“Mi wantem krosan, plis” – PLN’s first small bakery review – Le Fournil de Vila
- Pacific Legal Network
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
By Damian Kelly
You know what is almost as good as an ice-cold Tusker on a 30-degree centigrade, 92 percent humidity day in Port Vila? Well… another ice-cold Tusker. But a close, third place is a fresh croissant baked to perfection, with adequate lamination, and the right amount of audible crunch.
That’s just what you will get when you step off the street and into Le Fournil de Vila (literally, the oven of Vila). The location is humble, but the food will transport you straight from the sound of waves lapping the Vila foreshore to the charm of a small no-name pâtisserie in Cannes as the perfumed smell of papaya outside gives way to the sweetness of beurre drenched brioches.
Better yet, you have full control of this journey of the mind, body and mouth. If you want to go to France, you can simply order in French: “je voudrais un croissant, s’il vous plait”. Your eighth grade French classes failing you in the all important moment? That’s okay just stick to English: “could I please have a cross-ant?” Or, maybe you want to stay put in island paradise, well you can and order in Bislama: “mi wantem krosan, plis”. The world is your bakery at Le Fournil de Vila and their trilingual staff.
Despite the French name, this pâtissier is definitely serving up a Ni-Vanuatu twist on French (and Italian) staples. The breads are thicker, heavier and more likely to keep you satisfied for longer. But, they still retain the delicateness and sophistication of the European staples they seek inspiration from. Locally owned and truly fresh local ingredients – what a win for the palette!
The baguettes are equally as good as the pastries. They rely on local veggies and meats to create twists on French deli favourites such as, vegetal and jambon et fromage, and introducing truly modern classics that turn some heads in the third arrondissement, like chicken and cheese. These baguettes are that popular that they commonly sell out well before lunch, and in fact on one day were sold out by 9 am. So pre-ordering is a must, or else you’ll be left with a very good but not quite spectacular olive and cheese pizza roll.
And for all the Francophone readers out there, Le Forunil de Vila finally puts an end to the pain au chocolat versus chocolatine debate. Falling on the side of “pain au chocolat” – obviously.
