Tous les Jours [Mimi's World Tour]

Bakery: Tous les Jours
Address: 116 Yanghwa-ro, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul
Website: https://www.tlj.co.kr
Style: Korean
Price: $-$$

That other enemy of independent small-scale bakeries in Korea, Tous les Jours can be called slightly less ambitious and more on the "homey" side of baking than their rival, Paris Baguette, but their green signs are still everywhere, beckoning you inside with their collaborations with major corporations like Disney and celebrity endorsements. Most goods are pre-packed in plastic baggies and everything, from their display of creamy cakes to sweet and savoury buns, looks a bit too... prefabricated, even when compared to their aforementioned competitor. Examining the baked goods, I have to confess they resembled ones you'd find at a convenience store or supermarket. Yes, things did not bode too well for Tous les Jours.

I grabbed the red bean "doughnut" (1800 won). This is usually a safe bet, especially when fried items have a certain consistency to them and seem fresher than bready buns. This one didn't look bad with its dark yellow exterior and simple sugar coating. Biting into it, however, it lacked the golden fried crunch and texture of a doughnut. In contrast, the dough was so soft, resembling a normal bun, and the red bean filling was just... blah. Same goes for the bun and Tous les Jours as a whole. Not exactly good, not so bad either. Just something sweet and forgettable. Really, don't expect more from a big franchise bakery and if you absolutely have to pick one - go with Paris Baguette.

Rating: **