Beard Papa's Cream Puffs
Beard Papa has been generating a lot of gossip within blogging circles lately. In fact, within the last month or so, there have been posts on some of the blogs that I read from time to time.
Of the more recent postings, was this one from The Amateur Gourmet, then came this post from feeding dexygus seconds, and finally, just about a week ago, I saw this post by Allen on his blog, The Impetuous Epicure. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw this ad in my local newpaper on Monday, November 15th!
I knew I just had to have some. So the next day after work (about 5:45pm), I went down to Shirokiya Department Store to get some of Beard Papa's famous cream puffs. As got off the escalator, I was actually quite surprised that there weren't many people in line. Quite the opposite of what I've been hearing...
Sadly, this gentleman in the blue aloha shirt got the last box of 3 Beard Papa cream puffs. I was told to try back again the next day!
Subsequently, I went back a couple more times during the week after work, and each time I was unsuccessful in getting those cream puffs. What is it about them? Or was it just that I was arriving too late?
Well, I thought today would be the perfect day to make another attempt. So after having lunch with some friends, I made my way to Shirokiya...again! And this is what I came across...
Coming up the store's escalator, there was a line of people. It actually snaked around the entire second floor of the store! I believe there were at least 150 people in line...so much for cream puffs today...
I did manage to take a few photos of the preparation of the cream puffs (that I sadly won't get to eat today). Here we have a woman stirring something in a huge bowl, with a giant whisk.
I didn't ask if she was stirring batter for the choux pastry shell or if she was stirring the cream filling for the actual puffs.
Here is a batch of cream puff "shells" that are fresh out of the oven.
They are left on the counter to cool. Smells good!
And finally, this last one. This man is filling the cream puff pastry shells with the actual creamy custard-like filling. One turn of the handle on this machine for each cream puff and they're done. Ready to serve and eat!
Notice the look on the woman in blue's face as she waits to recieve her order of cream puffs. Doesn't she look like she's going to enjoy them? I know I would. Oh well, I'll have to try again tomorrow. I'm going early tomorrow morning...
Today, I was smart. I went to the store prior to it's opening at 9:30 am. When the store opened, and I finally got upstairs to where they were preparing and selling the cream puffs, there was already a line...sigh...although the line wasn't as long as it was yesterday (I would say there were about 15 people ahead of me).
As I approached the counter, I could see the workers furiously trying to fill the cream puffs, dust them with powdered sugar, wrap them and then place each finished cream puff neatly into a box.
About 20 minutes later, and I was ready to go home with my box of Beard Papa's cream puffs. Finally....
I quickly made my way home and opened up the box. I got the box of five (US$7.25). When I opened the box, they were all neatly lined up, with a nice wrapper surrounding each one.
Taking one out of the box, I was surprised at how light it actually was. After removing the wrapping, I just had to look at it for a moment...
The pastry shell was golden brown, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. After taking the first bite...was it worth all the trouble? Absolutely!
The pastry shell was light and crispy, with just the right amount of crunch. Fluffy and airy, it almost seemed to melt upon touching my tongue. The creamy filling was extremely fresh tasting with only the slightest hint of sweetness and the wonderful aroma of vanilla. Like a whipped custard, this was just too good to imagine.
Would I go through this again? No doubt! In fact, since they will be here for another week, I'm going to make sure to go back at least one more time. These are, by far, the best cream puffs I've ever had! I can't wait for Beard Papa's to become a permanent fixture in Hawaii. I just hope I don't have to wait too long.
By the way, found this banner on Beard Papa's Japanese website...
How nice of them to advertise their visit!
Hi Reid, Beard Papa's cream puffs has been available in S'pore for about 2 or 3 years now. Each puff sells for S$2.00. At first, there were also very long queues for these puffs. But now, the fad seems to have faded, and demand for BP puffs is pretty low. Maybe S'poreans are a fickle lot?
