There are plenty of Chinese or Asian pastries other than Japanese mochi and coconut pearls. Far from the image of French pastries, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean desserts take the form of che vietnamese-style liquid desserts, rice cakes and gooey balls.
Fortunately for lovers of new flavors, France is a master in the art of cultural fusion. That's why, in Paris, patisseries and tearooms combining French pastries with Asian flavors are legion, as are 100% Asian patisseries. All the more reason to make wonderful discoveries during the Lunar New Year.
For Chinese New Year, one of the first dishes that springs to mind is moon cake, no doubt because it's one of the few emblematic desserts of Chinese gastronomy. But it's worth noting that it's not actually a New Year's cake, but a pastry eaten on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, commonly known as the Moon Festival. So forget it for Chinese New Year!
One of the classics to be found in Paris, however, is fried sesame balls! This popular dish is found in many Asian countries, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and China. Inside a crunchy coating sprinkled with sesame seeds lies a yellow mung bean paste, melting all the way through. Made from rice flour, it can be eaten while still hot and just cooked!
It's just as likely to be found on the menus of Michelin-starred gourmet restaurants in Paris, such as the Shang Palace, Asian caterers like the Cantine chinoise, or street vendors in the 13th arrondissement, as in China and elsewhere.
Vietnamese sesame fritters, known as Bánh Tiêu, are also eaten during the Lunar New Year! Tasty fried doughnuts, soft and puffy, to be enjoyed as a snack or even for breakfast.
Among the desserts to be found in the 13th arrondissement and in Chinese patisseries, there's also the whipped cream cake, an ultra-moist cake topped with different flavors: red beans, mango, strawberry or, most famously, durian, that famous fruit with such a distinctive smell that some love it and others hate it. You can find it at Pâtisserie Saison, Pâtisserie de Choisy or Fu Castella for a fluffy sponge cake version.
Pâtisserie de Choisy, the gem in Paris 13th arrondissement for Asian specialties
Pâtisserie de Choisy is a famous spot in Paris 13th arrondissement. This spot has been delighting locals and foodies from all over the world for several generations with Vietnamese and Chinese specialties. [Read more]
Fu Castella and her deliciously moist and airy cakes
Do you know castella? This pastry of Portuguese origin has finally arrived in Paris, at Fu Castella, a charming boutique-tea room. We bet you'll love this fine, moist cake! [Read more]
@unreve, the sublime French-Asian café and tea room
@unreve, that's the name of the new coffee shop, tea room and pastry shop that has set up shop on Avenue Parmentier in the 11th district of Paris. Imagine a nice marriage between the best of coffee shops and Asian flavors and you are in the tone. [Read more]
La Pâtisserie de Saison, a sweet and savoury Chinese pastry shop in the 13th arrondissement
La Pâtisserie de Saison is one of the oldest Chinese pastry shops in the 13th arrondissement, located on the famous Avenue d'Ivry. Here, you can indulge in original banh mi, baos, filled puff pastries and soft rolls that oscillate between tradition and new flavors. [Read more]
Finally, if you're in the mood for a fine marriage of fine pastries and Asian flavors, check out the patisserie-teahouse named Molle, located on avenue d'Ivry in the 13th arrondissement, as well as rue au Maire in the 3rd arrondissement. Mango, lychee, rose and durian crepe cakes, matcha revisited opera, red bean cakes and a variety of cheesecakes await you.
Happy Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, Têt... to all!
