Pastry chef Carole Boosaba is undoubtedly one of the finest ambassadors of French viennoiserie in Bangkok, where she won the Best Croissant award in 2016! After spending ten years in Paris training, she opened her shop, “Paris Mikki”, in Thailand in 2014. Her display counter is a tribute to great French pâtisserie and exceptional French products, starting with butter. In this interview, she tells us about her passion for laminated pastry.
Is the French croissant a dessert? Yes, when it is made according to the rules of the art with exceptional butter.
Pastry chef Carol Boosaba (Paris Mikki boutique in Bangkok).
“Paris Mikki is an artisan bakery I founded 14 years ago, born from a deep passion for French craftsmanship. Every piece is made entirely by hand, from scratch, using carefully selected ingredients. Our viennoiserie and cakes (including our best-seller, the millefeuille) are made with Échiré butter, because we believe that true quality begins with the finest raw materials.”
Her work clearly embraces the techniques and fundamentals of French pâtisserie and viennoiserie. Clearly, her croissant represents the culmination of her expertise: it was recognised as the best in Bangkok in 2016, with particular praise for its lamination and “the distinctive taste of a quality butter, with its characteristic cultured cream flavour that gives the croissants their depth of taste.”
Discover the French version of this portrait here → [Version française]
“Nothing compares to watching one of our customers take their first bite of a perfectly laminated croissant: that moment makes all our work worthwhile. Every laminated layer tells the story of our hours of work and our deep respect for French baking tradition.”
In the display counter at @ParisMikki in Thailand, the cakes and their names are French: millefeuille, Opéra, blueberry tart and Paris-Brest reflect pastry chef Carol Boosaba’s journey in Paris: a Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu Paris in 2008, followed by experience in prestigious houses (including @Ladurée). Enriched by this decade in France, she returned to Bangkok in 2014 with impeccable technique and a taste for French products, first and foremost Échiré butter.
A vocation for pastry, by Carol Boosaba
To those hesitating to embark on a career in pastry, the queen of the French croissant in Bangkok shares her experience.
“This profession will test your endurance, your discipline and your commitment every single day. But if you have a genuine passion for pastry, none of that will break you.”
That’s what pastry chef @Carol Boosaba (@ParisMikki in Bangkok) tells those who wish to pursue this profession. If they read her story before embarking on this journey, they will hear her truth, with both the good and the difficult sides. And in the end, the positive wins out!
“The hours feel shorter when you are doing something you truly care about. Early mornings become a peaceful ritual. Sundays and holidays spent working become a source of pride, knowing that you are helping to make those celebrations special for others. If pastry is truly your calling, go for it!”
At Le Cœur des Chefs, we give professionals a voice so they can speak honestly about their daily lives and inspire you to pursue their profession.
The interview with Carol Boosaba
What would you say to a young person hesitating to pursue a career in pastry?
“What I enjoy most about this profession is the deep satisfaction of creating something with your own hands that brings genuine joy to others.”
Nothing compares to watching one of our customers take their first bite of a perfectly laminated croissant or seeing someone’s eyes light up at the sight of a beautifully crafted entremets; that moment makes all our work worthwhile.
But I would never romanticize this path without being honest. It is one of the most demanding professions you can choose. The hours are long, the pay in the early years is humbling, and your alarm goes off while the rest of the world is still asleep. Holidays and weekends, the moments everyone else celebrates, are our busiest and most exhausting days.
And yet, to a young person hesitating to pursue this path, I would say: if you have a genuine passion for this profession, none of that will break you. Early mornings become a peaceful ritual you grow to love. The long hours pass quickly when you are doing something you truly care about. Sundays and holidays spent working become a source of pride, knowing that you are helping to make those celebrations special for others.
This profession will test your endurance, your discipline and your commitment every single day. But if pastry is truly your calling, it will reward you in ways that go far beyond a paycheck.
Could you describe Paris Mikki?
Paris Mikki is an artisan bakery I founded 14 years ago, born from a deep passion for French craftsmanship and a commitment to quality without compromise. We specialize in artisanal French viennoiserie and modern traditional pâtisserie; a place where classic techniques meet contemporary sensibility.
Every piece that leaves our kitchen is made entirely by hand, from scratch, using carefully selected ingredients. Our viennoiserie — croissants, pains au chocolat, puff pastry creations such as our best-seller, the millefeuille — is made with Échiré butter, because we firmly believe that the quality of a pastry depends first and foremost on the quality of its raw ingredients. Today, Paris Mikki has grown across several locations: three full-service boutiques offering a complete pâtisserie experience, and two grab-and-go kiosks specializing in freshly baked daily viennoiserie for those on the move. And we are not stopping there: a new full-service boutique should soon open in Pattaya, a vibrant coastal town, bringing our craftsmanship to a whole new community!
Which Paris Mikki creation represents you the most?
Our croissants. They represent the pinnacle of my craft, a creation that demands precision, patience and the very best ingredients. Every laminated layer tells the story of hours of work and a deep respect for French baking tradition. The croissant was the creation that made me fall in love with the art of pastry.
We begin by making an enriched dough, then we incorporate Échiré butter through a precise folding and resting process, which creates hundreds of distinct layers. The dough is then shaped, proofed slowly overnight, and baked until the layers bloom to form a perfectly golden, honeycomb interior.
What place does Échiré butter hold in your work?
Échiré butter’s high fat content, low water content and distinctive cultured cream flavour give our croissants and puff pastry their depth of taste and beautiful flakiness.
Patisserie Paris Mikki, par Carol Boosaba
27 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Bangkok, Thailande 10110
La laiterie Échiré : Laiterie Echiré – 76 place de l’Église – 79410 ÉCHIRÉ – Tél : 05 49 32 89 09 – Mail : contact@laiterieterredesevre.com