Beard Papa’s

The sole Orange County location of famous Japanese dessert shop Beard Papa’s is hidden inside another shop – Mochi Dessert Cafe – at Irvine’s Heritage Plaza. Now with over 550 locations worldwide, including 35 across the United States, Beard Papa’s strength is in cream puffs that are baked before you arrive and filled with custard to order. For $4.75, you can select a shell with already-applied toppings such as chocolate, green tea, strawberry shortcake, honey butter, churro, ube, or Oreo cookies, then watch as each puff is injected with vanilla filling. Strong green tea or chocolate fillings add 20 cents to the base price, and are worth it.

Ideally, you enjoy the puff pretty quickly thereafter, as the choux pastry shells are thin – crispy outside, delicate inside – and start absorbing moisture as soon as they’re filled. The pudding-like filling is rich and soft, pairing wonderfully with the puffed crust to make every bite delicious (and just a little messy). At Beard Papa’s U.S. locations, creme brulee torch-finished puffs, as well as mini chocolate fondant cakes and Japanese cheesecakes, may also be available at some times.