Celebrity pastry chef Dominique Ansel is set to open a new French-Asian bakery in Greenwich Village this Thursday. The bakery, named Papa d’Amour (translated as “loving daddy” in French), is a tribute to Ansel’s Taiwanese wife and their children. Located at 64 University Pl., the bakery aims to blend different cultures to create unique pastries, according to Ansel.
The menu at Papa d’Amour will feature a variety of treats, including a taro lace batter mochi donut inspired by the taro puff, a scallion basil blossom with a flaky crust, Japanese milk bread known as shokupan, and egg tarts with crunchy pretzel salt in the crust. Despite the popularity of his Cronut creation, Ansel has decided not to include it on the menu at Papa d’Amour. The Cronut, a donut-croissant hybrid, has been a bestseller at his SoHo bakery since its invention in 2013.
In a conversation with WNYC’s Alison Stewart, Ansel discussed the process of building his baking empire, life after the Cronut, and the current trend of bakeries in New York City. Ansel shared that he has been working on the concept for Papa d’Amour for close to two years, from developing the menu to training the staff and sourcing equipment. He emphasized the importance of maintaining creativity and quality in his creations, mentioning that the first flavor of the Cronut will always hold a special place in his memory. Despite the challenges of the past year, Ansel remains committed to offering unique and exciting pastries to his customers.
