Oman Magazine visits Muscat City Centre and arrives to PAUL Boulangerie & Patisserie. It was an experience that surprised us; flavourful, well prepared food with a real French “je ne said quoi”!There were two people that made this welcome all-the-more memorable; Bernadette & Edison, Restaurant Manager and Muscat’s most enthused Maitre’D.
Upon being shown to our table, we were promptly offered a tall glass of apple iced tea which made for a truly welcome respite after a long days’ work.
As we marvelled over the menu, the sounds of French greats could be heard in the form of Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour and the modern day French chanteuse, Celine Dion. With charming home-like surroundings, a wall of library books and classic watercolours, it’s certainly a place to sit back and enjoy a coffee or a bite to eat.
Our team decided upon a varied menu, starting with the Crab & Salmon Salad and the French Onion Soup (served in a bread bowl) with lashings of melted cheese; utter indulgence and simply divine. The Crab & Salmon Salad formed a large leaning tower, with layer upon layer of smoked salmon, sliced fresh avocados, thinly sliced beef tomatoes and shredded crab sticks. As one of their best-sellers, it comes as no surprise; a very flavourful and satisfying dish, even as a main meal when looking for a lighter option.For mains, we moved onto the Chicken, Mushroom & Emmental Gratin, served with a fresh side salad. Now, the only surprising factor here, is that the ‘gratin’ is in fact a pasta-alternative, to the classic potato baked slices that we are more commonly used to. The dish was cooked beautifully, with the distinct Emmental flavours coming through in every mouthful.
Now onto the star of the show the simple ‘Fillet De Boeuf’, a beef steak with such succulence it practically carved itself. It was soft, tender, moist and full of flavour, accompanied by crisp and chunky fries and steamed vegetables.
For afters, we made room for yet another delicious dish (we are not exaggerating, the food was prepared to perfection) the classic French Toast with Vanilla Ice cream. The soft buoyancy of the bread with it’s smoky edges and sweet caramelised drizzle, made the perfect marriage for the smooth and oh-so-creamy ice-cream.
An absolute must visit and great for both casual and semi-formal dining. We shall certainly be back again, taking our appetites with us.
Le fin.
