Savor a flowing Parisian feast at Jewelry Box French Pastry

By Li Xinyi | Photography by TAO CHEN
 

Following the address to find a pastry shop whose name is instantly recognizable to most foodies, you arrive in a lane on Anhe Road. There’s no flashy sign—just large floor-to-ceiling windows casting the warm glow of the bakery into the outdoor courtyard. If you’ve been to Paris, you’ll want to sit here, savoring authentic French desserts while reminiscing about the ambiance of the Left Bank along the Seine. As Hemingway once said, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” In his eyes, Paris was a flowing banquet—but here, that banquet is transformed into chocolates, gummies, and bread. If you haven’t been to Paris, consider this the perfect starting point for experiencing the flavors of French cuisine.

The wedding cakes for the lavish wedding of celebrity Big S were made by the pastry chefs here—at Jewelry Box French Pastry. Stepping through the glass doors of Jewelry Box, you can’t help but be eager to uncover the secrets behind its delicious creations: nearly all ingredients are imported from France and Japan, chefs attend training and workshops in Japan and France every year, and the entire team has even taken time off to study abroad. The bread is fermented slowly using a natural starter, with low sugar, no oil, and no additives. The craftsmanship here is as time-consuming and labor-intensive as you can imagine—all to achieve the unforgettable flavors that Head Baker Gao Wenxian strives for: “Our bread delivers pure yet rich flavors, with a hand-kneaded shape on the outside that pleases both the palate and the eye.”

Owner Lin Shuzhen, who transitioned from a career in design, recalls that when the shop first opened, visitors used to joke that a European-style bakery not selling pineapple buns or scallion buns would be out of business within six months. Who would have thought that the natural, additive-free healthy European bread they envisioned would now be all the rage—and even spawn branch locations? Asked about the secret to making such delicious bread, she instinctively replies, “Flour and yeast are the keys.” That’s why the flour here is imported exclusively from France and Japan, the wheat is stone-ground, and they even invested 650,000 NT dollars in equipment just to cultivate yeast. The bread here contains no excessive additives—you can taste the pure aroma of wheat, and it’s gentle on the body.