Beard Papa`s

Excuse me? What the heck is Beard Papa's? Well, that is what I asked the first time I heard of it. Also, what kind of English is that??? The story begins in Japan (explains the strange name), where Yuji Hirota opened up the first Beard Papa's in 1999. This shop was known for making the freshest and best cream puffs in the world. The reason is that each puff is not filled with the cream until the customer orders it. Thus, the puff retains its crispiness and the filling is still fresh.

Presently, there are many Beard Papa's around the world, including Canada. There are 4 locations in the GVRD, including Aberdeen Centre, City Square, English Bay and Crystal Mall. Of course, being sick with the stomach flu, the last thing you would want to eat is a cream puff. Well, it's not Sherman's Food Adventures for nothing! I guess I'll have a different type of adventure later for eating that cream puff! So on my way out of the food court, I came to a grinding halt at Beard Papa's, which was conveniently located near the elevators. I enter the store and it's very clean, almost eerily clean, but that's a good thing. The menu is pretty simple, you can order the original vanilla cream puff or choose from 2 of the special flavours. Today, it was green tea and chocolate. Moreover, there is an éclair version and chocolate cake. I went ahead with half a dozen of the originals for $9.50. The cashier was very friendly and by the time I finished paying, the other staff member had filled all 6 puff and packaged it! That's some very fast service!

Personally, I'm not a big cream puff fan; however, I can put up with Beard Papa's version because it's not too sweet. Also, the puff is indeed fresh and crispy, it's best to be eaten right away. One thing I find as a negative is the price. I guess when you compare it to other bakeries, the price is in line; but since I'm not a cream puff lover, it's pricey for me.

The Good:
- Fresh
- Not too sweet
- Clean store

The Bad:
- Pricey
- Fattening (220 calories per puff)
- It's in Crystal Mall, location of the worst designed parking lot in the Universe, combined with clueless drivers


Beard Papa's
#2320 - 4500 Kingsway
Burnaby, BC
(604) 434-6618
www.beardpapascanada.com

Business Hours:
11:00am - 9:00pm (7 days a week)