Baan Bakery Review
This little gem of a bakery/coffee shop is tucked away just a stone’s throw from Chiang Mai Gate, (south of the moat, just beyond the hospital). Low-key and unpretentious, it is a family-run concern which specialises in French-style bread and pâtisseries (pastries) and also serves a range of baguette sandwiches, teas and coffees.
The owners are a Thai-Japanese couple. Khun Nikom is the baker-in-chief and trained in Japan, which is renowned for the high calibre of its pastry chefs. His wife is the warm and welcoming front-of-house manager.
The clientele is varied but consists largely of local ‘in-the-know’ farang and Japanese folks and there is a pretty regular breakfast and lunch crowd all of whom appreciate the high quality and authenticity of these exquisite products. I can honestly claim (and I admit to being ridiculously hard to please when it comes to such matters) that theirs are the best croissants I have tasted outside France: light, flaky and melt-in-the-mouth, they are the very antithesis of the stodgy specimens found in the supermarkets and many other bakeries. It is surprising, therefore, just how reasonable the prices are.
Although it is something of a well-worn cliché, Baan Bakery truly is an unexpected oasis given the relatively low tourist traffic neighbourhood. Stepping through the door, one is immediately greeted with the unmistakable aroma of a genuine French bakery and a cheery Sawadee kaa! The ambience is further enhanced by unobtrusive jazz or classical musical and a sensible level of air-conditioning.
Opening hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. As goods are baked fresh daily and very little is carried over from one day to the next, the full complement may not be available early or late in the day so avoid disappointment by placing an order.
The owners are a Thai-Japanese couple. Khun Nikom is the baker-in-chief and trained in Japan, which is renowned for the high calibre of its pastry chefs. His wife is the warm and welcoming front-of-house manager.The clientele is varied but consists largely of local ‘in-the-know’ farang and Japanese folks and there is a pretty regular breakfast and lunch crowd all of whom appreciate the high quality and authenticity of these exquisite products. I can honestly claim (and I admit to being ridiculously hard to please when it comes to such matters) that theirs are the best croissants I have tasted outside France: light, flaky and melt-in-the-mouth, they are the very antithesis of the stodgy specimens found in the supermarkets and many other bakeries. It is surprising, therefore, just how reasonable the prices are.
Although it is something of a well-worn cliché, Baan Bakery truly is an unexpected oasis given the relatively low tourist traffic neighbourhood. Stepping through the door, one is immediately greeted with the unmistakable aroma of a genuine French bakery and a cheery Sawadee kaa! The ambience is further enhanced by unobtrusive jazz or classical musical and a sensible level of air-conditioning.
Opening hours are 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. As goods are baked fresh daily and very little is carried over from one day to the next, the full complement may not be available early or late in the day so avoid disappointment by placing an order.
February 17, 2010
The owners are very friendly.
May 23, 2010
I visited this bakery about 3 years ago, while i ws travelling round asia with a few friends. The business was just starting out and i'm so happy to see its still going well. We really loved it and ventured there every morning for our breakfast, the owners were so nice and made us feel very welcome and of course the freshly made pastries were to die for!!! I'd consider going back to thailand just to visit.