Cream puff, thy smell and taste is divine.
When Gothamist read that a Beard Papa was opening up on Broadway at 76th Street, we knew we had to check it out. So this past beautiful and sunny Sunday, we headed to the store with Paul Frankenstein. There were three ways we knew it was the Beard Papa store: (1) The line of people outside that snaked well outside the door; (2) the standing display of its mascot-like Grandpa character; and (3) the smell of cream puffs. As we waited with others in anticipation, watching the Beard Papa staff taking the puffs out of the oven, then filling them with custardy cream, a woman who lives in the same building told us that the line for Beard Papa cream puffs reached to the corner of the block. In fact, many people were ordering boxes of the cream puffs ($1.25), making Gothamist think Beard Papa treats will become the new item to bring to a brunch instead of the usual Krispy Kremes.
The cream puffs are baked, not fried, and, after being filled with the cream, are sprinkled with powdered sugar. The store will be rolling out other products, like cheesecake sticks (slender slivers of cheesecake) and a mango ice dessert.
The cream puffs are not like a French cream puff - they are sweeter and seem richer (though they are not fried). Gothamist is curious to know what the limits would be to Beard Papa cream puff consumption. The NY Times had noted that flavors of the day will be introduced once the store gets off the ground.
People checked out the menu outside, as well as the samples employees were handing out. "The best cream puff in the world," they implored.
Inside the store, there is a credo that is very Japanese.
Beard Papa, 2167 Broadway (at 76th Street)
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I saw the line on Sunday afternoon and decided to try Beard Papa last night instead. Mmmm, delicious!
I'm curious, though, what are fried cream puffs? That sounds so wrong.
The famous Beard Papa in Tokyo is right next to the Shibuya JR train station. I had no idea they were expanding to NYC.
What I am waiting for in Tokyo is In-N-Out Burger (not likely as they have barely expanded out of Cali) and Krispy Kreme.
Oh, and the H&H Bagels that are sold here in Tokyo are frozen. They taste awful. Trust me.
Jen-- I always LOVE your food stories. I'm STILL jealous that you met Steingarten.
re:frozen h and H in tokyo--you should try heating them up. (i couldn't help it, whaddya expect when gothamist starts off with mayor b trying to be funny).
As for the cream puffs, i saw a young couple with a box of them on a brooklyn-bound 2/3 train this weekend and it was all i could do to not ask to buy one from them since I almost never make it to the uws now that I live in Brooklyn. The good news is, one of my best friends from college still lives on the UWS and we have one of our every -few -months christian/muslim/jewish get-togethers this saturday, so I know what I will bringing.
Mmmmm. Cream puffs. Mmmmm.
The best cream-puffs I ever had were in Wisconsin, at a big Sentry supermarket in Fort Atkinson (otherwise a wasteland), because they were filled with real, honest-to-god fresh whipped cream. Amazing.
Beard Papa's cream puffs were really ridiculously delicious. I don't know what it is about the Japanese who perfect everything someone else invent's (cream puffs are french choux ala cream) but they'v done it again. not too sweet, no too heavy, and just absolutly delightful. it was well worth the wait on saturday, when it was around the block.
Props for using the word "healthy" instead of "healthful" on the sign.
I HATE "healthful" - who decided "healthy" was no longer acceptable?
I still do not understand the attraction to those dense, stingy little nubs that people call Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
I find it interesting to compare Beard Papa's to American chains like Krispy Kreme or Dunkin' Donuts. Beard Papa produces a delicious product using fresh, quality ingredients where the others make crap using the cheapest ingredients possible.
You say that like it's a bad thing...
OH no, I didn't know Krispy Kreme's used the cheapest possible and most un-HEALTHFUL ingredients? Is it true. I guess I should go to Japan and lead a healthy life so I can live an extra 30-minutes instead of being happy.
To be clear I wasn't claiming that Beard Papa's was healthy. I was just making the point that when you use quality ingredients the results taste better, and that Beard Papa's is an example of how a chain store can actually turn out good-tasting food.
Cream puffs are ALWAYS baked, not fried.
you americans are all fat and stupid. the japanese put crap into this stupid unhealthy thing and just because it's from japan you call it delicious. you are really dumb morons. don't you guys have any pride in your OWN culture???? and stop meddling in other countries affairs, you inbeciles.
