Pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI should be no stranger.

The Japanese brand is one of the biggest names in the French pastries scene, and though the brand is Japanese, it has left bigger footprints in the City of Love, Paris.

Everyone has their favourite brands for eclairs and macarons in Paris, and for us, Pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI will always be at the top of our minds.

There are several Pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI boutiques in Paris itself. This speaks volume of its quality for the French are so particular about their pastries.

The maestro himself—Sadaharu AOKI—lives in France and has a deep passion for pastry. He loves simple things and believes that simple things are the hardest to create for they cannot be manipulated. With that, he hones his skills of pastry-making and today, Pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI is renown for incorporating traditional Japanese flavours into his French pastries, mainly in the form of eclairs and macarons.

Think Houjicha, Matcha, Yuzu, Goma flavoured pastries. There will always be seasonal flavours too, such as Sakura macarons and tea.

The brand’s aesthetic is also kept minimal, true to the modern Japanese style. If you ever find yourself in Paris, do drop by their boutiques for some life-changing Japanese-influenced French Pastries.

Paris is always a good idea. There is something magical about the City of Love; an irresistible charm, an inexplicable beauty. Every turn is a surprise, and every corner is picturesque. Taking a trip to Paris is akin to picking up an international best-selling novel – with every chapter, you get sucked in even more, and you never want to put the book down; you only want to read on. It is like a never-ending quest to reach the ends of the city, and the only wish is for time to stand still so that you can be lost in this awe-inspiring spot on the globe.

Exploring Paris was an exhilarating experience for us, and apart from the language barrier that had us stuck in several situations and left us to communicate via sign languages, our week at Paris was nothing short of fulfilling. For first timers to the city, here are some of the things that you can do and see when you have 48 hours in Paris.

When in Paris, sip luxe hot chocolate at Angelina and queue up for world famous Ladurée macarons. But if you are a fan of heterogeneity, you will be delighted to know that Paris is a land of infinite possibilities when it comes to artisan sweets.

Patisseries and boulangeries are everywhere, and no matter which street you are on, you will be spoilt rotten for choices. You may not have guessed, but even the most basic croissant from any random shop in the regular Parisian neighborhood can easily beat Singapore’s best. We also went to sugar heaven with the best lemon meringue tarts and berry crumbles we ever tasted in our lives.

Paris is also home to many fashion giants. Spend a day or two over endless shopping along Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Montaigne and Galeries LaFayette. You will be thrilled to know that Paris has the most competitive prices for luxury items, so please remember to increase your credit card limit before your trip. Chanel lovers, gear up and be prepared for long queues and don’t forget to visit the one-and-only Coco Chanel house at 31 Rue Cambon.

Take morning strolls along River Seine, and cross over to Notre Dame, also known as “Our Lady of Paris”. Be in awe of the cathedral’s French Gothic architecture and park yourself on the outdoor benches for a session of people-watching and a little chat with your lover.

Never leave Paris without having a meal at Le Relais de L’Entrecôte. This famous steakhouse has only one item on the menu – an awesome steak frites. The queue is easily an hour during meal times, so make sure to get there early.

Cafe Constant is another of our favourite dining spot in Paris. It is a small two-level bistro by Christian Constant (who also owns three other restaurants on the same street), and it serves excellent good. Go during lunch for the value-for-money sets – a 2-course lunch is only €16.

And a trip to Paris would not be complete without endless photo moments with Eiffel Tower – the world’s greatest beauty. No amount of words can articulate the majestic feeling of standing before the iconic structure, for its grandeur is one-of-its-kind, and nothing else comes close to being right there at Tour Eiffel Paris – at that part of the world where everyone dreams to be.

There is really nothing quite like leading the high life in Paris – even breathing the Parisian air is quite a frivolousness that we will indulge in all over again, and again.

HELLO FROM PARIS!!!

Everything has been amazing so far. Like really awesome. I’ve always wanted to visit Paris, but I never would have imagined I would get the chance so soon.

I was thrilled when I received an invitation from Martell to join them on the Martell Puregourmet tour to Cognac. We got an insider view of what goes on behind the scenes in Martell, and it was really fascinating! We drank, we ate, and we drank some more.

I’ll be sharing more on that in another post. Meanwhile, I’ve been eating my way through Paris during the past few days. Before I leave the land of bread-cheese-crepe-foie gras-macaron-wine for Barcelona, let me show you some photos of Paris in HD Full Colours.

I love Paris!

I will be travelling to Barcelona, Lyon, and London next. Leave me a comment if you have recommendations on what to do/where to eat. I will be blogging about my Martell Puregourmet experience soon!

ladyironchef travelled to Cognac via Paris as a guest of Martell. No monetary benefit was received, only the air tickets and hotel accommodations were sponsored.