city lights: desserts

Showing posts with label desserts. Show all posts

a brief inner monologue transpired as i ogled at my subject.

"hmm.. a rare find..."

i berated myself for being so oblivious of its existence.

however, what's more upsetting was the time it took for me to seek it out.

no one was keeping tokyo secret's hanjyuku cheese tart a secret. in fact, it frequently slips its way into my conversations, where it often ends with my buddy swooning with praise and a craving for one.

if these were not telling signs that i needed one, i don't know what is.

i'll let you in on a secret, though. unlike its name suggests, tokyo secret's roots began in tsim sha tsui, hong kong. while its appearance is akin to the local favorite - the egg tart, the inspiration behind is the molten cheese tarts in japan.

"oh no! did it not open today?"

i thought out loud as i spied the yellow print of "TOKYO SECRET" punctuated against the dark brick wall.

from all the reviews i've read, it was rather uncharacteristic for this petite speciality pastry shop to be anything but crowded especially on a beautiful sunday afternoon. its popularity (some may classify as hype) is often translated into long queues out of the door and i had imagined a constant boisterous hordes of people spilling out of the petite shop despite being in a "hidden" spot in the ipc mall as it shared its space with a mac store.

delicious sweet fragrance of pastry baking in the oven emanated throughout the bright space, distracting us and most likely the two other diners in queue as we contemplated numbers. i breathed a sigh of relief. i made a quick beeline for the only available table out of the three while my companion had the task of procuring the prized treat, tagged at rm7.90 each.

so as i was saying, ogling at my subject.

the most unassuming golden tart with caramelized top and golden brown crust. i'd be lying if i'd say i didn't form a pre-expectation but somehow it worked in the tart's favor.

it was in the crust.
pleasantly surprised, the crust had a shortbread cookie buttery texture and sweet fragrance, crispy edges contained the slightly caramelized top of the half baked cheese slightly give as i took a nibble. it almost distracted me from the thick molten cheese oozes slightly - delicate but rich in cheesy goodness, striking the perfect balance of dainty sweetness.

after wolfing one down gladly, it was obvious that i NEEDED another - i ordered one to go but not before having to wait for 10-15 minutes. people-watching from our seats, waves of people continuously flooded in periodically - it was then i realized, perhaps the stars were aligned when we first arrived because it only took us under five minutes to get ours.

this hanjyuku cheese tart assumed an alter ego of a cheesecake after spending a few hours in the fridge. the intensity of the sweet cheese flavor was distinct and the tart shell reminiscent of graham crust, emulating the cheesecake brilliantly.

often the antagonist/protagonist of the latest food trend is hype. while some have regarded it as overhyped, the hanjuku cheese tart at tokyo secret have proven its worth to me and defy the odds the moment i needed a second. #cheesescrust

tldr // each speciality pastry shop possess a special something and tokyo secret's charm certainly lies in its delicious hanjyuku cheese tart albeit its price tag.

tokyo secret | location

g23, pic shopping centre,
jalan pju 7/2 mutiara damansara
47800 petaling jaya

{opens daily: 10 am - 10 pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

while i am on the topic of #iscreamforicecream, madame waffle was probably the last place i'd imagine finding yummy gelato.

it's rather surprising especially if their signature dish is waffles.

more specifically, belgian waffles.

located in midvalley in the new area on the 3rd floor, it is a petite shop with an "al fresco" dining concept within the mall. the seating is limited and with a huge following, it was almost always full (at least during the weekends) which means you could end up waiting for a table. inspired by its japanese roots, the brightly lit shop adopted a japanese simplistic decor with wooden panels as its main theme. the wood counter mimics the cafe's namesake - the waffles, where they were flaunted behind a glass display.

a japanese inspired cafe, expect matcha specialities but with predominantly waffle based dessert offerings using japanese ingredients.

aspiring to be a quick service cafe, madame waffle adopted mostly self service as its modus operandi. diners will decide on their picks from the menu board, order at the counter, pay and get a wooden table tent where the number will be called once ready for pick up at the counter.