Anyway, BP puffs are indeed delicious, especially the custard that is super light and fragrant. The crispy puff is also unique. I did enjoy them, but didn't go crazy over them. :)
and thanks for listing me in your sidebar! :)
Posted by: julia | November 20, 2004 at 10:59 PM
Reid,
What seems to be all about this cream puff rage? Is it that good? We have a miniature cream puff version sold here at Marukai which are to me...OK. Kind of a light egg-y, croissant-textured shell with a cream custard filling. I think they sell or I've seen them them at other Japanese bakeries here in Gardena. As you can tell, I'm not a real crazy fan for this but will eat them occasionally. Hm-m-m-m, don't think I'd be standing in a 150 people line for pastries at any time though...
Posted by: Clinton | November 21, 2004 at 06:20 AM
Reid,
Wow. I've not seen a line that long for cream puffs before. It's great that you can finally taste a beard papa puff. Just remember, if it gets all over your face, it means it's good. :)
Posted by: Allen Wong | November 21, 2004 at 07:04 AM
Oh cream puffs...I dont know what it is about cream puffs that are so addicting especially the mini ones. Although I'll have to agree with clinton I wouldn't wait in line for it.
Posted by: milgwimper | November 21, 2004 at 07:06 AM
Hi Julia,
You're welcome! I've been reading your blog for a while, and only recently updated my sidebar (when I updated my blog's layout).
I actually don't eat cream puffs all that often, but I have to say, that the choux pastry makes the Beard Papa cream puffs special. That light, crispy crust, in addition to the filling that's not too sweet makes it a winner in my book.
Hi Clinton,
These cream puffs are the absolute best in my book. Even better than the coco puffs at Liliha Bakery or the cream puffs from Komoda Bakery on Maui. I agree with you in that I wouldn't wait in line if there were 150 people in it, but I did wait in line with about 20 people ahead of me...and it was worth it!
Hi Allen,
I heard that the lines were quite long when Beard Papa's first New York store opened up back in March (?). I've never seen a line that long either. When I went back to the store today, I was lucky in that there were maybe 20 people ahead of me in line. As I was leaving, the line had grown to about 50 (behind me), and that was only in a matter of 20-30 minutes.
The cream puff was delicious. I only wish that I could have had one with green tea like you did. I'm sure it was amazing...and yeah, it did get all over my face...and I enjoyed it! =P
Hi Milgwimper,
These are so good, you have to try them if you ever get the chance. Right now, I know Beard Papa has stores in New York/New Jersey and in Japan, as well as a few other countries like Singapore. I did/would wait in line, if it was reasonably short.
Posted by: Reid | November 21, 2004 at 11:44 AM
Hi Reid - I've never heard of Papa Beard, but the creme puffs look wonderful! Glad they turned out to be such a treat after all you went through to get your hands on some!
Posted by: Cathy | November 21, 2004 at 11:48 AM
Hi Cathy,
The were indeed a wonderful treat! I'm actually kicking myself for not getting two boxes while I had the chance. Oh well...
I was told by a friend that they taste best fresh, when the pastry shell is nice and crunchy and that if I had bought more, and kept them in the refrigerator overnight, I would have been disappointed with the taste the next day. So in a way, I'm also glad that I didn't buy more...
Posted by: Reid | November 21, 2004 at 03:00 PM
Hi Reid, I mentioned them way back in March. Like Julia says, don't worry about the queues, two years on in Singapore, the queues have disappeared.
My link: http://umami.typepad.com/umami/2004/03/bear_papa_in_ny.html
Read in yesterday's papers that the local Beard Papa came out with a new dessert. A chocolate cake with melting centres.
Posted by: umami | November 21, 2004 at 05:47 PM
Hello from NYC! Just wanted to say that I love Beard Papa too! We have two stores here, one just a couple of blocks away from me. The lines used to be out the door, especially during summer. They also sell cheesecake fingers (lighter and fluffier than regular cheesecake) Mango shave ice (regular shaved ice with pieces of sweet soft mango on it) and mango pudding (delish, with real mango chuncks). The difference between beard papa and regular creampuffs lies mainly with the pastry dough. It's not regular pate au choux, but it's blended with an outer crust of "pie crust" dough which gives it that crispiness that's soo good. The pastry cream is also slightly different in that it's lightened with a lot of whipped cream and vanilla bean so it's less dense than regular pastry cream which is more like a custard. I hope you enjoyed your Beard Papa! They are delish...especially the green tea flavored ones!!
