Christine Girault of Cork patisserie La Spoon credits her French grandmother with her love of baking. The young Christine learned well.
“I remember seeing this little but agile woman cooking over the stove, she was so into it, I just couldn’t help but to watch her while feeling so hungry by the aromas of it. It smelled so good, I wanted to dip my finger in to taste it, gosh those days are wonderful memories...a wonderful baker and all I know came from her. This is why I love baking.”
Christine certainly loves baking and many in Cork love her baking. This talented pastry chef's cakes comes in all shapes and sizes, and every one of them is worth checking out for yourself: Pain aux raisins, macarons, brownies, lemon cake slices, various apple tarts and cakes, caramel slices, and strawberry cake slices, madeleines and lots of chocolate stuff (including pain aux chocolat) and more. And there are occasional surprises too - a gorgeous brioche and butter pudding, for example. Not all will be available on any given day, but that is all part of the fun.
Neatly painted, in small narrow street, La Spoon is by the courthouse so the road may sometimes be closed to traffic, but it is well worth seeking out. The room is small but colourful, with lots of small artworks, many featuring a spoon or two, maybe a fork. And, adding a quirky touch, there's a box containing dozens of John Grisham thrillers...
You can eat in - there's a big table seating about eight and stools set up at shelves along the walls - but, if you are in a hurry, you can always take some booty home.
Occasion cakes are a speciality - birthday cakes, wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, many of them in the French style, are all second nature to Christine. You'll also see her unique creations at children's parties and hen parties and she runs classes too, so this is the place to come If you want to learn - or a voucher could be the perfect gift.
