Newton, Food, Metro

Tous Les Jours Fuses French and South Korean Specialties in Newton Centre

The international bakery and cafe chain Tous Les Jours opened a new location in Newton Centre in December, bringing fresh and authentic South Korean and French goods to the city. 

“Our store’s name is Tous Les Jours,” the location manager said. “It’s a French word, it means ‘every day.’ But in our store, it means fresh bakery every day.”

Tous Les Jours offers 300 varieties of bakery products, from French croissants and mango cloud cakes to ube lattes and Americanos, according to the chain’s website

The cafe operates in a self-serve format. Customers gather personalized assortments on trays and approach the front counter. There, they can order beverages or specialty bakery items such as macaroons. 

The location manager said the Asian-inspired options at the cafe are one of his favorite things about the store.

“As an Asian, the first time I came to the United States, all the cakes I could find from the supermarket, they’re super, super, sweet,” the location manager said. “The thing I like about our cake is they’re light, they’re creamy, … and they have a lot of flavors like mango, chocolate, [and] green tea.”

Seating options at the cafe include high-top counters next to the street-facing windows, comfy benches, and brightly colored chairs. The cafe’s open-concept layout lets customers pick up to-go orders quickly without interrupting the energy of the cafe. 

The cafe, located at 747 Beacon St., is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. From college students escaping campus to do their homework, to friends catching up over lunch and parents bringing in their kids for an after-school treat, the cafe draws in a diverse crowd.

Kate Gaynor, a Boston University student visiting Tous Les Jours, said the cafe is calmer than other popular cafes.

“I feel like this is nice because you are a little bit away from the bar area, and it’s a little bit quiet,” Gaynor said. “It has good lighting [and] seems like a good atmosphere to work in and just like come to hang out after classes or something. … I’ll probably come back here.”

Last Friday, the cafe debuted Valentine’s Day–themed pastries to accompany its classics. The earl grey donut, inspired by the tea which originated in China, offers a light, airy dough filled with the sweet but not overbearing, creamy flavor of earl grey. The decorations on the donut add dimension, covering the donut in heart-shaped sprinkles, as well as a tiny chocolate novelty with the cafe’s name on top. 

The drinks at Tous Les Jours have a lot to offer, too. Classics such as a vanilla latte were perfect for the coffee-inclined customer. The flavors of espresso and vanilla compliment each other perfectly, coming together to give the soul-warming drink a light and satisfying flavor. 

Tous Les Jours offers many unique options that cannot be found at other Newton cafes, according to the location manager. The cafe offers unique items like the ube and tiramisu lattes—the latter of which is a favorite of many of the employees, he said.

Thoughtful customer service complements the unique tastes at the restaurant. 

One customer who frequents the Newton Centre location on a weekly basis, said the employees recognized her each time she walked in and knew exactly how she liked her latte. The customer said she has been to other branches of the cafe but frequents the Newton Centre location due to its bright atmosphere and friendly staff. 

In the cafe’s first two months of business, the location manager said the customers have reacted positively to the cafe. 

“People are nice here,” the location manager said. “And they are actually curious about our pastries and stuff because some of them, they might have not seen them before. … They really love our stuff.”

Images by Vikrum Singh / Heights Editor

February 13, 2022