Galeries Lafayette is seriously one of the most beautiful department stores I have seen! It’s an upscale department store selling luxury brands like no other. I swear they have colours and styles that I’ve never seen in Vancouver, because…well you’re in Paris… Anyways, the cool thing about these luxury department stores is that most of them have a floor dedicated to food. And if you think it’s like a food court, think again. It’s like luxury food court! They have sections of food products like chocolate, candy, cookies, but they also have an area with luxury cooked food and pastries. Prices are quite expensive, but just imagine yourself at Thomas Haas or Thierry, and it’ll make you feel more like at home… Wandering through all the gourmet stalls, my eyes caught Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki!

It was interesting because I didn’t expect to see a Japanese patisserie shop in Paris. You need to remember that I’ve been away from Vancouver for some time now, and my green tea craving was really kicking in… When I saw Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki serving all these Japanese flavours, I felt like I was home again! They specialize in macarons and cakes, but with a Japanese twist. Matcha flavoured macarons? YES! I’ve always wanted the Vancouver dessert shops to make that flavour… I chose the Matcha and Redbean Cake, which is a cake with alternating layers of green tea, cream, and red bean. It’s then topped with some matcha powder and a matcha flavoured macaron! I absolutely loved this! The layers gave the cake so much texture. Some of it was crunchy, as they used something similar to rice krispies, and the red bean also gave it another texture. This pastry stall is a must try! If you enjoy Asian flavours, this will be perfect for you. They also specialize in macarons and chocolates with very interesting flavours! If only they were less pricey, I would’ve tried so many others!

I believe they also have their own boutique in Paris, but Lafayette is great as you can try other gourmet restaurants while you are there!