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Oh why, oh why..did I choose to give up coffee? I only make exceptions during finals week..but I was about to break today when I arrived at Sage. It was such a cozy, warm environment..a nice cup of coffee would have made the experience just perfect.
I ordered the Tiramisu ($4.50) and my girlfriend ordered the Caramel Mousse ($4.20) and we chit-chatted while munching on our goodies outside. We actually came for the Napoleon but they were out =( We WILL make an effort to come back earlier in the day next time, it shall be our mission to try their Napoleon!!
Besides their delectable desserts, their service was impressive as well. A look through the tiny window into the kitchen revealed a very gentle looking pastry chef. Our very polite cashier handed us our change with two hands, with a smile, and bid us good bye. It makes me feel happy that I'm supporting such good people! I will definitely be back for more! Maybe during finals week? ;P
Oh yes, $10 minimum for credit card purchases!
This is a high quality bakery, the attention to detail is phenomenal. If you're looking for a bargain, this is not the place to go, pricing can be high.
My favorite pastry here are the Napoleons, the crust is always flaky and the custard is perfect. However the baker only makes a limited amount, so they often sell out.
Parking in this strip mall type location is horrendous. Most spaces are very narrow, and it is always extremely crowded, so you bring your clunker if you're gonna try it.
My review is based solely on the friendliness of the barista here who recommended a nearby(ie competitor) cake shop to meet my immediate need. Procrastination rules.
Also the cake slices they had on display looked REALLY good. though I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, nor a cake by it's frosting. Usually.
NOTE TO SELF / ALL:
Call ahead two days in advance for them to make you a cake lest you be stuck with whatever is in the display.
This is a pretty unique place. If you want a lot of variety, this is not the place. But if you want a great cake of the variety they have, it is the best.
Every cake they make is great! I think I have tried them all, and have no complaints about any one of them. I personally love the carmel mouse the best.
I was surprised to see so many reviews of this place because they never seem to have many customers--which is regretable because they really do have amazing cakes! If they relocated this place to North Park, Hillcrest or another nieghborhood with more foot traffic the line would be out the door. The cakes are very light and delicate-which I tend to like more than the heavy stuff at some of the other well-known dessert shops around town. Do yourself a favor and try this place!
While enduring our 40 minute wait for a table at the Original Pancake House, my party decided to get our just desserts at Sage French Cake in the next plaza. I'm not usually into pastries, but this cute little bakery made a delicious birthday cake for a friend so I definitely had to try some of their other tasty treats.
We all decided to share a slice of their tiramisu to minimize the potential ruining of our brunch. The dessert was fantastic and was unlike any other tiramisu I had enjoyed before. The luscious, custard-like texture and flavor of the Marscapone cheese and the subtleness of the rum-soaked ladyfingers really brought it all together, and was clearly a labor of love by the pastry chef and owner behind the counter.
If you're looking for a great cake for your next celebration, or just very well executed desserts for an afternoon treat, search no further than Sage French Cake on Convoy. I assure you that, while on the relatively pricey side, the quality and flavor is worth every penny.
Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Price: $
Atmosphere: 6/10
Tiramisu - light, fluffly cept for the cake part. A little dry but still delicious.
Strawberry short cake - delicious!! Light, and not too sweet. Excellent
Elby - my favorite!! The mousse was a mixture of white and dark chocolate. It was super creamy and melt in your mouth good!!
For the price, probably one of my favourite bakeries in San Diego. The cakes aren't very fancy in their presentation, so you won't find eye candy type of visual presentation like one would @ extraordinary desserts, for example.
The cake here aren't the typical buttercreme laden, heavy, overly sweet pastries that is stereotypical of a lot of American pastries. The emphasis is more on light texture and bright, simple flavours tempered with just enough sweetness to satisfy but not overload my sugar cravings. Whipped cream is used more often than buttercreme and other heavy frostings.
My favorite here is the cheesecake souffle'. A very light, airy cheesecake with a hint of apricot. Very lovely with tea.
I can't lie to you, I love cake, so when I was brought here by Jon B., I couldn't hide my excitement. Sage French Cake & Coffee is just what the name says. They serve French style cake and European coffee.
