Pastry chef Dominique Ansel: Endless creativity and inspiration key to success

A white, soft flower-shaped marshmallow blooms the instant it is dropped into the sweet, chocolaty drink. The video of Blooming Hot Chocolate has swept the internet, with nearly 50,000 views on Instagram. The SNS worthy, creative treat is exactly what lies as the foundation for Dominique Ansel Bakery, a global confectionery brand with outlets in New York, London and Tokyo.

The owner chef and creator of the “one-and-only” creative pastries starting from the world renowned croissant-doughnut hybrid Cronut to Cookie Shot, a shot “glass” of chocolate chip cookie divinity served with fresh cold-infused vanilla milk, Ansel has an interesting background and a truly phenomenal success story.

Born in France as the youngest of four siblings, Ansel began his journey towards his culinary business at the age of 16. To support his family, Ansel worked at a restaurant in his hometown while attending school. He served in the military at 19 (in French Guyana), then moved back to France and drove to Paris, ending up at Fauchon as a seasonal holiday worker. He was the only one out of 30 who was chosen to stay on, and he worked there for eight years, eventually leading their international expansion of stores in Russia, Kuwait and Egypt.

Ansel didn’t stop there; he was determined to take his talents to the next level, to America where, at the age of 28, he was appointed executive pastry chef at the French restaurant Daniel for the next six years. At Daniel, he was part of the team who helped the restaurant get three Michelin stars and four New York Times stars. In 2014, he also was awarded the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef, a few years after opening his own bakery.

The van Gogh of pastry-making opened his first flagship store, Dominique Ansel Bakery, in downtown Soho in New York in 2011. An immediate success, Ansel becomes a regular in “Best Bakery” rankings across various media sites, such as Time Out New York and Metromix, followed by appearances on popular television shows “The Jimmy Fallon Show” and “Good Morning America”.

Ansel will be opening his second outlet in Tokyo, this time in Ginza Mitsukoshi department store on March 29. Three unique signature confections to be offered only at the Ginza store are the “Pull-a-Part Flower Cookie” (¥4,500), with each rose-flavored cookie shaped like a pink, delicate flower petal on top of a lychee ganache for a sweet yet elegant taste; “Square Watermelon” (¥720), inspired by the shape of Japan-only square watermelons, with a sweet-sour refreshing taste of watermelon lime jelly, pistachio mousse, and raspberry mousse; and lastly the “Zero Gravity Cake” (¥1,000), a fun-filled honey vanilla sponge cake, so light that it comes inside a floating balloon that can be later popped with a pin.

Japan Today reporter Marina Hanihara catches up with Ansel, otherwise known as “Willy Wonka of New York City”, about his daily inspirations, the multicultural experience, and his impression of Japan.

It has been nearly two years since you first opened your store in Japan. What have you learned about the Japanese market during that time?

I think that there are many aspects in Japanese food culture that link to France. For example, Japanese food culture is playful and creative, just like in France. Food is like a piece of art, something to enjoy both in terms of taste and appearance. Japanese people have high standards in terms of food quality, which is another thing I learned. This can mean using good ingredients for a good taste, but ensuring quality at the same time. Also, I find that Japanese people are very fast at getting a grip on trends. This is probably why Frozen S'mores became popular among so many people; while feeling a sense of familiarity with American culture, the willingness to accept new things made the product much more popular than expected.

You come from a diverse background. How do you merge different cultures, say Japanese culture with French techniques? Are there any difficulties in doing so?

No, I don’t think there are difficulties. The way I see it is, I get inspired by different cultures and ingredients, and I include them in my recipes. Sometimes people are surprised by it; for example, the raspberry shiso flavor Cronut. Japanese people were surprised by it, but all I did was reintroduce traditional flavors and ingredients into something new. I think what that comes down to is creativity. Fostering creative ideas is really important because it may impact people in unimaginable ways.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Inspiration is everywhere. I’d say that exploring new cultures and ingredients, and going out around the city is the best way to gain inspiration. During my stays in Tokyo, I walked around Tsukiji. I got to ride on the electric carts that fish market people use to carry fish from one place to another. That was a new experience. I wore a kimono as well, while touring around Tokyo. I think Tokyo is a great place to experience multicultural backgrounds as well as local traditions. The new Square Watermelon available at the Ginza store only is inspired by the square-shaped watermelons that you can only see in Japan.

What’s the Japanese food or ingredient you were most inspired by?

I have always liked Japanese food and culture. The quality of Japanese fruits always surprise me, because they are so big, bright, tasty and fresh. Yuzu and shiso are my favorites, as well as nori seaweed. I use them in the menu, for example the raspberry shiso flavor Cronut and the shiso lime sorbet served inside a pink live orchid.

Why did you choose Ginza Mitsukoshi as the location for your new store?

When I visited Japan 7 or 8 years ago, I stopped by Ginza Mitsukoshi to pet and take a picture with the giant lion statue right outside the department store entrance. Since then, Ginza has always been a special place for me. Also, we are hoping that by setting up the store inside one of the most prestigious department stores in Japan, more people can choose Dominique Ansel pastries as gift options for family and friends.

What kind of pastries will you offer at the new flagship store?

At Dominique Ansel Bakery Japan at Ginza, 50% of the pastries are Ginza only products, which are inspired by Japan or include a taste of Japanese ingredients. Some of the pastries offered at the Ginza store are the “Pull-a-Part Flower Cookie” (¥4,500), petal shaped rose-flavored pink cookies on top of lychee ganache; “Square Watermelon” (¥720), inspired by the square watermelons sold in Japan; and the “Zero Gravity Cake” (¥1,000), a light honey vanilla sponge cake that comes inside a balloon. We’re expecting customers to enjoy popping the balloon to eat the cake for themselves, or give away as a gift for a birthday surprise.

For more information, visit http://dominiqueanseljapan.com/.

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