Welcome to Au Bon Marché

Hello, fellow travelers!

Today I’m excited to share one of Kumamoto’s hidden gems with you.

This time, I’m introducing Au Bon Marché, a charming patisserie located in Shinyashiki, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City.

The shop greets you with a lovely wooden exterior that exudes warmth and charm.

The parking lot is shared with the neighboring House Lesh, and the names are clearly written on the bricks, making it easy to find.

Step inside, and you’ll be greeted by a dazzling display of cakes lined up like jewels.

A beautifully crowded masterpiece:
Strawberry Tart — 420 yen

Featuring a whole La France pear:
La France Pear Tart — 630 yen

Fresh-Picked Strawberry Cake — 3,400 yen
Seasonal Tart — 3,500 yen
There are also luxurious whole cakes generously topped with fruit.

New Ginger Syrup — 600 yen
This intriguing product looks absolutely delicious.

It’s a versatile syrup you can use as a sweetener or in drinks!

Packed with seasonal flavors:
Apple and Sweet Potato Galette — 2,400 yen

The glossy finish is irresistibly tempting.

Shine Muscat Tart — 450 yen
Apple and Yuzu Tart — 400 yen
Vanilla — 400 yen
Fruit tarts and crowd-pleasing vanilla sweets are also available.

There’s also a wide selection of baked goods.
Shinyashiki Park Cookie Box — 1,850 yen
A charming cookie assortment that’s almost too cute to eat.
It would make a wonderful souvenir or gift!

By the way, doesn’t the menu have such an adorable typeface?
I recognized it right away — the menu was hand-lettered by “Kanjiya,” a calligrapher I’ve worked with before.

Their gentle, soothing lettering is as wonderful as ever.

Recommended Items at Au Bon Marché

This time, I tried:
Marché Cream Puff — 160 yen
Nut and Cheese Cake — 330 yen

Let’s start with the cream puff.
When I visited, they had just sold out, and a fresh batch was being brought out — that’s how popular this treat is!

It looks so good, I just have to dig in.

Crispy and creamy!

The gentle sweetness of the custard pairs beautifully with the light, flaky choux pastry.
With a dusting of powdered sugar on top, every bite reveals a different layer of sweetness — it’s wonderful from start to finish!

Now for the Nut and Cheese Cake!

From the very first bite to the last, it’s packed with nuts and cheese — my stomach is already growling.

I love how they call them “konomi” (nuts of the trees) — such a poetic Japanese expression.

Time to enjoy!

Absolutely incredible. Mind-blowing. So, so good.

The crunchy texture of the nuts
combined with the rich cheese flavor that fills your mouth,
all balanced perfectly with the moist, lightly sweet cake base.

A luxurious cake that offers a symphony of textures and flavors in every bite.

Cake Highlights as of September 27, 2024

The weather couldn’t decide between cool and warm, but inside Au Bon Marché, autumn was definitely in the air!
Halloween-themed baked goods were on display, adding to the festive atmosphere.A patisserie’s croissants!
As you can see in the photo, each one is impressively large!Sorry about the glare — the weather was just too sunny!
・Nectarine Tart — ¥594
・Autumn Bounty Tart — ¥650
・Seasonal Chiboust (Nagano Purple grape at the time) — ¥518

I visited at the end of September.
Shine Muscat, Nagano Purple grapes, nectarines, chestnuts, and pear cakes were all on display.
The pear tart (just out of frame) had serious visual impact!
・Nagano Purple and Shine Muscat Shortcake — ¥540
・Chestnut Shortcake — ¥540
・Strawberry Shortcake — ¥454
・Chocolate Banane Café — ¥454

Of course, the classic strawberry shortcake is always available, but a shortcake topped with both Nagano Purple and Shine Muscat grapes? What a treat!
・Grape Tart — ¥650
・Shine Muscat Tart — ¥650
・Nagano Purple Tart — ¥594
・Shinyashiki Chocolat (with liqueur) — ¥486

During my visit, customers came in non-stop.
Most ordered seasonal fruit cakes — clearly this is a patisserie locals return to year-round!
・Mont Blanc — ¥454
・Seasonal Cheese Tart (Nectarine at the time) — ¥486
・Nut and Cheese — ¥432

The Nut and Cheese cake that Binako featured before was also on display!
I wanted to try it after reading her article, but I’ll save it for next time!(The seasonal cake everyone buys is a must, right?)
(The croissants look amazing, and the freshly baked pie cream puffs look incredible too!)
(Should I get my daughter chocolate or shortcake?)
After much deliberation, here’s what I picked!
・Shinyashiki Chocolat
・Seasonal Chiboust
・Chocolate Banane Café
・Seasonal Cheese Tart
Wait, we’re a family of four but only three of us eat cake — that’s one extra!
First up, the Seasonal Chiboust!
I looked up what a chiboust actually is (I’m the type who researches immediately).
It’s a cake made by layering fruit and chiboust cream over a pie crust, then caramelizing the surface.
With that in mind: the pie base is shockingly crispy!
The cream on top has zero moisture seeping into the pastry — it crumbles beautifully and is absolutely amazing!
The plump Nagano Purple grapes are juicy, and they pair perfectly with the airy, fluffy cream!
A bite of the seasonal cheese tart with nectarine — juicy explosion!
The cheese flavor and nectarine taste balance perfectly. So delicious!
The tart base is crispy too — I feel so lucky to be eating cake this good!

I bought the Chocolate Banane Café after seeing it on Au Bon Marché’s Instagram!
The subtle coffee notes add a lovely accent — it was wonderful too!
Since it contains liqueur, I was a bit worried about my daughter eating it — but look at that smile!
The rich ganache and fluffy sponge are simply delicious!
The liqueur flavor is mild, and she absolutely loved it!

Au Bon Marché never has a dull moment.
Classic cakes are always a hit, and many customers come specifically for the seasonal creations!
With fruits that change with the seasons, this is a patisserie you’ll want to visit all year round — be sure to stop by during your trip to Kumamoto!

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