J.J. French Pastry

While I always have these grand plans to try new restaurants, we inevitably find ourselves eating at the same places over and over again because we like the food and the service so much. One of those places is Gomaichi. Gomaichi's one downfall is they have a tendency to close on random nights without notice, which is what happened to us a couple weeks ago. So after driving by and seeing the lights off I say, "why don't we try something new?" Sure, that's easy enough to say, but it's not always easy to actually THINK and FIND that something new to try. I suggested we try J.J. French Pastry on Waialae. By the way, when I say something "new," I don't really mean new as in it just opened, but more like "different," as in some place we've never tried before even though it's been open for years.

So we drive around looking for street parking, which we later found out was unnecessary because J.J.'s shares a parking lot with other businesses behind the building in which it's located. We entered through a door to find a very contemporary cafe-like setting, and the desserts in a bakery-like case immediately catch my eye. J.J.'s is known for their chocolate pyramid dessert. It happened that we new one of the waitresses, another bonus. She asked us which side of the restaurant we wanted to sit in...the cooler side or the warmer side. The cooler side was the side we entered through, with the contemporary decor. J.J.'s recently acquired the next unit, which is the warmer side with a Parisian theme, complete with an Eiffel Tower. Well, an Eiffel Tower painted on the wall. We settled on the warm side.

I love to watch other people receive their food because it helps me decide what I might want to order, and I also love to see the expressions on their faces to see the delight the food brings them (or the sense of disappointment or the "what the heck is this?" look, but more often than not, it's a look of joy and appreciation). One thing I noticed is the eclectic, mismatched but not cups and saucers. And EVERYONE gets dessert. You can't go here and not order dessert, I don't care what diet you're on.

Ordering was tough here. There are a lot of different things on the menu, and they make it easier, yet harder, by having fixed price (prix fixe) menus. There are pizzas, salads, pasta, sandwiches, and other entrees on the menu. My dining partner got the 4-course menu which came with asparagus soup, a salad/appetizer (it looked like a salad with a summer roll-like thing), an entree, dessert, and drink. He ordered the Lao Pot Pie for his entree. I had a 3-course meal with a salad, entree, dessert, and drink. I ordered the Fisherman's Pot Pie for the entree.

The salad had a nice, light, ginger sesame dressing. The pot pie's were not the traditional pot pies, but with puff pastry which was fresh, light, and crispy. The Lao Pot Pie was made with a tomato-like sauce, and the Fisherman's Pot Pie contained a light, white sauce that had a hint of coconut milk in it. Both dishes were "just-right" portions and consisted of just the right amount of protein and vegetables. Besides, we already had soups and salads and dessert was still on its way.

Ooh, the desserts...when you're done with your meal, you get up to look at the dessert display and choose what you want. The chocolate pyramids cost a dollar more if you order one of the fixed price menus. We settled on a lilikoi mousse cake and a chocolate orange mousse cake. They put the desserts on nicely dressed plates with a mini-serving of creme brulee -- yummm!! Our friend was nice enough to give us little mini-pyramids which were also VERY good! Our complete dinners totaled just under $38, plus tip. Not a bad deal at all! We left satisfied and happy. The next time I'm trying the hen, which seems to be a dish they are known for.

If you go there, I would suggest one of the fixed menus. And big eaters may want to order an appetizer in addition to an entree, which as I said, for me, are "just-right" portions. The pizzas are a bit small and are really meant to just be an appetizer, or something to be combined with a soup or salad (we saw a growing young man next to us eat the pizza and asking for a menu so he could order something else -- he decided on a pasta). Also, the food here has a Laotian spin on things, so people who like very traditional tasting food might want to ask questions (especially about the sauces) to find something that suits their taste.

All in all this was a great find and a great "new" experience!

J.J. French Pastry
3447 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 739-0993