I have wanted to check out this place since it opened just from a few years back but felt sick and stayed mostly in the hotel. Please be warned 1stly, the Opening Hours googled online don’t really reflect the true opening hours, sigh. I found out the hard way but luckily this was at my 2nd attempt and I already ate my 1st round. I probably didn’t divulged this information before as it might confuse people - I actually re-entered Paris twice during mid 2012 and the 1st time I came to eat at Jacques Genin, the massive size of the desserts made me realize I should put on hold ordering the extra Paris Brest and famed Lemon Tart to eat it all by myself. I knew I have planned in mind to come back anyway to finish it all. Well I did come past a 2nd time eventually, since I had plans for dinner around the block anyway, but despite the opening times saying it closes at 7pm, when I came by around 6pm it was already shut, talk about misleading. So please do plan carefully & arrive well ahead of schedule as a warning. After 11am is going to be your safest bet. @_@’
It opens at around 11am.
Don’t be surprised to see quite a few Japanese tourists already hanging around the area,
waiting for the shop to open it’s doors. Or a Hong Kong guy loitering around trying to get his chocolates and pastries fix.. and failed the 2nd time around when it was closed well ahead of time. 
Wow Huge Brests!
Where was I up to ? Apparently the Citron Tart is a must have here, much like at Pierre Herme.
Since I was planning to return anyway to complete my trip, I decided to try out the equally famous pastries first for experiment. You can also find similarities between here and HK’s Petite Amanda, also Paris’s La Pâtisserie des Rêves. They have some kind of intricate linkage behind the story, ask me if u need me to elabaroate further.
Very Neat Products from a Modern yet Traditional Style Chocolatier -
These looked all shiny and perfect. I kind of felt Jacques Genin is my style type of guy.
Creative, but within reasonable restraints. Perfectionism and execution is valued over re-inventing the wheel, the rule of the game is to be just ahead of it’s times but not overly trying hard otherwise? I hope I guessed right…
O.M.G. - These looked just Too Right
I have seen a lot of chocolate shops in my life ok, you don’t have to believe me. You can tell from the Chocolate patterns, the perfectly Squarish shapes and the ultra shiny and perfectly ‘tempered’ Chocolate pieces, that these are as close as you can get to perfectionism when it comes to chocolates.
Just look at these -
They are so smooth, reflective and uniformly shaped. Looks don’t matter but science and V Crystals does. Just by visual cue alone you already know they are onto something majorly impressive here… I cannot remember anywhere else which looked so correct on display.
More Chocolates -
Equally impressive and smooth, so uniformly shaped. Wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best chocolate shop in the world.. I don’t recall ever seen better.
Pate de Fruits -
The thing about La Chocolaterie de Jacques Genin is that everything here looks simple enough, but precision and execution wise is what distinguishes them between the wheat from the chaff.
Interior Shot -
Quite spaced out for comfort, actually.
Salted Caramels –
These are actually a Signature here, it’s one of the 1st things the locals and staff recommends.
I have got to say these were perfect in terms of balance of taste and texture. At least they weren’t too wet and sticking to the wrapping. ~ 9/10
Salted Caramel Mille Feuille -
I am going to say sorry.. This was the best mille feuille pasty I have ever had by a long shot, the next closest was the Michelin 3 Starrs Le Meurice version, which was equally great but in different ways. When you start to slice across this with minimal effort, the pasty breaks apart like crystalline glass and carried a unique shattering noise along the action. As the crispy pastry caved in at will to pressure, the salted caramel flavoured crème patisserie didn’t end up being squashed out between the layers in the usual paradoxical way to conquer a Mille Feuille. You could literally cut through this cleanly with a weak plastic knife at will and it will still cut cleanly but without shattering. Flavour wise it was also spot on. Never had better in my life. Miles ahead. ~ 15/10
Chocolate Éclair -
This is just text book perfect,
and being a Chocolaterie as well, obviously the chocolate ganache glazing & the chocolate crème patisserie were also sophisticated in taste, minus the sometimes associated bitter note. The choux pastry was fresh and most importantly, you can actually taste that well baked aroma, also eggs and butter! This was just really great than amazing, but tell me an equal quality replacement? Yawn. ~ 10/10
Maison des Trois Thes supplied Asian Tea Selections – Ren Dong:
Asian Teas are all the rage in Europe nowadays and this local Parisian-Taiwanese tea shop supplies to Jacques Genin. This Taiwanese Oolong tea was again sensationalized for marketing. Calling this a Ren Dong instead of Dong Ding 凍頂烏龍茶, which is commonly seen in Asia. It also reminds me of the similarly Taiwanese lady who looks after tea in London’s Yauatcha Chinese restaurant.
Mango Fruit Pate, Tea Toi,
Tonka Teck, etc -
I bought an extra few pieces of the chocolates on top and they were just amazingly impressive in balance and looks. These looked and tasted as they should and weren’t overly sweetened or dry like many famous shops, but equally don’t expect your chocolates to perform 3D performances like monkey dances. Expectations often impinge our chances to enjoy in tranquility. But seriously, what more can we ask for really, from a few pieces of chocolates? They won’t give you foodgasm at will, unless ur that sensitive ~ 10/10
Price: Euro 25
Ease of Access: 3/5
Food: ♕♕♕♕♕♕
Opening Hours:
11am – 7pm Mon to Fri
11am – 8pm on Sat.
(But I went back a 2nd time and it was closed at 6pm on a weekday… Don’t trust their Timing)
Address: 133, rue de Turenne 75003
Ph: 01 45 77 29 01
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