Patisserie Chantilly - Lomita

The Black Sesame Cream Puff...I have no words. An LA unicorn, a beauty so rare it's seldom seen after the noontime rush; it sells out soon after Chantilly opens its doors.

And it's no wonder all of LA wants to get their hands on this bucket-list bake. The pastry is barely-flaky, and it firmly shields a cool whip of pillow-soft angel-dust, a seamless, melt-in-your-mouth cream. It's barely-there when it lands, and it dances in light, airy steps until it settles into a dark, savory-serious sesame, a dreamy reverie and a somber symphony.

Patisserie Chantilly's cream puff consistently tops every list, and a single whiff, a single tiniest taste will show you why. I finally snagged a coveted cream, and wow, it felt like winning. 

Beard Papa UPDATE - Los Angeles

Beard Papa, you LIE! How dare you recommend eating your cream puffs the day of when they're just as good the next?! 

And damned if they don't taste better. The Honey Butter Cream Puff turns into a crispy-crusty blitz. The cream sets but doesn't separate, and cream turns to custard in a frosty fridge.

Paris Brest is best, but really, fed is best. Don't let the best brest go to waste, and eat it the way a delectable cream-donut deserves to be eaten.

Don't listen to Beard Papa. You can have your cream puff and eat it today, but don't hesitate to buy enough for tomorrow too!

Beard Papa's - Los Angeles

Some foods are the product of fusion, but Beard Papa’s cream puffs are not. They’re just borrowed. The classic French cream puff, profiterole, or choux a la creme is a classic. It’s been featured everywhere, from the gourmet patisserie to the grocery store freezer to the casual county fair, and at Beard Papa’s, it’s in the small, innovative hands of the Japanese.

I really didn’t expect to LOVE this dessert when I purchased it from an Osaka-based bakery featuring a white guy with a beard, but I do LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE the Strawberries & Cream Cream Puff. The cream filling is light as a feather and a lot less sweet that what you get from most French/American bakeries, and the chewy pastry shell is quite good.

When we borrow, we take a good idea and make it our own. We fuse, we invent, and best of all, we innovate. And whether we find new tastes, new flavors, or just a slight spin on a household name, there is always a thrill that comes with tasting something just a little bit different. And while Beard Papa didn't exactly reinvent the cream puff, they did put a slight spin on the best cream puff I’ve ever had.