FAVORTITES: Bakeries and cafes

Aside from trying out restaurants, I occasionally like to visit a few bakeries and cafes once in a while.  Recently, I've came back from a Korea trip and there, you can literally find cafes everywhere you walk (well besides the rural areas).  Seeing so many cafes, especially in Korea made me admire more of the vibe of sitting down and just relaxing.  Their bakeries are so comforting because of the scent of the fresh bread.

Since every cafe and bakery in Korea is so elegant and classy, the prices may be less affordable.  I've also tried some bakeries whose's breads lack in presentation and the atmosphere is a bit messy, but those bakeries are much more affordable for the living standards we have today.  

1. Tous Les Jours

This is a French-Asian bakery that started in United States in year 2004.  They claim to use the highest quality ingredients from South Korea.  They have a variety of loaf breads, breads with fillings, baguettes, cakes, and sandwiches-just like any other bakery.  There is however, no seating area.  

I've noticed this bakery quite a lot of times during my Korea trip.  I tried the blueberry bagel, a sponge cake, a cheese pizza, and a cream cheese bun.  When I came back home, I found another Tous Les Jours and the quality was just as great.

2. Paris Baguette (Cafe)
This bakery/cafe has over 1800 stores with the name of both Paris Croissant and Paris Baguette. Their first store was opened in 1986 in South Korea.  Just like Tous Les Jours, you can find this bakery everywhere, possibly even more than it.  The food is almost exactly the same as Tous Les Jours, except they have more room for seating and more variety of cooked meals.

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to try this bakery/cafe in Korea, but I did try it when I got back home.  (There are more pictures for this one).

Top Left: Coffee Bread (very plain)

Second: Mushroom Croquette

Third: Green Tea Twist

Bottom: Mocha Bread (my favorite)

Top Right: Turkey Avocado Sandwich

Cappuccino 

Tuna Melt with a side salad

French Toast with Fruits

Pepperoni Baguette Pizza

3. Osulloc (this page is in Korean)
You may have seen these pictures in my previous post.  This cafe provides all green tea delicacies such as green tea pound cakes, green tea sponge cakes, and green tea lattes.  There are only a few of Osullocs in Korea.

I would have to say the food here is very expensive but it is very rich in green tea flavor.

4. 85 Degree Bakery
I've also did a post on this. Out of all these bakeries, I've been to this one the most amount of times. Their breads are similar to Tous Les Jours and Paris Baguette but not as exquisite. They have cakes, breads, teas and coffees.  This bakery/cafe originated in Taiwan and soon it spread all the way to the U.S.

I was very pleased with the taste of every item.

5. Traditional Chinese Bakeries in General
Traditional chinese bakeries basically have the same things.  Some of the common ones are egg tarts, bbq pork bun (char siu bao), wife pastry, pineapple bun (there's no pineapples, just saying), paper sponge cake, and more.

Although these types of breads do not look as great or taste the best, they are the cheapest.  On average, most buns cost less than a dollar each.