Maison Kayser

I wanted to love Maison Kayser because their flagship boulangerie (rue Monge) bakes my favorite croissant in Paris. However, the croissants here were a bit disappointing. I was expecting what I receive in Paris: crisp on the outside, flaky (so flaky you need to brush the crumbs off you), and fluffy multi layers inside. They do meet the latter criterion (when opened you can see the many rolled layers inside) at this NYC outlet, but unfortunately the outside is too soft. I’m not sure if the croissant was older or if the humidity was affecting the product? But it was mediocre. I also ordered a Niçoise salad (Salade Niçoise) and this was also a disappointment: not nearly enough niçoise olives, the tuna tasted fishy (it shouldn’t), the anchovies were whole (when eaten in France, I’ve found they were finely diced to impart a better texture and a bit of saltiness), and all the dressing was on the bottom of the salad so you had to stir the salad (which ruins the aesthetic). I ordered a bit more dijon vinaigrette but instead was brought a dish of dijon mustard. I explained that in Paris, a bit of the mustard is mixed in with the vinaigrette. My lovely server brought me a bit more and I stirred in the mustard as desired. The eggs were perfect (although too few) as were the potatoes, haricots vert, & greens. Service was a bit slow & every time I needed something I had to flag someone down. Not a big deal. This is how service is executed in Paris. Overall, prices are expensive. I paid $34.89 for the salad, avocado, croissant, & 2 16 oz. Badoits. Finally, their baguettes are perfect, so next time I will pop in for one of these instead.

The Pistachio & White Chocolate cookie is SO SO GOOOOOOOOOOD Literally the best cookie I’ve ever had. The flavor was full of pistachio (not artificial), white choc was chewy, the texture was a bit chewy, crunchy & soft in just a right amount. Wish they had a station to warm it up though, would’ve been even better. Staff was kind and helpful. The baked goods & cakes look proper.