’re single or taken, there’s always room in your tummy for some sweet treats, especially when they’re as fresh and rich as the cream in the raspberry vanilla cake, and how addictive their Paris brest – a mini praline choux on a sable biscuit.

With PAUL having 125 years of history behind it, it’s a welcome delight to them let go of the reins a little and let the creativity flow in its overseas outlets. Considering it’s the first time they’re expanding their dine in menu, it’s an impressive show of innovation with dishes with flavours that are sure to appeal to both locals and expats. The only way to find out of course, is to come down and try some for yourself this February.

PAUL’s new menu will be available at all six of PAUL’s dine-in outlets (Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Tanglin Mall, Ocean Financial Centre, Westgate, Marina Bay Link Mall, and Paragon). For more information on PAUL or for catering options, visit their website here