dining
What sweet dreams are made of
Paul Lafayette’s Toni and Christophe Younes reflect on a decade of Hong Kong’s favourite dessert brand. By Apple Lee 90s, I noticed a shift in the taste palettes of the new generation of consumers. There was a growing appetite for the younger Hongkongers to try things that were new and exciting,” says Toni. In 2009, almost 20 years after Toni had arrived in Hong Kong, he opened his first French patisserie in K11 Art Mall in coincidence with the mall’s grand opening. Paul Lafayette is one of the first bakeries to bring French macarons to the city. To this day, these colourful confectioneries remain what the brand is known and loved for. “Macarons are a pillar of French heritage.
Christophe Younes
When French-born entrepreneur Toni Younes started Paul Lafayette with his son Christophe Younes a decade ago, there were only a handful of Western-style bakeries and
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patisseries in Hong Kong. At the time, if you were craving quality French pastries, you’d have to get your fix at luxury hotel bakeries. “When I first came to Hong Kong in the
They are also great for gifting because of how colourful they are,” says Christophe. “When we first opened, a lot of people thought we were selling colourful cookies. It took us a few months to convince our customers that these are macarons. Not many Hongkongers had heard of macarons before or seen something like that, so they were curious of what they were and wanted to try them.” Besides macarons, creme brulee was another major hit at Paul Lafayette. The brand sells on average more than 1,000 creme brulees every day and hosts an annual Creme Brulee Festival every summer. “We’ve always focused on offering great macarons and creme brulee since day one. We believe that to have a successful brand, your customers need to remember you for your key