Pride in our own culture. It's funny, America seems often at its worst is when it's too prideful of its own culture. Picture provincial Americans, the kind who refuse to buy anything but American cars because they're not GM/Ford American (you know, the cars not built in America), wave the stars and stripes around a lot, and dismiss anything that hails from beyond our borders as dreck, in the name of our "American pride." That is more likely when we seem fat and stupid.
America is at its best when it takes in/adopts/is given/steals select bits of culture and ideas from its immigrants and others. In familiar refrain: that's why diversity makes us great. Great ideas find their second home here, regardless of origin, and we take 'em in. It's fundamental to our culture, and yeah, we should and do take pride in that.
Looking forward to trying this latest, allegedly delicious adopted bit of culture.
In Korea and Hong Kong where Beard Papa have been doing extremely well, local companies are trying to establish their own cream puff brand as "Beard Papa II"... but they miserably keep failing to. They just cannot copy the original crust right!
Waited on line for 45 minutes this Saturday. They were good, but definitely not worth that wait. Try to go during the week, or after the hype has died down. And don't let the people grabbing boxes full of 'em fool you. They don't keep well, so only buy what you plan to eat right away. Let's not get greedy now kids...
I hate trend foods. You knwo once they get real popular and successful, they're going to start using crappy ingredients, and a few months or years down the line, you'll find your fat self saying..hmmm...they just don't taste the same anymore. Fame will kill it.
I wanted to eat them after reading about them in NY Mag. On Sunday I bought a box of 6. They were amazing! Not overly sweet like a Krispy Kreme. I think they are a fad but boy are they good!!!!
Wow,
Neat store, great product.
Even if we did not do great graphics at their store it would be hard to keep this a secret.
those cream puffs are so yummy, they are off the scale. had one in NY last Tuesday in the snow, and decided I can die happy now.
This goes out to the person trashing American's. I was ready to happily go to this establishment,but due to your comment I think I will go somewhere else and buy American. Nothing against this establishment but I'd rather see your own culture come down on you for making such an ignorant statement.There are alot of people out there in your culture that are hard working and happy in this country.Being diverse is what makes us great!It makes the world great ! Oh and by the way I changed my mind after you get hell from your culture, I will go to this establishment because after all it is putting money in our economy.
Not impressed, not really understanding the craze....
I can remember eating cream puffs back in the 1950's from a east side bakery called Glaser's on 1st Avenue and 87th Street. Since then, I think cream puffs have pretty much disappeared from American culture. Beard Papa has brought it back better than I remember it. All this geo-political dialog is just nonsense. The fact is, the cream puff is damn good and worth the waiting in line.
Here's a secret for you: There's a Japanese cafe in Midtown that's selling the puffs now. Beard Papa box and everything. Saw only 2 people on the line. Didn't try them yet, but I'll be back there tomorrow.
Cafe Zaiya, near Bryant Park, at 41st - between 5th and Madison - is the cafe you're noting. There is a slight difference in taste, but not all that bad between the two locations' products of cream puffs. As well, you can try out their other baked goods - i especially like their dutch cheese pan and a red-bean bun... not sure of it's japanese name though.
I was just walking by minding my own business and I ran into that line, at first I thought P.Diddy chillin at the scene but to my surprise it was a line going into a store. I tried my best to see what the hype was and I was told that it was for a cream puff. They had told me that it was real good and that it wasn't fried. I was like...WHAT!!!! NOT FRIED!!!!
Finally I got in after waiting a LONG time and i ordered 1 Cream puff. Mad costly... Man, all it was, was a butter biscuit with some mayo inside...all i can say is..glad i just got one..
I just tried the Beard Papa cream puffs from Cafe Zaiya, but having not had the ones from the UWS, I can't compare. (They were tasty, though, and everyone at the office liked them when I brought a dozen back.)
When questioned, the friendly staff at Cafe Zaiya said they make the puffs in-store (I was worried they were merely trucked down from 76th Street). Anyway, they're having a "Grand Re-Opening" on May 3. All cream puffs will be $1 until May 9.
