Is Eagle Rock's new pâtisserie serving L.A.'s most sought-after croissants?
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The line snaked down the parking lot toward the busy traffic of York Boulevard and around the corner, curving around the patio of a neighboring seafood restaurant. Guests began queuing for Fondry, Eagle Rock’s newest bakery, half an hour before its doors opened, but only a few dozen guests would get to taste any croissants, croffins or danishes today.
The pastries from the team behind nearby cafes Kumquat and Loquat are proving to be some of L.A.’s most sought-after, recalling the past clamor and rush for pastries from the likes of erstwhile Konbi and Dominique Ansel (inventor of the Cronut).
The new pâtisserie debuted last weekend and operates only three days a week, Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. until noon, though in its first few days of operation Fondry has sold out between 45 and 90 minutes after opening its doors. Led by baker and partner Ivy Ku, the menu focuses solely on laminated pastry that builds layers of cold-fermented dough into ham-and-cheese croissants; pistachio cream danishes; yuzu meringue croffins, or croissant muffins; mustard sausage rolls; kouign-amann; triple pain au chocolat; and other French classics and variations thereof, which can all pair with a pared-down coffee selection of lattes and cold brew.
“I’d always been thinking about opening my own bakery, but I was kind of hesitant [to] have to do it all by myself,” Ku said. “So it's a really great opportunity to have somebody already in this industry.”
Ku met Kumquat and Loquat owners Scott Sohn and Andres Jinhan “AJ” Kim through a mutual friend, who recommended her for the role in 2022. She was already a regular at Kumquat, and they clicked instantly. Her husband, Travis Chan, joined the team to help oversee the business’ operations.
Ku studied pastry at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris for roughly a year, then worked in a small boutique in Paris before returning to her home in Hong Kong. While there she worked for world-famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel at his Hong Kong cafe and began teaching baking classes as well. When she relocated to Los Angeles with Chan, it wasn’t long before her pastry expertise found its way to Sohn and Kim.
Currently the team offers 150 to 200 pastries each day, made from two rounds of baking, one at 6 a.m. and another shortly before 9 a.m. Eventually Ku would like to expand her offerings with madeleines, tarts, financiers and other French-leaning pastries and treats.
During its opening weekend, Ku said, Fondry sold out in roughly an hour. Today, kicking off its second weekend, pastries sold out within 45 minutes. The line, Ku said, began to form around 8:30 a.m. this morning.
Some gathered with dogs, others with partners, buzzing about the pastries they'd been waiting to try. One customer, in line with a baby for about half an hour, gave up before the inevitable announcement: All pastries had been sold for the day.
Another customer, who did not get any croissants, laughed that at least her dog was able to try a fallen piece of a croissant on the ground.
“I wasn’t so familiar with how many people would come,” Ku said. “We're trying to actually increase the number this week too.”
Storage, she said, has been an issue in keeping up with demand but as Fondry scales up, she also hopes to increase days of operation — meaning more croissants, more chances to enjoy them, and maybe fewer lines around the block.
Fondry, 4703 York Blvd., Los Angeles. instagram.com/fondry_la
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
