Continuing our Dessert Detectives series — where El Estoque’s Arts and Entertainment section takes on a new case at a bakery or café to decipher the quality and cost of its most popular items — we went to Paris Baguette, a French-inspired café with delicacies such as ganache cake, crème brûlée and croissants. 

Ganache Cream Cake Slice: $6.99

The mouth-watering ganache cream cake is a slice of a three tier chocolate cake with alternating layers of cake and ganache cream topped with a coffee-flavored macaron. With small, crunchy chocolate balls lining the bottom layer of the cake and a coffee bean-shaped piece of dark chocolate placed delicately on top of the macaron, every detail creates a stunning presentation. 

Each cake layer was fluffy and airy, perfectly complementing the rich ganache cream, which tasted strongly of dark chocolate. However, the cream, a little too sweet, overwhelmed the subtle flavor of the cake itself.

The coffee macaron on a small dollop of whipped cream was the pièce de résistance with a crunchy shell and a moist espresso-flavored filling. Its only fault was leaving every taste bud wanting more. 

Overall, while this ganache cream cake is delectably delicious for those with a strong sweet tooth, those who are not fans of dark chocolate should perhaps try something else on the menu to satisfy their cravings. 

Rating: 8.5/10

Strawberry Lemon Cream Croissant: $4.79

Taking a bite out of what appears to be a simple pastry of fruit and cream reveals a variety of textures and oh-so-good flavors. Dusted with powdered sugar, the strawberry lemon cream croissant includes two croissants enveloping a generous amount of lemon cream and slices of fresh strawberries. 

Baked to a perfectly golden brown color, the croissant itself is wonderfully flaky with a rich buttery taste and a delicate sweetness. The soft and puffy croissant paired with the lemon cream balances out the sweeter strawberries. However, the lemon cream, despite being soft and tasting fresh, lacked a distinct tangy flavor that is expected in most lemon-flavored desserts. 

With only three major components in this dessert, every unique flavor was able to shine through. This croissant was a delight to devour, and only needed a more elaborate presentation to compete with other intricate desserts lining the shelves of this bakery.

Rating: 9/10

Mixed Berries Crème Brûlée: $8.49

In an attempt at recreating a famous French delicacy, Paris Baguette’s mixed berries crème brûlée is  flawless in appearance. The dessert is served in a small glass bowl with berries lining its surface, ultimately looking like the type of dessert that would be posted on social media for its sheer beauty.

However, the berries did not distract from how the brûlée layer of the dessert did not appear very authentic. The cream was lightly roasted, but not enough to create a “burnt-like” texture that the delicacy is known to have, and the mixed berries ultimately overpowered the taste of the crème brûlée. 

With its strategic blend of cream, jam and fruit, the treat’s presentation and taste are both satisfyingly unique. But if what one wants is authenticity, they will unfortunately not find it with the crème brûlée.

Rating: 6.5/10

OVERALL: 8/10

$$/$$$

Serving popular French delicacies and providing an Americanized imitation of cafés in Paris, Paris Baguette goes above and beyond in terms of its menu and aesthetics. As seen in some menu items, the café does have holes with its authenticity, and will fall short of expectations if a genuine French pastry is what you desire. However, if you’re craving a modernized French-styled atmosphere, Paris Baguette is the perfect pit stop.

Gallery • 4 Photos

The cafe's interior | Sarah Liu