Le Rêve Gelato & Pâtisserie doesn’t have a pastry menu.
“I’m always coming up with things so it’s kind of hard when people ask what’s on the menu,” owner Andy Pham says about the ever-evolving case. “I wanted it to be everyone’s sweetest dream that anyone’s going to have. We have a lot of options and they get to have something like a little piece of art to reminiscence about.”
Pham best describes his pastries as a balance. Each layer is thoughtfully planned, tasted and executed before landing on anyone’s tastebuds. The flavors depend on what’s in season or what he’s specifically feeling up to making that day.
It’s not just a sweet dessert, it’s a moment.
“Every little pastry has a balance of its own from flavors to textures,” Pham says. “Everyone has a different style. You don’t want the flavors to compete with each other. You can taste the coffee first, then the peppermint and then the chocolate.”
Before opening a storefront two years ago at Preston Valley Shopping Center, self-taught Pham sold baked goods at local farmer’s markets.
Word traveled fast. If you needed pastries, people said to call Pham.
It’s been that way since high school — he was known to sell macarons to students and teachers. The deal was three for $5.
“My mom says that maybe in a past life, I was a pastry chef already so I just kind of came back,” Pham says.
Both sides of Pham’s family worked in Southwestern Vietnam during the French colonial era acting as a bridge between locals and the French and assisting with land management. Later, even after French occupation ended, French recipes were passed down through generations, inspiring his love for pastries
For as long as he can remember, he’s always been drawn to the kitchen. When he was younger, he would follow his grandma around the kitchen and gravitate towards baking. Pham would play with bowls, beans, rice and anything that kept him occupied. Pham is inspired by his Vietnamese culture and French bakeries to recreate a piece of Paris in Dallas.
Le Rêve, translated in French, is “the dream,” and it adequately describes owner Pham’s vision of the place.
Before opening the doors on Le Rêve’s first day, Pham went through the usual nervous motions: What if people don’t come? What if people don’t like anything? What if I don’t make enough?
“My mom always said ‘You always have to keep trying when something doesn’t work’,” Pham says. “There’s still a lot unknown, but we’ll get to it whenever and just take it as it comes.”
When the first day came, there was a line. And they sold out.
“The reaction was good and then it was just keeping up with the initial opening and things were stacked and fluctuated because it was still coming out of COVID,” Pham says. “It was a turbulent time, but then after a few months in, I was like ‘Okay, well, I’m not losing any money, people keep coming back, they seem to be enjoying things and people seem to really love us.’”
Since opening, people beyond city limits have traveled to the shop. He says people have been flocking from all over, some even as far as Seattle.
“I think other bakeries and kitchens are more stressful, but Andy makes it easy,” Le Rêve Ordering Manager Ali Livingston says. “He makes it fun and keeps us laughing. It’s fun to learn all the different techniques and he’s always coming up with something new.”
Last summer, the newest bakery fad was the spiral donut croissant which was first introduced by Lafayette Bakery in New York City. The trend began to trickle down to other cities with each region building on a different iteration of the sickening sweet “cronut”.
At first, Pham wasn’t keen on adding onto the trend, but after some convincing from a foodie friend, he eventually caved. It heightened the craze of the piatisserie shop once again.
“It was kind of heartbreaking whenever people showed up and we sold out of everything,” Pham says. “But then they came back the next week. It was great seeing so many familiar faces. I think that was the moment where I thought people really enjoy everything.”
A couple of months later, the spiral croissants are still popular and only available on weekend mornings due to them being ransacked by customers. Usually, the spiral croissants only see an hour’s worth of time before the case is empty.
“I love his dedication to his craft. There’s a team here and you can feel that everyone is committed. The customers, I mean, we’re ride or die,” Le Rêve regular Beverly Manyi says, who left a work meeting and paid $25 for a ride to get an afternoon treat. “It’s an experience when you taste his desserts. You can taste the passion and the different flavors. It’s a very beautiful, beautiful artistry with just food.”
Le Rêve Gelato & Pâtisserie, 12817 Preston Rd Suite #133, 469.372.5913, lerevegp.com
