You'll already know Dominique Ansel as the inventor of the Cronut and mastermind of the hybrid sweets trend that's swept the world over the past few years. After starting out (and quickly making it big) in New York in 2011, the French-born pastry impressionist brought his show to Tokyo last June and has, to date, rolled out a whopping 100 Tokyo-exclusive treats. This summer, Ansel is celebrating his Tokyo's bakery's first anniversary with two unique soft serve flavours, plus a range of pastries and other seasonal creations available only at Dominique Ansel Bakery Omotesando. Here's a taste of what's in store.
As every Tokyoite will know, the city's hot and humid summers often call for an ice cold dessert. Though the selection at convenience stores and cafés across the capital is near-endless, it still might be worth strolling up Omotesando for a taste of Dominique Ansel's locally inspired soft serves. Take the amazake-flavoured one (¥694), a unique mix topped with freshly grated young ginger, Maldon sea salt and sansho leaves: when Dominique visited Tokyo in early May to celebrate the Cronut’s third birthday, he tried amazake for the first time and was inspired to create this bizarre-sounding but very refreshing concoction.
If you prefer a richer-tasting dessert, the Caramel Sweet Corn Soft Serve with Corn Jam (¥694) should satisfy your cravings. Dominique was apparently inspired to create this flavour when he spotted stacks of sweet corn at Tsukiji. Rare in Ansel's home country, the sweet corn is recreated in drops of corn jam made to look like kernels and carefully placed around the body, bringing out hints of corn flavour throughout each bite. Both summer flavours are served in DAB's delicious homemade honey cones, and are only available until September 30 (from 12noon to 7pm daily) – so make sure not to miss out.
But summer at DAB isn't all about ice cream. You'll also find an array of seasonal pastries to take home, including creations like Mango Passionfruit Blossom, Fresh Summer Peach Grapefruit Tart and Pineapple Banana Chocolate Tart, plus our personal favourite, the Cherry Tiramisu. Layers of mascarpone cheese, cherry rose jam and black sesame dacquoise are topped with copious amounts of cherry, making for a match made in heaven. And if you're in need of something more substantial, head upstairs to the café and sit down for a New York-style brunch: new options here include Mushroom Spinach Lasagna, Fresh Fruit Waffles, Heirloom Tomato Burrata Tartine and Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho, all both visually and culinarily pleasing.
