Patisserie CLE (Dairy Farm Mall)

Patisserie CLE has been one of those establishments which we had been following for a while — while we hadn’t been visiting their earlier locations that are all situated in the East (except for the one located at the former Geylang Fire Station), these folks had been expanding their operations of the late. Announced during the same time of which the operations of their River Valley outlet had commenced, the Dairy Farm Mall location did take some time to open its doors — they are also the first F&B tenant to have started operations within the mall, located just above the outlet of Fairprice Finest there. Unlike their other locations which are in operations currently, Patisserie CLE’s latest location at Dairy Farm Mall is the only location where dine-in is available; that being said, the space features a dine-in capacity of 15 pax; three of the seats being counter seats, while the rest are regular dining tables and stools. The outlet at Dairy Farm Mall somewhat follows the design scheme of their other locations, though there is some use of darker and more raw-looking elements to match up against the look of the compound it sits in as well. Patisserie CLE at Dairy Farm Mall serves up a line-up of cakes, tarts and danishes that should not be too unfamiliar with regulars or the brand, though the printed menu also indicates the availability of some light bites at this outlet that seems to be exclusive to the location. Beverages available at Patisserie CLE includes espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as a line-up of teas and juices.

Since we dropped by Patisserie CLE’s outlet at Dairy Farm Mall only after we have had lunch at another location, we found ourselves having to give their Light Bites section of the menu a miss — items on the Light Bites section included items like the Caramalised Brioche Toast, Chicken Paprika Croissant and Croque Madame; just to name a few. Skimming through their display chiller at the counter, we noticed the availability of some tarts which we had yet to give a try during our previous visit to Patisserie CLE’s other locations — one particular tart that had attracted our attention was the Black Sesame Raspberry Tart. Patisserie CLE describes their Black Sesame Raspberry Tart as an item which comprises of elements such as black sesame mousse and a raspberry coulis — the tart bears a rather mysterious (even somewhat gothic) aesthetic given its combination of red and black. Slicing the tart down, the tart pastry itself feels firm without crumbling down into too much of a mess — itself being sturdy enough to hold up the weight of everything that is stacked up above without absorbing the moisture of said elements above as well. When it comes to the black sesame mousse, the black sesame mousse is less smooth than what one would expect — here, the black sesame mousse feels a little more crumbly given the proportion of black sesame used; the element itself also inherently carrying a slightly grittier texture. This does translate well to those whom love black sesame, considering how this also meant that it delivers on a more punchy, roasty and earthy note of black sesame as well. The raspberry coulis was more akin to a jelly-like layer that carried a slightly tart note that cuts through the black sesame element here.

During our visit to Patisserje CLE at Dairy Farm Mall, we had also managed to try out their Apple Danish. One can somewhat say that this is a bit of a fusion of a Danish and an Apple Pie; apart from being just a Danish, Patisserje CLE has also added some sugar crystals over the top of the Danish that helps to provide for a slight crunch amidst all of that which is happening in the pastry. The pastry itself was flaky and light, though the bottom of the pastry that seem a little limp and soft most likely due to how it has been sitting around the display for quite a while before it was served to us during our visit that was made on a weekend afternoon. That being said, the pastry seemed to have been tuned down on the buttery notes that one would associate with a good croissant; perhaps an attempt to have a slightly more balanced note considering the sugar crystals that come atop of it. Inside, the pastry is filled with caramalised apples — quite similar to what one can find as the filling of the Apple Pie served at the Golden Arches; the small chunks of apple provided a soft bite for an extra texture while the level of sweetness is also being much more controlled here. The White comes with a latte art that is beautifully-pulled considering how Patisserie CLE is an establishment with its core focus being away from their coffee offerings; the White was also well-pulled with a punchy body that features a fruity note and an earthy finish. Patisserie CLE does seem to be consistent in their quality of its offerings all the while at its various stores and we are glad that the same can still be said with what we had experienced at their Dairy Farm Mall location — their very first that isn’t centrally-located or that is situated in the east. Considering the lack of such establishments within the area of the North-West that it is located in, Patisserie CLE is likely to be THE hangout spot for the residents around the Dairy Farm neighbourhood that they would appreciate having around!