Their Tiramisu is to die for and their Elby is a chocolate lover's dream. Your mind is on that New Year's resolution track, but your stomach will want to cave in to the delicious flavors in their cakes. While you're already indulging into something so decadent, try their coffee. Their coffee selections are perfect pairings to the cakes themselves.
Thumbs up from this cake lover, and it is definitely well worth the visit.
My family and I really like this small, almost hole in the wall place. An Asian friend of mine introduced me to Sage many years ago. She said it was opened by a Japanese (Korean?) chef that was trained in Paris and said the desserts are incredible.
My (Asian) parents don't like overly sweet desserts so everytime there's a new Asian pastry shop that opens up, my sister and I get all excited (Asian pastries are notorious for not being overly sweet or chocolate-y).
Sage really is good. You can see that they do make all their cakes in-house b/c you can view a few of their chefs right in the kitchen baking away. They only make a limited quantity of all their individual servings so things do sell out quickly.
Two things we usually always get : 1) Elbi and 2) Strawberry shortcake. The Elbi is awesome - milk and white chocolate mousse layered b/c chocolate cake and then covered w/ a dark chocolate ganache. The strawberry shortcake is unbelievable too - lots of freshly cut strawberries, gently folded into fresh whipped cream (i mean, you can honestly taste the cream b/c there's not a ton of sugar added to the whipped cream you know?), and it's layered b/w this light white cake. I always see their industrial size Kitchen Aid mixer whipping up the cream and there's always that crazy urge that i get to just smash my face into the whipped cream. It just looks so fresh and yummy.
Anyhow, those are really the only 2 items that my family and I absolutely love.
We've tried the tiramisu (doesn't taste like your traditional Italian version), cheesecake (kinda bland), chocolate mousse cake (rather have the Elbi), and fruit tart (not bad).
The price is really steep though :( It's steep enough where you truly feel that this place is kind of a splurge to go to.
So if you're craving sweets in the Convoy area and you've ever left Extraordinary Desserts and said 'oh my, that slice of cake was super sweet', then give Sage a try. It's a nice breath of fresh pastry air :)
Really liked the tiramisuu cake and the fact there not super sweets just added to the experience .I well definitely be back for more
SO amazing. I have ordered many different cakes and desserts here.
Tirimasu- delightfully creamy, highly recommended
Mistral- Love the raspberry and white chocolatey taste. One of the best.
Teamo- this is one of the best desserts ever. pistachio cream, black currant syrup, chocolate mouse, berries and just super yumminess. if this is available, get it!
caramel mousse- No one I was with liked it, I don't enjoy the ultra burnt taste.
Fruit tart- yummy but I disliked the layer of clear jelly on top. not a have again.
Elby- it was alright, I thought the actual cake was a little dry, I will try this again before I knock it completely.
Banana mousse- pretty yummy, I liked the texture of the mousse, and a pretty natural tasting flavor, not artificial banana to me.
So I definitely suggest giving it a try! Cash is needed for orders under 10 bucks, each cake is around 4 or 5 dollars. Enjoy!
Not a lot of varieties in the display case. The place is a bit small, usually I just get my desserts to go.
The quality of the cakes aren't bad. It's kinda like Asian style, not very sweet at all. However, a slice of cake can be around $3-$5. Usually I can finish a slice in 2 bites. But... since it cost so much... it takes me 15-20 minutes to finish. =/
No wonder I drive to LA every couple of weeks for desserts. Don't mess with me, I've flown to Vancouver, Canada just to bring back a Hazelnut cake =P
I've hung around as a rat in this mall for more than 15 years.
Sage cake has been carrying the same selections since they opened back in mid 90s.
I honestly think they enhanced th taste in Elby, cheesecakes, and furittarts , yeah the strawberry shortcakes got a little bland,
but WOW the pistachio mousse layers were BOMB.
their cakes are the only cakes i don't have to wash down with bitter coffee. It actually plays along with flavored (not sweetened) teas too.
now that's what I'm talking about.
