A Slice of Heaven with Ciel Patisserie

Ciel Patisserie, founded by Ms Chara Lum, is a boutique café specializing in French pastries and sweets. Ms Lum, a graduate from the renowned school Le Cordon Bleu Paris, has skilfully incorporated French and European baking techniques into her handcrafted desserts. Established with the belief that Ciel, meaning ‘sky’ or ‘heaven’ in French, is where everyone can have a slice of heaven, Ciel Patisserie emphasises on quality and value in its desserts.

Ciel Patisserie has two outlets in Bukit Merah and Hougang, expanding from its success as a pastry boutique. The branch in Bukit Merah is nestled between blocks of HDBs, the picturesque café has large see-through window that beckons passers-by in with their contemporary and sleek design. Meanwhile, pasted to the window is a newspaper clipping displaying the accolades of the café, all the conviction required for indecisive dessert-goers to give this café a try.

The interior of the café is sophisticated and cosy, emanating Scandinavian vibes. Marbled tables are placed against each other, but it is not too congested, as each patron has privacy to indulge in their food and idle chatter in their own time. The small yet comfortable interior has provided a homely ambiance with its minimalistic design; bottles of dried flora on each table have served to be an excellent backdrop for the desserts as well.

Desserts such as tarts, quiches, and cakes, are all displayed appealingly in a large glass rack for customers to peruse. From special homemade desserts with monikers such as ‘Fuji’, ‘Opera’, to the usual selection of Oreo Cheesecake and Strawberry Shortcake, customers are simply spoilt by the wide variety of choices. In the end, I had selected Bombe and Blanc, as recommended by the amiable waitress on duty to be their bestsellers.

Bombe has a unique texture, resembling a black rounded mochi with a seemingly jelly-like exterior. Meanwhile, Blanc reminded me of the material brick, except that it is coloured in a vivid white. These unique shapes are a quirky rendition to the typical triangular slices of cake, all the more attractive to desserts lovers.

Bombe is a decadent treat for all chocolate lovers. Coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate, Bombe was infused with a generous amount of blueberries in its sweet and moist chocolate filling. While the taste of chocolate could be overwhelming, it’s not treacly; the combination of the bitter coat and the pith of sweetened chocolate was perfectly savoury. A wafer being placed as its base, the crispiness was a wonderful contrast to the gooey and moist cake. After finishing the dessert, I daresay Bombe has become one of my favourite chocolate pastries.

Blanc is made from the melding of yuzu bits in honeyed white chocolate. The citrus fruit used was tart in taste, providing a balance to the saccharinity of the white chocolate. It is a delectable dessert, a creative recipe using ingredients of contrasting tastes. While Blanc is an exotic dessert, the caustic taste of the yuzu could be rather sharp for the sweet-tooths. However, I do recommend the impartial to try this palatable dessert.

I had also ordered a pot of Sparkling Strawberries to accompany the cakes. Using a mixture of Green Sencha tea, raisins, strawberries, rosebuds, lavender, and champagne flavouring, the pot turned out to be a sugared formula of green tea with an effervescent and floral aftertaste. It is commendable that the beverages provided by the café are a creative concoction of flavourings, tea bags, and an occasional tinge of floral and spices.

The desserts from Ciel Patisserie are an ambrosial variety of sweets with reasonable pricings for both students and working adults. Ciel Patisserie’s innovative creations, together with the usual staple, are highly recommended for all looking for gastronomical delights.