[CLOSED] Rive Gauche Patisserie (CityLink Mall)

Quite a nice one although it didn't live up to expectations. Quite expensive for a small slice of cake. I like it that there are more mousse than cake and a nice layer of crunch below the cake. However it is not very rich and chocolatey.

Reasonable price with bits of the cake, best is to share it between 2 people!

I have longed to devour a rive gauche guanaja cake fully .

When I meant fully - I meant all by myself .

I haven't found the perfect opportunity because paying 7 dollars for a cake ( that looks so slim) isn't something that I can convince myself to do ( all thanks to my internal programming system that has set a limit for various expenses whether food , clothes , shoes etc )

My default Budget for a slice of cake is 5.50 no matter how good it may look.

Finally found an excuse to get this cake because of the cake and coffee / tea set at 7 dollars . For 7 dollars , I now get a cake and an extremely well brewed Americano . For once , I could convince myself to sit and enjoy an afternoon tea set in tai tai style 😛.

In fact, I must say that I enjoyed the Americano better than the guanaja. The cake was a little too sweet for me and fell short of my expectations. I had hoped for a stronger chocolate flavour to come through but the sweetness was quite a knockout. The base of the cake was supposed to be crisp and light to add a contrast to the somewhat heavier and creamy top . Unfortunately , the base was more chewy than crispy.

The coffee was however smooth and strong.

Quite a pity given that the cake should have taken centrestage.

While not anything outstanding or worth dying for, these pretty sundaes are really affordable ($7ish I believe) and decent enough to satisfy any sudden sweet craving. I'd say go for the Guanaja one cause well, their signature cake's in there, and the contrast between a dense, moist, chocolate cake and a light smooth Hokkaido milk ice cream's always good. The Strawberry Shortcake came with bits of really dry and tough 'cake', so I'd advise against that unless you're a huge fan of strawberry syrup. Don't head down expecting the world, and you'll find yourself enjoying a simple sweet treat. Note that only their CityLink outlet does these sundaes and coffee, so pop on by if you're around the area!

Tucked between boutiques along the citylink connector, this little Rive Gauche outlet (comprising one refrigerated case and two small tables) is easy to miss.

Their signature Guanaja ($7/slice) is a cake that one can never get enough of. The light sponge, punctuated by layers of mousse is sandwiched between a shiny layer of rich dark chocolate ganache on top, and a crispy hazelnut base made of cornflake crumbs below. The flavor is well-balanced; though rich, the cake remains pleasantly light in terms of texture, which leaves one craving more down to the last bite.

Due to the low human traffic here, they have many promotions worth capitalizing on:
1. Tea set ($6): one slice of cake and tea/coffee. Top up 50 cents for a latte.
2. Daily promo: All slices of cakes for $5 (not too sure if this is still available)

In conclusion, though Rive Gauche can be found in many places, this branch has a quiet charm that'll definitely bring me back!

Rive Gauche Patisserie has a new outlet at Citylink Mall, and it's also probably the first outlet that features a dine-in area for the cakes. Seemingly new here is also the offering of soft-serve; only a single flavour is available though with multiple flavour combinations (there's a Banana and also an Affogato as well), and it's made from Hokkaido Milk by Yotsuba Milk Products in Japan.

First taste reveals a smooth soft serve that's pretty milky, though the flavour fades as the cool temperature settles in the mouth. The strawberries variant sees nuts, cornflakes, strawberry chunks and strawberry sauce; the chunks of strawberries gives it some bite and tart flavour while the strawberry sauce gives that level of sweetness and flavour reminiscent to McDee's strawberry sundae (it's a staple in my life over all these years ever since McDee's started selling them). The nuts give it a crunch, while the cornflakes lay at the bottom to provide more to crunch. Portion could probably feed two pax, unless you are pretty much like me and can open a second stomach for desserts 😂

(PS: as much as this is meant to be a takeaway item, would probably appreciate if they could change the plastic disposable bowls they use for the item. Sure, it's easy to hold, but the base is so narrow one would have to hold onto it even when eating at a table before it topples on the heavier end due to the weight imbalance.)