There’s a famous saying: don’t judge a book by its cover.

And this café encapsulates this famous quote perfectly. Namelaka Patisserie is a hidden gem in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, that serves up unique, fruit-themed French pastries that will make you do a double take before digging in.

Namelaka is a novelty you have to visit when in Kuala Lumpur. Their desserts aren’t just “for-the-gram”, but also super delicious and not too sweet. It’s pretty quiet there too so it’s a perfect place to get a cup of coffee while enjoying their pastry on a lazy afternoon.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Boasting a minimalistic setting, Namelaka is a simple café that focuses on its signature fruit-shaped cakes, letting their brightly-coloured confections do all the talking. The owner learnt the techniques behind the pastries from world-renowned French pastry chef Cedric Grolet himself, inspired to bring these creations back with him.

Namelaka was named after the cream the owner uses to craft his pastries—a Japanese invention of a cross between a ganache and crème patisserie – which is super light, fluffy and not too sweet.

Namelaka’s small team of pastry chefs works hard to create these small pastries and makes no more than 120 cakes a week. This is because each pastry takes around 2 whole days to prepare—each cake consisting of a fruity core, infused sweet cream and a glaze.

First up at the table was the Apple (RM19/S$6.20) – filled with cream, apple ganache montee, apple gel and a core made with fresh cubes of green apple and dill.

The cream was light, fluffy and slightly sweet which complemented the acidic chunks of green apple well. The dill was a refreshing addition to the fruity core.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Namelaka’s signature has to be their Lemon (RM23/S$7.50) – replicating the said fruit immaculately, from the shape to the texture of its chocolate shell.

The fruit core of this ‘lemon’ is its star, combining zesty lemon segments with fresh mint to provide a tart yet vibrant flavour. It pairs perfectly with the fluffy namelaka cream and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

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Other than these three fruity plates, Namelaka also offers the Pear (RM21/S$6.90) and their Passionfruit (RM23/S$7.50). They rotate their flavours seasonally and spice up their menu during festive periods, so prepare to be surprised by their selection when you pay them a visit!

Pro tip: Go earlier in the day! They sell out super fast, especially their Lemon, Apple and Passionfruit.

Namelaka Patisserie
No. 34, 1st Floor
Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60 03-2201-3241
Sun to Tue, Thu: 11.30am – 8pm
Fri & Sat: 11.30am – 10pm
(Closed on Wednesdays)