O’Delices (French Bakers and cafe) Jomtien Complex

[TWD]

O’Delices has been going for a few months now. For me it’s the best bakery I’ve found in Thailand, on a par with top quality places back in the owner’s home country, France. Plenty of reviews on the FB food group, here are a couple of examples, with random photos from several posts...

_________________________

1. On bread and pastries...

”There's more to professional baking, French style, than you might imagine. Take the basic croissant. Simple, or so it seems...

The perfect croissant is light and puffy, the result of multiple layers of dough being folded over and over again. Airy. 

Real butter is used. Not the cheap margarine/butter product (maybe 12% butter only) that leaves you covered in grease. Budget margarine doesn't work; it turns to oil during the baking process, and you need numerous paper napkins to clean up your hands after you've finished. Don't wear a silk shirt.

Made with the best imported flour, left to rest at the correct room temperature, baking should result in a crumbly pastry that easily falls apart, crunchy on the outside, perfectly layered, airy, with no undercooked oily doughiness within. 

The result? A croissant that doesn't sit on your stomach like a lead balloon for half a day or more. 

A French baker and patissier that makes products of such a high standard is a rare find outside France. In Pattaya it almost seems incongruous. The litmus test will be whether they are able to market their quality produce to the local demographic. They will stand or fall on their ability to sell to high end hotels and fine dining restaurants, certainly not just to walk-ins and the few discerning customers left that are willing to pay the price for quality. 

Delis and coffee shops take note. The Odelices Jomtien baguettes are superb, perfect for sandwiches. They will tailor the product to your needs. The ideal croissant for filling? Not the margarine baked, or even standard full butter croissant. Think about it - especially when cheese is an ingredient, why would you double up on fat? The ideal croissant for filling has reduced butter content. 

Breakfast yesterday at 7.30am, Earl Grey tea, croissant with delicious homemade strawberry jam, orange juice, 150฿. Followed by an apple turnover - also made with homemade apple compote. And hungry again by late morning - a sign of quality, easily digestible food.”

_______________

2. Cakes etc....

”Talking to Alain of Odelices Jomtien this morning, I reckon he needs to put it out there just what is involved in producing cakes and pastries of such high quality, not to mention the pates and terrines, speciality sausages, sauces etc. The work involved includes sourcing suppliers consistently able to provide organic, or 'bio' ingredients as the French call it. A large proportion is imported specially, sometimes at several times the cost of local products. No sugar or gelatine is involved in the baking to preserve the cakes, or to con you with a degree of sweetness to the point that you might as well chew on a packet of Skittles.

The end result, when crafted together by a chef artisan like Alain, is a degree of quality and subtle flavouring like no other you will find in the area.

So to this morning's breakfast during which I stuffed myself with an amazing mix of almond and chocolate croissants, apple turnovers, brioche (yes for the eagle eyed the latter does have a scattering of sugar on top, in French it's called a 'brioche au sucre') and lastly the pièce de résistance - a 'five fruit gâteau'.

This was, quite simply, one of the very best cakes I have eaten in my life.

Odelices is inside the Jomtien Complex network of sois behind Thappraya not far from the sea in the town centre, look for Tinnies on the main road and it's 20m down the side soi. No neon sign still, just a free-standing one outside the corner black and orange building.”

[ChiFlyer]

Just now, TWD said:

O’Delices has been going for a few months now. For me it’s the best bakery I’ve found in Thailand, on a par with top quality places back in the owner’s home country, France. Plenty of reviews on the FB food group, here are a couple of examples, with random photos from several posts...

.................................

looks interesting. thanks. I will stop in for a loaf of bread soon. All that sugary stuff looks delicious, but also exactly like what I should be avoiding.

[jiz]

Whoa! That stuff looks great. 

Damn, I've been trying to drop a couple kilos.

[TWD]

33 minutes ago, ChiFlyer said:

looks interesting. thanks. I will stop in for a loaf of bread soon. All that sugary stuff looks delicious, but also exactly like what I should be avoiding.

This baker doesn’t artificially sweeten or colour, one reason I like the place so much

[bar stool]

10 hours ago, TWD said:

O’Delices has been going for a few months now. For me it’s the best bakery I’ve found in Thailand, on a par with top quality places back in the owner’s home country, France. Plenty of reviews on the FB food group, here are a couple of examples, with random photos from several posts...

_________________________

1. On bread and pastries...

”There's more to professional baking, French style, than you might imagine. Take the basic croissant. Simple, or so it seems...

