Some of the most intricate and beautifully created pastries come from Dominique Ansel's properties, find out more here:
The culinary arts have inspired many exceptional, talented chefs from around the world to demonstrate and share their abilities with the public. As a result, so many high-quality restaurants have sprung up in some of the world's culture and art capitals that can be considered to be of a “legendary” standard. Restaurants such as these are managed (both creatively and literally) by some of the top minds of the industry. The food served in this tier of restaurant tells its very own story and attracts customers not just from the city but from the entire world!
Dominique Ansel bakery is a small, unassuming pastry shop in Soho, New York, opened and operated by the legendary pastry chef Dominique Ansel. Despite its small beginnings, the bakery was awarded Time Out New York’s ’’Best New Bakery of 2012’’ and Metromix’s ’’Best Bakery of 2012’’, all within four months of opening its doors. So what makes this cute little bakery the target of such a large amount of global praise? Well worry not folks, I am here to explain it to you, starting with the chef himself…
Dominique Ansel- the pastry guru
When speaking about what it takes to be a chef, many people have the perception that passion for the culinary arts is something that most of the greats in the industry are born with. This, however, is a common misconception that many have proven wrong. Dominique Ansel is one chef who defied this rule. Ansel wasn’t initially drawn to the culinary arts by his own accord, his culinary career would actually start through a passion to help his family. As his parents didn’t have much money growing up, Ansel needed to pitch in his help by getting a job at a local restaurant at 17 years old.
While it wasn’t his initial intention, the young chef took to the culinary arts quickly and passionately. When the opportunity to take part in a free apprenticeship program arose, Ansel jumped at the chance. The Young chef quickly realized his talents lay more within the pastry sector, describing it as “more precise, more scientific. It was refined and required precision”
When Ansel turned 19, he was mandated to perform military service, which he opted to complete in French Guiana (North of Brazil). During his time in the military, he would provide culinary training to the local people.
Dominique Ansel returned home with a burning desire to perfect his culinary skills, he realized during his tour that he still had so much to learn. So, with his remaining savings, Ansel bought a cheap, beat up car and began trekking back and forth from his village to Paris. Delivering individually printed resumes to every bakery that would accept them.
Eventually he struck gold with his persistent tactic, with one of the oldest bakeries in France: Pâtisserie Peltier offering him a job in pastry. From there, his career would explode with success. A year into his career with Pâtisserie Peltier, he would accept a job offer with Fauchon, an extremely upscale restaurant that would eventually give him a managerial position in pastry.
After 7 years with Fauchon, Ansel was asked to be the head chef of critically acclaimed New York fine dining restaurant Daniel. A position that he was eager to prove himself in. And prove himself he did! After 3 years , the restaurant won three Michelin stars and got a four-star review from the New York Times. It also received the 2010 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant in the U.S.”. After this experience, Dominque Ansel was ready to show the world what he could do on his own…
Dominique Ansel Bakery
In November 2011, Ansel decided to spread his proverbial wings in the pastry world. With a staff of just 4 employees, he opened up a small bakery in Soho, New York. The idea of this bakery was to provide the luxuriously high standards of French cuisine alongside the chilled, relaxed atmosphere of New York. This concept was relatively new to New York at the time and many of Ansel’s closest confidants did not believe that French pastry would sell.
Fortunately, Ansel’s vision would prove to be a popular one, as the cafe would become a local hotspot within only a few months of opening, attracting customers from all over the city to try Ansel's inspired creations. While the restaurant has always enjoyed success, there was one defining moment that launched the bakery into the stratosphere of culinary excellence and that was the creation of the Cronut.
The Cronut was essentially croissant pastry that would be shaped and fried in the same fashion as a donut, before being decorate with flavoured cream and condiments. Dominique Ansel’s Bakery would release this hybrid in May 2013, within a day the christening photo of his creation would be shared 140,000 times putting the tiny bakery on not just the country map, but the global one.
Today, Dominique Ansel Bakery stands as one of the greatest pastry establishments in the city, having created numerous other pastry innovations since The Cronut (e.g. the “Cookie Shot” and “Frozen S’more”) and has even opened more sites across New York, the rest of the USA and internationally. Anyone wanting to work in pastry should aspire to train under the guidance of a mind like Dominique Ansel’s.
Are you wanting a pastry training from Dominique Ansel’s Bakery? Well Placement International could certainly help you with that if you have the right skills and background, send us an email at info@placement-int.com to find out more or apply to our latest offer below:
Pastry training- Dominique Ansel
• Website: http://dominiqueansel.com/
• Location: New York, NY, United States
• Duration: 12 months
• Start Date: ASAP
• Stipend: $15 / hour
• Hours: Average of 40 hours each week
• Requirements: Experience mandatory, Excellent English skills, Ready for a new challenge and to take responsibilities quickly, hospitality graduate
• Benefits: Meals on duty
