Kyle W.
Yelp
This is a somewhat hidden gem patisserie located in Capitol Hill, primarily focusing on croissants as well as other baked goods. I came here on a rainy Sunday morning, 1 minute before opening, and I was the first one in line. Maybe it was a slow day, but people slowly trickled in after I made my purchase. Noticing that there are three weekend-only items, I decided to try them all: Ham & Gruyere Croissant, Black Sesame Kouign Amann, and Pistachio Croissant.
Ham & Gruyere Croissant ($6.85): savory, quite airy, a little bit buttery. The ham is not really the deli ham that I loathe; it is somewhat smoky and lightly salted. This was somewhat filling, but definitely pricey.
Black Sesame Kouign Amann ($4.35): There is a very strong black sesame flavor, and there are many layers like the croissant. While it is tiny, it is quite sweet.
The Pistachio Croissant ($6.00): This is the item that most people rave about, and I think this is the best item of the 3 I got. Every bite is so flaky and definitely yields a lot of crumbs (name checks out), and it is also slightly buttery. The pistachio inside, although not that much, enhances the flavor of the croissant. They do have a chocolate version of the pistachio croissant that I opted out of getting, which was a good call, as the taste of the pistachio is quite subtle in this original variation.
Overall, the pastries are very delicious. I took off a star for a bad first impression due to a bad tone of "do you have a mask" which can be said in a better way, and the fact that I have to go out of my way to ask for a receipt because they do not tell you how much it is total, and to just tell me to insert a credit card in a hidden area to the right of the cashier. I ended up getting the receipt through text (they cannot print it out) and got a slight sticker shock but the pastries are somewhat worth the value they charge. I am also not a fan that they tacked on a mandatory 15% service charge on top of the total.