We were guests of Le Parfait Paris during this visit. All thoughts, opinions, and photos are always my own.
Le Parfait Paris is an authentic Paris bakery with a Le Parfait San Diego twist on classic
Parisian desserts, but they have so much more. I’ve been a frequent patron to Le Parfait for quite a few years now. I can never resist stopping by to pick up at least a few of their croissants and macrons. On vacation in France or Italy; there isn’t a day that goes by without eating at least one croissant. I’m a bit of a croissant connoisseur, and Le Parfait makes some of the best anywhere.
During our lunch visit, we had the pleasure of chatting with Ludivine Ryon Mas, the co-owner of Le Parfait. We learned so much about the food and what goes into it. For the croissants, they even import the butter and chocolate from France because it makes such a big difference.
What we ate
Even though it was a workday, Ludi insisted that we try “The Real Mimosa,” which is raspberry sorbet topped with sparkling wine and a raspberry macaron. It was so refreshing on a warm San Diego afternoon and way too easy to drink. I might need to order a pitcher next time.
The Smoked Salmon Bennie is served on top of a croissant (of course). The soft yet crispy texture croissant is absolutely decadent under the perfectly poached egg and lemon-basil-paprika hollandaise sauce and thinly sliced smoked salmon.
Stacy got a croissant with smoked salmon and creme fraiche with a beautiful side of fruit.
Desserts are the real show stopper.
12 flavors of macarons are available. I was all about the salted caramel and the raspberry flavors.
Ludi’s Macaron (pictured at the top of this post) is a rose macaron, filled with a litchi and rose cream, and fresh organic raspberries.
The Parfait Signature combines layers of an almond biscuit, praline crisp, and then rich dark chocolate mousse.
A Success Story of French Immigrants
There’s so much that happens behind the food, that we often forget to even think about what really goes into it. Lucky for us, there are people like Ludi who dedicate their lives to serving us the best food possible. The founders of Le Parfait are a husband and wife team and are immigrants from France.
They started very small and have built one of the most successful bakeries and restaurants in San Diego, and Ludi is only 30 years old. I can’t wait to watch them continue to grow and serve our community with a part of France with their interpretation.
When I asked Ludi what her biggest struggle with the restaurant was; nothing really popped out at her.
“The more we grow; the easier things get.”
Ludi and her husband have worked so hard for years, and continue to every day. They have built a solid team to run things that allows them to even take a vacation every now and then (which is pretty rare in the restaurant business).
It was so refreshing to hear their story and that it’s still possible to do well in the restaurant business starting small with no partners or outside investment. With all the restaurant closures and all the exhausted restauranteurs, it’s so rare to hear such an uplifting story.
For more information, check out the Le Parfait Paris website.