The perfect croissant is light and puffy, the result of multiple layers of dough being folded over and over again. Airy. 

Real butter is used. Not the cheap margarine/butter product (maybe 12% butter only) that leaves you covered in grease. Budget margarine doesn't work; it turns to oil during the baking process, and you need numerous paper napkins to clean up your hands after you've finished. Don't wear a silk shirt.

Made with the best imported flour, left to rest at the correct room temperature, baking should result in a crumbly pastry that easily falls apart, crunchy on the outside, perfectly layered, airy, with no undercooked oily doughiness within. 

The result? A croissant that doesn't sit on your stomach like a lead balloon for half a day or more. 

A French baker and patissier that makes products of such a high standard is a rare find outside France. In Pattaya it almost seems incongruous. The litmus test will be whether they are able to market their quality produce to the local demographic. They will stand or fall on their ability to sell to high end hotels and fine dining restaurants, certainly not just to walk-ins and the few discerning customers left that are willing to pay the price for quality. 

Delis and coffee shops take note. The Odelices Jomtien baguettes are superb, perfect for sandwiches. They will tailor the product to your needs. The ideal croissant for filling? Not the margarine baked, or even standard full butter croissant. Think about it - especially when cheese is an ingredient, why would you double up on fat? The ideal croissant for filling has reduced butter content. 

Breakfast yesterday at 7.30am, Earl Grey tea, croissant with delicious homemade strawberry jam, orange juice, 150฿. Followed by an apple turnover - also made with homemade apple compote. And hungry again by late morning - a sign of quality, easily digestible food.”

_______________

2. Cakes etc....

”Talking to Alain of Odelices Jomtien this morning, I reckon he needs to put it out there just what is involved in producing cakes and pastries of such high quality, not to mention the pates and terrines, speciality sausages, sauces etc. The work involved includes sourcing suppliers consistently able to provide organic, or 'bio' ingredients as the French call it. A large proportion is imported specially, sometimes at several times the cost of local products. No sugar or gelatine is involved in the baking to preserve the cakes, or to con you with a degree of sweetness to the point that you might as well chew on a packet of Skittles.

The end result, when crafted together by a chef artisan like Alain, is a degree of quality and subtle flavouring like no other you will find in the area.

So to this morning's breakfast during which I stuffed myself with an amazing mix of almond and chocolate croissants, apple turnovers, brioche (yes for the eagle eyed the latter does have a scattering of sugar on top, in French it's called a 'brioche au sucre') and lastly the pièce de résistance - a 'five fruit gâteau'.

This was, quite simply, one of the very best cakes I have eaten in my life.

Odelices is inside the Jomtien Complex network of sois behind Thappraya not far from the sea in the town centre, look for Tinnies on the main road and it's 20m down the side soi. No neon sign still, just a free-standing one outside the corner black and orange building.”

Is it linked to the French bakery Délices de France on Second Road opposite Nova Platinum hotel?

[TWD]

3 hours ago, bar stool said:

Is it linked to the French bakery Délices de France on Second Road opposite Nova Platinum hotel?

No link at all. The baker arrived in Pattaya from Laos a few months back.

[harrygrout]

Where exactly is it please ?

[TWD]

Just now, harrygrout said:

Where exactly is it please ?

It must be the only place in town without a proper neon sign above ground. Just a small freestanding one. Given up telling him that sometimes people can’t find his shop.

So - on the small stretch of Thappraya heading from the main traffic lights in Jomtien towards the beach. Just before the arch over the road, there’s the Aussie pie cafe Tinnies on the right.

Turn down the side soi beside Tinnies. The first corner you get to about 50m on, there’s a black and orange building. That’s it.

[davidge]

6 hours ago, harrygrout said:

Where exactly is it please ?

 

5 hours ago, TWD said:

It must be the only place in town without a proper neon sign above ground. Just a small freestanding one. Given up telling him that sometimes people can’t find his shop.

So - on the small stretch of Thappraya heading from the main traffic lights in Jomtien towards the beach. Just before the arch over the road, there’s the Aussie pie cafe Tinnies on the right.

Turn down the side soi beside Tinnies. The first corner you get to about 50m on, there’s a black and orange building. That’s it.

It’s in the middle of Jomtien Complex. Some people just don’t look in there due to it being a ‘gay’ area but there are a few decent restaurants and now this bakery. It was being painted when I was there in August but hadn’t opened.

