Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 115

1. The eight-seat
table at after-hours
tasting concept U.P.
at Dominique Ansel
Kitchen in New York.
2. The light-hued
futuristic bakery
concept by LINE for
Dominique Ansel Bakery
in Tokyo.

DOMINIQUE ANSEL

Photos by EVAN SUNG, THOMAS SCHAUER, and courtesy of DOMINIQUE ANSEL

1
2

Dominique Ansel Bakery and
Dominique Ansel Kitchen
Becoming a chef

"I always wanted to do something with my
hands and be artistic," Dominique Ansel says.
"I grew up in a poor neighborhood [in France]
where we needed to get a job early to sustain
ourselves. At age 16, the kitchen was a place that
welcomed me."

Why pastry

"I started off cooking in the savory side of the
kitchen, but the science and techniques behind
pastry became much more attractive to me. I
liked that you could create things truly from
scratch with just some flour, sugar, and butter."

Career path

Ansel went to a small culinary school in his
hometown of Beauvais, France and was required
to do an apprenticeship as part of his studies.
"After returning from military service, I took
all my savings and bought a small car to drive
around Paris and drop off my résumé," he says.
"Eventually I landed a position at Fauchon as a
holiday worker." At the end of the season, the
restaurant would only keep one of the 20 or so
it had hired. "I was the one they chose," he says.
He stayed for more than eight years, traveling
the world opening stores for the company. "Then
one day Daniel Boulud called me and said he
was looking for a pastry chef for his restaurant.
A few weeks later, I was in New York with my
two suitcases." Six years later, he decided to go
out on his own. "I joke that I have the shortest
résumé in the world, but I stayed for many years
with each post and learned a great deal."

Lessons learned from Boulud

"In France, the chef was always right, but Daniel
taught me that here in the U.S., the customer is
king. His customer service and flexibility was
something I always looked up to."

On his Dominique Ansel Bakery
debut in New York in 2011

"Every pastry chef eventually dreams of opening
up their own place. I wanted it to feel fresh and
a 'new generation' of bakeries that didn't feel
intimidating. People told me a French pastry
shop wouldn't work well in New York, and I
should do cupcakes and cheesecakes. But I
believed we could create a place not just for any
specific pastry but also for creativity in general."

Why the Cronut, his croissantdoughnut hybrid, went viral

"It's impossible for anyone to predict any pastry
would have the reaction the Cronut did," he
says. "It was just one of many ideas. We change
a large portion of the menu every six to eight
weeks, and the Cronut was one more creation.
The best part for any chef is to see people
enjoying their food. It's why we do what we do."

On recently opening made-to-order
bakery Dominique Ansel Kitchen in
New York, designed by AvroKO
"I was judging a cookie contest and when we
first arrived, there were only three contestants.
Toward the end of the judging more than 20
more people entered and I realized they did it

strategically because their cookies were fresh,"
Ansel explains. "A fresh, just-made cookie
is always better than one that's been sitting
around. And that started to make me obsessed
with treating time as an ingredient."

Why design is important

"Design sets the tone and context of your
food. I truly believe food tastes different when
you're sitting at a fancy white-clothed table or a
barstool."

Recent openings

Ansel just took his Bakery concept to Tokyo, and
debuted new after-hours dessert tasting concept
U.P. at Dominique Ansel Kitchen in New York.
"Good businesses grow with time, but the most
important thing is to always do so mindfully," he
explains of his calculated expansion plan.

Why Tokyo

"There's such great pastry talent in Tokyo and
what matters the most at the end of the day is
that the people on your team have the skills it
takes to maintain quality," Ansel explains. The
designer, LINE, created a concept "inspired
by bringing the current SoHo bakery into the
future by 50 years."

hospitalitydesign.com October 2015

115


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Hospitality Design - October 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - October 2015

Hospitality Design - October 2015
Contents
Online TOC
From the Editor
From the Show Director
Perspectives
Sketchbook
Business Sense: Industry Insight
Sustainable Studio: Open Farm Community
Trends: Suites
Trends: Fast-Casual Dining
5 Questions for John Simeonidis
Products
Profile: Neri & Hu
Trends: Scandinavian Inspiration
Trends: Rose Gold
Tabletop
In the Room
Special Feature: Chefs
Platinum Circle
Gary Dollens
Kemper Hyers
Nobu Matsuhisa
HD Visionary Award: HBA
Projects
Margherita Saint-Germain
Le Lapin
The Continental
Scone City
Untitled
Lago
I Love Paris
Ad Index
Back Space
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Intro
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Hospitality Design - October 2015
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Cover2
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 1
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 2
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 3
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 4
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 5
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 6
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 7
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 8
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 9
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 10
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Contents
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 12
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 13
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 14
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 15
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 16
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 17
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 18
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Online TOC
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 20
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 21
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 22
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 23
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 24
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 25
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - From the Editor
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 27
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 28
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 29
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 30
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 31
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - From the Show Director
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 33
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 34
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 35
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 36
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 37
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 38
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Perspectives
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 40
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 41
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 42
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Sketchbook
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 44
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 45
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 46
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 47
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 48
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 49
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 50
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 51
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 52
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 53
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 54
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Business Sense: Industry Insight
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 56
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 57
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 58
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 59
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 60
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Sustainable Studio: Open Farm Community
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 62
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 63
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 64
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 65
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 66
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Trends: Suites
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 68
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 69
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 70
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 71
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 72
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 73
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 74
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 75
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 76
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 77
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 78
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Trends: Fast-Casual Dining
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 80
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 81
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 5 Questions for John Simeonidis
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 83
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 84
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Products
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 86
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Profile: Neri & Hu
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 88
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Trends: Scandinavian Inspiration
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 90
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 91
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 92
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 93
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 94
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Trends: Rose Gold
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 96
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 97
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 98
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Tabletop
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 100
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 101
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 102
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 103
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 104
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - In the Room
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 106
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 107
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 108
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 109
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 110
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Special Feature: Chefs
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 112
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 113
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 114
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 115
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 116
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 117
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 118
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 119
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 120
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Platinum Circle
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Gary Dollens
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 123
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Kemper Hyers
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 125
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Nobu Matsuhisa
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 127
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - HD Visionary Award: HBA
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 129
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 130
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 131
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 132
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Projects
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Margherita Saint-Germain
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 135
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 136
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 137
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Le Lapin
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 139
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 140
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 141
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - The Continental
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 143
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 144
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 145
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Scone City
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 147
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 148
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 149
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Untitled
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 151
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 152
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 153
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Lago
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 155
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 156
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 157
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - I Love Paris
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 159
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 160
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 161
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 162
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 163
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 164
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 165
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Ad Index
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - 167
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Back Space
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Cover3
Hospitality Design - October 2015 - Cover4
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