there was a menu update and expansion since my last visit so the prices may vary from the photos.

waffle - dine in :: banana nutella | waffle, nutella, banana & double chocolate gelato, glazed with belgian chocolate (rm 16)

but first, the waffle. starting with the original waffle as the base, layered atop with a dollop of nutella, slices of fresh banana crowned with a generous amount of whip cream and drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce, sprinkled with cocoa powder.

the waffle was warm. but texturally it was a little off from what i'd expected. it didn't have a crispy exterior and it wasn't as soft and airy on the inside. on the contrary, it was of a dense consistency - one that was reminiscent of in between a pretzel + bread.

the whipped cream was a nice breather from all the sweetness and the richness of the dish.

the gelato - yummy!
a delicious double chocolate gelato that i even wanted to slurp up all the melted gelato off the plate. with a smooth creaminess, i loved the chocolate richness against the sweetness. i wished they wouldd have toasted the chopped hazelnuts to echo the nutella in the dish - which ended up negating some of the gelato awesomeness.

overall, a mixed review - this would be a dessert haven for chocolate lovers (need a textural fix on the waffle though) but it is borderline cloyingly sweet and really rich that it'd probably be best shared.

waffle - classic :: matcha | from kyoto (rm 6.50)

sourced from kyoto - probably more specifically the green tea itself.

textures - similarly missing that crispy against the soft and instead it was slightly dense.
taste-wise - it ends with a hint of the green tea fragrance. pity it wasn't stronger to accentuate that well loved japanese ingredient - matcha. in fact, the waffle didn't scream any particular flavor.

waffle - classic :: honey (rm 6.50)

somewhat with the sweet stickiness and floral sweetness of honey drizzled on the warm belgian waffle, this somehow reminded me of a quick substitute as french toast on the go. i liked it.

japanese green tea - hot :: azuki matcha latte (rm 11)

a signature beverage of madame waffle - the classic combo of the azuki and the green tea and you add warm creamy milk into the party.

served warm in a japanese cup, it featured the matcha in a lovely light - the smooth, strong and rich fragrance that added character to the creamy milk that each sip ends with a faint hint of sweet azuki beans aroma - highlighting the classic combo in the most complementary way. wso savor every sipful even though it is a bit sweeter than i'd like, where you'd find a pleasant surprise at the bottom of the glass - azuki beans!

coffee - hot :: latte (rm 9.50)

starting with 100% arabica beans, which is an exclusively roasted coffee beans by espresso sporting club coffee roasters, the latte was a tad over brewed which was portrayed in the bitterness of the espresso. but it was not bad. i'd still choose the matcha latte over the coffee.

madame waffle offers a selection of classic slightly dense belgian waffles, which was also the foundation for some signature creations plus a scoop of gelato. while there is room for improvement in the making of the waffles, the matcha azuki latte was done better than just right :)

madame waffle | location

t-045, level 3 mezzanine
mid valley megamall,
mid valley city,
kuala lumpur
{opens daily: 10 am - 10 pm}

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

we met sometime mid-last year in the most unassuming way.

it was a sunday morning, over one of my favorite meals - brunch.

i think it was bbc that introduced us. it caught me by surprise.

then our paths crossed again at publika's weekend bazaar, unexpected.

just a taste - it remained in my mind for a long time.

fast forward several months, we had a brief encounter after work.

and it was beautiful.

and finally just a few weeks ago, we reunited at ss15 subang jaya.

over two scoops of ice cream, we got to know each other a little better.

you're my kind of sinful delight, fatbaby ice cream.

the second part of #thehunt: ice cream edition.

an intriguing name. weekends are a whole lot yummier and cooler as fatbaby ice cream scoop shop becomes the yummylicious haven for #iscreamforicecream hashtaggers.

its walls of pastel blue and white were the backdrop against the cheerful splash of colors from the many canvases of memorable ice cream quotes. the decor sung hints of vintage diner against the minimalist yet whimsical elegance of marble countertops and the white tiled back wall. it was a weird combination that oddly somehow, somewhat worked.

