Best Pain au Chocolat in Vancouver?

[tokyogurumegal]

My mother was (and still is) a shopaholic and use to drag me out shopping even when I was too young to appreciate shopping. But the smart lady knew how to keep me tagging along without whining. She use to reward me once she was done by treating me with hot chocolate and a pain au chocolat! So since childhood, I've had a thing for this buttery delight!

Where do you get your pain au chocolat? Who do you think makes the best pain au chocholat in Vancouver?! My favourites are...

La Petit France - I wish I didn't live so close. It takes a lot of self control to not walk in on weekend mornings when I walk my dog.

Senses - when we talk about chocolate, we can't not mention Thomas Haas! They also make excellent brioche. My waistline has slimmed down ever since I quit my job across the street from there!

La Baguette et L'Echalote - have you notice everyone's always happy and friendly there?

Epicurean Cafe - their pastry seems a little dense but I like it that way! I'm not sure if they bake them there...

[Ling]

I think that St. Moritz on W. 10th (right by Mix the Bakery) does a better pain au chocolat than La Petit France. I haven't had the pain au chocolat at Sen5es yet, but I love their flaky croissants!

And Mooshmouse likes the pain au chocolat at Pane from Heaven.

[tokyogurumegal]

I think that St. Moritz on W. 10th (right by Mix the Bakery) does a better pain au chocolat than La Petit France. I haven't had the pain au chocolat at Sen5es yet, but I love their flaky croissants!

And Mooshmouse likes the pain au chocolat at Pane from Heaven. 

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Oh I must try them there! I'm in that area all the time but never been in St. Moritz... maybe I might tomorrow morning AFTER a run! Where is Pane from Heaven?

[Ling]

Pane from Heaven is on W. 1st, around the corner from The Smoking Dog.

[Zucchini Mama]

Tokyogurumegal, your mother was a woman after my own heart. After a long day at Granville island, my son and I shared a chocolate almond croissant with apricot glaze at the Pacific Culinary Institute. I lifted him up to see the chefs stuffing red peppers and pouring batter out of huge buckets. He especially liked the grand piano made entirely of chocolate. There are a few tables where you can have your post-shopping croissant and tea or coffee without going into the fancy part of the restaurant. I notice they are looking for some themes for dinners in the fall-could be eGullet potential here?

I bought a loaf of hazelnut bread that was my favorite bread so far this year, and the prices are great.

Zuke

P.S. Hope you also caught from another thread my reccomendation of the u-bake croissants and pain au chocolat at Anona on Main Street. Take them home, thaw overnight and pop in the oven for a few minutes.

Edited April 10, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[Mooshmouse]

And Mooshmouse likes the pain au chocolat at Pane from Heaven. 

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Where is Pane from Heaven?

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1670 Cypress St to be exact. It's family owned, and one of the brothers was formerly a baker (Head Baker if I remember correctly?) at Ecco Il Pane. They have a number of sweet and savoury croissants with the dark chocolate ganache filled croissants being my favourite as so accurately pegged by Ling.

[tokyogurumegal]

And Mooshmouse likes the pain au chocolat at Pane from Heaven. 

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Where is Pane from Heaven?

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1670 Cypress St to be exact. It's family owned, and one of the brothers was formerly a baker (Head Baker if I remember correctly?) at Ecco Il Pane. They have a number of sweet and savoury croissants with the dark chocolate ganache filled croissants being my favourite as so accurately pegged by Ling.

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Thank you for the address! I've actually been there before but didn't know the name. I'll have to try their pain au chocolat though.

Ahhhh... Eco Il Pane. Funny you mention them, I was just talking about them with my husband today as he was munching on a sour cherry and chocolate brioche from Sweet Obsessions (Trafalgars). I really miss their retail bakery AND their restaurant where Feenies use to be (before they changed things around). Where can I get their sour cherry and chocolate bun? I know where to get their regular breads but I've never seen those yummy buns sold anywhere! I use to also buy their pannetone every Christmas.

