Ashley Park and Planet Oat are celebrating a brand-new season of 'Emily in Paris' and a brand-new creamer.
In terms of escapist TV, nothing takes the cake—or should I say éclair?—quite like Netflix’s Emily in Paris. There hasn’t been a surge of wanderlust for the French capital like this since the 2001 film Amélie.
I recently had a chance to talk with one of its stars, Ashley Park, about what to expect from Emily in Paris Season 5. We also spoke about the brand-new Planet Oat Emily in Paris White Chocolate Raspberry Oat Milk Creamer. Now, if you know me, you know that I take my oat milks very seriously—and Planet Oat happens to be my favorite nondairy brand. So, I was super excited to chat about the launch with Ashley, who plays Mindy Chen on the show. We spoke about everything, from chia pudding hacks and coffee orders to Broadway shows and everything in between. Enjoy!
On Coffee Culture at Home and Abroad
Taste of Home: What is your go-to coffee order?
Ashley Park: Okay, so it used to be just black coffee. Being a singer and having been on Broadway for years, milk makes me really phlegmy. This is legitimately why I love Planet Oat, because before nondairy stuff came into my life, I was like, I guess I’ll just take a black coffee. So now it’s black coffee and then a splash of this oat milk creamer in it. You know what, actually, that’s a lie [laughs]. It’s definitely not just a splash; it’s more like a third of the cup. It’s some coffee plus a lot of really sweet creamer, and it’s great.
TOH: Is Mindy’s go-to coffee order similar to yours?
AP: I know for sure that Mindy and Emily have this Planet Oat creamer in their fridge. This white chocolate and raspberry flavor is so iconic, it just reminds me of walking around Paris and looking at all the pâtisseries—like little macarons with raspberries on top. I just know that Emily always has like four bottles stashed in the apartment.
TOH: Is it easy to get oat milk or dairy alternatives in Paris?
AP: I’m honestly really happy that it’s been getting easier. Even like, five years ago, when we started filming, it was more difficult to get nondairy or gluten-free options, you know? Don’t get me wrong—their quality of food is very high—but Paris has definitely adapted a lot since I’ve been working here.
TOH: Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee?
AP: Honestly, probably iced coffee. What I do like about hot coffee is putting half in the fridge and then adding ice later. It’s like two drinks in one! I have a hard time finishing hot coffee now unless it’s full of creamer and tastes really indulgent. I’m always like, “how do I make the most of these leftovers” or “how do I not waste?”
On Emily in Paris Season 5
TOH: Do you have a favorite song that Mindy has performed on the show?
AP: What’s really interesting is that this character wasn’t supposed to sing! And when they added this part of her storyline, it really opened up everything. So I never expected to have covered like 20 songs at this point. But they all feel different, like their own special children to me. I have a relationship with each of them.
TOH: Mindy went through a lot last season, and I’m really interested to hear what fans can expect for Mindy in season five.
AP: I know—I feel like Mindy was in like five different genres of shows within one season, which was so fun. But a lot happens this season and is out of left field, but it all makes sense. I kind of feel like Mindy’s storyline is starting to feel like her fashion: You never know which way it’s gonna go, but when she shows up, you’re like, “Oh, that’s exactly correct.”
What’s fun about this season is you get to see a lot of physical comedy from Mindy. I love that kind of stuff, and we haven’t gotten to do a lot of that on the show. So there’s a lot of it this season for Mindy, and I love it. There’s a lot for Broadway fans.
The Millie-ion Dollar Question
TOH: Speaking of Broadway, you have a lot of very dedicated fans who are upset that the pandemic canceled the production of Thoroughly Modern Millie that you were going to star in. Is there any point in holding out hope for that to come back?
AP: Wow, I completely forgot about that, but thank you for reminding me! Gosh, well, there’s been a lot of heartbreaks for me about stuff like that, where I’ve really been in the trenches helping to develop for years. And then, because of scheduling, you can’t contractually commit. It’s really hard.
I did eight shows a week of musicals for almost all of my twenties, so it feels wild to not have been back for a while. It’s frustrating that scheduling is the thing that makes you not know if you can do a project. So, I would love to, but schedule-wise, it just hasn’t worked out.
Ashley’s Favorite Foods
TOH: What is your go-to breakfast?
AP: Recently, I’ve gotten really into hard-boiled eggs. Breakfasts in France and Italy are very different—everyone just has like, a pastry and an espresso shot, you know? So I actually got really into making my own hard-boiled eggs to keep on hand. I also really got into chia seed puddings, which is one of my favorite ways I use this Planet Oat creamer. I’ll mix it together and put fresh raspberries on top, it’s so easy. When I’m busy filming, I’ll just prep a bunch of hard-boiled eggs and chia seed puddings and bring them with me to set.
TOH: Do you have a favorite comfort food?
AP: I’m still thinking about Thanksgiving food right now! Like, once a month, I’ll try to find a diner where I can get stuffing and gravy, but that’s just so hard to get in Europe. Like, it devastates me. I would also say Korean food. Spicy kimchi, or mandu-guk which is like dumpling soup, or bibimbap—those flavors are very comforting to me.
When will the Planet Oat creamer be available?
If you, like me, got really excited about the new creamer, then here’s what you need to know. It will hit shelves nationwide in late December. If you live in New York and want a preview of the creamer, you can head to the exclusive Emily in Paris x Planet Oat pop-up at L’Appartement 4F in Brooklyn on December 18. And if you don’t live in New York, then keep an eye on the creamer aisle until this hits shelves. While we wait, I’ll be bingeing Emily in Paris Season 5, which is available to stream now on Netflix.
