I really love small neighbourhood cafes. They are quaint, peaceful and often produce quality food. I heard about CIEL Pâtisserie for a long time but I always don’t have the time to check it out till last week.
CIEL Pâtisserie is a patisserie hidden in the heartlands of Hougang. Started last year, it is run by two young entrepreneurs. One of the co-owners was trained in Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok and Paris. They keep their price point really low but serves delicious fine cakes. Tarts are priced between $4.20 to $4.60, while single served cakes costs from $4.80 to $5.80.
We asked for recommendations and ordered two popular desserts – Strawberry Shortcake ($5.60 or $34 for whole) and Lemon meringue tart ($5.60 or $34 for whole). The strawberry shortcake has a pretty light sponge cake with lightly sweetened whipped cream and juicy fresh strawberries, sandwiched between layers. Not the most pillowy soft one though, I prefer Flor Pâtisserie’s.
Lemon meringue tart features a crisp crust covered with luscious, pleasantly tangy lemon cream, topped with a smooth Italian meringue. The crust is butterly but I wished the lemon cream to be more lemon-y. This has no kick for me.
Happy to find that they do my favourite Ispahan as well – layers of rose bavarian cream and raspberry mousse with a lychee gelee middle and lychee fruit. Had to give it a miss as it was too big after a heavy meal. Many also raved about their Fuji cake, which is a light green tea mousse complimented with a lychee gelee insert and a soft green tea sponge base.
Didn’t manage to try more cakes from CIEL Pâtisserie, so I can’t give a conclusion. But I will be back soon to enjoy my Ispahan!
CIEL Pâtisserie
Address: 124 Hougang Ave 1 #01-1444
Opening hours: Tues – Thurs 11am to 8pm; Fri – Sat 11am to 9pm; Sun 3pm to 9pm. Closed on Mondays
Tel: 6383 0803