On our second day in New York, my mom and I decided to have breakfast at nearby Dominique Ansel Bakery. After having read many, many rave reviews of the place, I ended up picking three things for us to share:
Butter croissant
Butter croissant (innards)
The croissant ($3) is golden and flaky on the outside, light and fluffy with the perfect buttery flavour on the inside. After eating one of these babies, it's just not worth going back to other croissants. Butter and jam are not necessary here; the croissant is amazing on its own. They also have a chocolate version (pain au chocolat) and an almond version (pain aux amandes), both of which are apparently also very good, but I find that you can tell how good the quality of a bakery is in their most simple items. I could seriously eat these everyday if I knew I wouldn't gain a million pounds.
Canelé
Canelé (innards)
The canelé ($3), so dark that it looks burnt on the outside, is just beautifully caramelized. The flavour of the exterior is sweet but rich with the tiniest hint of rum and a light crunch. On the inside is a gorgeous contrast: soft, moist, custard-like, with the vanilla scent lingering. I can see this being great any time of day, whether it's for breakfast or an afternoon snack... If you've never had a canelé, Dominique Ansel's version is a great one to start with. And end with.
DKA a.k.a. Dominique's Kouign-Amann
DKA a.k.a. Dominique's Kouign-Amann (innards)
Finally, the DKA ($5.25), which stands for Dominique's Kouign-Amann. For those who don't know what a kouign-amann is, it's a Breton cake that is like a much denser, more buttery, and sweeter version of a croissant. So many delicious, buttery layers of flaky dough on the inside! Such a beautiful, crisp, golden caramelized exterior! It's hard to go back to anything else once you've had one of these for breakfast. It's incredibly indulgent as it's probably a bajillion calories, so it's ideal to share. But damn, is it worth every fat gram.
Amazing, amazing, amazing. I can't even write enough good things about these. I promise to visit Dominique Ansel every time I'm in New York. It's now my goal in life to try every single pastry in there. And next time, I am determined to get some of their madeleines, which are made to order and only available three days a week.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
189 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 219-2773
Ahhhhh! You're killing me with all your food picsies!! I might be going to NYC in September, so I'll have to check this place out if I do. And I'm super sad that you didn't get to go to Shake Shack. What happened??
ReplyDeleteIsn't that like, your Mecca?
You NEED to check this place out. And try their coffee, too, I've heard it's amazing (I already had a cup of Starbucks with me, or I would've got my coffee there...). :) I'm actually really glad that my brother booked us a hotel in Soho this time around (we stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria in Midtown last time, and then Room-Mate Grace near Times Square) because it gave us a chance to really explore the area -- I haven't walked around Soho since my high school senior year art trip. :P But it's seriously so gorgeous there, and there are so many good restaurants, bakeries, shops, and galleries...
DeleteAnd yeah, I'm super, super, super sad that I didn't get to go to Shake Shack. It just wasn't on the agenda, 'cause I was with my parents and my brother wanted us to try out new restaurants... He wants to try out as many restaurants in NYC as possible (he's been to 450 so far!), so we just didn't have a chance to go to Shake Shack... And I wasn't gonna abandon them, and be all, "Gotta go get a burger! See ya!"
I AM DETERMINED TO EAT AT LEAST THREE SHACK STACK BURGERS NEXT TIME, OKAY?
Just plain drooling at this point. I love a good croissant. LOVE. And anything caramelized is my best friend!
ReplyDeleteYou NEED to try kouign-amann!!! It's a caramelized, denser, butterier version of a croissant -- GAME CHANGER. I don't know any bakeries in Toronto that make it, but NYC and Montreal have great ones. :D
DeleteKouign-Amann. I learned something new today! And added this place to my list, too, of course.
ReplyDeleteBuy one to eat and then like, six to eat later... and then get several more to bring back to me!!! THEY ARE SO DAMN GOOD!
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