[canucklehead]

I like the pain au chocolat from Le Pic Nic in west van. The croissant wrapping is perfectly flakey and buttery. Made in small batches so there they don't go stale.

I've heard that uprising breads does goods croissants (not sure about the pain au chocolat's). Given their 'worker guy' roots - I was surprised by this observations but I have not tasted them myself.

[tokyogurumegal]

Tokyogurumegal, your mother was a woman after my own heart. After a long day at Granville island, my son and I shared a chocolate almond croissant with apricot glaze at the Pacific Culinary Institute. I lifted him up to see the chefs stuffing red peppers and pouring batter out of huge buckets. He especially liked the grand piano made entirely of chocolate. There are a few tables where you can have your post-shopping croissant and tea or coffee without going into the fancy part of the restaurant. I notice they are looking for some themes for dinners in the fall-could be eGullet potential here?

I bought a loaf of hazelnut bread that was my favorite bread so far this year, and the prices are great.

Zuke

P.S. Hope you also caught from another thread my reccomendation of the u-bake croissants and pain au chocolat at Anona on Main Street. Take them home, thaw overnight and pop in the oven for a few minutes.

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Zuke,

I read your post on Granville Island just now! Your outing reminds me of my childhood... I have consumerist tendencies (love shoes!) but on the bright side I do appreciate art and it was because my mother exposed me to it at a young age (just like shoes).

Thank you for the Anona introduction! I will try it when I'm in that area.

[butter]

I think that St. Moritz on W. 10th (right by Mix the Bakery) does a better pain au chocolat than La Petit France. I haven't had the pain au chocolat at Sen5es yet, but I love their flaky croissants!

And Mooshmouse likes the pain au chocolat at Pane from Heaven. 

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Better than La Petit France...they must be good. I want to know when you break open the croissants at your favourite places, do you see layers or do you see holes?

[Ling]

I found that the pain au chocolat I had at La Petite France was more bread-like (as opposed to croissant-like, do you know what I mean?) It wasn't very flaky...but I had it at 3pm and it could be that they were baked in the morning and the quality was suffering by mid-afternoon. The one I had at St. Moritz was before noon, and it was very flaky and buttery. They also have great looking almond paste-filled croissants in their pastry case, too!

I like seeing layers as opposed to holes...what about you, butter?

Edited April 10, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Zucchini Mama]

"Ahhhh... Eco Il Pane. Funny you mention them, I was just talking about them with my husband today as he was munching on a sour cherry and chocolate brioche from Sweet Obsessions (Trafalgars). I really miss their retail bakery AND their restaurant where Feenies use to be (before they changed things around). Where can I get their sour cherry and chocolate bun? I know where to get their regular breads but I've never seen those yummy buns sold anywhere! I use to also buy their pannetone every Christmas."

Tokyogurumegal, the buns you crave are now sold by Chris Brown under the name "Arise". He used to co-own Eco Boleto and Eco I Pane. He e-mails me occasionally when he's doing a seasonal (Christmas, Easter, etc.) bake, but otherwise he is a regular at the Nat bailey's Farmer's Market and sometimes he's at Trout Lake selling all his breads, cookies, cake, and homemade jam. He is a lovely man. I saw a school teacher with some children asking the market vendors what time they get up in the morning before the market. Chris said, "Well kids, I haven't even gone to bed yet. I've been baking all night!" His grape bread is one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life.

Zuke.

P.S. I love shoes too. I spent all day yesterday in the shoe shops. I also preferred Trafalger's the way it was before-more like a konditerei.

[Hue]

I know that Capers sell some Eco Il Pane buns. I've had their sour cherry and chocolate bun before, and I'm sure there are some other ones.....

[Fluffy]

I know that Capers sell some Eco Il Pane buns. I've had their sour cherry and chocolate bun before, and I'm sure there are some other ones.....

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I tried calling around at the Capers in December and they all said they didn't carry it anymore. I even went in-person to the one on W.4th with no luck. When and at which location did you get yours from?

