Hey, Charming!
Did you know Gaga's in town? No, I don't mean the famous singer of "Poker Face."
I'm talking about the bakery-cafe, GaGa Cakes, which opened neighbours to Superfine inside Seventeen Mall, Seksyen 17.
If you haven't already visited or heard about the place, read on to find out my review on it.
GaGa Cakes opened its doors to the public in December last year when lockdown restrictions were more relaxed. Back then, the number of Covid cases in the country wasn't sky-high as today. Unfortunately, since then, multiple Movement Control Orders (MCO) have been announced and have come and passed. Like many other cafes suffering the blow of prolonged lockdown, patrons to GaGa have diminished significantly.
A shame, considering the bakery's trendy and eye-catching decor. Much like its sister branch, Superfine, GaGa Cakes' interior screams modernistic retro vibes. It is impossible to miss the signature bright neon lights, lush green velvety sofas, chequered-tile floors, and dark single-tone walls of the space.
GaGa Cakes offers a decent selection of cakes and tarts but limited choices for bread, mostly sourdough. Prices were average; a slice of cake or one medium tart costs around RM15 - RM20 whereas whole cakes (9'') can go for about RM130 - RM180. Some intriguing items from their menu were the Lemon Coconut cake, Pistachio Paris-Brest, and the Caramel Chocolate Banana Tart. The rest of it was more common classics.
I must say, GaGa Cakes managed to pull a challenging (yet rewarding when done right) feat of making their desserts look visually irresistible, borderline heavenly. I confess that much of my purchase then and there was motivated more by aesthetics than flavour. But the actual taste of the treats also did not disappoint.
After consulting GaGa's staff on their various offerings, feeling generous, I ordered to go the SuperGaga Box of 4 which include one Lime Cake, one Chrysanthemum Strawberry Shortcake, one Pistachio Paris-Brest (a customer favorite which I was excited to try), and a Lemon Tart (another winner on the classic menu!) totaling RM53.
In case you were about to Google what a Paris-Brest was, I've done the work for you. It is a French dessert, typically made from choux pastry and praline flavoured cream topped with almond flakes.
As expected, I ended up enjoying the Pistachio Paris-Brest and Lemon Tart the most. The Paris-Brest was rich in nutty flavours and was just the right amount of sweet. However, do take note that this particular pastry can be pretty heavy for one person, so I would suggest sharing this with your family or housemate. On the other hand, the Lemon Tart's citrusy sweet flavours paired nicely with my cup of ice Oat Latte also picked up from GaGa's.
The bakery cafe is currently running a promotion in-store for a short time only. If you purchase any dessert item from GaGa's, you get to select a drink (except Mocha and the teas) for RM5. It's a steal, people!
Back to desserts, the Lime Cake tasted alright, but not so much for the Chrysanthemum Strawberry Shortcake.
Commenting first on the former, I recommend serving it warm for a better experience. I chucked my takeaway box in the refrigerator to chill first because I was worried the cream from the pastries would have melted on the way home. It turns out this wasn't a good idea for the Lime Cake.
The latter Chrysanthemum Strawberry Shortcake was the least impressive out of the four, in my opinion. As a habit, I don't often consume much fresh cream, especially with cakes. Hence, this wasn't something I fancied. Besides the overwhelming cream, the strawberry flavours in this cake were also quite intense and it ended up regretfully covering the taste of the Chrysanthemum.
From cafe to home. Follow me on Instagram @_heyselene for more of my coffee adventures
Overall, GaGa offers a strong proposition. I'm looking forward to being able to dine in the space when situations get better. In the meantime, if you are eager to try out GaGa Cakes, they are open daily for takeaways from 10 am to 8.30 pm and on Oddle for delivery.
Rating: 3/5
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