My Tous les Jours Trip

As someone who lives in a rural area, I don't get the chance to visit fancy restaurants or bakeries that often. So, when a friend told me about a French-Asian bakery that's less than an hour away, I knew I had to check it out and grab some pictures for social media. Tous les Jours ended up providing an immersive experience that went above and beyond my expectations--although I did leave with a few reservations.

What is Tous les Jours?

Tous les Jours is a chain bakery with over a thousand locations across the globe, including 110 in the United States. Their stores offer a variety of sweet and savory pastries, plus bread, cakes, cookies and drinks. The menu takes inspiration from French and Asian cuisine to create a unique fusion that makes you feel like you're visiting a luxurious cafe.

The Arrival

I expected a standalone location, but this store was located in a strip mall in a busy suburban area. When I stepped inside, I found a clean white interior with baked goods on the left and seating on the right. Near the register, fancy cakes and macarons rested inside the glass cases.

A sign near the doorway instructed me to pick up a tray, a sheet of wax paper and a set of tongs. I quickly realized that this bakery's business model is a little different: instead of telling employees what you want, you take pastries from the cases, place them on your tray and pay for everything up front.

The goods were scattered across a set of cases with pastries lined on trays, a small heated section for savory snacks, a refrigerated area with packaged goods and a set of white shelves with more packaged goods that don't require refrigeration. Next to each item was a card with a name and a price.

While it's tempting to pile your tray with snacks, I didn't want to spend too much money, so I carefully selected three items: a sweet potato cake, a sweet frank roll and a set of three honey cheese pancakes. This seemed like a good balance of sweet and savory treats with unique flavors that you can't find just anywhere.

As I waited in line, I studied the cakes inside the glass cases on the counter. They looked crisp and professional, but they didn't come cheap: one had a $49 price tag. I paid for my snacks and added an iced matcha tiramisu latte to my order, then found a seat and waited for my drink to arrive.

Three pastries and a 16-ounce drink came to $20.04, which was about what I'd expected. Tous les Jours isn't outrageously expensive, but it's also not cheap, so this is more of an occasional treat than a weekly routine. I imagine that the prices add up quickly if you're adding pastries to your tray without thinking about the cost.

Taste Test

As a matcha lover, I had to try the iced matcha tiramisu latte as soon as an employee placed it on the counter. This turned out to be a wise purchase: the drink was cool, creamy and refreshing, with whole milk balancing out the earthy matcha. I'm not sure where the "tiramisu" part came in--maybe it was the white cream on top--but a hint of sweetness made this beverage a delectable treat.

Next, it was time to try the miniature honey cheese pancakes. Their surface glistened in the lights, implying they were cooked with butter or oil. When I took a bite, the dough was pleasantly thick and chewy. A subtle cheddar flavor added savoriness, and the cream cheese filling was the perfect complement to the mochi-like dough.

Afterward, I tried the sweet potato cake. The cake was dense, moist and fluffy without being too sweet, but I didn't detect much of a sweet potato flavor. Instead, it was more like a yellow cake with a hint of savoriness. It wasn't bad, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Finally, it was time for the sweet frank roll. Golden pastry encased a meaty hot dog that infused the dough with a delicious savory flavor. The heartiness made this snack feel more like a meal, which was refreshing after the lighter treats. Still, it wasn't much different from a standard "pig in a blanket," so it wasn't quite worth the expense.

The store offered free WiFi, but I hadn't brought my laptop inside, so I focused on enjoying the pastries and taking photos while other guests walked inside and picked up their orders. It's a nice little oasis in the middle of a bustling shopping center, although it's still a chain bakery and not the family-owned business I'd envisioned.

Final Verdict

Tous les Jours doesn't advertise their drinks as much, but the matcha latte was my favorite part of the order. The snacks were decent, but they weren't spectacular enough to make me come back frequently--especially with the high price tag. Choosing the pastries was definitely a fun experience, though, and it makes the trip more personal for everyone.

It's a step up from most chain bakeries, so if you have a Tous les Jours in your area, I recommend grabbing a few friends for a quick weekend adventure. You could also pick up one of their Korean cakes for a birthday or holiday celebration.

Have you visited Tous les Jours? If not, what's the best bakery that you've ever visited? Let me know in the comments.