Dessert
Hollywood Cream Puff Heaven On Hold
The official word from a Muginoho USA exec today is that the Beard Papa’s Sweets Cafe, destined for the Hollywood and Highland Center, is on hold until mid-September.
Yes, originally we were given the official date as sometime from late-July to mid-August. Sadly, Beard Papa’s has permitting issues gumming up the works.
But hey, when has a restaurant ever opened in a timely fashion in this town?
The H&H Center site recently added a small write-up about Beard Papa’s, and it at least conveys the illusion that the ball is rolling:
Beard Papa’s Sweets Cafe will open on the grand staircase in (mid) September. When the Japanese chain opened its first two American Outlets in New York (last) spring, lines for the popular pastires began snaking around the block. The cafe’s speciality is light, crispy cream puffs, filled to order on a mini assembly line with a mixture of whipped cream and (Madagascar) vanilla bean custard, then dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
When Beard Papa’s does throw open its doors, prepare to meet the maker, one Yuji Hirota, the original “double-layer” puff inventor. Hirota is scheduled to attend the opening during which time the company is also planning some free giveaways in order to thank Hollywood cream puff fans for our undying love, support and patience. Just choux me, already! Please.
Opps. One more thing. I hate to be a grinch, but for those of you who have been telling your pals that Beard Papa’s really does exist, check this, straight from the lips of Minoru Inagaki, president of the U.S. division of Japanese conglomerate Muginoho which owns Beard Papa’s:
When our company’s founder, Mr. Yuji Hirota, created our logo, he wanted to choose something that would bring people the cheerful, energetic mood associated with the Christmas holidays. So he chose a Santa-like character, but then changed the color of his outfit from red to yellow to signify that you can be in a joyful holiday mood all year at Beard Papa’s.
Discussion
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must… have… cream… puffs… *drool*
the funny thing i don’t understand is that cream puffs have been all over this place in korean and chinese bakeries forever. is there something else about beard papa’s?
You be the judge — if they ever open here, or if you go to Tokyo or NYC. Unlike most stale and over-refrigerated choux these are baked fresh a 4-6 times a day and assembled on the spot with rich vanilla custard, they’ve got other flavored fillings as well. But like anything it’s a matter of taste.
Here’s a little more info from qsrmagazine.com:
The puff’s shell comes from frozen dough balls that are made in the factory. The creamy filling is made in the stores using Madagascar vanilla beans. “A lot of companies cut costs by using vanilla essence or extract,� says Inagaki. “We take the vanilla bean, slice it in the middle, and scrape out the seeds. That’s why you can see black bits in the custard itself.� Beard Papa’s maintains that using these premium ingredients create a taste premium that sets the product above its Japanese competitors.
As Inagaki noted, there is also an element of theater to a Beard Papa’s operation. Unlike a typical bakery where a product is simply plucked off the shelf when a customer places an order, Beard Papa’s prepares each puff individually for each customer. It is only when the customer purchases the cream puff that the cream is injected into the pastry shell. There is a practical reason for this as well—a last minute cream injection keeps the pastry shell crisp, the cream fresh, and the whole puff from getting soggy.
Beard Papa’s also takes action to ensure product standardization across locations. One out of every five cream puffs is weighed to ensure that the proper amount of cream has been added to the shell. “If a cream puff is off the standard weight by more than 5 grams, we either throw that pastry away or keep it for the staff. Part of what makes a franchise a franchise is the maintenance of the same product and quality in all stores. We make sure that the cream puff tastes the same even if we have to use sugar or flour from different suppliers. To obtain this consistency required more than 3,000 trial-and-error tests,� says Inagaki.
Beard Papa’s high standards of service. In Japan, customers expect quick-service workers to provide a level of courtesy, professionalism, and deference that far surpasses what is asked of U.S workers. “We try to do everything for the customer,� says Inagaki. “We don’t see ourselves really here to sell cream puffs—we are here to sell a service. When the customer walks into the store, we engage his five senses. You can smell the cream puffs baking all day long. You feel the fresh shell of the cream puffs, and you taste them when you bite in. You can see and hear the servers talking to you and to each other so it’s important that they are very upbeat and enthusiastic. We tell our staff that when they are behind the counter, they are not there to sell cream puffs—they are actually performers on stage who are being watched making cream puffs. When the customer is done seeing the performance, he gets to go home and take the cream puff that he watched being made. The cream puff is just something to take home. It’s an extra treat.�
Oh, man — what a great post. I had never heard of this company. They sound like the Crispy Cremes of the pastry world — times 1000! The last minute insertion of the custard is key. Love the mission statement “…engage the 5 senses…” And the name — Beard Papa — you know right away from the inverted english that it’s a Japanese company. And who knows better than the Japanese (sorry to make such a sweeping, racial generalisation) how to elevate a simple product to an art form?
Choux me too, dammit!
Have you ever tried to make those little suckers? Lots of hard, fast beating by hand, I recollect. I can remember my forearm aching like anything.
Thanks, SoCal.
Hollywood Cream Puff Heaven On Hold
[Source: la.foodblogging] quoted: Unlike a typical bakery where a product is simply plucked off the shelf when a customer places an order, Beard Papa’s prepares each puff individually for each customer. It is only when the customer purchases the c…
I can’t wait. I just went to NY and tried my first Beard Papa Cream Puffs and I was wondering when it will get here.
They are so good….. Yummmm!!!! Is it September yet?
I saw a full page Ad on Beard Papa Hollywood Store on Japanese Magazine- Lighthouse. It looks very good. I haven’t had a Beard Papa cream puff since I left Japan 2 years ago. They are so delicious.
mmmmmm, cream puffs, can’t wait. Must be one of the first of get a cream puff!