I usually never watch forwarded videos on WhatsApp but recently, an old friend sent me a video asking, “Is it true? Do they really have such a bakery in Japan? It’s paradise for people with a sweet tooth!” I opened the video reluctantly but was intrigued by what I saw… Watermelon soft serve being served in a real watermelon with chocolate seeds (what-a-melon), colourful marshmallows blossoming into spunky flowers on being dropped in hot chocolate, corn ice-cream being served in a corn cob and so much more! Watching that fascinating video felt like an experience, it bewitched my senses and lured us to discover this place.
History: From New York to Tokyo
“I want to make the world of pastry exciting,” says the award-winning, French-born, astounding pastry chef Dominique Ansel and his bakery is one of the most celebrated next-generation bakery in New York. In 2015, this ingenious bakery came to Tokyo’s streets of Omotesando. If you’re in Tokyo, don’t miss a chance to visit this bakery.
The splendid menu makes you feel like Alice in Wonderland
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself waiting for your turn in long queues even on weekdays. Though this place is primarily busy on weekends, it’s always bustling with people! We visited the store in Omotesando and waited for around 15 minutes before we were able to order. 15 minutes was not a lot of time considering the lengthy train of people ahead us. I didn’t mind waiting because as soon as I entered the bakery, I caught a whiff of cinnamon and palatable freshly baked goodies! The overall ambience was very soulful, lively and instagenic!
Further inside, you’ll be welcomed by the zero-gravity chiffon cakes in translucent balloons, the gacha machines (toy capsule vending machines) with candies (a Japan exclusive item) and an array of sublime, colourful and mouth-watering desserts to choose from!
So, what do you eat?
“There are new items on our menu every 6-8 weeks.
We believe in seasonality, creativity, and surprising our customers with new delights.”
— The official website for D.A.B. Japan
Selecting what to eat can be the toughest challenge because once inside, you will feel like trying everything! Their official website lists a few must-try items so I already had an idea about what to order. Here are few items that I tried:
Frozen S’mores
A Tahitian vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate flakes and wrapped in honey marshmallows. These beauties are served on smoked wooden sticks and torched to order. So when you bite beyond the soft, warm and oozy marshmallows, you are hit by a cool and crunchy ice-cream! What sorcery!! But, while I fell in love at first bite and eating it brought me pure bliss… I did feel that it was a little too sweet and heavy to finish.
Cookie Shot
I think we all have that one childhood memory where there was nothing more tantalizing than the smell of mom’s freshly baked cookies wafting through the air and nothing more torturous than waiting for them to cool down. The emotional attachment to milk and cookies is irrefutable, but if you thought that there was nothing more satisfying than dunking warm cookies in a glass of cold milk then, think again! Because the classic milk and cookies just got better with the cookie shot!
The cookie shot is a soft, moist and warm chocolate cookie in shape of a shot glass and it’s filled with cold vanilla infused milk. You can drink the milk in one go like you would from a shot glass or, you could have a sip and eat a bite of that scrummy cookie… completely your choice! The cookie shot has two flavours: vanilla and strawberry. This was so delectable that we got some packed to take home and enjoy later.
Paris Tokyo
This exquisite delicacy is a Japan-only item and is a twist on the traditional Paris Brest. It’s filled with matcha ganache and a soft passion fruit curd. The flavours are very complex. They complement each other and once you finish eating it, you find yourself craving for more!
We also wanted to try the popular D.K.A (Dominique’s Kouign Amann) and the mighty Cronut (a cross between croissant and doughnut) but unfortunately they were sold out. We weren’t disheartened because that gave us yet another reason to go back and indulge!
I would highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys desserts and to anyone who doesn’t I would still suggest you to go and check this place out. Who knows, you just might fall in love!
Itadakimasu!
Dominique Ansel Bakery Information
- Website: http://dominiqueanseljapan.com/en
- Address: 5-7-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
- Access: 5 minutes’ walk from Exit A1 of Omotesando Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Chiyoda Line, and Hanzomon Line
