Yuzu-Patisserie

Yuzu-​Patisserie is flat out amazing. The pastries are absolutely first rate, some with surprising flavors, but all outstanding. The owner/​pastry chef is Cynthia Pierce, and she does special orders as well as the pastries shown in the display cases. For my birthday last month, she made a Chocolate Brown Sugar Pound Cake, and everyone around table loved it. For breakfasts, or tea time, or special occasions, this is a great source of excellent treats.

Oh yes please! A simple but splendid drink menu, pour over coffee and tea with gourmet pastries. Houses in one of my favorite galleries, The Cotton Mill Galleries, Yuzu-​Patisseries shares quarters with the incredible ceramics artist Akira Satake {husband to the shop owner}. This European-​style bakery and coffee house, enhances its products with Japanese ingredients like matcha, ginger, satsumaimo and, of course, yuzu {an aromatic citrus fruit for which the shop is named}.
Ceramics from the surrounding shop are used for cream, coffee and pastry plates and they’re currently using beans from a factory in San Fransisco for the coffee. Whatever it is, it’s delicious, they certainly know how to make a fantastic pour over here! $ 2.00 for a coffee or tea, but bring your own mug and they’ll charge only $ 1.50! You won’t find a latte or mocha, they reserve the «fance» for the pastries, I’m talking rhubarb bear claws, gluten free matcha almond tuiles, Paris-​brest with caramelized almond pastry cream and of course the ginger twist. They’ve got a whole sampling area, so you be sure to want to buy everything when you’re finished tasting! There’s not much room to sit inside the shop, but DO peruse the galleries AND if you’ve still got something to sip, enjoy the small, earthy, outdoor garden areas.

We initially visited to see and purchase the pottery by Akira Satake, but found this amazing pastry counter inside. The pastries and tea are worth a trip to Cotton Mills Studio in the River Arts District all by themselves. The small selection of pastries is well-​curated. They are handcrafted and clearly require technique: a masterful, elegant and balanced approach. The texture of each is superb. The ginger twists are at once crunchy, chewy and light. Today’s olive oil and summer peach cake was splendid — moist, delicate and flavorful without any one element overpowering the others. Enjoy these reasonably priced treats with one of several teas on offer. We had a lovely time sampling these, sipping a wonderful green tea, and exploring the pottery — several adorned with beautiful ikebana by Sayto, the shop manager.

Run do not walk to this delightful bake shop set in her husband Akira’s art gallery in the Cottonmill Studio building in the river arts district. Cynthia is an amazing artist with pastries and everything yummy! Her recipes are with the most interesting ingredients, some of which include: ginger twists fresh strawberry brownies, lemon/​lime macaroons, almond cream brioche slices, rhubarb vanilla scones, pecan shortbreads and these bad boy cherry, pecan and Three Graces goat cheese pastries… and it doesn’t stop there!
Her prices are crazy inexpensive, unlike some of the downtown bakeries that charge the price of a meal for a dessert. I can not say enough good things about this delightful Patisserie.