Sometimes it pays to be a latecomer.
When Parachute Bakery opened last summer in the Ferry Building, eager beavers with major sweet tooths swarmed the place. So much so that the bakery was selling out less than 3 hours after opening.
Now? The crowds are more manageable, especially on weekdays, which I found when I finally visited at the end of January.
It’s easy to understand the fuss. After all, Parachute is by the team behind Michelin-starred Sorrel in San Francisco, Chef Alex Hong and Joel Wilkerson, director of operations. Its co-owner and executive pastry chef is Nasir Armar, who grew up working in his father’s bakery in India. He was the former pastry chef at Sorrel, and at Michelin two-starred Saison in San Francisco.
To say that Armar’s pastries exemplify precision is to put it mildly. These are some gorgeous creations. They are not all looks and no substance, either. The flavors hold their own.
I would go back in a heartbeat just for the Everything Kouign-Amann ($9). That’s saying a lot because my standard bearer is B. Patisserie’s version, which is decidedly sweet with a puddle of molten syrup at the very center.
There is a whisper of sweetness to Parachute’s kouign-amann from a sugar-syrup glaze on the bottom that surprisingly doesn’t clash at all with the garlic and onion in the sesame-flecked everything seasoning. The crisp layers give way to a center of whipped scallion cream cheese mousse. It is mostly savory, and thoroughly heavenly.
For more savory goodness, don’t miss the Wagyu Pastrami Reuben Croissant ($12). It’s a marriage between New York deli and high-end pastry that is irresistible. You get the big, beefy, smoky and peppery flavor of the beef layered with house-made sauerkraut, garlic, creamy bechamel, and sharp mustard. A shower of finely grated Gruyere crowns the top. The final touch is the cute cornichon garnish that spears it.
The croissant cube ($9) with its hospital corners could be displayed on a museum shelf as art. It hides a center of fluffy white chocolate vanilla cremeux that sports a small bullseye of passion fruit that wakes everything up with its sharp jolt of tang.
The pumpkin cake croissant ($8.50) is another stunner with its impeccable knot shape that has a center that gushes with cream cheese caramel. It’s a seasonal item, unfortunately. But let’s hope it returns next fall.
The classic croissant ($6.50) is wonderfully flaky and butter. The pain au chocolat ($7.75) gets a modern refresh with a long, elongated shape that holds dark TCHO chocolate in every bite. The Morning Bun ($8) is a laminated buttery brioche spiced up with the warmth of cinnamon and sweetened with toffee glaze.
Crunchy and formidable on the outside, and custardy within, the canele ($6) is made with brown butter and Okinawan sugar for an even deeper burnt caramel taste.
Don’t neglect the puck-like chocolate-chip & toffee, and black sesame & yuzu cookies ($8 each) that are uniformly round and thick, and have crisp exteriors and chewy interiors. That latter is especially memorable for its deep, rich nutty sesame taste with big bursts of floral citrus from the dabs of yuzu buttercream on top.
On a Thursday afternoon at 2:15 p.m., I found myself in line behind only four people. But the selection had dwindled to about only a handful of offerings. In contrast, on Friday morning at 8:15 a.m. — 15 minutes after it opened — there was no line and the full selection of pastries was available.
Parachute is worth a trek. And if you can make it there on a weekday, all the better.
Next: Pastry Run, Part II: Butter & Crumble