Oh how surprised I was when I walked out of Nijiya and saw a french-style bakery in the strip mall. I thought maybe I was seeing things. Unfortunately it was closed. And seemed to be close every time I happen to be at Najiya for quite some time. However one day, when I least expected it, it was open. So my roommate and I decided to try it.
I grew up eating french food including their rich and flavorful desserts. I favor chocolate mousse as I love the blend of cream and semi-sweet chocolate. My roommate, who has tried french desserts a few times with me, got the elby. Both were superb. Rich, creamy, not too sweet, smooth, fragrant, and most certainly an experience for the taste buds.
They don't have a huge selection, and there were many desserts missing which are the norm for french bakeries. However what they do make they seem to have mastered.
My only real complaint, and why I can only go here once in a blue moon, is that each slice costs around $5. The average around the county for the same type of dessert is around $3.50-$$3.75. Maybe they do that so we don't eat too much?
I would like to try one of their fruit cakes. They looked amazing in the display, but were out of my price range other than a special occasion.
Why I gave them three stars: They seemed to be closed a lot, they don't have a big variety of desserts, and it's expensive.
I have a friend that really loves tiramisu so I ordered a cake from here for her birthday. I love that it is in a rolled spongecake fashion and that the pastries from here are not too sweet. One tiramisu cake is $38/9 servings, we enjoyed it at dinner with coffee and even had a few slices for the birthday girl to take home with her. YAY!
This is as good as it gets. The desserts melt in your mouth, are light, and go great with their wide selection of coffee and tea. My favorite, hands-down, is the layered cheesecake. You get a small, round serving of fluffy, layered cheese atop a thin (like 10mm) layer of spongecake, all coated with a thin (0.5mm) layer of lightly sweetened gelatin.
You can observe the time and attention to detail that is paid to each and every slice of cake by watching the chef (Sage) through the big glass window. $5 is an excellent price for these mini masterpieces.
I love Sage French Cake.
The desserts are exquisite and not overly rich or sweet. They are also just the perfect size. I think I've tried everything and the only dessert I wasn't crazy about was the caramel one. O GOD THE ELBY... STAY AWAY FROM THE ELBY O GOD IT'S SO GOOD. One day, I swear, I am going to buy an elby cake. The entire thing! One day, maybe at my funeral they could get one.
They play good music. Jazz, mostly. I like places that place consistent types of music.
The iced coffee here is good. And they even have liquid sweetener. The hot coffee, though, it's... it could be better.
The owner is a neat guy. I don't really talk to him much, but he's quiet and interesting and he knows his desserts.
I like this place. It's special.
i was trying to look for Tasty bakery but ended up here because i couldnt find Tasty.. but its okay ive been wanting to try this too. i initially came here for tiramisu because ive been having a huge tiramisu craving for the last month.
there were only about 10 different kinds of cakes/slices of desserts, they're fairly simple looking. the one that turned me on was the Elby. i disregarded the tiramisu and just got the Elby togo
they packed it in a little box and what's really cute is that they put in a piece of ice in there to keep it cool. thoughtful.
i got to the car and had a fork full before i left the parking lot. it was SO good. it was moist, light, not too sweet. iloved every single damn layer
however, i thought it was alittle overpriced at $4.50 a slice.. i would definitely come back here for Elby
I used to stop by Sage French Cake during my lunch breaks when I worked across the street at Rady Children's Hospital. I agree, the cakes are not overly sweet at all; so if you are used to the ypical American desserts (very sweet) this place may not be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. My favorite is the Strawberry Shortcake :)
Hands down my favorite coffee joint.
The only downside...I'm a night owl and Sage closes at 8pm sharp! as well as closed on Mondays, (I believe).
I would much rather spend my days drinking the best coffe at Sage, but unfortunately I get stuck with Starbucks and Borders, because they're open when I'm actually awake. Sad.
If you ever go to this magnificent jewel of a coffee shop, make sure to get a slice of their delicous cake, (they're all good).
- Cakes were pretty good for what you can get in San Diego
*I personally like the lightness and not-too-sweet flavors
- Interior was very simple.. "there were no decorations"
*eh..
- The owner can smile.. please..?