Posted by: Su-Lynn | November 21, 2004 at 06:35 PM
cream puffs... so easy to make... I'm pondering the choux/pie crust deal though. I consider myself a bit of an expert on proper pie crust ::haughty sniff:: Can you expound a bit more on the texture and mouth feel of the crust? Is it at all flaky? Tender? Chewy? When are they gonna be here?
Posted by: Jo | November 21, 2004 at 06:50 PM
Hi Umami,
I forgot all about that!
You're right, you did mention it a while back. If they invented a new CHOCOLATE dessert and with melting centers...I'm so looking forward to it.
Well, this was only a limited time offer, so the lines will be around until it ends. In fact, I was talking to the lady packing the boxes and she said they increased production everyday that they've been here and see no signs of a slowdown.
Hi Su-Lynn,
Welcome to my blog. Beard Papa makes really good cream puffs. Nothing we have here can compare. I love the fact that they are light, crisp and fluffy all that the same time.
I'm praying that they will open a shop in Hawaii so that I can try some of their other treats. For now though, they are just serving the standard cream puffs. I was told that they didn't bring enough staff from Japan to offer more. =(
Hi Jo,
Please read Su-Lynn's description above. She describes the cream puffs to a T. If you're looking for a similar recipe, please visit Makiko at the following links here:
http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/2004/04/basics_choux_pa.html
and here:
http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/2004/04/cream_puffs.html
Posted by: Reid | November 21, 2004 at 07:47 PM
Hee... Beard Papa's choux cream is good considering the price. In Japan, it is US$5.82 for 5. I especially like to eat on the spot once I bought them, dun even care people look at me like an alien (it's a culture in Japan usually u dun eat while walking or standing). Hot and crunchy outside, creamy and cold inside. Yummy!
Posted by: fish fish | November 22, 2004 at 02:14 AM
Reid,
Well, just by reading what others have to say about these mouth-watering cream puffs is making me curious and hungry. I guess it must be like a Leonard's malassadas thing. Gotta have it because you crave it and also gotta have it fresh right there on the spot. I know the feeling since I've been there before...at Leonard's that is.
Posted by: Clinton | November 22, 2004 at 05:47 AM
A wee bit expensive for my liking for cream puff.. but i do like cream puffs.. so yes.. i would like to have a taste too.. :)
And they do look so yummy and rich..!!
Posted by: MrsTweety | November 22, 2004 at 06:26 AM
Interesting the note that the puffs "must" be eaten hot and fresh. The same was told me regarding Leonard's malasadas. I; however, must be a freak of nature because I found day old malasadas (left in the car no less!) were just as awsome as fresh. The texture of course was more like a regular donut but still tasty. I was expecting the thing to have a sureal meltdown and figured I'd have nuclear waste on my hands when I realized I had left them down there. Fortunatly that was not the case so I had a breakfast appitizer instead! Malasadas and fresh fried Rainbow spam... what a combo!
Posted by: Jo | November 22, 2004 at 08:50 AM
hmmm... I can't believe no one else has posted all day!
Hey Reid! You startled me with the change of look! Very nice, I like it. Sort of reminds me of dinner at Antoine's. I have a question about the photos at the top. Are they yours? If yes, what is that shrimp dish? With the 2 scoop shaped balls of rice I am presuming it's a Hawaiian dish. I'm also curious about the other dishes, but the shrimp look yummiest!
Posted by: Jo | November 22, 2004 at 03:28 PM
Ahahahahahahahaha. I saw my first one about four or five years ago and it was the highlight of laughter one a long trip to the outer reaches of Tokyo with another teacher for our English class at Subaru. How crap we thought. Ha! Beard Papa! What an idea! What are those people lining up for?