Sugoi!
Now the Japanese need to export MOS BURGER to the U.S.!
I tried the ones at Zaiya, YUMMY!!!
but is it true that the store on UW offers even yummier cream puffs???
When my husband and I found out that Beard Papa's has reached America/New York, we were delighted. Like in Japan and Hong Kong, there was a long line outside the shop on a weekday afternoon. We bought 6 and gorged them down in one go. One thing though, the puffs were a bit harder than those we had in Asia. Would be great to see them improve on it!
Hey, everyone! Careful about anger - a Japanese person would never write with the kind of rudeness and hostility expressed by that earlier person with the screen name kim. As I learned later in life, many chinese and koreans hate all things japanese, and can't be objective about anything -- even something as simple and joyous as a cream puff!
Hey, everyone! Careful about anger - a Japanese person would never write with the kind of rudeness and hostility expressed by that earlier person with the screen name kim. As I learned later in life, many chinese and koreans hate all things japanese, and can't be objective about anything -- even something as simple and joyous as a cream puff!
Well, no justification for "Kim's" ignorant comment. As you (cooking) rightly pointed out many Chinese and Koreans have difficulty seeing past the veneers of Japanese "friendly mannerism." They paid a HUGE price in learning that lesson in the past such as forced sexual slavery, eradication of native cultures and language, experiements on live human beings, just to name a few. Yeah, as you could guess by now...I'm korean-American. I won't hide my ethnic identity. Also, as a korean-AMERICAN, I'm pissed off at those radical fundamental Muslims like Al Queda and other fundy Arabs in the Middle East for targeting civilians and for attack our nation. If there are angry Americans out there due to 9/11, I'm sure they could understand where the Chinese and Koreans' anger toward Japanese is coming from. By the way, going back to the main topic of this forum, as for those Papa Beard's "Japanese" cream puffs...they were AWESOME...and I've been promoting it ever since.
Good stuff. The Japanese horrors of WWII were long ago, and don't affect my perception of them today, mostly. If ou didn't know, Koreans back at home also consume Japanese culture, like movies, cartoons, comics, and Beard Papa. I think the Kim poster is either an angry person, or just a troll.
-a korean
Zaiya's cream puffs do taste the same as the BP in UWS, at least to my taste buds. The main difference for me is that the UWS often has chocolate, green tea, and other flavors, but I've never seen the Zaiya branch with anything other than vanilla. But I can't pass by either of those shops without going in for a few.
And a response to Cooking, without condoning what Hyun Kim has said: only a very small minority of Chinese and Koreans refuses to give credit to or to enjoy anything made by the Japanese. The Chinese, Japanese and Koreans freely mix their cultures today (as they have for several millennia, both high-brow and low-brow); this is evident to anyone who spends a bit of time in any one of the three countries.
Having said that, it's difficult for anyone with a sense of history (often personal) to forget what had happened during Japanese the colonial era. While it's destructive for Chinese and Koreans to brood over what happened couple generations ago, it's cruel for people to tell Chinese and Koreans to "get over it" (as I've often heard). Imagine that the German government insisted that the Holocaust never happened, and that only a few "rogue" Jews were killed during WWII. And then telling a Jewish kid whose grandmother was gang-raped then murdered by the Nazis to "get over it."
F*** Cindy Lee.
We just had them yesterday before heading our way back to New England. They were sooo super delicious & worth a wait for just 5 minutes!!
Just amazing! Friendly staff & simplicity!
We just had them yesterday before heading our way back to New England. They were sooo super delicious & worth a wait for just 5 minutes!!
Just amazing! Friendly staff & simplicity!
Wow~ One cream puff store gone into a political debate. Amazed. I just wonder why they named the store "Beard Papa"? Does anyone know?
If you like this creampuff, you'd adore the cream puffs made at the Wisconsin state fair every year. Maybe a Japanese company will adopt Wisconsin's recipe and go toe-to-toe with Beard's Papa......(jeez, even the name "Beard's Papa" makes me queasy....sweet, cloying, fake, even deceptive)
Unfortunately, you'd have to journey to Wisconsin during the 11 day state fair to try the real thing...nobody with the state fair has attempted to market their fine product more broadly. Wisconsin has never been known for it's global business outlook.
