Best when freshly baked at Beard Papa's

Finally got myself around to trying Beard Papa's (in Metrotown). I never really had a good look at the place and just thought a ping-pong ball sized cream puff shouldn't cost $2+. Well, it turns out that they are closer to tennis ball sized.

Got there on a Sunday shortly after 11 AM so I was pretty sure the baked products were fresh. Contrary to the Beard Papa's franchise website, only four flavours were available. Not even all the products advertised at the store were available, although that might be due to it being still early on a Sunday.

Cream Puffs

The cream puffs held up nicely after the 10-minute commute home and they were still crisp. A very sharp Cutco knife sawed through it cleanly in half.
Thin, crisp shell. Nothing chewy about this. Might be different if you go later in the day, though. You might have to watch for them to pull stuff out of the oven for the freshest, crispiest, puffs.
Not fully filled, contrary to the in-store ad copy (sort of like burger chain advertising, I guess). So don't be surprised if it's not exactly bursting with cream. Basically you get a single pump of the cream.

Extra room might allow for cream to move around when you bite into it.
Typically unevenly distributed inside the puff.
If you want the cream-plosion experience, try Chewy Junior.

"Custard" cream is more watery/thin than I expected but not so much that it'll dribble out like honey.
Original Vanilla: Pretty decent cream flavour and has vanilla seeds dotted in it.
The Strawberry Cream: Weak strawberry flavour, but it's there. Not recommended if you're looking for a vigorous fruity flavour.

Cookie Crunch Puff

Looks like a Cream Puff but even crunchier shell without being any thicker. Also crusted with stuff that lends it more sweetness. A bit more crumbly to eat but taste is better.

Dulce de Leche

Vanilla Cream Puff with a few squirts of dulce de leche.
Looks like a fluke goof with mine meant the interior was basically a Vanilla Cream Puff and the dulce de leche sauce oozed out during transit.

Overall the safest bet is the normal Cream Puff. Just choose your custard flavour. If in doubt, go with plain vanilla.

*

Service at this location is okay, considering there was just the one girl running the whole show on typically slow Sunday mornings. Go early for the fresh cream puff shells and just have patience and empathy for solo retailers who have dozens of things to do on top of being nice to you.

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Trafalgar's European Explorer 2006 memoirs part 9

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Life in the Lower Mainland (BC, Canada)

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