RUELO PATISSERIE – CLOSED

Ruelo opened their second location near Yonge and Eglinton over a year ago offering Asian inspired macaron (ie. yuzu, green tea and wasabi) and cake flavours. Since La Bamboche closed their Manor St. location, I’ve been stopping by Ruelo more for my dessert needs. Recently, I ordered a birthday cake from them for the BF’s birthday and while pricey, we enjoyed the sesame, green tea and red bean treat. When I saw a Groupon offer of tea for two for $27, I didn’t hesitate to make the purchase.

I called ahead to book a time for us. Tea seatings were available every hour from 1pm to 6pm.  There are limited seats so it’s necessary to call ahead. Ruelo is also closed on Mondays and they do not have an answering machine. I found the easiest time to get ahold of them was around 11am.

When we arrived, we greeted the girl behind the counter and told her of our reservation. She directed us to pick out a tea from their wall of Kusmi Teas. There was a wide selection of green and black teas with sample tins to smell. I chose the Prince Vladimir, a fruity black tea with hints of vanilla. We sat at a table and the girl brought over our teas and instructions on when to stop the steep. A timer would’ve helped. Also I could see the tea steeping on the counter for awhile before they were brought over the timing would’ve been off.

Overall the service was unenthusiastic. There was only the one girl and it was hard to get her attention to refill hot water. It almost seemed like she avoided eye contact. We were done out first cup of tea before the tray of snacks arrived.

In terms of food, everything was good and there were a few stand outs like the quiche that was flakey and rich. I liked the bottom savoury plate the best, which is usually the case at High Tea. The salmon and shrimp tartines were good. I would’ve loved a bigger serving of clotted cream with the scones, but maybe that’s best for my diet. The scones themselves were buttery and airy. I was a little disappointed by the top layer. The creme brulee was decent and the loaf cake, but the mousse cake didn’t hold up through the meal. By the time we got to the top layer, the mousse had started to soak the macarons. A different cake was served at the table next to us and it looked much more appetizing.

Generally, all the baked goods are Ruelo range from good to great, the service was a bit lacking. If they do continue with High Tea service this would be an area that could use some attention.