Dominique Ansel reveals details about the new French-Asian bakery he’s opening in downtown Manhattan
In a way, celebrity pastry chef Dominique Ansel is a master of all things fusion: the Cronut, his 2013 viral creation that continues to shape New York’s crowded dessert landscape, is a cross between a doughnut and a croissant that now leads a roster of hybrid sweets also conceived by Ansel.
His cookie shots, for example, are warm chocolate chip cookies shaped like shot glasses and filled with homemade vanilla milk. The blossoming hot chocolate invention, on the other hand, features a marshmallow flower that actually “blossoms” into the cup of hot chocolate.
Ansel is set to explore his devotion to the art of culinary fusion even further next year, when he will open Papa d’Amour, a new 2,000-square-foot bakery at 64 University Place by 10th Street in the West Village.
Conceived as an ode to his kids’ dual heritage—Ansel is French and his wife Amy Ma is Taiwanese—the new destination will be a French and Asian bakery filled with egg tarts, milk breads, steamed buns and more, each one created using techniques and ingredients that define the two cuisines.
“This is something new for me,” Ansel said to Time Out over a video call before hopping on a plane to Las Vegas to work on his upcoming second location in town. “It’s going to put me a bit out of my comfort zone, which I love. I’m embracing both the Asian and French techniques mixed together.”
Although Papa d’Amour’s menu has yet to be finalized (the project is scheduled to debut in the spring of 2025), Ansel reveals that egg tarts will likely be a focus (“I want to get a perfect buttery crust”), as well as sweet potatoes and mochi ice cream, which happens to be a favorite of his four-year-old son Celian.
“Expect to see things that people might recognize but presented in different ways,” said the chef. “I love exploring cultures and ingredients through French techniques and approaches. Something as simple as an egg tart can be elevated to the next level.”
The business’ moniker is also a tribute to the chef’s kids, Celian and 1.5-year-old Elise, who refer to their dad using the term.
“It means loving dad,” Ansel explained. “It’s a cute name that French kids give to a dad, especially when they want something.”
Needless to say, Ansel knows what he’s doing: named one of the best inventions of 2013 by Time magazine, one of his many creations, the Cronut, still regularly sells out at the chef’s Soho bakery.
When asked about the dessert’s enduring popularity, Ansel mentions a list of contributing factors.
“I think a lot of things made it very special,” he said. “The idea of it: people understood what it was before trying it. It talks to everyone because everyone has had a doughnut and a croissant. It was also a time when social media just started, basically.”
That being said, Ansel is wary about chasing the success of the Cronut.
“Trying to replicate it would be too difficult and useless,” he said. “I think the Cronut opened the door to what the pastry world is and could be. My approach is to always understsand the culture and try to create an enjoyable experience.”