*A little smile can go a long way. I tried to smile to see if he would smile back, only to look stupid.
- I needed a cake, but I ended up buying little pieces instead since you have to order cakes 2 days in advance!! (Please note)
*I guess I understand since he doesn't want to waste monee on buying all the ingredients if it won't sell.. But I was unable to buy a cake for my mum's birthday..
- Their slices of cakes were very thin and over-priced.
*I know that small pieces go for 3-4$/piece in most well-known bakeries, but really? I think Sage kind of has a monopoly in tasty Asian-style cakes. I love "light" Korean/Chinese cakes, but they don't have any decent ones in San Diego (*the one inside Zion market is yucky)
Either way, for such a small piece with minimal decorations, I think 3 dollars would suffice.
-Don't get me wrong, the cakes are delicious...
*I just want the ones I can get in LA... but that's the sacrifice I have to make for living in SD..
This is the home of a true Artisan. Everything is finely crafted and the taste is wonderful. This stuff is not mass produced from frozen crap like a grocery store. Napoleon is my favorite but it runs out quickly. I've had everything here at least once. Definitely the best cake shop in the area.
Napoleon *****
omg
This place is awesome
It's not even that sweet yet its enough to satisfy your sweet buds!
the trick is go in the morning on a weekend, thats when they have FRESH BAKED CAKES. yumyum, I got a raspberry mousse white chocolate straight out from the kitchen!:) lol Yay to yummy cakes!
I have a confession.
I was supposed to wait for Viola to go check this place out.
Don't worry.
I sure got mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Curiosity got the best of this cat.
Around 12:30pm/today/Friday I strolled in.
Hmmm...the chairs were up, the cases were pretty empty. It was very un-inviting.
(horror music please)
I see a man through the window in the back kitchen area removing rectangular square shaped cakes from a box and arranging them onto trays.
I won't jump to the conclusion of saying that this is the beginning of every single dessert that they have...I mean....they must make something there.
However, I'm not willing to play that guessing game at this point.
It made sense after a while. Maybe they just got some of their stuff from Opera - http://www.operapatiss.../
Just a guess is all.
SUCKERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
You've been had.
Perhaps Ignorance IS BLISS!!!!!!!!!!!
12/01/07 Revision**
After dumpling inn w/Viola, I stopped by and wanted to check it out again. A few people in there...cases had more stuff....nothing amazing and I bought a strawberry shortcake to go.
Hmm. The sponge was chewy. Is this what you people refer to as light and not overloaded with sugar? If it was soft and inviting, okay..but it wasn't. The whipped cream was light and not overpowering and the strawberries were out of season. Reminded me soooo much of those Chinese Diamond bakery cakes in LA, with sliced almonds on the side.
Great desserts made by a master and with high quality ingredients, wut mo can u acts fo. The desserts are light and don't make you feel sick after eating them, it's a great place to relax. Get there early if you have a favorite dessert cause a lot of times they run out of certain items. The staff at sage is always happy to serve and the coffee is good as well.
meh. I had their Elby, a coffee cake and a caramel cake. The ingredients are right, but their cakes aren't very moist. The moisture all comes from the cream and not the cake itself. So when you're chewing it you have two distinct consistencies in your mouth- the dry cake feeling like soft grit mixed with really good cream. There was no harmony in the 3 cakes I tried.
So my overall impression was... meh.
OH EM GEE. sage = best cake eva. fo serious.
but seriously, cakes here have the perfect amount of sweetness, texture, and presentation. i had the pistachio one and the cheesecake one, and the chocolately one. also i like the people who work at sage, they are nice!
eat cake here!
and now since i;ve convinced you to go, you must take me along!! (=
Yup, best cake shop in SD Period. I bought my wedding cake from this shop, and it was the BEST. I had a three layer strawberry short cake with shaved white chocolate on top. It was so wonderful. Not only do they do wedding cakes they prepare the best snacks available!
I think american type cakes are TOO sweet. The japanese french cake is rich with flavor but doesn't cover the taste with too much sugar. The flavor is very natural and Exquisite.
