Trung Nam French Bakery — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I'm the business owner of a Asian restaurant and we have been buying my bread from Trung Nam for over a three years and a half. Never before had I experienced such unprofessional conduct and demeanor from another business owner. Over the years, the owner, Tony, had allowed us to hand select our bread from his bakery and I had considered we had a good relationship.

But apparently, this was just an false courtesy and there had been much resentment and anger built up. Just recently, the owner exploded in anger over the fact that I was hand selecting the large bread. I usually select anywhere from 30 - 40 bread to make bahn mi sandwiches and we select their largest bread since we sell our bahn mi's at a higher price with better quality meat compared to the local stores. I was extremely shocked and surprised and I blankly asked several times if he was angry at me and if I had done something wrong? He started to rant that all of the bread on his cart was big. Luckily, Tony's son interjected before Tony became even more furious. His son was calmer but told me that we "irked" and irritated them that we selected our bread, took too long, and it seems we never found large enough bread. Their son told me we should probably take our business elsewhere since they were not meeting our needs. Not only was I terribly shocked, dismayed and stunned, I was at a loss for words. Over three years of buying from this place, and suddenly, this happens. Wow!

I quietly paid and left knowing that I would never be going back there. In the past, I've had friendly conversations with the owner Tony and his son and considered that we had a decent relationship. However, underneath it all, there was hidden anger and resentment just building and waiting to explode.

Furthermore, even though their bread size was inconsistent in length and girth, I was never irritated, upset, or angry at them for not having this consistency, which made his outrageous outburst all the more shocking. I never complained and just went about my business buying their bread.

I hope no one else gets to experience this guy's unreasonable anger and never go through a similar experience. In the end, I even sent a message thanking him for all his years of service but sad to see how it turned...

Lived in France and Belgium, so the croissants at this location are the closest I have tasted which compared to those in France.

Compared to the normal croissant you'll find at your local supermarket, these ones are more buttery and crispy---not sure if crispy is the right term. However, when compared to a real French croissant made in France, it is not as buttery or delicate...the fluffiness is missing, but definitely the closest I have tasted so far to those sold in France.

In fact, there is a store in South Florida, Pauls, which is a bakery you will find all over in France or Belgium. Their croissants can't even compete with the croissants sold at this place, which is a bit funny, since Pauls should have the real European recipe to make a croissant.

With that said, as of Nov 2023, one croissant at this location, 4 dollars. Almond croissant, 6 dollars. Given that they made them at this location, I thought they might be a bit cheaper. I know inflation has messed up prices in 2023, but can you imagine what these croissants will cost 2 years from now? I would say, buy them while they are still somewhat affordable!!!

Don't forget to try baguette for one dollar---so good and that is as equal as it gets to those sold in France....

This French & Vietnamese bakery is definitely a discovery & place that has great croissants & Vietnamese coffee as well as regular coffee. What a great find! The desserts especially the croissants are light & delicious. The Vietnamese coffee is to die for! Don't get me started on their baguettes. They are so extremely good to make a sandwich & just wonderful on their own. I also put a photo of a small baguette, not in the review but in the photo section of this site! 🙂👌

This is a gem for French & Vietnamese coffee and baked goods. It is an unassuming place that is located on University Ave in St Paul. It's used to be a Burger King but it's now a Vietnamese place. A rare find indeed . A large parking lot. It is also a very clean & hospitable place full of locals. A breakfast menu you will be amazed about! A Vietnamese coffee and a croissant is a lovely way to start your day! Don't forget to buy some of their baguettes to take home with you! So fresh & light you just can't eat one. The Banh mi sandwiches are delightful as well! Great customer service & it's very important to support local business. I am in love with this place and go as often as I can! What a fine place to start your day! Highly...