Finally, Dan and I have reached the singular point in our lives where we may indulge in a most sacred and unassailable right to eat cake. No longer do we have to fear the gnarly fingers of society matrons pointing in our general direction in condemnation and disgust as we shovel mounds of sugary frosting into our mouths with our bare hands. Those same gnarly fingers now gently pat our backs as we engage in the same activity, perhaps even wiping a wistful tear from their eyes as they reminisce about sweet young love. Yes, my dear readers, we are planning our wedding, and one of our tasks (mandated by bridal magazines everywhere) is to eat lots and lots of cake in the quest to find and order the wedding cake of our dreams. Our quest landed us at the doorsteps of the most romantic time and place in the world, Le Matin de Paris. Ahh l’amour!

Atmosphere: Le Matin de Paris is a Korean-style French bakery in Annandale, VA. The bakery is decorated in bold yellows and blues, evocative of a French country home. Now imagine taking the quaint charming colors, and giving the decor a modern face-lift. Voila, you have Le Matin de Paris, charming and cozy yet sophisticated and young at the same time. This is a great place for a first date, or second, or third… It’s generally pretty quiet, so it’s also good for catching up with friends or casual meetings.

Food: Mango mousse cake! Mocha cake! Dark chocolate and strawberry cake! Gaaa! There are so many tasty treats, and they’re all scrambling in my head to get out. The desserts at Le Matin de Paris are truly unique. A soft Korean twist to traditional French desserts leaves you with delightfully light, not overly sweet creations that melt in your mouth like a piece of heaven. Try any dessert with mousse, and you won’t be disappointed. They are master mousse makers.

If you want to try some traditional Korean desserts, they have them too in the form of Bing-Soo’s. These are shaved ice treats with sweet red beans, a mix of fruit toppings, and a dollop of ice cream to boot. A truly refreshing dessert for the summer that will leave you satisfied instead of thirsty.

And don’t forget to pick up some breads and goodies to take home with you when you leave. There are fluffy breads in various flavors like whole grain, milk, or brown rice (sandwich breads that received luxurious spa treatments and came out somewhere slightly short of decadent pastry, so you can feel good about eating a lot of it). And there are of course some traditional Korean sweets like An-Pang, sweet breads filled with red bean paste.

Everything I’ve had here has been delicious, so go ahead and experiment!

Service: Le Matin de Paris is a bakery, so you order your goodies and take them to tables yourselves. The staff is very friendly, and they speak English, so no worries there!

Summary: If you’re ever in the area, you should definitely stop by, either after a meal or even for a meal. You can make a meal out of desserts (yes, it is possible), and there is no better place to do that than here. I think the desserts are slightly pricey here, but I can’t tell you that for sure. I’m always too busy eating here, and I’m usually in a coma afterwards, so Dan always has to pay.

Restaurant information:

• Website: http://www.morningofparis.com/
• Address: 7236 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA
• Phone: 703-914-0088
• Price range: ?? I think slightly pricey, but well worth it.