Dessert Places I Want To Try
November 21, 2008
Having lived in Hong Kong for almost three months, I must say, things are starting to get easier. I guess, in the first place, it wasn’t all that difficult. I have had so much support, and for that, I’m thankful. Perhaps, it’s about this time that I am clearer, and thus happier, about what I expect from myself in my career and my life.
I love living here for several reasons, one of which is the fact that there is so much good food around. I must admit though, that I haven’t been as diligent about trying new dessert places around Hong Kong. Mainly, I frequent Honeymoon Dessert (a chain of tong-shui/Chinese-style desserts located all around Hong Kong) and I’m now into frozen yogurt (especially lychee flavour!) – Berrygood along Graham street, right below Hollywood Road. Which is PATHETIC I tell you! PATHETIC.
Okay, so to do this blog some justice, I’m going to list a bunch of places I would like to try. I got this list from this website: www.openrice.com which is for people who like to find reviewed and ranked restaurants in Hong Kong and can read traditional Chinese (or least know how to use google translate).
1. Sawdust Dessert
Shop 5, G/F, No. 3 King Shing Street, (Causeway Bay)
Named after its famous 木槺布甸 (sawdust pudding), the dessert looks like a chiffon sponge cake, but apparently is soft and has the texture of a pudding. In any case, it looks delicious in the photos.
2. Tsui Yuen Desserts
銅鑼灣波斯富街83號C舖
Chinese style desserts
3. Queen’s Cake Shop
15D Pak Sha Road, (Causeway Bay)
Ooo… they have chestnut cream crepe! Yum! Also recommended, the huge banana cake.
4. C’iest Mieux
Shop B110-B, CitySuper, Times Square, 1 Matheson St (Causeway Bay)
French-style petit desserts. Definitely will try the Mille Crepe, which from what I have read, is a very difficult dessert to tackle – imagine making the cake by layering more than 20 crepes with syrup/custard in between each layer!
Yup, so I guess this is my “goal” before the end of the year. Ambitious, isn’t it? Haha.
Bakery Class at TST – Yakult Cheesecake and more!
November 2, 2008
On Saturday, my roommate and I went to Best Kitchen (C2, 3/F, Wah Yuen Building, 83-97 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, No: 23689389). It offers baking and culinary classes in Cantonese, and we had joined with my colleagues for the session.
The chef, whom you could tell had most probably worked in either a hotel pastry kitchen from his ability to take cake tins straight out from the oven with his nerve-less fingers, stood at the end of the long table. He also seemed to be a ladies’ man, seeing the many laughs he drew with his jokes from my colleagues. The class was divided into three groups: People who had chosen to learn to make Yakult Cheesecake (ala myself and my roommate), Chocolate Sponge Cake and Mango Napoleon.
Fortunately, our recipe was really a stir-and-freeze kind of recipe. It basically calls for a simple base of crushed graham and chocolate cornflake, and a frozen cheese custard with one bottle of Yakult. Apparently, you can replace the Yakult with an equivalent of beer or probably any other liquid you like (as shown from a poster of the altered recipe on the wall).
The kitchen is small, but can fit maybe 15 people?
The base – butter, crushed graham cookies and chocolate cornflakes
The cheese custard
Not posing
Posing
Chocolate Sponge Cake – Pretty, isn’t it?
My decorated Cheesecake
Mango Napoleon – sponge cake with custard and flaky pastry layers
At the end of our DIY session, the chef whipped up a Molten Chocolate Pudding for all of us in ten minutes, which wasn’t the best I’ve eaten, but was still good enough.
In short, this session was fun, even though it was in Cantonese. At about $230HKD per person, it isn’t that expensive as well. Oh, the only thing is, please make sure you get into the right lift in the building. My roommate and I had gone up the wrong block, and I thought we had stumbled into a gang headquarters (I’ve probably watched too many Hong Kong gangster movies for my own good).
Proud smiling mamas of our cakes!
For more photos, head over to my facebook.
Zoe Cafe
October 28, 2008
The cafe was cosy (room for four tables?) and service quite attentive. However since minimum charge per person for dine-in is HKD$55, I suggest you takeaway a range of all the desserts available so that you can MAXIMUM UTILITY for MINIMUM costs as what rational consumers will do (I have a feeling my head is filled with too much Business Economics knowledge right now… cramming it in before the examination tomorrow).
That aside, life is good here. I must say, I sometimes really miss Singapore’s fish soup, Soup Spoon and most of all, my father’s home-cooked banquet (Chilli Crab, Steamed Fish, Meat Balls Stewed in Thick Gravy, Hainanese Chicken Rice and the list goes on and on…I’m salivating thinking about it now). Can’t wait for CNY when I’m heading back for about two weeks! Yoz Singaporean friends… please make time for me… PLEASE!!!!! hahaha
Till the update about the bakery course, take care!
