Lysée — Restaurant in New York

When I ate at Jungsik many moons ago, I fell in love with the desserts crafted by the talented Pastry Chef Eunji Lee. Her baby banana dessert was a signature at Jungsik for years. And as an Asian American and Francophile, I especially enjoyed her incorporation of Asian flavors using French techniques. Therefore when I heard she left to open her own pastry shop Lysée, I had to make a stop to check it out when I visited New York.

Lysée is a two-level pastry boutique. The first level is a dine-in cafe with a private dining nook and a demonstration counter. The space is airy, bright, and elegant. Upstairs is the showroom, where pastries, cakes, tarts, and sweets are displayed all day. The menu is divided into collections of patisserie, viennoiserie, gâteaux de voyage, and homemade drinks.

Patisserie currently includes: Lysée (signature mousse cake in the shape of the shop's logo); Corn (signature corn mousse cake); Flatiron (a Saint Honoré choux dessert); Petit Jardin (pineapple-Thai basil-coconut-calamansi cream tart); V.I.C. (chocolate layered cake); and Pluot Tart (seasonal plum tart with oolong cremeux). Patisserie items range from $15-18.

Viennoiserie currently includes: Full Moon (croissant filled with homemade hazelnut and chocolate spread); Corn Brioche (French soft milk bread with corn cremeux); and Kouign Amann. Items range from $6.50-6.90.

Gâteaux de Voyage currently includes: Lysée Cake Collection; Lysée Gâteaux Collection; Yuja Cake; Marble Cake; Chocolate Shortbread Box; Experimental Shortbread Box; Pecan Financier; Teddy Bear Duo; Milk Chocolate Banana Cookie; and Lysée Granola. Items in this collection range from $5-40.

Finally, the homemade drinks currently include Lysée Signature Latte ($8), Herbed Calamansi Juice ($10), and Lysée Signature Brown Rice Milk ($9). The menu also has a few tea selections, coffee (sourced from Coffee Project NY), and some specialty drinks like Sejak green tea, Balhyo black tea, Magnolia brown rice green tea, and burdock root.

My friend and I came around 2:30pm and were luckily the first in line at the time. We were quoted for a 20-minute wait, but it was actually only a 10-minute wait. We ordered the Petit Jardin, V.I.C., and Plutot Tart, and we each ordered a Signature Brown Rice Milk. Unfortunately, Lysée and Corn were both sold out by then. If you're keen to try those two (the most popular items in the Patisserie Collection), be sure to come earlier when they open at noon. I've heard and seen long lines right before they open, but you are guaranteed to secure the more requested items if you go earlier in the day.

Each patisserie is made with such imagination, artistry, and tastefulness. I loved the V.I.C. or Very Important Chocolate Cake. It's their version of a chocolate layered cake but rather than a traditionally heavy chocolate cake, this one is composed of delicate layers of dark chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse, and a caramel seasoned with Timut peppercorns. I also loved the Petit Jardin, as the flavors of pineapple and Thai basil really pop. Even the homemade brown rice milk was delicious with its toasty notes of brown rice infused milk, vanilla bean, and sea salt.

The playfulness and ingenuity of Chef Eunji Lee come through in every single pastry, cake, and tart she creates. I find that these pastries and desserts have a certain whimsical and refined quality that is unmatched elsewhere. Highly, highly recommend a stop at this beautiful...

This Korean and French fusion pastry boutique is truly presenting us with edible art. The second floor is a little museum with a go-to order section and the first floor is the sit-down cafe. The interior is minimalistic and the environment matches with the desserts.

The desserts are all precisely measured. All the flavors were distinct with an unexpected twist. We loved how bold they were with adding salt.

We ordered: Lysée ($17) — 9/10 Our fav. We expected something citrusy and heavy, but the it was completely different! The thick brown rice caramel mousse was so light and smooth with a very subtle vanilla flavor. The centre featured a pecan and praline multi-layered sablé (shortbread) instead of a moist cake. The layers were dense, nutty, crispy, and sprinkled with crunchy sea salt flakes (it reminded us of fancy granola!).

VIC, Very Important Chocolate Cake ($15) — 8.5/10 An incredibly rich chocolate cake, VIC indeed. The body of the cake was densely packed with thin, EVEN layers of bittersweet dark chocolate mousse and sponge cake. The cake was rich in flavors and depth but not overwhelming. We loved the smooth finish that lingered after each bite, and the slightly bitter aftertaste. The bottom layer was surprisingly crunchy and crispy. Definitely super chocolatey.

Corn Mousse Cake($18)— 7.5/10 Very distinct, heavy smoky corn flavor! In fact, the cake’s flavor almost resembles more of a savory grilled corn than a sweet corn. The cake has a thick layer of light corn mousse with a contrasting caramelly, nutty, and crispy sablé centre. The taste is very specific so might not be the best choice if you’re only ordering 1 dessert from Lysée.

One thing to note is that the service wasn’t on par with their desserts. You can only stay for an hour. They book the reservations back to back and will tell you to leave once an hour passes. The servers also weren’t really informed on the bakery. When we asked them what the logo meant or more details on the desserts, it was disappointing that they didn’t know the answers.

Remember that you have to reserve a spot 1-2...

Here is what I ordered:

Herbed Calamansi

I tasted a delightful blend of basil and citrus, with a lingering herbal essence that wasn't overly sweet.

V.I.C. (VERY IMPORTANT CHOCOLATE CAKE)

V.I.C was a dark chocolate cake features a sponge cake core, abundant layers of dark chocolate mousse. I think the top layer made with Chocolate Crèmeux.

It had a soft texture and rich cocoa. I also carefully counted how many layers it had while eating. There were 13 layers from the bottom to the top!

After eating, I need to drink a glass of water to reduce the sweetness and concentration of chocolate mousse in my mouth.

STRAWBERRY TART

It was an outstanding creation. The surface features a Rhubarb Gelé mixed with strawberry juice, reminiscent of the juices of the white flesh of a strawberry.

Additionally, there were many thinly sliced strawberries and each of them about 0.5cm from the skin which showcasing the sweetest part of the strawberry. A touch of honey gave it a glossy finish.

The filling consists of a layer of strawberry jam and almond cream, while the base and exterior offer the crunchiest and most delectable parts, reminiscent of the aroma and sweetness of puff pastry. Lysee also designed a lemon tart, which I believe would be equally delightful.

CORN

Corn as one of the popular selections on the feature menu. It wasn't my favor, but its visual appeal was undeniable.

It came adorned with two white chocolate leaves, sprinkled with cornmeal to create a velvety texture. I suspected that it shaped with corn cream and a slightly roasted corn crumble mixed into the mousse as filling.

It also accompanied by some biscuits. When you take a spoonful and put it in your mouth, the smoothness of the mousse will be the first wave, followed by the sensation of cornmeal and crumbles near the throat.

Finally, you bit into a small piece of biscuit which interrupting the smooth...