[butter]

I found that the pain au chocolat I had at La Petite France was more bread-like (as opposed to croissant-like, do you know what I mean?) It wasn't very flaky...but I had it at 3pm and it could be that they were baked in the morning and the quality was suffering by mid-afternoon. The one I had at St. Moritz was before noon, and it was very flaky and buttery. They also have great looking almond paste-filled croissants in their pastry case, too!

I like seeing layers as opposed to holes...what about you, butter?

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It's all about the layers. I think you are right about the timing, the layers must collapse after awhile which makes the croissant denser. I usually pick up a croissant from La Petite France in the a.m. and it's really good. I'm going to tell my physiotherapist that going to her is fattening...the clinic is near La Petite France.

[Memo]

I realize this is about Vancouver sources, but - if you're ever on route to Sooke Harbour House, check out the excellent pain-au-chocolat @ Little Vienna Bakery. (They call it a "double chocolate croissant".) The bakery is one or two blocks past the main downtown-Sooke intersection light, on the right-hand side.

[2roost]

I don't know about "the best" but the most enjoyable ones are those from La Baguette, eaten outside overlooking False Creek on a cool morning.

[butter]

I don't know about "the best" but the most enjoyable ones are those from La Baguette, eaten outside overlooking False Creek on a cool morning.

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With Brazilian music playing in the background by a Japanese guy.

[annanstee]

The high point of my weekend was taking my four year old son and the dog and strolling over to Granville Island. After doing the shopping and procuring a tiara ring for DS (he's very comfortable with his feminine side), we grapped some Pains aux Chocolats at La Baguette and L'Echalotte (and a fig and fennel loaf for later),

and repaired to Pedros for Hot Chocolate, Balloon hats from the balloon guy, and the pastries.

Life doesn't get much better.

[Ling]

I just ate the pain au chocolat from Pane from Heaven. I love how creamy the ganache remains in the center! I like the ganache better in this one, but the pastry from St. Moritz is flakier. One thing I disliked about the one from Pane is that it's covered with dark chocolate squiggles that've hardened; they shatter, fall off, and create a big mess on your counter everytime you take a bite!

(I also bought one of Pane's cakes--it's layered with mocha mousse and covered in ganache, sprinkled with ground pistachios. Also very tasty...but I still like the Chocolate ganache cake more.)

Also...I got a parking ticket. This is the second time I've gotten a parking ticket in this area! Grrrrr....

Edited April 11, 2005 by Ling (log)

[Hue]

I guess Capers stopped carrying those Eco Il Pane buns! I'm sorry, I had them last year.

I had a pain au chocolat at PHAT today, courtesy of another thread. They have many different kinds: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white choloate! They also have one that is called "The Ultimate Chocolate Croissant"...

[Ling]

^Which one did you have, and how was it?

[Memo]

I realize this is about Vancouver sources, but - if you're ever on route to Sooke Harbour House, check out the excellent pain-au-chocolat @ Little Vienna Bakery. (They call it a "double chocolate croissant".) The bakery is one or two blocks past the main downtown-Sooke intersection light, on the right-hand side.

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This week had a high and a low.

First, the low: Little Vienna's Double Chocolate Croissant has gone down-the-hill, so to speak. Flat, flakeless (almost bun-like) pastry.

The high: Tim Horton's new Chocolate Danish is - to quote my friend Manny Gluck, visiting from Chicago - "new hope for fast food". Its pastry/crust is very croissant like - with good chocolate filling, but looks somewhat like a rectangular danish with a lattice top. A nice surprise.

Here's a photo I took of it - straight from the bag.

Edited May 20, 2005 by Memo (log)

[Hue]

So of course I had to try the Chocolate Danish....Yum Yum Yum! I was pleasantly surprised, since I don't really like any of the other Tim Horton's offerings. Really flaky pastry.

[map]

Without a doubt....Patisserie Bordeaux!