From eclairs to tarts at patisserie by Garuharu

Yun Eun-young, pastry chef of the now-defunct Eclair by Garuharu, amassed a following with her sumptuous repertoire of eclairs and macarons for over three years before moving onto her next act. 

Now, at her new perch in Yeoksam-dong, the prominent pastry chef, who studied at the Paris-based Ecole Lenotre, is proving her prowess in other things sweet. 

“This location opened this February,” chef Lee Hwa-jin, 26, said of Patisserie by Garuharu, a small eight-seat spot that represents Yun’s latest endeavor. 

Located next to Pastry Studio by Garuharu, where Yun teaches dessert classes, Patisserie by Garuharu serves up gorgeous tarts, glossy mousse cakes, financiers, galettes, sables, a sculptural riff of the brownie and, of course, eclairs, in a minimal space with white and grey marble counters and grey flooring. 

The monochromatic color palette emphasizes Yun’s vibrant line-up of treats, which are not only Insta-worthy but are also incredibly toothsome, slowly unfurling addictive combinations of flavors and textures without going overboard.

For instance, the tart cafe, which Lee admits is one of her favorites, is a beautiful study in subtlety and restraint. 

Lee revealed there are three basic components to this dessert -- a buttery, crunchy tart shell with a hint of salinity, a granular, bitter and nutty coffee-infused almond cream and a top layer of incredibly thick coffee cream.

When combined into one bite, that crisp, near flaky richness is balanced by bitter notes of coffee, which are in turn tempered by cool cream and fragrant almond. 

Other tarts, like the shop’s popular double vanilla tart are equally scrumptious.

The smooth, silken and sweet top layer of mousse is crafted with white chocolate and vanilla.

The crust, which is also used in a delicious passion fruit caramel tart as well, is nutty and crunchy, deriving both its textures and flavors from a coconut streusel, buttery, uber-thin layers of puff pastry and a caramelized white chocolate.

Lee revealed that the puff pastry and coconut streusel are crushed and combined with the caramelized white chocolate to create a delicious tart crust.

Coconut streusel makes a delicious appearance again in a coconut mousse cake appropriately called Coco, which pairs a vanilla and white chocolate mousse with passion fruit cream and that coconut streusel.

Another mousse cake called Amour pairs a pistachio mousse with cherries and a crunchy layer created by crushing pastry flakes called feuilletine and combining them with chocolate.   

There are also desserts of the day, which can be seasonal or new, and, Lee revealed plans are to soon add both a strawberry and an Earl Grey eclair to the line-up.

Patisserie by Garuharu

670-17, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

(02) 538-8090

Open noon to 8 p.m. daily, closed Sundays and Mondays

Cakes, tarts and cookies cost 2,500 won to 8,500 won, coffee and lattes cost 5,000 won to 5,500 won

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)