Well it’s happened. The all conquering, quizically named, pastry based sweets chain has landed on our door step. Beard Papa, the famed Japanese chain specialising in choux pastry buns has started operating in Morley Galleria shopping centre.
Sharon happens to know the new franchise owners, and so we thought it would be nice to head down on the opening night and check the place out. Little knowing that nearly everyone else had decided to do the same thing. I must have run into more friends that I knew I had, and did my fair share of evangelising for the fledgling business hoping to gain some ground here in the tough pastry battle field that is Perth (or at least Morley).
There is much to be said for Beard Papa. The pastry is light and tasty, and fillings (Vanilla Bean only at the moment, but many more flavours to come) is creamy and moreish without being overpowering. Admittedly I only had a couple, and can’t see myself making it a regular spot for sugary indulgence, but I can see it being very popular with the kids… whoever they might be.
The service is typically Japanese, with the girls yelling out greetings to everyone who comes near, and the procession then begins from bun, to cream filled bun, to cream filled bun with icing sugar on top, to cream filled bun with icing sugar on top in a wrapper in a box, in a bag.
Half the fun of Beard Papa is the whole show of them making it for you, which whilst not totally necessary, is kinda cool.
So there you go. Check it out next time you’re in the area, your taste buds will thank you, while your teeth and arteries cringe.
Jeebus this place has been chasing me since I saw one of the first ones at a train station in the outskirts of Tokyo and thought “Ha! Beard Papa! What crap! Wonder how long that’ll last?”
(dunno what they were doing between 1952 and 1999)
Hey Anthony,
Most likely they were starting a slow but steady run up til the time was right.
Incidentally, according to the Japanese head trainer, the name and face comes from the founders favourite uncle/grandfather when he was a child, whom he called papa and he had a beard. Which makes perfect sense…
I’m waiting for the other specialty flavours. I just wish I lived nearer to Morley.
Yeh the green tea (matcha I assume) flavour does sound enticing… Will be interesting to see how well it takes off.