"Welcome to the new Pastry-Wonderland!", I told myself after finding out about this unique Dominique Ansel Treehouse. The two-floor cafe tucks in the little Floral Court, just behind the usually busy King Street in Covent Garden.
Why should I care to walk in? I could be just like many walking by and taking the photos of this magnificent window display. But I did. I am curious about the famous Dominique Ansel, who is crown The World's Best Pastry Chef in 2017 and simply, a French baker (can't argue with that!).
The front of the cafe is the bakery section where you can see all sorts of exquisitely created mouth-watering tarts and pastries. Honestly, I am a fan of Croissant and Pain au Chocolat. Look at this, I don't think I have ever seen a more yummy-plummy better- looking ones than these. They scream "Why care about diet?"
I got a single table at the end of the ground floor, looking out to the main working station. Apart from some treehouse-like features on the ceiling and the outside, the tables and chairs are (fairly speaking) mediocre: plastic white tables with soft pale green cushioned chairs.
My order for lunch includes the bakery's favourites:
- Matcha Latte
- Plum Tomato Soup
- DKA (which stands for Dominique’s Kouign Amman)
My verdict on those choices are:
- Matcha Latte's order was suggested by the chef himself in a previous interview. He said he started every morning with one. But I was disappointed. The latte has a light greenish colour, with thick foam layer, very faint smell of matcha and a few lumps which are signs of poor whisking. As a tea worshipper, no, I cannot take this. Sorry!
- Plum Tomato Soup was suggested by the manager who kindly explained to me the complicated process of making and how many types of sweet tomatoes used for making this soup. Just to make it more intricate, the soup bowl is covered with a fluffy pastry layer that I was told to dip them into the soup and enjoy.
Oh my tongue! Oh my senses!. I could say a thousand times that I love this soup. Yes, the soup is creamy, not too sweet, not too sour, not full of earthy basil smell (like traditional tomato soup). And I have to say... you gotta try the pastry lid. I like it lightly dipped in the soup to retain a bit of crunchiness. I finished the soup so quickly that I had to stop myself from ordering the second bowl (due to my calorie counting!)
- DKA - the famous super-complex-to-make but simple-looking pastry that I do not know how to start describing it. It is the perfect marriage of crispy caramelised outer layer with the fluffy yet moist tender layer inside. I took away one DKA for my family to enjoy at home while watching Dominique Ansel making it on youtube for 8 minutes. If something is approved by my picky little eater-daughter, it says a lot about its tastiness and how unpeculiar it looks. And once you watch this video, you love this DKA even more.
So my final verdict: Yes, I would love to take my friends, my parents and my family here. It's not the cheapest cafe but for sure, not the most ridiculously priced. Each person could spend roughly £15-20 to feel fully satisfied. Plus, the service men and women were friendly, though not working at a speed of light.