Dominique Ansel Bakery in Shibuya, Tokyo

All hell broke loose when Dominique Ansel released the cronut three years ago. Inspired by creations popped out like mushrooms the world over. The buzz is not as strong as before, but the New York Patry Chef continues to create innovated treats that makes his brand highly coveted.

Having said that, visiting his store in Tokyo was practically a no-brainer. I've read and heard the long lines prior to, so we psyched up ourselves for that.

Dominique Ansel Bakery in Shibuya, Tokyo

The Dominique Ansel Bakery in Tokyo is not that hard to find. It's just a short offset from the main avenue of Omotesandō. Turn right at the corner of Paul Stuart then turn left on the first street. The bakery will be on your left. You won't miss it.

Since the bakery releases the fresh batch of cookie shots at 3 PM, we thought that it would be safe to go there an hour at the very least. There were five people ahead of us in the line when we got there. Not bad at all. You don't have to queue up if you're just there for the cookie shots to-go, by the way.

DAB Japan has two floors: the first floor is where the kitchen is and the seats for customers who are going to enjoy the baked treats {only} in the store. The second floor is the main restaurant area. Since we just had a hefty lunch, we opted for the first floor.

After I placed my order, the cashier told me to go to the area above to see how my treats are made. One more thing that I love about this place is that it's photographer-friendly. A crew member told me to ready my camera before she started working on my orders!

One of the crew members, by the way, is a Filipina {below}! Maria Cristina worked on my Frozen S'mores while the other one {Haruna Tsuji}, who is just as nice, prepared the rest.

Dominique Ansel Bakery in Shibuya, Tokyo Frozen S'mores

The Frozen S'mores are blow torched upon order. I miscalculated the size of the Frozen S'mores. I got so excited for my boys to try them that I ordered four thinking that they were going to be small. Well, they're not. One can be shared by two people. Still, we finished all.

The Frozen S'more is made up of three layers of awesome! The core of Tahitian vanilla ice cream is hugged by crispy feuilletine, and then finally by the chewy torched honey marshmallow! All of that is skewered by a wooden branch that's been applewood-smoked. Is it sweet? Very, but it's also too damn good!

The sweetness factor is not just added there, jumbled in heaps. Every rich element had a purpose. I naturally am sweet-aversed that's why I had a hard time finishing one. My boys, however, went mad for this!

Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo Cookie Shot

The Cookie Shot is another winner! The mold is lined with chocolate to hold the vanilla milk better. I prejudiced this one to be dryer than the usual version, but lo and behold, they're still moist! It's really good!

I already know that I shoud've taken a video of this Blossoming Hot Chocolate. There's no need to boo me about it. I made a mistake, and slapped myself silly because of it; but what's done is done. Let's move on.

Dominique Ansel Bakery Tokyo Blossoming Hot Chocolate

So, this drink is fantastic! As an ode to Japan's sakura, Dominique Ansel refined the humble hot cocoa by adding a sakura-shaped marshmallow on top! The marshmallow is wrapped with a chocolate ring that immediately melted upon contact. Smack at the center of a fully bloomed sakura mallow is a delicious ball of cocoa.

It's fascinating to witness, and a pleasure to drink!

The sakura marshmallow of the first Blossoming Hot Cocoa that the courteous staff {Haruna Tsuji} prepared didn't bloom all the way, so she told me that she has to re-do the whole thing. My heart cracked a little when she threw the whole cup of the delicious hot cocoa in the bin. What a waste. The second go was perfect, though.

The DKA {Dominique's Kouign Amann} surpasses the rest. The caramelized exterior breaks into a chewy core. Added to its magnificence is a touch of fleur de sel. Amazing!