Paris Baguette’s fruit pastry. Photo courtesy of Raye Kazenbach.

The Korea-based company offers a taste of Paris right at home, from Nutella waffles to classic baguettes

By Eleanor Ostman — Food Critic

I’m in love!!!

My friends know I’m a carboholic, and I have found my nirvana. It’s Paris Baguette, tucked in an outdoor corner of Rosedale, neighboring DSW, across the parking lot from Baldamar. Open its door and you’ll go weak in the knees at the sight of myriad pastries. Yes, there are savories and salads, even breakfast sandwiches, but get a white tray and put a goodie on it first before selecting an entree. Remember the maxim: Life is short— Eat (or at least choose) dessert first. A rainbow of decorated cakes makes the decision even more difficult.

Yes, pastries look very French and so do their names, such as croissant, palmier, macaroon. But Paris Baguette isn’t from France. The business began in Korea and the Rosedale location is Hmong-owned. Two others are in Woodbury and Maple Grove. 

First U.S. incursions were into major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas. Finally, more Heartland locations are popping up. Rosedale’s opened in December and survived slow winter traffic. Now more pastry lovers like me have discovered its delights.  

My first visit was for one of my recent birthday celebrations. Eight of us ate salads or sandwiches (mine was tasty turkey and avocado on hearty multi-grain bread) and indulged in desserts such as fruit tarts. My choice, as a birthday treat, was Strawberry Soft Cream Cake. Atop was a brown medallion imprinted with Paris Baguette’s logo. Not just decor, it was made of edible chocolate. Lucky me!

Another reason I am smitten is that Nutella is a frequent ingredient in pastries, including their Belgian waffle with strawberries and Nutella. I first tasted that chocolate-hazelnut spread at youth hostel breakfasts when, as a college student, I traveled for three months in Europe. The tiny cupfulls were the best reason to get out of my bunk bed. Years later, I once carried a quart of that brown goo home from Germany, though it is made near Asti, Italy, where you can smell it in the air. Now you can buy it everywhere in the U.S. A jar of Nutella and a spoon is my idea of heaven. At Paris Baguette, it appears even as a beverage flavoring.

Paris Baguette’s decor is reminiscent of Paris patisseries and outdoor cafes. Black and white rattan (OK, plastic) chairs sit on a floor patterned with black and white penny tile. Built in the previous site of Panera, there’s plenty of space for pastry cabinets and open shelving where you’ll find French jams.

While there, we saw signage that, after 3 p.m., you can buy a normally-expensive pastry for $2. All of them, produced by bakers who arrive daily at 2 a.m., need to disappear by day’s end (leftovers are often donated to worthy food sites such as No Kid Hungry and City Harvest). Joining Paris Baguette’s rewards club also offers discounts.

A few days later, I arrived at 3:02 p.m. and found a pastry adorned with almonds atop the flaky crust and almond custard inside. I settled at a table to interview manager Gena Lee, a young Hmong-American who visited Korea some years ago and encountered Paris Baguette. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have one in St. Paul,” she thought. With other Hmong investors, her idea eventually became reality. Roseville’s became one of 300 locations in America and 4,000 worldwide.

Recipes and decor, Lee said, are direct from Korean headquarters. Their arsenal of pastries is so vast that many are rotated seasonally. It’s impossible to list everything here, but look up Paris Baguette Roseville and your mouth will water.

Beverages are equally numerous, with frappes, lattes, teas, lemonades and Lavazza coffees. I sipped a Peach Arnie Palmer tea and lemonade brew. Refreshing and delicious. 

I asked Lee which pastries are best-sellers, expecting her to name chocolate croissants, my favorite. She mentioned a coffee croissant sprinkled with ground beans and a Nutella “Fruffin.” But with so many options, how can just two be selected?

Planning a party? A shower for a bride or baby? Paris Baguette caters.

One item seemed to be missing on that first visit. Where were the namesake French baguettes? We finally spotted just one in a wicker basket by the check-out counter. Seems that not every customer selects only sweet treats.