Patisserie Bluejay — Restaurant in Arcadia

A small newly opened patisserie by what seems like a young couple. The deep blue sign initially makes you think you've gone to the wrong store, but in fact this is the right one.

Their offerings seem to mostly change on the daily, with some options seemingly more permanent like the canele, cookies, and punch puff (a cream puff where the outside is crispy).

We ordered a few items, namely: 1. Oolong peach cake slice, the passion fruit cake slice, a black sesame double cheese cake slice, the punch puff, and a regular canele.

Oolong peach cake - The oolong flavour is very present, and the peach fruit layer is very refreshing. I was not a big fan of the cream in this case (felt like the filling cream was messing with the strong tea & refreshing peach flavour), but my girlfriend really liked the combo.

Passion fruit cake - I loved this one. All parts of the cake was refreshing and tasty. Most of the cream on the cake slice is also fruit flavored and makes it feel much better to consume. The passion fruit layer is also great. Definitely our favourite cake of the three we had.

Black sesame double cheese cake - This is a soft cheesecake. It you prefer a harder cheesecake, this is not it. You can definitely taste the ground black sesame in the cheese, but feels like some of that sesame flavour is missing? Our least favourite of the 3 cakes. We both prefer more solid cheese cakes though, so we could be biased.

Punch puff - Great. I'm generally not a big fan of cream puffs as I find the cream too filling and the pastry too willing to fall apart, but this one has a great filling that balances being sweet and light, while also having a great vanilla custard flavour. It was so easy to cut in half that I was surprised. The outer layer is also very sturdy, yet somehow super easy & crisp to bite through. Feels a bit like magic. Even though I don't buy cream puffs, I would get this again.

Canele - We got the regular flavour. The outside layer feels very firm, but that disappears once you cut into it. The inside is so soft and moist I almost thought I was cutting through a cream filling. I genuinely really love how the crispy outside pairs with the soft inside. The sweetness level is also perfect, you can taste the sugar, but it's enough where you don't feel bad eating it. Well balanced and great. I'm curious about the other canele flavours now. This is both of our's favourite item. We are 100% buying another one when we come again. My only regret here is that it's not bigger so I can have more per bite. :)

Price wise, the total was $27. I think the price is fine ranging from $4 to $7 for each item. Although the portions are smaller than other cake stores, I think some of the items are extremely worth the bit of "artisanal bakery" tax you pay.

The interior is fine. I don't think the expectation is for you to sit down and eat it in the store. There's a few tables and chairs, but this is very much a "buy it and bring it home to eat" place.

They also were doing a sample of their matcha cookie while we were there. Sadly it wasn't to our taste, but it's great that they do sampling. Not sure if it will continue forever.

No online ordering as of yet as I think they're focused on improving their product line-ups and brick 'n mortar store experience, but it will come someday.

Service isn't perfect as they seem a bit inexperienced in handling customers/anticipating their needs. But it's a small, local, and newly opened bakery! I think it's fine as they've just recently opened, and it gives the store a sense of personality as it tries to differentiate themselves from the other stores.

We will be...

Im a big fan for patisserie and Asian flavors. I’m constantly looking for new dessert and bakeries in the LA Valley — I’m glad theres now an option in Arcadia.

I got three different cakes and a canele, with a total of $27, which is honestly a great price! Canele: The canele is crunchy on the outside and tender inside. I personally prefer a slightly thicker/harder shell, but I like their version too!

Osmanthus pear cake: I love the fragrant tea jelly on top. It’s so refreshing as a summer dessert! The pear is super yummy too, and pairs well with the tea.

Guava Strawberry Cake: Guava is not gonna be everyone’s thing — but it’s so good! It has a strong punch and the texture is grainy, almost like jam, you can taste the guava fiber in it (which I love). The strawberry is tart and goes well with the guava.

Barley Tea Tofu Cake: I love tofu and you can taste it in the layer. If you don’t like the aftertaste of tofu/soybean this one might not be for you. Was slightly disappointed by the Barley tea, I think overall it’s too sweet and I could hardly get the tea flavor. I think it needs something with more bitterness and depth like matcha.

Overall the flavors are all super delicious, but one things I’d like to suggest is the texture of all the cream/mousse used in the cakes. It’s too gelatin-like! I know it might be for the setting of the cakes, but it really is a pity because I’m expecting melt-in-your-mouth cream & mousse, but the gelatin makes the whole cake like it’s encased in a block of jelly. It also decreases the contrasts of the layers. I would really like to taste distinct differences of the whipped cream / mousse / chiffon / jam / jelly.

With that being said, I’m def gonna go back and try the cream puff and other non-mousse...

I've been coming to Patisserie Bluejay for many months now, and it's now my go-to place to order birthday cakes! They've switched to a preorder model as of Sept 2024, so it's best to DM them on insta (@ patisserie.bluejay) for cakes!

My cake preferences are usually not too sweet, light and fruity, and not too heavy with cream. Patisserie Bluejay cakes are my ideal.

However my absolute favorite item here is the black sesame cookie - perfectly nutty and not too sweet! Their milk tea cookie is also fantastic (and usually sells out early).

I've tried a variety of cakes and other pastries here, and have shared them with many others. I've noticed it's really down to personal preference on what is best - so you really can't go wrong with whatever catches your eye!

I love the lychee rose and mango yuzu cakes. Their caneles are my mom's favorite. And their cream puffs are always...