At Valrhona, we believe our role goes beyond providing exceptional chocolate. We believe in creating the conditions for dialogue, inspiration, and connection — bringing chefs together across cultures, generations, and creative worlds.
Welcoming Pierre Hermé to New York, and helping spark this exchange with Dominique Ansel, reflects exactly that ambition: to stand at the forefront of pastry’s evolution while fostering the conversations and collaborations that shape its future.
A Pop-Up the Pastry World Will Not Forget
The weekend’s main event will be a special pop-up at Dominique Ansel Bakery Soho from July 23-26 and throughout the weekend.
Known around the world as the creator of the legendary Cronut®, Chef Dominique Ansel is joining forces with Chef Pierre Hermé to bring three exclusive creations to New York for a limited time:
Ispahan Cronut®
Paradoxe Entremets
Flan Infiniment Chocolat
This exclusive pop-up will offer guests the chance to discover a one-of-a-kind pastry dialogue between two iconic chefs, each bringing his own distinctive creative language to the collaboration.
The Ispahan Cronut® reimagines two of the most recognizable signatures in contemporary pastry, uniting Dominique Ansel’s revolutionary Cronut® with Pierre Hermé’s iconic Ispahan signature. The result is a creation that bridges two maisons, two pastry cultures, and two very different but equally influential approaches to flavor and form.
Alongside it, the Paradoxe Entremets and Flan Infiniment Chocolat will further showcase the range of this partnership, offering New York pastry lovers a rare opportunity to experience exclusive creations born from a shared pursuit of excellence.
Join us on July 23-26 at Dominique Ansel Bakery Soho from 8 AM– till "Sold Out" for this exclusive pop-up celebrating a truly unforgettable partnership, and be among the first to experience these limited-edition pastries. Some collaborations create excitement. Others become part of pastry history. This one promises to be both.
When Pastry Icons Meet
Few names in pastry carry the resonance of Pierre Hermé. Often described as one of the great architects of modern pastry, he is celebrated around the world for his precision, bold flavor combinations, and iconic creations such as Ispahan, which has become one of the most recognizable signatures in contemporary pâtisserie. Pierre Hermé is also President of the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, underscoring his continuing influence on the global pastry landscape. Valrhona’s ties to Pierre Hermé are longstanding: he has collaborated with the Maison on major reference works and has long been part of the broader ecosystem of chefs, ideas, and technical excellence that shapes our world.
Dominique Ansel, for his part, changed the course of modern pastry in the United States by transforming a familiar American format into a global phenomenon. Through creations such as the Cronut®, he has shown how technical rigor, playfulness, and innovation can redefine pastry culture for a new generation. A James Beard Award-winning pastry chef, Dominique has built a universe that is both deeply creative and unmistakably New York.
Valrhona is the natural partner for chefs of this caliber because our brand has always been about more than ingredients. We are a Maison of transmission, creative dialogue, and shared ambition. Through L’École Valrhona, our Cercle V community, and our long-standing relationships with pastry professionals around the world, we work to connect the chefs who are not only defining excellence today, but imagining what pastry can become tomorrow.
