The French chef has turned his attention to one of France’s most humble desserts. Michalak‘s mini flans arrived at Printemps Haussmann on October 7th, nestled in his new coffee shop on the ground floor of the department store. The chef, known for his bold reinterpretations of classic pastries, has shrunk the traditional flan and dressed it up without losing what makes the dessert so appealing.
I tried all five versions on a recent Tuesday morning. The vanilla was the first to speak, as that’s where you can tell if a pastry chef understands restraint. Michalak got it right. The custard wobbled slightly when I lifted it from the crispy crust. Real vanilla ran through the filling without shouting about it.
The chocolate version uses what Michalak calls “grand cru” chocolate. That term is thrown around too much these days, but here, it meant something. The filling tasted deeply of cacao, not sugar. Scattered cacao nibs on top added a bitter crunch that balanced the sweetness.
His pistachio flan surprised me the most. Orange blossom water, rose water, and bitter almond scented the custard. A layer of pistachio praline sat underneath. Those flavors could have overwhelmed each other, but they held together. The rose flavor was subtle. The pistachio flavor stood out clearly.
The chestnut version leaned into autumn. The folded chestnut cream in the flan created a dessert that felt both rustic and refined. Michalak didn’t try to modernize it too much. He let the ingredients speak for themselves.
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Raspberry rose rounded out the collection. Candied raspberry pieces dotted the rose-scented custard. It was the lightest of the five desserts but still substantial enough to be satisfying. The fruit cut through the richness without becoming tart.
All five sat in a shortbread shell that stayed crisp for hours. That’s harder to achieve than it sounds. The shells held up even after sitting out while I photographed them and took notes. The pastry contained enough butter to taste rich yet not so much that it became greasy.
Michalak priced these at €2.80 each. You can buy a strip of five for €14, a strip of seven for €20, or a gift box of fourteen for €44. The coffee shop at Printemps Haussmann was the first to sell them. His other Paris locations, including those at Commerce, Étienne Marcel, Victor Hugo, and Neuilly, started selling them on October 14.
Their smaller size makes them more convenient than full-sized flans in most situations. You can eat one while walking through the department store. Three make a reasonable dessert after lunch. They’re small enough that trying multiple flavors doesn’t feel excessive.
Michalak built his reputation on taking French pastry traditions and taking them somewhere new. These mini flans do that effortlessly. He kept the soul of the original dessert intact. The custardy center still tastes like flan. The texture still wobbles and melts. He just gave people more reasons to enjoy them.
