Jacques Genin moved and opened an actual shop and salon du thé (tea salon) at the northern tip of the Marais which sells his lovely chocolates and spectacular caramels. He also makes an edited selection of pastries to order, including the best Paris-Brest I’ve ever had in my life, which I consider the best pastry in Paris. (I recreated it as best I could in My Paris Kitchen, although he uses some ingredients that aren’t available to home cooks.) Because he is a perfectionist, he got overwhelmed when word spread about this incredible talent and his extraordinary desserts, and he stopped making individual cakes, tarts and pastries for sale, although some are available in the tea salon where people can leisurely sip coffee, tea, or his sublime hot chocolate. (The Paris-Brest is usually not available in the salon but you can order one in advance that serves 4 or more, from the shop, and get it to go.)
I’ve been fortunate to have spent a good amount of time in his kitchen above the shop, watching his team of amazing assistants wrap caramels, dip chocolates, and cut the fruit jellies known as pâte de fruit, which are also at the top of my list of the most delicious things in Paris. But of all the things in his shop, it’s the caramels that make me swoon: The first time he slid one of his passion fruit-mango caramels into my mouth, everything changed in my life. The explosion of French butter, exotic fruits, and caramelized sugar cooked right to the edge of perfection were melded together perfectly and each time I go into his shop, I make sure to leave with at least a few of those. Although, there’s nothing like the first time.
Here’s a video of me in Jacques’ shop and kitchen. He’s hard to pin down as he rushes around, sorting through fruits and berries for tarts, popping a chocolate in his mouth (or mine), stirring pots of hot chocolate, and in between, he takes pleasure in giving me a hard time. (Some of those got edited out, including when he tried to throttle me. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice my reddened neck.) Monsieur Genin, as I should probably refer to him out of respect for his position, is one of my favorite people in Paris and his shop and kitchen is very special to me – I hope you enjoy this glimpse into his world.
