ぱりそら
Starting from Omotesando in Tokyo, the popular bakery "Pain et Espresso" is expanding its stores in Kansai as well. In addition to UTSUBO FACTORY near Nakanoshima Park and Minamimorimachi Intersection, a new Pain et Espresso store called Sakaisuji Club has opened in Osaka. The store is located in the middle of Sakaisuji Honmachi and Nagahoribashi. The retro architecture, renovated from a former bank during the Taisho era, is charming. The store has a high ceiling with a spacious and open atmosphere. Stained glass and intricate reliefs on the ceiling give it a foreign mansion-like elegance. Towards the back of the first floor, there is a thick door leading to the vault room of the former bank, where a variety of dried flowers are displayed (also available for purchase). The store has a classy and classical atmosphere, offering a wide variety of bread for takeout, as well as popular morning sets, all-you-can-eat bread lunches, and a cafe. The store is very popular, and it's not uncommon to see lines for dining in, but for takeout only, you can enter without waiting in line. The bread sales area is also spacious and comfortable. In addition to the chic tiled counter that curves, there are rows of bread on tables in the back. The refrigerated section also offers sandwiches and sweets. The menu includes a variety of items such as cream puffs, curry bread, and gourmet sandwiches like Quattro Formaggi and Mortadella & Pistachio. The croissants with a crispy brown crust, such as pain au chocolat and cinnamon rolls, as well as various viennoiseries, are lined up. They all look delicious! However, since each bread costs between 300 and 400 yen, it's a bit on the pricey side, so you need to choose carefully. I have visited the store several times and purchased the following items (all prices include tax): ■ Tomato Curry Danish 350 yen "A mild curry with bechamel sauce, curry, and mozzarella cheese inside the Danish pastry" Despite its small size, this Danish pastry is luxurious with a rich filling. The Danish pastry has delicate layers with a buttery aroma. Inside, there is a mild curry and bechamel sauce overflowing. The curry is made with minced meat in a keema style. It is mild and includes ingredients like apples, bananas, and honey. The harmonious combination of the curry, creamy bechamel sauce, chewy mozzarella cheese, and fresh tomatoes is exquisite. Even though it is small, its high-quality like a dish makes it very satisfying to eat. ■ An Butter 260 yen "Brioche dough filled with red bean paste and butter, topped with cookie dough and baked" This is a slightly unusual type of anpan. The surface is crispy with a thin layer of sweet cookie dough, while the inside is a fluffy and gentle brioche dough. Inside, there is a creamy red bean paste and salted butter. The harmonious combination of the red bean paste and butter, along with the fluffy brioche, is perfect! The black sesame on the surface adds a nice touch. ■ Corn Epi 280 yen "Bacon and cheese wrapped in baguette dough mixed with corn and baked" The baguette dough is also delicious. The surface is crispy and thin, while the inside is chewy and elastic. The rich sweetness increases as you chew, and the corn's sweetness, crispy cheese, and bacon's umami flavors overlap, making it addictive. It is not too hard compared to the regular bacon epi, and the corn's sweetness and the dough's flavor are also good, making it a dish that you can't stop eating once you start. ■ Honey Toast 260 yen "Baked with plenty of homemade honey butter on thick slices of bread" The half-size thick slices of bread are generously coated with honey butter, tickling your nose with a sweet aroma even before you eat it. The surface and bottom are crispy and fragrant, and the rich honey butter oozes out. The inside of the bread is simple and has a chewy texture. You can also taste the flavor of the bread as well as the rich honey butter, which is irresistible. ■ Large Leaf Mentaiko 300 yen "Bacon and cheese wrapped in baguette dough mixed with corn, and baked with shiso leaf and mentaiko" The baguette dough was also delicious. The surface is crispy and thin, while the inside is chewy and elastic. The rich sweetness increases as you chew, and the corn's sweetness, crispy cheese, and bacon's umami flavors overlap, making it addictive. It is not too hard compared to the regular bacon epi, and the corn's sweetness and the dough's flavor are also good, making it a dish that you can't stop eating once you start.