There are so many great pastries in Paris, and I’m always conflicted about how best to cover them. Even though many people would love if I simply featured Pierre Hermé and Ladurée all the time, not only would I run out of pastries to share, but I’d never meet my aim of trying to forcibly broaden people’s horizons by showing more of the up-and-coming and not-oft-mentioned shops. And with about 85% of readers here living outside of Paris, there’s a pressure to keep most of the coverage on shops in the more tourist-accessible parts of the city. After all, when they finally do make their way to Paris on vacation, it’s nice for them to realize a shop like La Pâtisserie des Rêves isn’t that far from Musée d’Orsay or that Jacques Genin’s shop is in a fun section of the Marais they’d probably want to hit up anyway.

Of course my exploits in Paris take me all over the city. I even joke that I’ve been to the 21ème arrondissement in search of breads, candies, croissants and pastries. Not that Laurent Duchêne is quite that far afield – he’s only in the 13ème – but it’s a little off the beaten path for most. You may remember that I reviewed his Equilibre a few months ago, but now I’d like to dig into into the Fraîcheur. Is it worth the metro ride and further 2km walk to his pâtisserie?

Yes. It’s a very interesting taste experience. The glaçage on the surface of the dome is quite sweet, but as you bite into the crème that underlies it, you get hit with some decidedly prominent and very pleasant acidic grapefruit tones. Although billed as having some rose flavor woven into it, I didn’t quite pick that up, but I did enjoy the gooey and moderately sweet strawberry heart. And then there was the Dacquoise base. I love me some Dacquoise. Who doesn’t? And Monsieur Duchêne’s take was texturally spot-on – tender without being too soft. The mouthfeel complemented the main dome well; however, the intense almond tones within it conflicted a good bit with the grapefruit. A minor criticism, really, because it was a tasty piece – more than worth a repeat purchase – the highlight being that delectable and deftly-handled grapefruit mousse.

Monsieur Duchêne also sells a lineup of breads I’d like to explore further. To date, I’ve only enjoyed his pastries and croissants. And I should point out that his croissant is some pretty nice work, if a bit unconventional. My notes on it highlight its “funnel cake” flavor and “addictive” quality. So, if for no other reason than that, I have a good excuse to head down to the 13ème yet again this spring.

So, yes, the Fraîcheur makes for a nice purchase. Whether you live down in that general area or are an adventurous tourist who likes to explore the city, it can make for a fun visit. And with the shop being about a 20 minute walk from the famous Rue Mouffetard, a nice morning croissant chez Duchêne could segue effortlessly into a little Mouffetard market browsing.

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