Dominique Ansel, the luminary pastry chef behind the renowned Cronut, is about to open the doors to his latest venture, Papa d’Amour, in Greenwich Village. The new French-Asian bakery at 64 University Place will honor the cultural heritage of Dominique Ansel's Taiwanese wife, Amy Ma, and their children. Ansel, in a conversation with WNYC’s Alison Stewart, shared that the essence of his bakery is "embracing all the cultures and bringing them together to create something new," as reported by Gothamist.
The menu features inventive offerings such as a taro lace batter mochi donut, a scallion basil blossom with a flaky crust, and freshly baked shokupan—reflecting Ansel’s goal of reimagining pastries through a blend of global influences. Although he is known for the Cronut, Ansel has opted not to include the signature item at his new bakery, choosing instead to spotlight a rotating selection of distinctive flavors each month. To date, he has developed more than 800 variations of the Cronut, highlighting his ongoing commitment to culinary innovation.
While Ansel’s pastries are known for their complexity, his wife contributes to the business by providing input during the development process, according to Grubstreet. One example includes her suggestion to add white pepper to scrambled eggs used as a filling for a croissant-shaped bao. Ansel is involved in each stage of production and, in preparation for creating the taro puff doughnut—despite recommendations against attempting it—he conducted extensive research, including viewing instructional videos online. The resulting pastry has been noted by some as technically impressive.
On May 22, Papa d’Amour will begin offering a diverse range of items to food enthusiasts across the city. Ansel has expressed confidence in the bakery’s potential to succeed in a time when, post-COVID, dining preferences have shifted toward more accessible and convenient options. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Ansel has been planning the bakery for a decade, aiming to create a cultural and culinary experience centered around sweets.
Engaging with the community is an important aspect of Ansel's approach. His team has been focused on training to perfect the delicate pastries that will be offered at the bakery. Ansel's philosophy of sharing knowledge and maintaining a positive kitchen environment stems from his early experiences in the culinary field, where he learned the importance of treating others with care and respect, as he shared with Gothamist. As bakeries continue to grow in number and variety, Ansel views this trend as a way to enrich the city's culinary landscape.