Hands down.... simply the BEST cakes in San Diego.... I challenge anyone to come up with a shop in San Diego area that can make better cakes!
"French" Cake, made by Japanese; elegantly decorated, fancy yet light, flavorful but not that sweet at all!
We had been buying birthday cakes(Strawberry Shortcake) from "French" cakes for more than 5 years... from my birthdays to my dog's birthdays....
Their cakes are DELICIOUS! its very different from the American cake which is extreamly sweet, tons of sugar/butter and icing.. so if you like that kind of cake, you won't like it. This is truly Japanese style. Good whip cream and good spong cake.. i had the fruit cake twice for my birthday and it was always delicious, fresh whipped cream with fresh fruit, just light in your mouth and don't get sick of, and you don't feel guity aftewards..
This cafe has amazing cakes. Wow.
I guess I'm biased because I don't like cakes to be EXTREMELY sweet (as some of the ones that I've tasted at Champagne's Bakery are), and these cakes are so delicious and with just the right amount of sweetness.
I came here and picked up the strawberry shortcake, the chocolate one, and the cheesecake one that looks like a normal cheesecake (it's baked). I gave them as gifts so I didn't really taste all of them, but I did taste the cheesecake. Oh my God. It was sooooooo good.
The person I gave the cakes to isn't one for sugar/sweets, and he really really liked the cheesecake. He told me that he ended up eating all three cakes for breakfast/lunch one morning, so that's how I know that those cakes were REALLY GOOD.
They also have coffees and teas, and it's not really a cafe for a sit-down (there's not much decor), but that doesn't matter because their cakes are yummy. Of course, you can also call ahead and ask them to make you a cake, and they will write cute messages on it, too.
It's located in the shopping center with Nijiya market and near Redberry, so it's pretty low-key and hidden to those who don't know of it/aren't actively searching for it. But if you have a craving for cakes/fruit tarts, drop by Sage French Cake!
The first time I went to this place I thought, good, I guess, but it's not really my thing. But then I went to Japan, and now I understand what Sage French Cake is all about. This place has the kind of special, jewel-like cakes you see in Japanese pastry shops and hotels--European-style (don't get me wrong!), but not as sweet as you normally get them here in the US. These are the kinds of cakes you expect to see at a wedding or a bridal shower: sponge layered with cream and strawberries, or caramelized sugar over chocolate mouse and eggy thin cake layers. Each one is a little event. You really don't see these kinds of cakes for sale by the slice very often. IMHO the best part of most weddings is the cake at the end--and now that I'm older I don't get to go to weddings that often! Here's the remedy for the shortage of wedding cake: go to Sage French cake and take home a slice for afternoon tea.
Located in San Diego's version of 'Little Tokyo', this bakery offers cakes that seem very popular with its patrons. My boyfriend and I arrived late in the afternoon, near their closing time and most of the cakes were already sold. They only had 2 cakes on display and 2 slices of strawberry shortcake.
I purchased a slice of the strawberry shortcake. It tasted good. The icing wasn't too sweet or overwhelming, and the yellow cake was moist. It had a good amount of fresh sliced strawberries. For about $3.50 a slice, it was one of the better strawberry shortcakes I have eaten.
The owner, as someone pointed out, is Korean (he does not look Japanese at all). Only someone who can't tell Asians apart would confuse him for Japanese. It looks like he's a one man show, since he was the only one serving the mostly Japanese patrons at the time we visited. I'm guessing most of the patrons are Japanese college students spending a semester or two in the local colleges.
The ambiance is nice. It definitely has a cozy cafe feel to it and the patrons seem relaxed although they keep to themselves. I'm guessing this is a place they like to go to because it reminds them of their neighborhoods in Japan.
Right now, I'm giving the place 3 stars, because I haven't had a chance to try their other cakes.
Hello deliciousness. Sage French Cake and Coffee serves cake and coffee! Who woulda thunk. I went today, without cash, and was therefore forced to buy two slices of cake (fruit tart and cheese cake) along with a cafe au lait. [They have a $10 credit card minimum.] The sweet baker recommended me his favorite (fruit tart) which was rather tasty. The cream is very much like the Beard Papa cream, but less sweet. I didn't really pay attention while I was eating so I was pleasantly surprised by the mango. Mango on fruit tart! That's new to me. It was tasty. The crust was also buttery, but not too buttery. I'm pleased. I can't wait to taste my cheese cake in the fridge.