If you know where the Pig & Whistle is in Jomtien, go down the first small Soi (to the right of Pig as you look at it) and you’ll see the bakery about 70m ahead of you on the right.

 

[ChiFlyer]

Stopped in this morning. Bought a loaf of bread, a raspberry tart for the GF, and and a spiraling croissant like thing with raisins for myself. Sorry, but I am for shit with French pastry names. The spiraling thing was quite good, the tart was a little too sweet and to be honest the bread was a little disappointing.

I will rate it good enough for a first visit and I will stop back, but will also not be too much of a regular given the calorie count. 

[TWD]

7 hours ago, ChiFlyer said:

Stopped in this morning. Bought a loaf of bread, a raspberry tart for the GF, and and a spiraling croissant like thing with raisins for myself. Sorry, but I am for shit with French pastry names. The spiraling thing was quite good, the tart was a little too sweet and to be honest the bread was a little disappointing.

I will rate it good enough for a first visit and I will stop back, but will also not be too much of a regular given the calorie count. 

Which bread did you choose? There is a big selection early morning, all different kinds, but French-style, not necessarily to everyone's taste for sure.

I lived in France so long (nearly three decades), but I can honestly say I remember hardly any times when I've tasted better. Many (most) bakers these days, here or back in their home countries, take the easy option and don't make the dough themselves. They just buy in frozen part-baked. Including one mentioned in another bakery thread that happens to be current..

The raisin thing is just called pain aux raisins, ie raisin bread. Tarts etc, no sugar at all added, just the natural sweetness from ingredients

[ChiFlyer]

Just now, TWD said:

Which bread did you choose? There is a big selection early morning, all different kinds, but French-style, not necessarily to everyone's taste for sure.

.......

I do not recall the French name of the bread, but it was a "white" bread and what I did not like was that it was a little thick. On the morning I was there they did not have a lot of bread out to choose from. Maybe I was too early, but it was 8:30 already.

[TWD]

Yes true, the white baguettes are not the same as the ones we get accustomed to from Big C etc... far heavier and bulkier when they are made in the traditional way. They can be smaller in size, but weigh half as much again. 

They keep longer too, slower to dry out.

Bought a nut and whole grain loaf there the day before yesterday, daughter had it for breakfast today with some homemade goat's cheese, still tasted fresh.

[bbbz]

If he can make a righteous Napoleon,  I'm there.

[Wolf Cat]

On 18/12/2018 at 08:26, harrygrout said:

Where exactly is it please ?

Here's a Google street view to show the entrance to the Soi it's located on.

https://www.google.com/maps/@12.8999983,100.8686153,3a,75y,332.71h,84.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sH8zrKY87Q9g5RUr0eO3pTg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[TWD]

On 20/12/2018 at 09:33, bbbz said:

If he can make a righteous Napoleon,  I'm there.

Isn't that Russian despite the name? Though I'm sure he would make a good fist of it.

Trouble is demand is so fickle here.

[Wolf Cat]

I stopped in twice this week; yesterday afternoon for a nice freshly baked chewy Baguttes 47 baht,  and this morning for strawberry pie, orange juice,  coffee and apple croissant type bread...280 baht.

For me the best thing was the strawberry pie, the rest were OK but not special,. 

 

 

[TWD]

On 28/12/2018 at 14:20, Wolf Cat said:

I stopped in twice this week; yesterday afternoon for a nice freshly baked chewy Baguttes 47 baht,  and this morning for strawberry pie, orange juice,  coffee and apple croissant type bread...280 baht.

For me the best thing was the strawberry pie, the rest were OK but not special,. 

 

 

Apple turnover - chausson aux pommes - is a French classic, a very basic pastry. Where it's better than margarine-based mixes you get elsewhere is the quality of the bake, and quantity of apple (without added sugar).

His bread can be a surprise - yes heavier and a more chewy crust (though you can ask a French baker for a crisper more baked loaf, you hear that every day when you go to a bakery in France). What I like about it is the flavour, the fact that the loaf lasts more than a day (typical supermarket baguettes made from frozen dough taste stale in hours), and the total lack of additives...

[jiz]

Made some BLT sandwiches with his ciabatta bread, nice.and tried a lemon meringue tart that was not too shabby. 

Can we name him the best baker in the greater Pattaya area?

 

 

 

[Wolf Cat]

Just now, jiz said:

Can we name him the best baker in the greater Pattaya area?

He does make a lot of other bakeries look amateurish.