Thomas Haas Patisserie-Chocolate and Café

[John DePaula]

This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Patisserie of Thomas Haas in N. Vancouver. It’s so refreshing to visit a pastry shop where they really know what they’re doing. I had a Rhubarb and Quark Danish and a friend had the Apple Galette. Both were fresh, beautiful and delicious. Everything in the case was beautiful, and surprisingly this is often not true at patisseries I’ve visited around the world.

I purchased a variety of items to take with me. Here are my impressions:

Miscellaneous

• Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies: good, buttery, not overly sweet, fresh nuts
  
• Sparkle Cookies: very good and chocolaty; softer than expected but good; rich
  
• Dark Bark Bites: dark chocolate with dried fruits and nuts (haven’t tried yet)*
  

Chocolates

• Green Cardamom w/ Whiskey and Almonds: Wow; Superb! Cardamom not overly strong
  
• Merlot: Did not like this one – perhaps just not to my taste or perhaps a shelf-life problem
  
• Cassis: Not my favorite but was ok
  
• Caramel Pecan w/ Fleur de sel: Wow; Superb! The rich dark chocolate ganache pairs so well with the pecan – my favorite one so far.
  
• Marc de Champagne: Very very good ; delicious ; the very soft milk chocolate ganache works well with the brandy
  
• Cognac: (not tried yet)*
  
• Exotic: (not tried yet)*
  
• Caramel w/ Fleur de sel: (not tried yet)*
  
• Palet au Café: (not tried yet)*
  

* I can only eat 4 or 5 chocolates at most in 1 day ; will update as I finish the box

So often in this business, it seems more like a case of ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes.’ In other words, the marketing is really good, the packaging exceptionally pretty, whatever, but the product just isn’t much to speak of. In the case of Thomas Haas, the accolades are justified. His products would be right at home on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris.

Highly Recommended

Thomas Haas (WEB)

Unit 128, 998 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, BC, V7P 3T2 (MAP)

Phone: 604-924-1847 Fax: 604-904-7479

Opening Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday: 8am-5:30pm

Sunday & Monday: Closed

DISCLAIMER: I do not know Thomas Haas and do not have any personal or professional connection to him.

[fmed]

I love his pate de fruits and croissants.

FYI - He will be opening a second location adjacent to Lumiere in Kitsilano.

[Lisa Shock]

I took a class from him at the World Pastry Forum in 2006. IIRC, his philosophy is that maybe only two people in ten can taste the difference, say, between regular chocolate and high end chocolate, and he wants to cater to those two people.

I enjoyed his class, and I really want to visit his store someday. He makes everything there, including the soft drinks, from scratch. I'd love to someday have a place of my own, like his. I just don't know if Phoenix is really ready for it.

[John DePaula]

That reminds me, Lisa: I also had a taste of a Kalamansi drink that was delicious.

Regarding Phoenix, I'd think the population density there would be sufficient for a really good pastry shop. Just a matter of getting the right buzz.

Handling the high heat, however, that's another story...

[Mark Donnelly]

I agree. My only complaint is parking. A complete nightmare.

[lannie]

I ventured there this morning and managed to snag a double-baked almond croissant that had just come out of the oven. The toasted sliced almonds on top coupled with the deliciously rich and warm almond filling - simply amazing!

Edited May 20, 2009 by lannie (log)

[maxmillan]

I love his pate de fruits and croissants.

FYI - He will be opening a second location adjacent to Lumiere in Kitsilano.

←

All right! Do you know when his Kits location will be opening?

[eatrustic]

I love his pate de fruits and croissants.

FYI - He will be opening a second location adjacent to Lumiere in Kitsilano.

←

All right! Do you know when his Kits location will be opening?

←

September, but as we all know that's probably flexible this early on.

[John DePaula]

My updates inline below:

This weekend, I had the opportunity to visit the Patisserie of Thomas Haas in N. Vancouver. It’s so refreshing to visit a pastry shop where they really know what they’re doing. I had a Rhubarb and Quark Danish and a friend had the Apple Galette. Both were fresh, beautiful and delicious. Everything in the case was beautiful, and surprisingly this is often not true at patisseries I’ve visited around the world.

I purchased a variety of items to take with me. Here are my impressions:

Miscellaneous

• Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies: good, buttery, not overly sweet, fresh nuts
  
• Sparkle Cookies: very good and chocolaty; softer than expected but good; rich
  
• Dark Bark Bites: dark chocolate with dried fruits and nuts; ok; not a fave.
  

Chocolates

• Green Cardamom w/ Whiskey and Almonds: Wow; Superb! Cardamom not overly strong
  
• Merlot: Did not like this one – perhaps just not to my taste or perhaps a shelf-life problem
  
• Cassis: Not my favorite but was ok
  
• Caramel Pecan w/ Fleur de sel: Wow; Superb! The rich dark chocolate ganache pairs so well with the pecan – my favorite one so far.
  
• Marc de Champagne: Very very good ; delicious ; the very soft milk chocolate ganache works well with the brandy
  
• Cognac: Good; mild (but I preferred "omph" of the Marc de Champagne)
  
• Exotic: Very good
  
• Caramel w/ Fleur de sel: Good
  
• Palet au Café: verrry mild coffee flavor...
  

So often in this business, it seems more like a case of ‘The Emperor Has No Clothes.’ In other words, the marketing is really good, the packaging exceptionally pretty, whatever, but the product just isn’t much to speak of. In the case of Thomas Haas, the accolades are justified. His products would be right at home on Boulevard St. Germain in Paris.

Highly Recommended

Thomas Haas (WEB)

Unit 128, 998 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, BC, V7P 3T2 (MAP)

Phone: 604-924-1847 Fax: 604-904-7479

Opening Hours:

Tuesday - Saturday: 8am-5:30pm

Sunday & Monday: Closed

DISCLAIMER: I do not know Thomas Haas and do not have any personal or professional connection to him.

←

[Paul B]

Parking is a nightmare, so try to go on off days.

Mr. Haas also happens to be rock-star handsome and charming to boot. I love taking out-of-towners to his odd little shop and blowing them away with his pastries and chocolates.

[Hestia]

I always hit the sampling wall and hope for freebies and seconds. The darn kids from the school across the street always beat me to it.

One day I am going to sic my dog on them.

[jaynesb]

Chocolate sparkle cookie recipe is here in RecipeGullet although I have been using a version that was published earlier and does not call for honey or cocoa. Either way, it is really important to beat the eggs for as long as the recipe calls for.

LA Times article and recipe for Chocolate Sparkle Cookies in 2002 You might need to register for the website.

Somewhere in eGullet, there was a blurb about Thomas Haas updating the recipe by adding honey and cocoa and the newer recipe was published in the Vancouver Sun. I think that's the version that we've got in eGullet.

Chocolate sparkle cookie as published in LA Times

jayne

[Hestia]

Walked by their Kit's location under construction. Man, it looks like it's going to awesome. Can you imagine having lunch at DB Bistro and then walking next door for a bag of sparkle cookies? Fuck!

Does anyone know if they are going to do any production on site, or is it strictly retail? Just wondering about the chocolate croissants.

Edited September 8, 2009 by Hestia (log)

[Mark Donnelly]

I picked up some some chocolates by My Chocolate Tree (mychocolatetree.ca) at the Christmas Farmers' Market. These chocolates are fantastic and really make TH look ordinary. Try them if you can find them.