CHECK OTHER REVIEWS FOR THIS PLACE:
Looking for tasty discoveries, I recently came across L'Eclair de Genie in Paris and of course I had to pass by this favorite spot again during my latest trip to Paris with my wife and some friends. I wanted them to enjoy the sweet passions including Eclairs, Baba au Rhum, Mille Feuilles, Macarons and many others.
Many of us have somehow forgotten about delicious eclairs when adorable macarons and elaborate American cupcakes took the Paris by storm in the past couple of years. Thanks to inventive pastry chefs, two new Parisian pastry shops, L’Eclair de Genie and L’Atelier de l’Eclair, have put the éclair back on the dessert tray. L’Eclair de Génie was born out of the imagination of the very talented pastry chef Christophe Adam. He previously worked for over 10 years at Fauchon, a big name in French gourmet food known for its éclairs. After discovering L'Eclair de Genie in Passy Plaza, the shopping mall of the 16th district, I decided to go search for Christophe Adam's original location on 14 rue Pavee. We reached late, thirty minutes before closing, so the displayed choices were not as varied as I expected. Nevertheless , I decided to enjoy four new flavors which can help summarize the place's innovative wonders.
The place described:
- Nestled in the heart of Le Marais touristic region, L'Eclair de Genie is a small place occupying an old shop
- Walls are all covered in thick stones
- A grey floor, white walls, freshness and simplicity give space for the eclairs to express themselves
- To the right, is a long display of Adam's colorful eclairs
- To the left, posters are just so mouthwatering... They make you feel like ordering everything
- A the end of the boutique, chocolates cover all the walls in a space looking like a protected safe
Today's discoveries:
ROUGE FRAMBOISE: (Crème framboise, chocolat grand cru et chocolat au lait). I think that’s one of the most beautiful and most interesting éclairs around. A pronounced Ferrari red color that makes you want to order it first. A juicy raspberry flavor bursts onto your tongue while the chocolate filling takes over to smooths out the acidity of the frosting. This great mix of chocolate and raspberry is superb.
MARRON CLÉMENTINE: (Ganache montée aux marrons, purée de clémentines, clémentines confutes). What a marvelous piece of heavenly creation. A fresh eclair covered with a clementine mousse while the inside has a subtle and enjoyable crunchiness of the chestnut puree. As you think that the experience is done, the clementine confit will explode under your teeth to add the needed passion and finesse. Doesn't the picture express it all?
PISTACHE ORANGE: (Crème pistache d'Iran à l'orange). Mmmm... A shape that will make your mouth water, a bite that will put a smile on your face and an overall creation that made me jump from joy. A fresh green color that doesn't only look god but combines pistachio and orange into an interesting piece of beautiful textures and flavors.
ROSE BONBON: (vanilla de Madagascar, Guimauve) Looking simple, this eclair hides passionate wonders. A special edition launched on specific dates, the rose bonbon has been the talk of town not only for its interesting name but tasty filling. A sumptuous vanilla from Madagascar and a powerful lemon aftertaste filling ganache while a white frosting is decorated with some marshmallows and candies that add the hard needed feel
Not only beautiful to look at but tasty as well, the genius éclairs are to die for. I have really never had anything this good before - majestic, fresh and creative are a few words to describe each bite and each flavor. The trip starts by the activation of one sense after the other. Visual as you lay your eyes on those artistic creations. Olfaction follows as you take a deep breath and prepare yourself for the ultimate feeling. Close your eyes, bite into one of let these pastry pieces and let your mind do the rest. As your palatal buds and tongue start working, make sure you're alone because you’ll be moaning uncontrollably. Rich textures and interesting flavors will make you scream in awe. How nice it is to experience perfection in a bite. Bravo!
