This 'French-Asian bakery-cafe' franchise with branches in South Korea (its birthplace), China, Vietnam & North America finally debuted in Malaysia this weekend, opening its maiden outpost in Bangsar's bustling Telawi terrain.
It's a (bread) banquet for the senses: Wholesome scents rise from soft-to-the-touch pastries that will likely taste every bit as fresh as they look.
Much of Tous Les Jours' acreage is allocated to its wares, leaving scant space for indoor seating. Scarcely a table or two inside were available this afternoon, as the haze, heat & humidity spurred customers to shun the cafe's alfresco area for air-conditioned solace.
This is one satisfyingly stocked bakery, complete with everything from 'pain de campagne,' the French sourdough country bread, to cheese-laced 'kipferl,' the Austrian ancestor of the croissant.
It's the stuff they whisper fearfully about at Carboholics Anonymous meetings: Ready-to-go sandwiches, financier cakes, sweet potato pies, butter-honey rusk biscuits, walnut pound cakes & so much more, maybe too much more.
Cheese cakes, carrot cakes, strawberry & apricot jams, as tempting as any apple in Eden.
A bouquet of baguettes, a monument of macarons, both standing tall at the payment counter.
Recommendations? Try the milky-fluffy signature flat buns, including one made with Korean black rice & glutinous rice flour, filled with cream cheese. Up to RM4.80 apiece.
Crispy-crusty scone-like creations (RM3.80), brimming with cranberries & nuts.
Peanut butter alert! Irresistibly sweet-savory, sticky-chewy cookies (RM2.90), blessed with a straight-from-mama's-oven feel. Exactly the way the cookie should crumble.
Fragrant madeleines that might have made Proust swoon (RM3.90 for three), plus buttery-custardy 'bostock' brioches (RM2.90) topped with almond cream.
The hits make up for the misses: A 'devil's food' dark chocolate cake (RM9.50) proves less sinful than expected, but the dark chocolate macaron (RM4.50) is richly remarkable.
Green tea lattes, caramel macchiatos, all acceptable but not the highlight here.
Service is encouraging; some patience is needed, particularly at peak hours, but it's clear that the team here is trying its best while maintaining a cheerful steadiness.
All in all, a better-than-anticipated addition to Bangsar, destined to become a hot destination.
Tous Les Jours Malaysia @ Telawi Square,
Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
Open 7am-10pm daily.
December 2013 edit: Tous Les Jours now has a second branch at Wolo Hotel, Bukit Bintang.
