Beard Papa's — Restaurant in New York

Cream Puff: A choux pastry ball with a hollow center, typically filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or custard.

I'd grown up with some semblance of what this dessert was, but it wasn't until a friend and I were wandering through the Upper West Side that I was formally introduced to this pastry. Beard Papa's is a Japan-based chain that has slowly expanded across multiple countries in the last decade; although they're more predominant along the west coast of the States, their one East Coast location is thankfully situated in none other than NYC. The store is cozy, with a communal table by the entrance as well as several two-tops for guests to use while they enjoy their treats. In addition to a broad selection of cream puffs and other pastries, Beard Papa's also serves Mudtruck coffee, cappuccinos, and mochi ice cream (!).

The pastries here are as good as you'd imagine, and reasonably priced as well. The original comes filled with a custard that's at the perfect level of sweetness, with a noticeable vanilla edge; paired with a freshly baked, crisp, and crunchy choux shell, it's a recipe for success. I was a little disappointed with the dulce de leche as the caramel flavor seemed to get lost against the original custard, but it was nonetheless a well-composed pastry. And upon spotting the Mont Blanc, I couldn't help but place an additional order for this impressive cream puff. This version has the same base as the original, but is layered with a swirl of French chestnut cream and given a light dusting of confectioner's sugar. The result is any dessert-lover's delight, and a perfect order to share.

While some may consider the cream puff a pretty simple dessert, it make it that much more of a delight when all its components have been executed well. Beard Papa's certainly does this pastry justice, and is worth at least a few trips to try the different varieties they...

I was overly excited about trying these cream puffs. I bought waay too many in my excitement to try them all. I purchased 8 puffs which came out to about $27+ dollars. I wish I hadn't. I have a young son and he turned down the offer to take one. He simply tried the chocolate filling-said ew- then told me no thank you. I had to beg him to eat at least one since I purchased 8 and hate to throw anything away. He ate two halfs out of pitty for me. (Assuming he didn't toss them while I wasn't looking)

These puffs are greatly overrated. The puffs themselves had hard bits and tasted like bread. And not the yummy bread you can eat by itself. The chocolate filling was the worse. About time I got home there was chocolate filling everywhere because it was so watery and runny. And it tasted so bad it made me nauseous when I tried to force myself to eat it. The Green Tea tasted Terrible. At least it wasn't watery. And I LOVE green tea!!! The vanilla filing had specks which would suggest that they use vanilla bean but it did not taste like it. Eating the puffs felt like a punishment. And a large portion was tossed in the trash.

Plus I think my puffs were sold with an additional ingredient-Spit! I opened the box before tossing them down the trash shoot and it had a strong spit odor. $30 dollars wasted and possibly ingested a stranger's spit. I regret my trip to Bearded Papa's

Correction- I just found the half of puff I gave my son in the garbage. I uploaded a picture of it as proof. It may not look like it but the puff is in the white paper at the top of the image. The other half I gave him-I tossed because it had the chocolate filling. Save...

This place is amazing and I've been going for years! Cream puffs have always been a treat that I loved only in theory. It soused like such a good idea. But you'd always end up with the dough either being soggy or stale. At the cream was either some cheap whipped cream or the "custard" tasted more like pudding from a box. But this place has made my cream puff dreams come true. There are different puffs to choose from (original, caramel, chocolate or eclair) and they aren't filled with custard until the second you order them. And let me tell you, their cream is incredible! They always have vanilla, but they also have a special flavor of the day. I was lucky this past weekend to catch their chocolate cream. :) The caramel and eclair are my favorites. But my husband is really I love with their mochi ice cream. They also offer a variety of tasty coffees, teas and other fruity beverages. And what makes this place evening more exciting? The price! You won't find a better or more delicious treat in this city!...