Description: Created in Boston in 1978, Au Bon Pain is a bakery chain that serves also good quality coffees; its French name translates as "At the Good Bread." Its distinctive shops can be found in many
Asian cities; their yellow and white design makes them easy to find, while their menu makes finding them worth the effort.
MenuAu Bon Pain's menu emphasizes bread related products, especially sandwiches and bagels, though cookies, croissants and muffins can also be found. The most important feature is the emphasis put on fresh bread and products of top quality. I have not found better, fresher or tastier bread in Asia, with the obvious exception of Delifrance (also reviewed in this journal).
Coffee is the main hot beverage offered by Au Bon Pain; despite its limited choice of mainstream coffees (do not expect to find fancy beverages here), the coffees served are usually of high quality; being in Asia, cold versions - always more expensive than the hot ones - are also served. Teas and chocolates complete the list.
A Branch in BangkokThe Au Bon Pain branch at Soi (meaning alley or street branching off a main avenue) 4 of Siam Square enjoys a main location in downtown Bangkok, practically buried amidst the main shopping malls of the city.
Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center are twin shopping malls just across the avenue, west from the Siam Square
Skytrain station; This station is serviced by both lines of the Skytrain, thus the area is highly accessible.
Across the junction is Mahboonkrong, or MBK, considered among Thais as the best place for buying cellular phones. Nearby is the
Siam Paragon, one of the most up-market shopping mall in town.
Central World and other malls are within walking distance.
Thus, this branch is perfect for a tasty breakfast before a busy day touring the main shopping district of the metropolis. Not surprisingly, Au Bon Pain has another branch across the avenue, within the Siam Discovery Center. However, the last does not offer street views.
From within the ground floor there is an excellent view of the Siam Square through the glass walls facing the street, while the second floor offers views of the Rama I Road, the Skytrain platform and the shopping malls across it. The sitting space is better on the top floor, which includes also a few coaches. Unluckily, this branch does not include toilets, but with all the shopping malls located nearby, that’s irrelevant.
The branch is a preferred spot for Thai students from the nearby Chulalongkorn University and thus it offers opportunities for interesting meetings and chats.
Bagel Breakfast in BangkokThe breakfast menu included several types of sandwiches and breads, but what called my attention was the breakfast set based on bagels. Since this is a Pole type of bread, I do not know why it appears in a French bakery; but the fact was intriguing enough for checking it out.
A type of bread shaped into the form of a ring, a bagel is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked; the dough can be of whole grain, rye or other cereals. Often they are topped with poppy and sesame seeds or with salt. The bagel breakfast set at Au Bon Pain included a sandwich bagel (the customer can choose among the various types offered), filled with bacon, tomato and an egg, and a milk coffee. Costing ninety baht, it cannot be defined as an inexpensive breakfast suitable for a short break during a city tour, but the excellent quality compensates for that. In fact, taking into account the quality of the items, this is probably the deal of the new millennium.
Inevitably, I returned there often. I simply had to taste all the bagel options they offered. All of them were equally, fresh, hot and crunchy. The coffee was excellent. Unluckily, the breakfast option cannot be enjoyed after the early hours.
Also the service proved being excellent: "beyond the line of duty" would be a better definition. The breakfast set includes a single cup of coffee (while the milk-less filter coffee sold independently includes a free refill); knowing that, on one occasion I returned to the counter and asked to purchase a second cup of milk coffee. It was early and I was one of the very few customers in the shop, thus I was recognized as having bought a breakfast earlier. Seconds later, I was handed a fresh cup of steaming coffee, but the vendor refused to accept money: "You already paid for your breakfast," she said with an irresistible smile.
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