Lady M Brings its Signature Mille-Crêpes Cakes from New York to Chaoyang Joy City
If there’s a confectionary goddness, then she is a kindly one. After hearing our frequent complaints about the mediocre standard of Beijing’s sweet treats, it seems the Dessert Deity has finally begun to answer our prayers this year. In April she bestowed ChikaLicious on us, and if that wasn't enough, she has now also sent Lady M, the queen of mille-crêpes cakes to Chaoyang Joy City.
Having started out in New York in 2004, Lady M went on to become a renowned international dessert chain, with outlets in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, and lately in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Finally, the Lady has deigned to set foot in Beijing. Located on the second floor of bustling Chaoyang Joy City, the shop stands out from the mundane mall environment – behind a white marbled façade with silver trim, the interior is all spotless, with lavender chairs, and fresh flowers piled on the table, amounting to an ambiance that is both modern and luxurious.
Mille-crêpes is a classic French cake, literally meaning "thousand crêpe cake", and the layers of crêpe are made on the stove instead of in the oven. At Lady M there are five classic variations (RMB 68/75 a slice), including their signature mille-crêpes, green tea flavored, and rose flavored. Our favorite is the signature mille-crêpes (RMB 68), with 20 thin and lacy layers of crepes, airy whipped-cream in between, and topped with caramelized sugar like a crème brulee. With its tantalizing flavor and velvety texture, it brought back Proustian recollections of the first mille-crêpes we had in Lady M in America, at our best friend’s recommendation.
They also offer three limited seasonal cakes (RMB 68/75): Royal Milk Tea Mousse Cake, which is a triple layered cake with chocolate sponge, Keemun black tea mousse, and tea whipped cream, topped with a cacao medallion; Passion Fruit Mille Crêpes, a special version of the original mille-crêpe, with passion fruit in every layer of pastry cream, and a glaze on top, the tartness and the sweetness combining very well; and the Mango Tarte has a crunchy crust topped with fresh mango, with sweet and smooth custard in between.
To pair with those decadent confectionaries, there are various choices of tea (RMB 58 a pot), coffee (RMB 25-48), smoothies, and fruit-flavored soda. The only point where they fall short of perfection is that they don’t serve any alcoholic beverages; we suggest, for their consideration, that a glass of champagne would be an ideal companion to one of their refined desserts. The prices of the drinks that are on offer are reasonable, however, and we are happy to see that the confectionaries maintain the brand's high standards, and the ambiance is elegant and delightful. At least now we don’t need to travel so far for the Lady M experience. Welcome to Beijing, my fair lady.
Lady M
Daily 10am-10pm. 2F-17/72, Chaoyang Joy City, 101 Chaoyang Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳北路101号朝阳大悦城2层2-17/72
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos courtesy of Lady M, Tracy Wang
