Ophélie Barès opens her bakery - pastry shop in Asnières, named Encore

Has the Hauts-de-Seine become the new Eldorado for talented pastry chefs? In any case, it is in Asnières thatOphélie Barès decided to open her first and new bakery - pastry shop. A simple choice since it is her neighborhood. Let's go to 5 rue de Belfort to discover " encore ", the new gourmet spot for lovers of good bread, beautiful pastries and fresh herbs, which opened its doors this Thursday, January 5, 2023.

So, what does Ophélie Barès offer us in her bakery? On the bakery side, there is a nice range of breads made with natural hard and liquid leaven, specifically made without additives or improvers, with ancient wheat flours such as Khorasan or Rouge de Bordeaux. French flours that come from a miller in Chartres.

The range is short but varied to meet all palates. We find crumbles more or less sweet, more or less soft and moist. Among the must-have breads to discover, there is the ultra-moist small spelt bread, the famous Tourte de Seigle, the Khorasan and the Rouge de Bordeaux, obviously. Gourmets will be tempted by the cocoa bread roll made of traditional baguette, cocoa, chocolate chips and praline!

As for the pastries, you will find the great classics like croissants, pains au chocolat, Swiss breads, worked on a filly as well as small kouglofs and seasonal pastries that will punctually enrich the stall like the bichon, a kind of apple turnover filled with lemon cream, worked with fresh spring herbs.

If for the opening, the classics are the order of the day, to catch the trend, Ophélie Barès intends to bring her novelties to the menu and unusual variants that will complete and enrich the range as time goes by.

In the pastry department, the chef likes to combine the classic and the unexpected. Her credo and rule has always been: no more than 3 flavors per cake so as not to get lost. Frank tastes, not too much sugar with rather light textures, that's what she likes to offer us. Among the must-try cakes, we find the "Promise kept", a coconut-mango-passion entremets that allowed her to win the final of "Who will be the next great pastry chef" in 2014 and that we always ask her for. A classic in terms of flavors, she tells us, but one that still pleases and that she loves to make for her clientele.

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We will also find more unusual pastries that marry citrus and herbs that Ophélie Barès is particularly fond of: bergamot, grapefruit-lemon, fresh herbs and seasonal fruits await us.

The prices are reasonable and are based on the prices of a local bakery. Count on 1,35€ for a traditional baguette, 1,40€ for a croissant, 1,50€ for a pain au chocolat, 5€ to 6€ for pastries and 27€ for a galette frangipane for 4/6 people.

Note that the store is open from 7am to 8pm from Tuesday to Sunday at 1pm, so it is closed on Sunday afternoon and Monday.

If you don't know Ophélie Barès, you should know that in addition to having won the final of " Qui sera le meilleur grand pâtissier " and having been a juror for the " Académie des Gâteaux " with Cyril Lignac and Desty Brami, this young chef has a solid experience in the most beautiful houses. After a stint at Ferrandi, she worked at the Meurice and then at the Ritz alongside Claire Heitzler, at the Shangri-La with François Perret, at the Cheval Blanc in Courchevel and as Pastry Chef at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume, which had obtained its 2 stars at the time. After a stint as Executive Chef at Christophe Michalak 's and then at the Marcelle restaurant, followed by Philippe Conticini, she then became a consultant for the elaboration of the pastry menus of many starred restaurants.

So, shall we treat ourselves to a good bakery in Asnières-sur-Seine ?