When it comes to culinary choices, I’m as picky as they come.
There are few determiners of a great bakery. For some, it’s all about how the cookie crumbles. For others, it’s whether the goodies taste as delicious as they smell. For me, it’s how the croissant melts in your mouth moments after its crisp introduction to your pallet.
You can travel around the world to find the kind of croissant that makes a bad day a great one, I won’t stop you. I will however, ask that you tempt your tastebuds at one spot that brings the world to you.
Regarded by industry insiders as the “Hermes of coffee, bakery and café culture”, locally rooted all-day café Coco Safar is to pastry lovers what Louis Vuitton is to handbag collectors – luxury in a moment.
The famed bakery recently hosted a limited period 72-hour pop-up store in Rosebank, Johannesburg selling an impressive 8,500 croissantsin less than 72 hours, matching what top New York Bakeries sell in one day. Why were people going nuts for a humble pastry? Well, Coco Safar is known to make some of the world’s best.
The bakery has been rated by the likes of Forbes, Bloomberg and others as the world’s best coffee, while Food & Wine USA recognized its croissants among the four best in the world, on par with bakeries in Paris, Tokyo & Melbourne.
I’m told that croissants are notoriously difficult to execute. Coco Safar is however, committed to engineer the perfect croissant; concocting never-before-attempted croissant flavour combinations.
Don’t try this at home. Instead, pop on off to Coco Safar’s Kitchen and embark on the following:
The Croissant de Nata
Coco Safar recently relaunched one of their most popular creations, the delectable ‘Croissant de Nata’. The cheeky ‘Croissant de Nata’ is a Coco Safar original, a delightful combination of two iconic French-Portuguese inspired pâtisseries – the classic butter croissant and Pastel de Nata.
Caramel Peppermint Crisp Croissant
The first official version of the peppermint tart/ pudding can be traced back to the manufacturers of Orley Whip, right here in SA. This iconic dessert certainly needs no introduction and still evokes much nostalgia and memories and is almost always a decadent ending to wrap up a good old South African braai or Sunday lunch. The Coco Safar team has paid homage to this crowd-pleasing pudding by creating a scrumptious croissant rendition that is bound to resonate with many South Africans. The croissant is not only topped with caramel peppermint but includes a surprise filling inside as well.
Tiramisu Croissant
Tiramisu literally means, “a pick me up.” An Italian favourite, the Tiramisu is a rich treat blending the bold flavours of cocoa and espresso with savoury mascarpone cheese and wine, layered with ladyfinger biscuits. Oozing with creamy mascarpone and coffee-flavoured custard, topped with fresh cream & dusted off with cocoa powder, each layer of this croissant is perfectly created and will have you circling back for more.
Coco Safar lives up to its hype
Only a select few bakeries in top international foodie destinations have succeeded in creating cult-like followings for their signature creations. While speciality coffee and croissants are popular categories on their own, and for many a daily ritual, Coco Safar’s global accolades mark the first time a bakery has been recognized for serving best-in-class for both under the same roof.
Cape Town is known for its abundance of bakeries, however not all of them are created equal. A journey for your pallet – that’s succinctly what a trip to Coco Safar will offer anyone graced by the flair of this treat lover’s kingdom.
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