Green tea and strawberry puffs at Beard Papa’s in Katy.
Image: Timothy Malcolm
You’d better not pout. I’m telling you why: Beard Papa, his white-haired majesty himself, is now in town.
Katy, to be specific.
The famous Japanese cream puff chain, with more than 500 stores across the world, landed in the Katy Asian Town shopping center this weekend. The Saturday grand opening was, according to the Katy location’s Facebook, “record breaking.” We visited at the Friday soft opening, and the hype? It’s real. These are seriously addictive cream puffs.
The lowdown: When ordering, you first choose an outer shell (original, or varieties like crème brûlée, crispy almond, chocolate, chocolate fondant, custard cheesecake, strawberry, honey butter, and green tea), then a filling (varieties include vanilla, chocolate, ice cream, and green tea). It’ll take a few minutes to receive your puff, but in the meantime you can read the story of Beard Papa, the gentle baker whose treats were inspired by his fluffy white beard.
Once you get your cream puff, admire it. There’s pie crust on the outside—which gives the dessert a browning and texture—and choux inside, making the puff so airy it flakes apart easily. The filling, a mixture of custard and whipped cream, is silky and sugary. It may be a little messy, thanks to the easy flaking, but you’ll want to lick the filling off your fingers anyway.
While the Katy location is the area’s only Beard Papa’s for now, more are coming, with a second already planned for Bellaire, per Eater. There is no timeline for that location yet.
So, can you wait that long? Or should you drive to Katy?
Honestly, you should pay homage to Beard Papa as soon as possible.
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