Roi Pain [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Roi Pain Maison Artisan (羅娃麵包坊)

Address: No. 21, Siwei Street, West District, Taichung

Website: https://japan-bakery.business.site

Style: Chinese, European 

Price: $$ 

 

Ah, love that total mishmash of French words there! However, despite the cheesy nature of its name, Roi Pain is indeed the "king", at least among the bakeries I visited here in Taichung. This little bakery conveniently located a few steps away from the original Chun Shui Tang was definitely my favourite and a surprise in terms of amount - and authenticity - of their rustic French and European pastries and bread. Of course, they still had a few of the bakery standards, but I certainly didn't expect to encounter so many flaky pastries! 

It was quite late when I arrived, so much of the shelf space was cleaned out, but one item really stuck out for me: the "butter pastry" (法式奶油酥; $40). Oh yes, I know what this is! That's right, it's kouign amann time! With its layers of flaky, buttery dough and caramelized bottom, there was no mistaking it. Unfortunately, it was the last one and one corner was burnt - and you could taste it too, but after scraping it off, I got exactly what I wanted: a rich, quality pastry made with surprising skill. Absolutely delicious!

Rating: ***1/2