Keeping it earnest at Ours Blanc

The secret to Ours Blanc’s successful launch of its second store near Hongdae is very straightforward.

Ours Blanc Hongdae store manager Kim Bo-yean pretty much summed up in one short sentence: “We make honest bread.”

The bakery-cafe’s loaves, pastries and sandwiches do not skimp on substance, quality or taste and are reasonably priced to boot, with bread ranging from around 2,000 won to 4,000 won ($1.80 to $3.60) and hefty sandwiches from around 5,000 won to 6,000 won. 

Ours Blanc, which means “polar bear” in French and which happens to be owner-baker Kim Young-soo’s nickname, adheres to a strict philosophy of providing patrons with earnest, get-more-than-you-see, artisanal bread.

Organic American flour, organic Australian flour and domestically produced Korean flour are used at Ours Blanc.

Quality ingredients are only the beginning. Kim a.k.a. “polar bear” draws inspiration from traditional bread, cakes and pastries and riffs off them to create scrumptious treats.

Ours Blanc’s strawberry pastry is one such creation. Inspired by strawberry shortcake, Kim took a multi-layered, buttery pastry laid on a toothsome crushed nut-lemon syrup paste, topped it with a thick, vanilla bean-flecked custard and adorned it with two fresh strawberry halves.

Off-the-charts delicious, each bite marries sweet berry flesh with pudding-like cream, rich nuts and delicate flaky pastry for a baklava-meets-strawberry cake-like deal. 

Another great Ours Blanc sweet is the tornado. Kim revealed he took a hint from pastry leaves, but went bigger, crunchier and thinner. Larger than a football, the oblong, caramelized, cinnamon-dusted disc begs to be paired with a cup of strong coffee sans milk so that one can chase each sweet, crisp bite with a sip of coffee to heighten the chocolaty flavors of the hot brew.

Pastries are not Ours Blanc’s sole strength. The bakery’s chicken sandwich proves Kim’s knack for great ciabatta as well.

Coated in semolina, the airy loaf steers clear of soggy and holds up against a filling of crisp greens, sweet sundried tomatoes, succulent rosemary-red wine chicken breast and creamy brie cheese.

Though primarily bread-and-pastry-based, manager Kim revealed plans to expand the bakery’s brunch, salad and sandwich lineups as well as to add soup to the menu.

Just into its seventh month of business, Ours Blanc’s Hongdae outlet, which is located near Sangsu Station, already has a steady stream of customers and, according to manager Kim, sometimes runs out of bread early on busy weekends.

Ours Blanc first opened in Hyochang-dong nearly two years ago.

Ours Blanc Hongdae store

93-111 Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (02) 3144-1977

Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, closed Mondays

Bread costs around 2,000 won to 4,600 won, sandwiches and salads cost 5,600 won to 6,600 won

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)