That's me out of the prophesy business.
Posted by: anthony | November 22, 2004 at 08:02 PM
Hi fish fish,
Wow! That is cheap. I guess it's because the weakness of the dollar against the yen. =( US$7 is OK by me...the cream puffs were definitely worth it. I too had to shove one in my mouth right after I walked out of the store. It was the best feeling ever, even though I looked silly with the cream on my chin. =P
Hi Clinton,
You're exactly right about that. Have you been to Champion Malasadas? They have cream filled malasadas you know...not as good as Leonard's though.
These cream puffs are so much better than the ones from Komoda Bakery that I don't even want to think of those anymore. These are like Liliha Bakery coco puffs...in a league of their own.
Hi MrsTweety,
Yes, they are a bit expensive, but worth every penny! I like to splurge every now and then...although it may seem like I splurge quite a bit.
And...believe it or not, this is not as rich as it looks. Many people think that the cream is almost tasteless. That's what makes this so good. There's just a slight hint of vanilla and sweetness in here.
Hi Jo,
Actually the cream puffs are not hot, but slightly warm. They let the pastry cool to almost room temperature before filling. The cream is slightly cool and smooth, while the crusty pastry is slight warm and crunchy!
BTW...thanks for the compliment!
The photos at the top of the page are mine...they come from previous posts. I've included the links here:
Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp:
http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/2004/05/giovannis_shrim.html
Liliha Bakery coco puffs:
http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/2004/07/liliha_bakery.html
Palace Saimin:
http://onokinegrindz.typepad.com/ono_kine_grindz/2004/05/palace_saimin.html
Hi Anthony,
And who's laughing now? =P
Such a strange name, but then again, us Japanese are quite strange, aren't we?
Posted by: Reid | November 22, 2004 at 11:07 PM
Strange? Nahh, offbeat minds with good business sense.
Posted by: anthony | November 23, 2004 at 04:08 AM
Beard Papa creampuffs????? Christ I'm missing out on a lot of foodstuffs (both old&new) back home....
Posted by: rowena | November 23, 2004 at 04:54 AM
Hi Rowena,
Thanks for dropping by! Are you from Hawaii? Where are you now? Anyway, there will be more waiting for you when you get home! If you want me to do a write up on anything let me know...I'll try to see what I can do.
Hope to see you again!
Posted by: Reid | November 23, 2004 at 08:56 PM
Hiya Reid
I had my first BP cream puff in Taiwan. I really like the crunchy crust. My friend is crazy about BP cream puff. The last time I visited her in Taiwan, she bought a dozen of the cream puff home herself with no one to share! There were also chocolate custard cream puff and green-tea custard cream puff when I was there. I like the green-tea one. :)
Posted by: pinkcocoa | December 01, 2004 at 04:45 PM
Hi pinkcocoa,
I wish I could have tried some of the flavored cream puffs...I heard that the green tea flavor is really yummy! Unfortunately for me, I'll have to wait for my trip next year because they only had the original flavor here. Sadly, they've gone back to Japan already. =(
Posted by: Reid | December 01, 2004 at 06:59 PM
Hi from Singapore.
Tried the chocolate dessert at Takashimaya today and am sorely disappointed. Read from the newspapers that you could get the staff to warm the cake before consuming it but the lazy staff insisted that it was warm. When I bit into it, it was not warm at all. I told her and she told me to wait for the new batch. What came 5 mins later was a warm-on-the-outside-but-COLD-on-the-inside chocolate cake. Yuck! No quality control coupled with lazy staff... I see Beard Papa going down the drain in Singapore soon...
Posted by: princess | December 25, 2004 at 07:36 AM
Hi princess,
Welcome to my blog. I'm sorry that you've had such a bad experience at Beard Papa. I'm not sure exactly what type of dessert you had there, but the cream puffs were generally warm on the outside and slightly cool on the inside. I didn't experience eating warm cream filling. Maybe we're talking about 2 different desserts here.
Hope to hear from you again!
Posted by: Reid | December 25, 2004 at 02:02 PM