Diana does Tokyo (Day 2 and 3)
July 8, 2008
Day 2: Cafe in Daikanyama
Cheesecake
Chestnut cream tart (I love this)
Very pretty coffee cup
Day 3: Tsukiji Market
Don’t ask me why, but I always thought that the Tsukiji Fish Market would be kind of like a Disneyland-type of tourist attraction. In my mind, I thought that there would be a main entrance where you would be guided towards the different areas where there would be on-going auctions, people explaining the market’s history and operations etc.
It was only when I arrived at the market that I realised, oh, this is ACTUALLY a real market. It looked like one, it smelled like one, and more importantly, it felt like one. The workers were rushing from one location to another, on their mini fish truck vehicle, and more often than not, eager to get awe-struck visitors like us out of their way. We had arrived at around seven am, and had missed the auctions, but there was still much to see as we strolled ducked and sped along the stalls.
TUNA, I like.
Many many varieties of seafood
Of course, my much-awaited part of the excursion was the eating. We had decided on a small and crowded (but not as crowded as the one next door) eatery located about two streets away from the market grounds.
We were packed in like sardines, and like most customers, we went for the set-o, which went for 3500 Yen (about S$60). It consisted of seven pieces of nigiri, six rolled-up sushi slices, and a miso soup made with fresh mini clams.
The o-toro (fatty tuna) nigiri was one of the best I had ever tasted in my life. I savoured the sweetness from the marbled fat as it slowly melted into my mouth. It was truly truly truly scrumptious. After that, I knew I could never eat in some of the sushi restaurants in Singapore without comparing its heavenly taste again. NEVER.
Day 3: Ramen in Shibuya
One of the must-dos for a tourist – ordering from the ramen machine
The soup was miso-based, and again, it was delicious. I like that in Japan, you can land up in a nondescript shop and still be assured of good quality food.
Diana Does Tokyo (Day 1 and 2)
July 5, 2008
Japan rocked for two things – its people and its food. Even though many Japanese don’t speak English, they try their best to help you out how ever they can, which is indeed very helpful for a Lonely Planet traveller (ie sans tour guide, staying in hostels) like myself.
Of course, my main aim for this trip was to EAT. That, I did. My conclusion is, I can honestly say that I want to eat Japanese food for most of the rest of my life. I love the freshness and the way it is presented. Everything is ornately placed, intricately prepared and generally YUMMY. Because I took over 500 hundred photos during the trip, I shall make the effort to talk less, and show more.
Day 1: First supper at the hostel in Tokyo
Chocolate milk and nato sushi wrap
Day 2: Grilled meat sticks at Shinjuku
Grilled chicken cartillage
Grilled chicken meat
Grilled enoki mushrooms wrapped in pork slices
Chocolate cake and coffee at a cafe in Harajuku
Day 2: Picnic at park in Shinjuku (we bought our food from Isetan food hall – it’s Japanese takeaway heaven!)
Tonkatsu galore!
Day 2: Picnic at an ex-imperial park in Shinjuku (with Ai!)
Our picnic food!
I was in a tonkatsu-kind-of-mood.
My picnic companions’ sushi bento
Tonkatsu sandwich – odd, but it works
For someone who calls her blog dianadoesdesserts, how could I have missed the Pierre Herme macarons!?? I tried the Ispahan and Chocolate – both extremely delicious.
Me sitting pretty (and full).
The Vanilla Series: 3 Vanilla Cupcake
June 22, 2008
Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit has always been one of my favourite sites to ogle at for its beautiful photographs of intricately-made cupcakes. Therefore, as a present for the GMG + significant others at tomorrow’s long-awaited reunion, I decided to make use of this recipe and the last pod to whip up something special. That said, the 3 Vanilla Cupcake (with Vanilla frosting) should definitely also be in the running for the ultimate vanilla recipe. It uses vanilla extract, vanilla seeds AND vanilla sugar (which fortunately I had on hand due to me saving the scraped-out pods in caster sugar).
For extremely clear instructions, you should click on the link to the site. I simply halved the recipe, cut down on the sugar content in the cupcake, and used light cream cheese for the frosting. Also, I didn’t sprinkle vanilla salt.
To add an individualised touch to the cupcake, I used my rainbow pearls (bought in Hong Kong way back in August last year at a supermarket in Tung Chung) to spell out the first letter of each of their names.
Glad to have met up, GMGs!
With this final post, I come to the end of The Vanilla Series, which I thoroughly enjoyed conceptualising (I like how this word makes it sound as though I did lots of planning and strategising). For future posts, I would definitely like to come up with more themes, perhaps lemon zest, or coconut, or purple food or whatever crazy ideas you guys would like me to try out. Just leave me a comment, and I’m game!
