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Buried in this week’s Downtown News was a hidden gem: Beard Papa’s, the Japanese pastry chain that has churned out millions of tasty cream-filled puffs, is opening a new Downtown Los Angeles location this month in Little Tokyo, at the Little Tokyo Shopping Center, 333 South Alameda Street.

Current flavors of cream puff fillings include vanilla (pictured), green tea, chocolate, coffee, strawberry, Earl Gray tea, and seasonal pumpkin. Also offered is a chocolate clair. Current Los Angeles locations include Hollywood & Highland and Sawtelle, as well as locations in the South Bay, Orange County, and the San Gabriel Valley. A Koreatown location will open at the Equitable City Center at 6th and Alexandria.

While it’s great to have another business fill the halfway (almost) vacant Little Tokyo Shopping Center, I can’t help but wonder whether the auto-oriented mall will provide enough foot traffic and advertising for this location to be successful. I wish them the best of luck, and it’s a sure bet that I’ll be visiting the purveyor of my favorite cream puffs regularly. Damn.

Click here for a cute if slightly creepy Flash “history” of the Beard Papa’s chain and cream puff. I note that Beard Papa apparently smoked his pipe while making said cream puffs.

-As a side note, izakaya Honda Ya has opened on the third floor of the mall. Best of luck, and I’ll definitely be there to check it out soon.