Social media has brought some massive changes to the way that we conceive of food. Birthday cakes are taller. Cheese pull is cheesier and pullier. And the eye-catching colors of matcha, pistachio, and black sesame dominate. But at least when it comes to the latter, Mille et Un is delivering substance as well as style. In this 6th arrondissement pastry shop just steps from the Bon Marché, Seo Yongsang is showcasing a marriage of French technique and Korean flavors with aplomb.
The pastry case offers a range of goods, including some stalwart French classics like croissants, chaussons aux pommes, and chocolate eclairs. But many of the items showcase a clear Asian inspiration, with black sesame, yuzu, and matcha dominating forms like madeleines, cheesecake, and the bakery’s award-winning flan.
The Paris-Seoul (9.50) is an absolute must. The towering chou is filled with a trio of greyscale fillings that don’t belie what a flavor and textural powerhouse it is. The sesame-infused cream hides a heart of a black sesame paste filling so savory it almost eats like tahini, and the whole thing is balanced by a thick bottom layer of crêpe dentelle-laced chocolate feuillantine. The chou itself was a bit stale by the time we got to it, which is unfortunately a common problem with this kind of pastry, but the generosity of the filling made it easy to overlook.
The award-winning flan is available in both vanilla (5.60) and black sesame (7.90) forms, but seeing as we already had one sesame pastry, we decided to try the more classic version, which, it must be said, is the one that actually won Best Flan in Ile de France in 2023. And I can definitely see why. This version of the classic French pastry is luxuriously tender and more egg- than vanilla-forward, which is more to my personal taste. I found the puff pastry casing wonderfully crispy, though I might have liked a bit more of a buttery flavor. (Again, a question of personal taste more than a dig.)
Convinced of the bakery’s prowess, we went back to the case for two more items.
We chose the black sesame madeleine (2) over the matcha version and found it to be just as rich and umami as the Paris-Seoul.
Texturally, it was light, fluffy, and moist – and that, I’ve found, is a rarity. While I liked the white chocolate crust, it didn’t need it… it was perfect all on its own.
There are also a few more traditionally Korean pastries on offer, like the kwabaeggi (2.50), a sort of braided Korean doughnut, or the PatPain, a brioche filled with red bean paste available with (3.50) or without (3) cream.
We decided to try the latter, and we found the lightly enriched dough fluffy, moist, tender, and just sweet enough. It was filled with a chunky, barely sweetened red bean paste.
We also grabbed a half-baguette (.65), which here is baked in this more diminutive size, so you still get two crispy quignons. Inside it was fluffy and moist, exactly as a traditional baguette should be.
It’s becoming more common for pastry shops to offer some on-site seating, and here, you’re definitely more comfortable than at most pâtisseries. There’s a full room of tables and chairs at the back and a few outdoor tables overlooking the vibrant street as well, plus there’s even a very clean bathroom! Some hot drinks are on offer, including a delicious cup of fresh ginger tea.
We were tempted by other offerings like cheesecake (7), a fraisier (8.50), and a croissant filled with strawberries and cream (4.90), but by this point, we were stuffed. The range here seems pretty set in stone, so these will have to be treats for another visit. Overall, I found Mille et Un’s combination of tradition and a touch of creativity to be refreshing yet grounded and thus particularly (re)commendable.
Mille et Un – 32 Rue Saint-Placide, 75006