opened only on the weekends + friday, the weekdays are dedicated to churn out the many different flavors that are varied every week. fatbaby ice cream begun by making their little pots of ice cream available at several cafes/restaurants but the flavors are limited to a few.

spoiled for choice, these interestingly named flavors may put a semi-frown on the face, mildly contorted in confusion but what comes after can turn that frown upside down. THE best part, free tasting to find that one that tickles your tastebuds and makes your belly happy.

basically, the modus operandi :: choose cup/waffle + # of scoops - flavor profiling - taste exploring - picking out favorite - order & pay - take your table tent to your seat - wait.

recounting my first engagement with fatbaby wasn't at the scoop shop but in the bbc waffle at standing theory - cornflakes ice cream.

"we’ve all done it, soaked our cornflakes in the milk to get that slightly smoky milk flavour – that flavor is, what we believe, the best bit of eating cereal in the morning. this ice cream captures that and we’ve even added clusters of cornflakes caramelised with honey to boot. truly a breakfast of champions in our books!"

the cornflakes ice cream even managed to stand out with and enhance the crowd of ingredients that make up the brunch of champions. think frosted flakes in very cold milk. the creamy ice cream with milky's mild sweetness echoed by the honey sweetness to contrast the still-crunchy-how-do-they-do-it cornflakes. it was so mind boggling, it made an impression.

little pots of ice cream :: salted caramel | "smooth salted caramel ice cream laced with rich salted caramel swirls. a winning combination that will have you licking the spoon bowl and tub clean!"

if you know me well, the marriage of sweet and salty makes my knees go weak and the world go round. and an excellent salted caramel is one of the epitomes of that contrasting yet complementary combination. the good news is fatbaby ice cream does it justice capitalizing on the balanced ratio of saltiness against the sweetness. the creamy base, just sweet enough and the occasional surprise from the unexpected saltiness was enough to secure a spot on my favorites list.

the bad news: price varies with the cafes that carry them.

ice cream :: double scoop (rm 13)

despite the many different flavors up for grabs. i ended up sticking with the classics. of course, salted caramel was a natural choice, and the other. chocolate took the scoop.

"not for the faint hearted, this is our intense take on chocolate ice cream. made using 70% cocoa, this ice cream is deep, dark and deliciously smooth"

70% cocoa. definitely my kind of chocolate. not cloyingly sweet, the dark richness was prominent with its decadence but shy with bitterness as the cold, creamy ice cream melts on the tongue with every spoonful.

i am ashamed to admit i finished the double scoop all by myself. but it was just so good.

waffles :: single scoop waffle (rm 12)

their version of an updated banana split + waffle.

the warm waffle cushioned to the melting ice cream, topped with the sliced bananas and finished with drizzle of salted caramel. {mh} seemed to be contended with the waffle choice with the apple crumble ice cream.

"a slice of apple crumble with ice cream? a-may-zing!. what's even better? apple crumble ice cream! that's right, each scoopful has chunks of tart granny smith apples interspersed with home made buttery crumble and laced with ice cream"

she liked how it reminded her of apple crumble and the fact that it was ice cream. after reading mixed reviews on the apple crumble flavor, some may have forgotten that it is ice cream laced with crumble and diced apples and not vice versa. i had a small bite - moderate sweetness but i would have preferred a tad more apple tartness but i could definitely detect the crumble.

{wj} had the same only with white choc-raspberry ice cream.

he was less of a fan of the main star - the flavors were a little muted and it wasn't as creamy as he would have liked it. but he enjoyed the waffles, which had a sliver of sweetness in the crispy yet soft textures.

fatbaby ice cream starts with honest to goodness ingredients with passion evident in their handmade and handpacked ice cream. if you want to share a little of the love, you can find liquid gold (a.k.a salted caramel) in jars and ice creams in the pints (rm 28) for sale.

thus, 'twas the tale where the little encounters + delicious promises that led to my emotional attachment to the fatbaby ice cream - growing from intrigue to surprise and from like to love.