It has been a good four months since the highly anticipated pastry shop, Tout Sweet opened in Macy’s Union Square. Pastry Chef Yigit Pura won over the hearts of many, including mine during his run and eventual win on the first season of Top Chef: Just Desserts back in 2010. Excited and proud for the hometown chef, we San Franciscans had been waiting patiently for his next big move and Tout Sweet opened with a bang. Within the first few weeks of opening in September I went in for a taste 5 separate times. If you’re looking for a bit of Paris, this is the place to go.
The clean modern white space is the backdrop for shelves of confections packaged in bright magenta and purple and a glass counter displays exquisitely crafted desserts and morning pastries. Enjoy your sweets at a table by the wall-to-wall window that overlooks the bustling Union Square. For those who have visited the pastry shops in Paris, the style is very much like Pierre Herme’s shop on Rue Vaugirard, so airy and bright. I mention the 15th arrondisement shop in particular because the rest of the shops are quite a lot darker and smaller.
The attention to the design of the packaging maybe seem a bit over-the-top but is the norm in Paris. After all, pastry is art for these chefs and to be wrapped in a beautiful box is only fitting. Patisseries des Reves near the Bon Marche in Paris has a similar packaging style, though a much softer pink. I do love the individual triangle boxes that both shops have.
Colorful macaron towers at the entryway invite you into the sweets wonderland.
I’ll start off with my favorite of the whole line, La Vida Pura. The layers are beautifully constructed. It starts with a coconut cake base that’s moist and sweet. Sitting on top of that is a layer of pineapple that’s candied in-house and has beautiful flecks of vanilla bean. It is my favorite part of the whole cake. On top of that is a tangy passion fruit cream layer that contrasts nicely with the sweet pineapple.
Second favorite goes to the 5th Element. It tastes as good as it looks. The white speckly texture is achieved by spraying the whole dessert with I believe, a combination of white chocolate and cocoa butter. It is very much on trend right now for Parisian desserts and I do think it gives a nice effect. I also love the dome with the dip, the perfect spot for a fresh raspberry that’s filled with raspberry jam.
The inside is a classic French sponge cake, the vanilla genoise with a raspberry cream core and domed with an oolong tea infused white chocolate mousse. This leans more sweet than the La Vida Pura with just a hint of tang from the raspberry cream.
Can’t have a patisserie without macarons! I had a taste of the macaron line prior to the store opening and was really impressed with the interesting flavors. As I write this now, Yigit is unveiling a new line of flavors this week so I’ll have to try them out. Each macaron is named after someone special in his life. Adorable right? I’ve heard some rumblings on Yelp (which I use with caution) about the consistency but in the couple of times I’ve had them, I didn’t have any issues and I am picky. I still consider Yigit’s macarons as close as any I’d find in Paris.
This stunning Tesla Tart has been the popular pick and I agree that it is delicious though not my #1 simply because La Vida Pura has the sweet pineapple which I can’t get enough of. This tart is a true Parisian classic with a thin sweet crust and tart pastry cream filling. Yigit takes it one step further by incorporating three citrus fruits in his curd: Meyer lemon, yuzu (a Japanese citrus) and passion fruit. The tart is adorned with passionfruit seeds and a homemade toasted marshmallow.
If you are local and able to frequent the patisserie as much as I am, the seasonal creations are worth a taste. Above is a pumpkin custard tart with candied lemon wedge, pumpkin seed brittle and a smear of toasted marshmallow. I love pumpkin and this custard is like the sophisticated older sister of the pumpkin pie. Delicious.
If you are not into the really fancy desserts, there is also a selection of morning pastries and smaller bites including a Nutella-stuffed brioche bun, maple bacon scone and this financier shown above. It’s a moist dense cake with toasted hazelnuts and candied orange. I think I just like anything that Yigit candies and adds for garnish. The orange really was a nice addition. On the right is a hot chocolate that I had one of my five visits.
Lastly, the gougere. It is on par with the gougeres I’ve had at Tartine and Craftsman & Wolves, cheesy, crispy brown exterior and slightly chewy on the inside. And if you really like gougere, you can get it as a sandwich with a sous vide egg inside. It was fall when I had this so there was cabbage inside as well but it can change depending on the season. It is a very filling sandwich. I could have actually done without the cabbage and just had gougere, egg and maybe some more melted cheese. 🙂 Perhaps I should not have only eaten cereal for dinner.
Sweetness in a box ready to go.
Yigit really shines the most with this individual desserts and can’t wait to see what comes next. He did mention working on a religeuse so I hope to see it soon!
Tout Sweet Patisserie at Macy’s Union Square
Geary Street Entrance, 3rd Floor
170 O’Farrell Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
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