Last weekend was car hunting and I did manage to roam different parts of the city under the baking hot sun in Bangalore. Saturday afternoon around 2 pm found me near JP Nagar 3rd phase, starving since I did not have lunch yet. That's when I saw the Au Bon Pain outlet right on the main road - close to the Delmia signal on JP Nagar ring road heading towards Bannerghatta Road. For people who have not heard of them, Au Bon Pain is a chain of restaurants originating from Boston, USA catering a range of bakery products and also salads, sandwiches, ascribing to the concept of a wholesome but healthy meal. Starvation took over and my wife and I decided, why not..:-)
Walking in, we were struck by the warm well lit ambience and pleasing yellow colors and chairs and tables arranged neatly. The surroundings were clean and well maintained and you could see a bustling of activity behind the counter. Since hunger was a main issue, we decided to go the whole nine yards - soup, sandwich and dessert. Running through their options, they have a couple of veg and non-veg options (minestrone, cream of pumpkin, three bean chicken and chicken broth). The pumpkin soup looked ravishing and we quickly picked up a bowl each.
This soup, to me, was the dish of the day. Absolutely fantastic and spot on. The sweetness of the pumpkin was mated well with natural spices (giving it a hot spicy but sweet flavor and an unbelievable aroma) and the soup itself was light yet creamy thick. All these conflicting descriptors turned that soup into a superstar for me. Although it was piping hot (a prerequisite for soups) I managed to down the cup in record time. The main course was for me a 'Create your Own Sandwich' option. Apart from a selection of standard sandwiches, you could put together your own one too - and I promptly went for it. Grilled chicken, turkey slices as protein options, ciabatta for the bread, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumber slices, olives, jalapenos and corn as your choice of condiments (all of these are free) and for sauces, you had chipotle, mayonnaise, mint chutney and schezwan. Protein choice is 1 out of the various choices (extra meat options can be taken at an add-on cost) and two from the sauces list.
The bread was fresh, a little bit salty and the crust was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, excellently baked.The veggies were fresh and you could taste the crispness of the condiments while the meat was well prepared and seasoned. All in all, a great light sandwich which was undeniably fresh and full of health and nutrition. Finally, to top of the meal, dessert was the last destination. Their selections were kept tantalizingly in the open glass cases near the seating area and they do their job well - enticing poor hapless customers like me :-). A nice selection of muffins, cakes, donuts, danish, cinnamon buns beckons you - after a lot of deliberation, I picked the black currant danish and boy, I was not disappointed. The pastry crust was light and crispy and crumbled in your mouth while the black currants were fresh and gooey in the center exploding in your mouth with bags of flavor. Fantastic way to finish any meal.
Now to the important points - wallet factor. The above meal comes close to Rs. 300/- for one person which I think is definitely worth the taste and goodness factors. Wrapping up, a fantastic place not just to enjoy the bakery products but also to have a balanced full meal. As the French would say - to good bread.. enjoy it in all forms..
Location: 15th Cross, 6B main, JP Nagar 3rd Phase, opposite Barbecue Nation, Bangalore
Ambience: Neat, clean, friendly staff
Wallet Factor: Medium expensive
There are multiple other outlets all over Bangalore for convenience.
Couldn't agree more on the soup part
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