Lady M Chose Houston for Its Largest, Most Luxurious Mille Crepe Cake Shop

At the Westchase area location of Lady M, Houston diners can have their mille crepe cakes and eat them (with a glass of Champagne), too

Many Houstonians were delighted when Lady M Confection, the New York-based boutique mille crepe cake shop with an international following, finally opened its first Texas location in Houston last year. Unlike some of its other locations, the bustling Galleria outpost was most conducive to takeout. But now, with the opening of its second Houston shop — which is also the largest, most elegant outpost in the United States — diners can now order their mille crepe at Lady M in Houston and eat it with a glass of Champagne, too.

Located in the new West on West development at 12270 Westheimer Road, the shop opened on Wednesday, August 14. Each cult-favorite mille crepe cake is made up of light-flavored pastry creams and 20 layers of paper-thin handmade crepes, which helped give the cakes their name (“mille,” meaning “thousand” in French). Founder Ken Romaniszyn tells Eater Houston the new cake shop features core flavors like green tea, pistachio, and the elaborately assembled Checkered flavor — composed of chocolate and vanilla sponge cakes that are diced and then reassembled in a checkered pattern. The confectionery will also continue to offer its rotation of anticipated seasonal flavors, which include a sweet and tart guava laced with green tea, the two-flavored matcha-chocolate, and a jasmine and calamansi cake.

Brian Shumway

While diners can certainly take their cakes to go from the Westchase outpost, Lady M’s pristine yet minimalist decor and special touches are meant to make them stay. Many locations are marketed for a quicker in-and-out experience, but “in Houston, we created a different atmosphere. We want [diners] to come here, relax, and spend some time here,” says Romaniszyn, who founded the company in 2001.

Inside, Lady M’s dining room features its signature pearly white and neutral color scheme. Crystal chandeliers hang overhead, with spacious booths and tables decorated with bouquets of fresh flowers. Romaniszyn, who has children of his own, says he was also mindful of adding welcoming features for families, including space to park strollers and a changing station in the bathrooms. But the sleek gallery-like decor still stays simple, allowing the cakes to remain the star of the show.

Houston’s Westchase location will also be the first to have a beer and wine license, allowing the restaurant to soon serve wine and Champagne. Other new offerings include eight ice cream flavors from Brooklyn-founded ice cream company Van Leeuwen, along with its standard variety of coffee drinks made with French Coperaco Cafe coffee, and teas served by the cup or pot, to complement the cakes. Those looking for another to-go option that holds up in Houston heat can check out Lady M’s series of bonbons and gummy bears, which are also available online

Romaniszyn says the Westchase’s West on West development, which features several Asian food establishments, is particularly fitting, considering Lady M has a large following in Asia and an Asian background (Romaniszyn himself is half Japanese and has combined Japanese flavors and sensibilities with French pastry techniques to craft the mille crepe cakes). Lady M’s neighbors include the newly opened Korean dessert shop Somi Somi, Japanese T-Swirl Crepe, the South Korean bakery Paris Baguette, Asian supermarket 99 Ranch Market, Korean barbecue restaurant Gen Korean BBQ, and more.

Romaniszyn says the next Texas location could be Dallas, though he’s heard there’s been growing interest in Austin (Romaniszyn said there’s a rumor of an entrepreneurial-spirited student traveling to Houston to purchase Lady M cakes and delivering them to Austin residents).

Lady M

Know before you go:

• Cakes are typically $9.50 to $12.50 a slice and $60 to $100 for a full cake, while drinks will run you between $3 and $8.
• The cakes are so delicate that one wrong move of your fork could result in the cake’s layers sliding apart. Romaniszyn advises diners to use a fork-down method, holding the fork vertically with prongs down to slice through the cake.

Lady M Confections is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 12270 Westheimer Road, Westchase.