The nice Japanese man (Japanese bakery!) also gave me dry ice so my cake wouldn't die. How sweet of him!
My Sunday breakfast was $6 and so very worth it.
When is this place ever open? My goodness, I don't know how many times I have walked by this place thinking that. The "CLOSED" sign seems to be perennial. Apparently, Mondays are closed, and their working hours are terrible. The only time I can stop by there is past 6 or 7pm. Inconvenience -- minus half a star.
Anyways, moving on. The ONE day I got lucky to try out their cakes, I did not have any cash and obviously did not want to buy 10 dollars worth of cakes with my credit card. Thankfully my friends all got different cakes. The cakes are pretty standard for westernized Asian bakeries. Nothing too extraordinary but pretty tasty. The cakes I tried were moist and not too sweet, which I like. Unfortunately they cater to anorexic needs. 3-4 dollars for a tiny cake just won't cut it for me. There goes the deduction of another half a star.
The storekeeper wore an expression ranging from apathy to slight annoyance. Definitely made us feel real welcomed there. I am taking away another star for inadequate service. He was not too helpful when my legume-allergic friend asked for some help. Turned out there was only one type of generic cake without nuts. Go figure.
So...
1. If you are allergic to nuts, don't bother going.
2. If you work late like me, don't bother trying to beat the traffic going there. Try Extraordinary Desserts, Mondo Gelato, Heaven Sent, etc.
3. But if you happen to be in the area, might as well. Hopefully you won't get the same grumpy storekeeper.
Its the most delicate and yet refined cake I've ever tasted in life. I bet you your life, that you gonna love this place after trying it!
You've been to extra ordinary dessert? Comparing cake to cake, EOD is just plain way overpriced, with too many bells and wistles, and extra diabetic sweetness.
If you in the mood for just delicious and delicate treats, look no further. Very simple presentation and modest; we are talking about quality here. You get what you get on the display, but the taste is what you need to focus on!
On the sweet scale, everything here is literally 5-6 out of 10! Which is perfect for people with gentle taste pallete!
I highly recommend caramel mousse and strawberry shortcake for the lighter side.
Elby is layered cake with chocolate, dark chocolate that is, perfect for a little heavier side.
PS: you can melt any ladies with their strawberry shortcakes, chumps.
I really love their cakes there. They also do birthday cakes, and my friends love getting their birthday cakes there too. The cakes are not to sweet, and they are so flavorful!
It is true that the chef/owner doesn't smile very much, but he is very fair. There was once a time, some guy tried to order ahead of me even though I was there first, and the chef told the guy that I was there first, and he needs to help me first. He can also tell you which one of their cakes are more popular, if you cannot decide on which cake to get.
The other day, I was eating another mind blowing cake at Sage with Getz/Gilberto's "The Girl from Ipanema" playing in the background. This was followed by Tom Jobim's "Chega De Saudade." Every time I'm here, they're playing really mellow, stylish jazz. I dig it. Sage is frequented by many Japanese customers and the artsy (coffee drinking, Parliament Lights smoking, hip designer) types. I'm always on the lookout for places like this. I like the atmosphere.
The cakes: French with a Japanese sensibility, for less than or = to $4.50. The desserts here are a really unique amalgam of flavors and textures. I'm addicted to Sage's cakes. So far, I've tried the Elby, Montblang, Strawberry Shortcake, Banana Mousse, and Fruit Tart (strawberry, pineapple, and kiwi). They're all nothing short of amazing. Simple, subtle, and sophisticated.
Very high standard just like most of the cake shops in Japan.
I buy cakes from Sage to bring with me to visit my husband's grandma who is from England, loves to have a cup of tea, and is very hard to please. But she always loves them...and compliments how pretty they look and how tasty they are.
Baked cheese cake is,,,I know, it's such a small piece but HEAVEN...!
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