It was ok.
The bag that contained the cream puffs has
"piping hot", written on it.
The ones we got were cold and a bit stale. They had what looked like hundreds of the cream puff shells out on the counter. When we went up and asked for a hot one they refused to take it out of the oven for us.
Hey MaxForza, It's Beard Papa, not "Beard's Papa" and it's a beloved character in Japanese folklore.
P.S. there is a cultural thing at work too, since the Japanese love their products to be cute, cute, cute!!! (Hello Kitty, Pokemon, the cuter the better). Close your mouth and open your mind, yokel. It's a great product, and obviously launched in the right city -- where provincial attitudes like yours are so wierdly out of place and totally irrelevant!!
I've just tried the cream puffs today. They were delicious. Who cares what country this product originated from...does it matter? The product is tasty. That's all you need to know! If you don't like it, shop else where. Kim - you're ignorant and Cooking, you're even more ignorant. If you both can't appreciate the diversity this world has to offer, please do us all a favor and drop dead. Stop with your stupid racist comments. What makes you think you're better then anyone else.
We passed by the store this past Monday and there was no line...since it was 10:30 in the morning. The puffs were awesome! I HAD to try their coffee one and those were delish as well! We were there visiting and I'm really glad we got the chance to try it out! Any chance that they'll open a store here in the SF Bay Area???
My friend used to live in Japan, so we 'had' to stop by and visit the place. I was really surprised, they were much better than I expected!
I liked the coffee filled ones better than the vanilla ones.
But why no tee-shirts?!!
"Finally I got in after waiting a LONG time and i ordered 1 Cream puff. Mad costly... Man, all it was, was a butter biscuit with some mayo inside...all i can say is..glad i just got one.."
hahah Tyrone your killing me - mayo? u need to have ur taste buds replaced.
Beard Papa is going Hollywood. I am so happy and just can't wait. I had their cream puff in NYC and just love it. Here you go California.....
Just tried my first Beard Pappa's and I am in Heaven. Yummmmmmmmmmm!!!
I just bought a box of 12 today in NYC since my brother who lived there highly recommended it.
It tasted sinfully delicious. It was just awesome! It was not too sweet, it was just right. Kudos to Beard Papa's! I did not expect much for a 17-dollar dessert. But heck, money was well spent.
I really did not care if it is Japanese, French, Mexican, or whatever. It it is good, then it is good. Why not eat good stuff just because it is not "American"? It sounds pretty darn stupid. Ah, the French likes to call us "stupide Americaine"...
We live in Queens and my wife's cousin brought over a 6 pack last month. The cream puffs lasted less than an hour. 5 3/4 for me and one bite for my wife.
So today when her cousin came to the office, she came equipped with a new six pack. Three for me and three for three co-workers.(A little less greedy on my part.
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Madonna says she may adopt another child from abroad following her proposed adoption of a Malawian boy...
I'm chinese and I don't hate the Japanese nor their culture. In fact, their culture is so much more advanced than the rest of the world's. They have not fallen into the technology trap. Japan has achieved perfection in terms of advancing but not losing tradition and culture. hyun kim is just drunk/suffering from a case of the sours after failing to get his share of a little box of happiness from beard papa's!
BUT THAT'S TOTALLY BESIDE THE POINT! The point is, it's worth paying SGD$2.00 for one of those little beauties anyday! I mean!~ Look at the custard cream!~ There's fucking vanilla seeds in it!~ Little pin-dots of love!~ 136 seeds per square inch!~ Quality ingredients; unparalleled flavour. Vanilla pods are certainly not cheap. I assure any disbeliever that krispy kreme's definitely uses vanilla extracts if they have any vanilla-flavoured things... If you can't see seeds, it's definitely extract/artificial flavour. and NO~ THEY COULDN'T HAVE STRAINED OR FILTERED THE SEEDS OFF... so all hail beard papa!!!
I know i'm an ardent fan, forgive me for the biased account.
Conclusion: A beard papa cream puff is perfection and joy in itself. It can and will pull you back up from deep within your ABYSS...!