Bastille Day, falling on July 14th each year, celebrates the rebellion in 1789 that ignited the French Revolution, and by extension, a spirit of national unity, thanks to the rights granted to citizens in the years to follow. Also known as the French National Day, the celebrations feature firework displays and military parades all over France to commemorate the event.
There are no official Bastille Day meals, but there’s really no better way to honour France than by indulging in French food: PAUL Thailand have you covered on that front, with the release of some special dishes that shall appeal to any francophile in the Land of Smiles, saving them the effort of flying to Europe for an authentic “cuisine française” experience.
Diners can look forward to three outstanding meat-based dishes, a scrumptious seafood dish, an impressive savoury crêpe, as well as a selection of traditional-style cannelés, an incredible Bastille Day tartlet, and an immensely-refreshing Lychee Berry fizz beverage.
Bonne Fête Nationale! Make It a Memorable Occasion at PAUL
The focus of PAUL is on using fresh, quality ingredients to make their famous baked items and delicious meals in a classic French style. All over the world, the chain of bakery-cafés is synonymous with France and its excellent food, a country so revered in culinary circles.
In the main photo at the very top, you can see a standout selection of their special French National Day menu: Souris D’Agneau Braisée, or braised lamb foreshank, is a magnificent dish featuring tender Australian lamb, mashed potatoes, shallots, carrots and tomatoes in a magical red wine sauce. For this level of quality, the THB 950 cost is worth every baht.
You can see in the photo immediately above the tasty Joue de Bouef à la Bourguignonne dish, made with stewed Australian beef cheek, mashed potatoes, smoked bacon, shallots and carrots in a full-bodied, burgundy-style, red wine sauce. The deep, rich flavour of the slow-cooked meat is well-balanced by the slight fruity notes of the sauce – it’s THB 690.
Scrolling down the page, the next photo you will have noticed is of the Sauté de Porc à la Normande, featuring roasted kurobuta pork chop and sauteed apples in a fantastic apple cider cream sauce, with a side of mashed potatoes to complete the dish. The taste of the pork is exquisite, complimented by the tangy, velvety sauce: for THB 580, it’s great value.
If you would like something a touch lighter then the Crêpe Parisienne is well worth opting for. This thin pancake comes served with a cage free fried egg, homemade tomato sauce, emmental cheese, smoked salmon, herb cream cheese and fresh salad leaves: the lovely crêpe was soft, the salmon was full of flavour, and the portion was huge, all for THB 280.
For seafood lovers, we can recommend the Blanquette de Poissons – it has both salmon and seabass slices, sitting atop mushrooms, quinoa, leeks and carrots in a sublime white wine cream sauce, offering a taste sensation that completely justifies the THB 520 cost.
If Dessert Is Your Thing, Then You’ve Come to the Right Place
PAUL have marked the most important date in the French calendar by coming up with the National Day Set of Cannelés, as can be seen above. These small pastries were originally a Bordeaux specialty, loved for their phenomenal caramelized crusts and custard centers, and the THB 249 special set available features blueberry, vanilla and raspberry flavours.
Another superb dessert to sample is the Bastille Day Tartlet: sugar dough, custard cream, marscapone and fresh berries combine well, allowing the tart’s sweet and rich flavours to shine through, making it well worth the THB 210 for the Bastille Day delight to remember. Lychee Berry Fizz, like everything on the special menus, is heavenly and costs THB 125.
The special food menu runs to October 31, while the dessert menu is up to July 31. PAUL at Central Embassy, CentralWorld, Emporium, and Megabangna have both the food and desserts, while Central Chidlom, Eight Thonglor, and ICONSIAM have only the desserts.
