Au Bon Pain - pronounced "O bon paa" or "O bo paa", with a hint of an "n" sound at the end of "paa". It is not "O Bo Pay", as they've put it across all their outlets across Bangalore. Trust me, I checked - my brother knows French, and he laughed through his ass when he heard of the way they've put it. Au Bon Pain means "of good bread", and the French word for bread is "paa" (with the hint of 'n' at the end). So now that we've got that out of the way, I was invited for a tasting at Au Bon Pain's latest outlet in Koramangala, near the Sony World signal, opposite KFC/Taco Bell.
The trick to get a real 'feel' for the food lay in getting the right balance between the traditional favourites and the curious I-wanna-try-that-one types. The cinnamon rolls is something I've always wanted to have, and so finally this was the chance that I wasn't going to let go by. It was baked nicely enough, but had a little too much cinnamon for my liking. I wasn't the only one - Ms Quiche and Ms BakeAnything came to the same conclusion.
The Danishes on the other hand were sinfully yummy - both blueberry and pineapple. Soft, sweet, and with just enough crunch around the edges, these quite easily made up for the extra cinnamon that had started to burn my lips.
Cinnamon Roll
Blueberry Danish
Pineapple Danish
The crostinis/bruschettas that were there were decent - dishes that you ought to eat hot and not let sit under the air conditioning in the belief that it will pick up extra flavour.
Olive & mushroom crostini
The hummus sandwich was a bit of a let down. There was no trace of the hummus, visibly or by means of taste, and when we mentioned/queried the staff, we were told it was the thin, creamy layer you can see on the top half of the bun.
Hummus sandwich
The rest of the 'snacks' were quite good. The muffin and the brownie were good, although we felt the brownie could've been a little more gooey, but the cookie (already nibbled on in the snap) was perfect in taste and texture. The sandwiches were quite decent and the only grouse we probably had with them is that we aren't given a choice of bread. That apart, stuff seemed pretty dandy.
Schezwan sandwich
Turkey ham sandwich
Since this wasn't a regular visit, I shan't be having the usual summary at the end of the review. Apart from the food we ate, you've also got the regular 'lunch' food, with 4 types of soups, and you can pick pre-packaged stuff off the shelves, which includes 'healthy' options like muesli and salads, and desserts as well. There are also beverages, both on the shelf and in the dispensers (see photos) that can be had. So overall, for a weekday lunch, I think this place has it made. If you work near one, then it really is quite a decent option if you're used to eating out.
The trick to get a real 'feel' for the food lay in getting the right balance between the traditional favourites and the curious I-wanna-try-that-one types. The cinnamon rolls is something I've always wanted to have, and so finally this was the chance that I wasn't going to let go by. It was baked nicely enough, but had a little too much cinnamon for my liking. I wasn't the only one - Ms Quiche and Ms BakeAnything came to the same conclusion.
The Danishes on the other hand were sinfully yummy - both blueberry and pineapple. Soft, sweet, and with just enough crunch around the edges, these quite easily made up for the extra cinnamon that had started to burn my lips.
The crostinis/bruschettas that were there were decent - dishes that you ought to eat hot and not let sit under the air conditioning in the belief that it will pick up extra flavour.
The hummus sandwich was a bit of a let down. There was no trace of the hummus, visibly or by means of taste, and when we mentioned/queried the staff, we were told it was the thin, creamy layer you can see on the top half of the bun.
The rest of the 'snacks' were quite good. The muffin and the brownie were good, although we felt the brownie could've been a little more gooey, but the cookie (already nibbled on in the snap) was perfect in taste and texture. The sandwiches were quite decent and the only grouse we probably had with them is that we aren't given a choice of bread. That apart, stuff seemed pretty dandy.
Since this wasn't a regular visit, I shan't be having the usual summary at the end of the review. Apart from the food we ate, you've also got the regular 'lunch' food, with 4 types of soups, and you can pick pre-packaged stuff off the shelves, which includes 'healthy' options like muesli and salads, and desserts as well. There are also beverages, both on the shelf and in the dispensers (see photos) that can be had. So overall, for a weekday lunch, I think this place has it made. If you work near one, then it really is quite a decent option if you're used to eating out.
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