Lady M Cake Boutique and the mille crepes have arrived -- finally

The mille crepes cake has arrived in L.A. It’s about time.

It’s been nine years since Lady M Cake Boutique opened its stark white, minimalist cafe in Manhattan where it debuted its version of the 20-layer French cake to much admiration. As of Tuesday, Los Angeles can have as much of it as it wants.

The new shop on 3rd Street between Robertson and San Vicente is again ultra-white with only the stunning cakes as decoration. Your bicoastal romance with Lady M can now take the next serious step forward.

If Lady M is new to you, know that when it opened on the Upper East Side in 2004, the city experienced a mild excitement over its mille crepes, a cake of 20 (not 1,000, despite the name) thin crepe layers, each separated by a lightened pastry cream. The top layer is slightly caramelized.

It’s that simple. But it has to be tasted to be believed.

While the mille crepes gets most of the attention, Lady M turns out about a dozen exquisite cakes daily, including strawberry shortcake, chocolate and vanilla checkerboard cake, baked cheesecake and couronnes de chocolat, a chocolate sponge and mousse cake topped with white chocolate shavings.

Los Angeles pastry chef Junko Nishino spent six months in New York in the Long Island kitchen where Lady M cakes are made, learning each excruciating detail. In L.A., she makes the cakes in the café’s kitchen.

The mille crepes is available in the original vanilla flavor, green tea and lemon. And when fall arrives, run, don’t walk, for the chestnut mille crepes. January brings us the chocolate mille crepes and summer is time for strawberry and coconut versions.

The mille crepes is available in a 6-inch round ($40 to $45) and 9-inch ($75 to $80). The higher price is for the flavored cakes. You can also order by the slice.

8718 W. 3^rd St., Los Angeles, (424) 279-9495, www.ladym.com.

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