Ruelo Patisserie — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

Disclaimer, I've never been inside the store myself or purchased anything but I did receive some cakes as a present so I thought I'd post some photos and reviews the cakes themselves here. However, I cannot attest to the store itself (i.e. environment, vibes, cleanliness, customer service, etc).

I recieved four mini cakes (which according to the website are $7+ each). I'll add descriptions and reviews along the way as I try them.

Mango Almond - this cake has three main components being a mango mousse exterior, filled with almond paste, laid on top of a cookie base. The overall dessert was a tad sweet but I absolutely loved the mango mousse which was done perfectly, especially the soft texture and bright flavor. The crunch of the cookie on the bottom contrasts the cake's creaminess, adding complexity to the texture of the whole dessert (4.5 out of 5.0 stars)

Raspberry chocolate - this cake has three main components being a raspberry exterior, filled with chocolate mousse, laid on top of a crunchy cookie base. The overall dessert was extremely sweet, too sweet, making it overwhelming especially if you were enjoying it on your own. I enjoyed the raspberry portion of this cake because it was lighter and the tangy notes contrasted the rich chocolate notes (3.5 out of 5.0 stars)

Rose lychee raspberry - I really enjoyed this mini cake! Similar to the the make of their other cakes, this cake has three main components - a lychee mousse exterior, raspberry interior, laid on a crunchy cookie base which was actually savoury when eaten alone but helps elevate the other flavors when enjoyed together. Thanks to the tart and bright flavors of lychee and raspberry, this treat was perfectly sweet. Overall, a very unique choice (4.8 out of 5.0 stars)

Hazelnut - this was one of my favorites of the four mini cakes that I've tried from Ruelo. This was vastly different from the others, as it was layers of cake and mousse (but less creamy) laid on a slightly crunchy base. To top it all off, this cake was generously dusted with cocoa powder, which helped to balance the sweetness level, perfect (since my biggest criticism of their cakes is that they're too sweet). My first thought was actually, "this tastes like Ferroro Rocher!" (4.8 out of 5.0 stars)

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2024 Update: the quality of Ruelo cakes have significantly decreased, particularly their signature Ruelo and their ice cream cakes. Their ice cream cakes used to be very creamy and thick, truly quality ice cream. Recently we got an ice cream cake and it was just icy. Very disappointed especially since it is so pricy. Their signature Ruelo is much shorter/thinner than before, the chocolate mousse layer was thinned significantly (most of their cakes have been thinned). Even the chocolate glaze covering the cake is more watery. I get it costs are high and shrinkflation happens, the decrease in quality/taste too noticeable. I don’t think I’ll be returning to Ruelo.

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I've been a pretty loyal Ruelo customer for years. This is my usual go-to patisserie to get cakes for our special occasions. Their cakes are on the pricey side, but they are very unique and some of the flavours are very good--their innovation is worth the price in my opinion. However, they do have some flavours that are misses. My favourites are the Ruelo (very chocolaty), Guava pear jasmine (quite light), Mango almond (quite light), and Rose lychee (this one is on the sweet side). My friend who likes green tea flavours really likes the green tea sesame ice cream cake and the green tea red bean sesame cake--they are not too sweet. I'm not a fan of the strawberry yuzu (yuzu flavor too overpowering) and the pistachio blackcurrant (just... weird).

Their danishes are also delicious but I don't see them selling danishes anymore.

Their macarons are good but overpriced IMO. You can get macarons of similar quality from Amadeus patisserie for a...

I haven't had Ruelo in years and almost forgot they still exist! Recently I've had cakes from Daango, Patisseurie Fleur, & Duo so was looking for a change. Decided to pay this old stranger a visit! . Their online ordering system is so easy and convenient! I love being able to order online, pay in advance and pick up. Every bakery should have this option!! I needed a cake for my husband's birthday and he loves pistachio so naturally I went for the pistachio black currant cake. It sounded perfect because he loves pistachio/anything nutty and I love anything tangy. The cake was good as the black currant was tangy the way I like cake (sweet and sour), there's also a layer of chocolate cake which is another favourite of mine. HOWEVER, the pistachio flavour was almost non existent. I could see pistachio used in the crust but it was overpowered by a pungent almond flavour. The crust texture was great: crispy & crumbly. But I couldn't get over the overpowering taste of almonds! It was soo pungent that it overpowered all the other flavours of the cake and I'm not sure it goes very well together. There was no mention in the description of almonds either. Might as well have named it almond black currant cake although the cake was false advertised ishhhh, it was still good and their cakes are prettier than I remember! Will still try their other cakes for other occasions, especially want to try the...