Japanese cheesecake: light, airy cake with a hint of sweetness I heard the hype surrounding Japanese cheesecake, so I dropped by a branch of Uncle Tetsu's (est. 1985) to try a slice. I must admit, it's an adorable cake (I mean, look at the cute chef stamped on it!). The cheesecake tastes more like a fluffy sponge cake, with intense cheese flavor that overpowers the slight sugar in the recipe. Sorry, Uncle Tetsu, but I just didn't enjoy it. Maybe because I was expecting the typical … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Sugar Pie
January 18, 2019 2 Comments
Sugar Pie: super sweet single-crust dessert When I visited Canada, I tried a traditional Canadian dessert: sugar pie. I’d never heard of it before. I love the coloring of the deep brown in this dessert. It reminds me of fall and leaves fluttering off trees. The sugar pie lives up to its name. I hear it can be made from brown sugar or maple syrup. (You can try one version of the recipe here.) Warning: This dessert is super sweet! The sugar overload on my taste buds prevented me from … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Mango Lychee Mousse
August 11, 2017 4 Comments
Foodie Friday: Mango Lychee Mousse This is a really fun dessert! As you can see, there are yummy chunks of mango on top. There are even a few lychee bits buried like treasure on the bottom. The whole thing is actually really light because of the mousse texture. Unfortunately, because of this, it feels insubstantial, like you can't really taste the dessert part of it, just fruit. I'd have preferred maybe a bit of cake to ground the flavors. Overall, a visually pleasing dessert. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Eight Treasure Dessert
July 21, 2017 4 Comments
Eight treasure dessert: sticky rice decorated with 8 toppings I admit it. This is a really pretty dish! I usually think of sticky rice as part of the main course, but I've found it in a dessert now. The eight "treasures" are different fruits and nuts that go on top of the rice. Often, they serve some sort of symbolism (e.g. lotus seeds bring happy marriages). Inside the dessert is a sweet surprise of red bean paste. Although I'm not a huge fan of red bean desserts, this does have a nice … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Mochi Donut
July 14, 2017 Leave a Comment
Checking out... Mochi donuts: mini donuts made with mochi and filled with cream I know what you're thinking...How can mochi be made into a donut? Well, these cute treats can be found at Mochi Cream bakeries. Instead of the usual outer dough layer, the donuts feature a covering made from glutinous rice. They must add something to harden the texture, though, to give it shape. Maybe a type of glaze? Inside, there is a flavored cream layer, similar to that found in a cream puff. Of course, … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Chestnut Cake
May 5, 2017 Leave a Comment
It's been a while since I've had roasted chestnuts. They make me think of winter and Christmas songs. But I did go for some chestnut cake recently. Chestnut cake: soft pastry with chestnut paste It's a sweet offering that uses chestnut paste in the middle of soft doughy layers. The Japanese chestnuts used on the inside are a bit like sweet potato in taste and density. Thumbs-up! Fun fact: Besides being eaten by themselves, chestnuts can be incorporated in a Japanese rice dish … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Taiwanese Snow
April 28, 2017 6 Comments
So there's no snow in Cali (except up in the mountains). When I want to cool down, I grab some shaved snow. Shaved snow: cold and creamy dessert I love how it has a silky soft texture instead of the harder quality of shaved ice. Snow seems to consist of almost ice-cream-like pieces that melt in your mouth. Yummy! How do you stay cool? … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Fried Taro Rolls
March 17, 2017 Leave a Comment
Fried taro rolls: mini egg-roll looking taro pieces These are great as appetizers or mini desserts! They've got real taro on the inside and a light crispy skin. Not as flaky as fried taro puffs, they concentrate on providing the full root flavor. Fun fact: The leaves of the taro plant look like elephant ears. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday First: Nitrogen Ice Cream
October 14, 2016 2 Comments
Oh yeah, I tried that. Nitrogen ice cream: ice cream made under super cold conditions I went and visited Creamistry, an ice cream shop that uses liquid nitrogen to produce its goods. Since it uses the quick chemical process, it ends up flash-freezing the batch of ice cream. It's actually really neat to watch, all mist and icy temperatures. However, the actual product itself was a let down. Perhaps because there isn't any slow churning involved, the scoop ends up being super dense, … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Paradise Cake
October 7, 2016 2 Comments
Paradise cake: three layers of tropical flavor I'm not sure if this cake is labeled "paradise" because it's inspired by the beautiful island of Hawaii, or if it's due to the spectacular flavors in it. I also love the three colors; the rainbow spread makes me feel so happy! This fluffy chiffon cake boasts the flavors of lime, guava, and passion fruit. Yum! … [Read more...]
