Mirabelle with Beanfish Chaser

 

5/9/25 Mirabelle by Orphee in Pioneer Square

The day before I went, The Seattle Times had published a major review of Mirabelle by Orphée that I didn’t even know about until after my visit. What I had heard about was the local TV coverage the prior week about this brand new French bakery in Pioneer Square. In fact, I had heard about it from Janet, who makes a cameo appearance in the KING-5 Evening segment. With media attention like that, I could hear a pain au chocolat calling my name all the way in Maple Leaf!

As Paris as we can get around here.

I braced for a line out the door as had been reported, but around 10:30 a.m., no one was ahead of me, and I easily grabbed a seat by the windows. (An hour later, a long line did form, so I must have luckily slipped in between the breakfast and lunch crowds.) My review: The Paris-authentic pastry was well worth a trip downtown (but still not quite as good as Rosellini’s in Ballard).

What Mirabelle has over Rosellini’s is a great view of Pioneer Square, including a peek of the Pergola, iconic globe street lamps and, periodically, large groups of tourists on Bill Speidel’s Underground Seattle Tour. As I munched my pain au chocolat and sketched, my view was suddenly blocked by a crowd of people all looking down – at the translucent paving blocks that illuminate the hidden ghost streets below (sheesh, I’m starting to sound like a tour guide myself). It’s a fun spot to sketch from.

Beanfish operator making taiyaki

Even I don’t typically indulge in two treats in one day, but sometimes pastries happen. After sketching the Federal Building protest, I had planned to go home, but my croissant was only a fond memory in my stomach by then, and I was already getting hungry. I decided to pop over to Uwajimaya for a small (and somewhat nutritious) snack to tide me over, which I did – and then I spotted Beanfish. It was more than a year ago that I sketched and ate a Beanfish taiyaki, which can be filled with all manner of sweet or savory innards. I opted for custard, but I could have had bacon, matcha cream, Gimme S’mores, Spam, Elvis (peanut butter and banana) and so many more.

As I waited for mine, I sketched the operator making taiyaki in the fish-shaped waffle irons. They take a while to make, but they are handed to the customer piping hot. A street food in Japan, taiyaki is sort of the opposite experience of the refined Paris bakery esthetic. Sketching at record speed so that I could scarf my Colonel Custard down while it was still warm, I made no apologies for excessive pastry consumption on a beautiful Friday.

Bacon, Spam, chocolate chips and pineapple oozing out of fish-shaped waffles.