Also, this hurried chain of posting was not because I went mad. Rather, by tomorrow, I will be on my way to eating around Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka until the 3rd of July. I won’t be posting until then, I think.
So little money, so much food to try – Japan, here I come!
Dessert Tour in Central, Hong Kong
June 22, 2008
During this trip to Hong Kong, I was very fortunate to have made a new friend whom I shall introduce as The Architect (as seen in The Matrix) of The Brunch Club. Like me, she has a passion for food and baking, and thus invited me on a dessert tour, visiting dessert places around Central that I hadn’t been to, one rainy afternoon.
First up, a bit about The Brunch Club. I’m proud to say that I have visited the cafe at least once in every of my trips to Hong Kong. The first thing that strikes you when you step in is how cozy the place is. There are several tables with sofas, which is perfect for a lazy afternoon with some tea, dessert and of course, catching up on your gossip, fashion, world events etc from the wide variety of magazines available for browsing (and for sale as well).
Note our choice of reading material
We had the salmon omelette (I forgot if it was with bacon or cheese) which comes with toast, a hashbrown and salad. It was delicious and quite enough for two to share. What I like about The Brunch Club is how it isn’t just a cafe to get coffee. It’s like a place to chill with friends, meet new people and basically spend an afternoon away from the hustle of Hong Kong. In the coming year ahead, I definitely see it as one of the places I’ll be spending time in on the weekends.
Okay, back to the tour.
Sweet Secrets (Address: 32 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2542-2816)
We shared the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake, which came with a side of fruit and mango sauce. The cake was smooth, and the cheese/chocolate textures and tastes blended well together. The only gripe I had was the addition of the mango sauce, which basically added a confusing level of sweet tartness to the flavours. In any case, I would definitely go back to Sweet Secrets if I ever had a cheesecake craving.
Cake-a-licious (Address: Lower Ground Floor, 11 Lyndhurst Terrace,, Central, 28152218)
First of all, the name is simply adorable and very to the point. I always look down into the shop, which is located in the basement, as I walk past, and see an assortment of colourful cupcakes on display. I decided to try the Lemon Cupcake, as I wanted something zesty.
I find that unlike other forms of dessert, the simpler and more unadulterated a cupcake is, the better it tastes. This cupcake fit the bill and left a slightly tart aftertaste without being too saccharine sweet.
Sift Dessert Bar (Address: 46 Graham Street G/F Central Tel: 25304288)
I was particularly excited to go to this place because of a reason that I will reveal in July. Sift Dessert Bar pairs desserts with wine, which is a novel concept that is slowing gaining momentum in Singapore (read: 2am:dessertbar). It has an open-kitchen concept, where you can see your dessert being made behind the bar. However, 3pm is rather early for alcohol inhalation, so we settled on:
Sift Chocolate Cake – There is one chocolate cake that I can never resist, and that is one with hazelnut praline in it (I have always wanted to replicate such a cake at home). Every bite of premium chocolate mousse and hazelnut crunch bits was simply heavenly.
My friend’s order was the Ispahan, which, according to the website, is an ”homage to Pierre Herme”. The lychee ice-cream was incredibly cleansing to the palette, which provided a contrast to the raspberry macaroon filled with lychee buttercream and fresh raspberries.
To say the least, I was on an induced sugar high at the end of the tour, and for several days after that. Of course, for me, desserts always are well worth it. Thank you, The Architect!
Pretty in Pink cake
April 30, 2008
We had decided to celebrate Xueling’s birthday before the trio left for their one-month exchange to India in search of themselves (just kidding.. they were going to work in the hospitals as part of their medical course). Of course, you can’t have birthdays without cakes, and so Michelle and I decided to make our cake a pretty-in-pink one.
I admit, I have succumbed to convenience. For the cake itself, we used a Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge cake mix, simply because it was affordable and easy to make. Of course, for true bakers, cop-outs as such would be a terrible sin. However, in our case, we were hot and tired (the weather is simply killing me), and the key aspect would be the lovely decoration.
Xueling’s Pretty-in-Pink Cake
Ingredients:
Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
For the icing:
500gm icing sugar
100gm egg whites (about 3 egg whites)
1/2 tsp of lemon juice
food colouring/dye
Follow the instructions on the box to get a cake. We had separated the mix into two, so we had 2 square cakes to work with.
Make the icing by using an electric mixer to work the icing sugar, egg whites and lemon juice together. Add the colouring very slowly and cautiously to get the OCD-perfect shade of <colour>.
Ice one cake with about 1/4 of the icing mixture that you have. Use the rest to ice the entire cake as shown below.
Okay, that was when Michelle worked her magic. Because between the both of us, she has the better eye for aesthetics and design (being budding wedding planner that she is).
And the final product:
One piece of advice, fresh flowers wilt and decolour in the refrigerator. So, arrange them just when they are about to be served.
Have fun!
