Oh Dominique Ansel, what have you done. The inventor of the Cronut set up his first Tokyo bakery back in June 2015, and the queues still occasionally stretch around the block on weekends; with new additions to the menu every month or so, fans just keep on coming back for more. High time for a second shop indeed – and the celebrity pâtissier has already answered the call.
Dominique Ansel Bakery Ginza is set to open on March 29 – one of the many tasty tidbits offered at the official unveiling last week, during which chef Ansel himself made an appearance too. We also learned that his location of choice is in Ginza Mitsukoshi's basement, and took a sneak peek at the new menu, which features plenty of Ginza-only creations.
Ansel's name is of course always linked to the Cronut, as well as to signature items like frozen S'mores and cookie shots, but he has also wowed dessert-lovers around the world with sweets inspired by Japanese foods such as onigiri, roasted corn and oden. We've come to expect a certain level of shock- or wow-factor from every new DA sweet, and the Ginza menu sure did not disappoint in this department.
One of the first things that caught our eye (and made us salivate) was the so-called Zero Gravity Cake, a sponge cake that can quite literally fly – by virtue of being inside a balloon. The weight of the cake has been adjusted to the point of feather-lightness, and if you let go of the balloon's string, your portion will inadvertently start floating up towards the ceiling.
Besides that, getting the cake out of the balloon by stabbing it in the right place (cake on the floor is an occupational hazard) is half the fun, and the exercise is bound to bring a smile to your face. A thumbtack should do the trick, but be wary of the noise: we kind of forgot how loud a popping balloon actually is...
Next up was the Pull-a-Part Flower Cookie, a predictably flower-shaped creation, the individual petals of which you're supposed to eat bit by bit. It makes for a great gift, as each petal is a rose-flavoured cookie carrying a 'stamen' made from a white ganache with a hint of lychee. It's almost a shame to devour such a pretty thing, but at least you'll be able to do so slowly, piece by piece.
And to top it all off, the presentation also included a Japan-inspired treat. Remember square watermelons? So did Ansel, and the result was a miniature version of the photogenic fruit. While the Zero Gravity Cake wins in terms of novelty factor, we're betting on this surreal-shaped little one being a strong contender for the new most Instagrammed dessert in Tokyo.
It's crafted from ingredients like watermelon-lime jelly, pistachio mousse and raspberry mousse, making it a perfect refresher for summer. Judging by the look, we expected it to be rather dense and heavy, but the mousse texture meant it actually tasted surprisingly light.
Although we only got a look at three new samples this time, half of the final menu at Dominique Ansel Ginza is set to be exclusive to this shop. What's more, Ginza Mitsukoshi apparently left an indelible impression on Ansel when he first visited Tokyo eight or so years ago, so we're curious to see what he'll create for such a special location. March 29 feels too far away...