Le Beau Croissanterie
Le Beau Croissanterie purveys immaculately presented viennoiserie and pastries created by a classically trained pastry chef.
You'll also find chocolate, coffee, tea, and some light brunch and lunch options here.
The beauty of the offerings is equalled only by their surroundings: a high-ceilinged, minimalist environment with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ten options for viennoiserie include croissants, a danish and a kouign amann.
All are made with organic flour and over 30 per cent butter content so they're light, flaky and crispy with huge air bubbles inside.
A sour cherry and extra bitter dark chocolate croissant ($5) is filled with a house sour cherry coulis.
A kouign amann ($4.50) is essentially a croissant baked in a special mold with sugar on top that creates a sweet and sticky crust.
The pistachio marzipan croissant ($5) is filled with a house pistachio marzipan.
The gianduja praline croissant ($5.50) is filled with a house hazelnut paste that feels like a very luxurious Nutella.
A selection of packaged "rocks" are kind of like high-end OMGs, with options like caramelized chocolate with roasted macadamia and almonds, or strawberry chocolate with yogurt and berry crisps.
They also sell French chocolate in varieties like yuzu, strawberry and almond, to which ingredients like orange, ginger and nuts are added.
Signature pastries include The Hazel ($7.75), a spongy layered toasted hazelnut cake with salted caramel glazed with a milk chocolate coating and topped with an airy, perfectly piped caramel chantilly and a single hazelnut.
The Calamansi ($7.25) is a take on a lemon tart, a sturdy pate sable filled with a bright calamansi cremeux and topped with a house vanilla namelaka truffle and tarragon powder.
A tasting platter ($19) is ideal if you want to try a little of everything, as it includes a mini version of almost every signature pastry, as well as three kinds of pate fruit, two kinds of rocks, and a sample of chocolate.
A bostock ($8) is more of a brunch-type option, French brioche soaked in fragrant orange blossom syrup and a touch of rum then baked with almond pastry cream on top.
Finished off with powdered sugar, sliced almond and lime zest, it's served with a house mango passion fruit confiture and vanilla mascarpone chantilly cream.
You can also get a butter croissant stuffed with smoked turkey, Gruyere, sprouts, cucumber and radish for $9.
Tea pairings for desserts by Camellia Sinensis include green sencha, jasmine, black, white, chai, lychee peony green tea and Earl Grey cream.
Coffee is provided by local roaster Propeller, with options for espresso beverages as well as drip.
There's also a rich, velvety white hot chocolate topped with a house vanilla bean marshmallow and freeze dried raspberry powder.
Hector Vasquez