It's no secret that most coffee houses source their pastries from elsewhere. Kean Coffee buys theirs almost exclusively from Pacific Whey Cafe. I'm sure other local java joints do the same. It's a symbiotic relationship as perfect as the pairing of their chosen specialties. What better to follow a sip of fresh brewed coffee than a nibble from a crumbly scone or a danish shellacked with sweet goo?
As such, I wasn't surprised to see that the new Le Napoleon in Irvine Spectrum selling a few goodies from our beloved Japanese bakery, Cream Pan in Tustin.
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I saw Cream Pan's banana and chocolate croissant, a thin pontoon of rectangular-shaped pastry dotted with banana buttons there behind the glass case. Next to this was their inimitable strawberry croissants. The luster of its custard, strawberries and confectioner-sugar-dusted flaky triangle was every bit as tempting here as it is at its birth place in Tustin.
This is the pastry that I included as one of our Top 100 Dishes. So kudos to Le Napoleon on recognizing its greatness. Only question is, what's with the spelling? As you can see by the label, Le Napoleon is calling them “Strawberry Creme Pan.” Pan is the Japanese word for bread, which is usually reserved at the bakery for such items as the “curry pan” and yes, the “cream pan.” But the strawberry croissant is just that: a croissant.
Since it's their store, they reserve the right to call it whatever they want. But I can't decide whether it is an error they're aware of, an thinly disguised homage to its creators, or what.
Still, it went extremely well with a cup of their Intelligentsia coffee.
Le Napoleon Patisserie, 83 Fortune Dr. Ste 219, Irvine, (949) 788-0904; lenapoleoncafe.com
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.