Dessert By Candy

It's Not Just Dessert...

You may think that my trip to New York City was about dessert and dessert only. Well, I did manage to squeeze in some sightseeing in between all the munching. First, let's take a look at the hotel room where we stayed. I found a very reasonable deal with this newly opened boutique hotel in downtown Brooklyn. Normally, traveling for skating trip means utilitarian hotels to keep our expenses low. However, being my birthday weekend, I was in vacation mood so I decided to go with a boutique hotel instead. The minimalist decor is pleasing to the eye. The free WiFi and modern bathroom fixture do not hurt either. However, the most "interesting" part of the room was the lack of a bathroom door. There was a door to make the toilet a private space and there was a frosted glass door that enclosed the shower but the sink/vanity was a semi open space that looked right into the rest of the room. It was a little inconvenient if, like me, you are more used to doing all your primping in a private space.

My last day in New York City was spent by myself and I took the opportunity to explore the city to my heart's desire. My first stop was Jacque Torres' chocolate boutique in DUMBO Brooklyn for a taste of his famous Wicked Hot Chocolate. Looking for the store was an adventure in itself because my GPS led me to some roads in the city that was not so pedestrian-friendly. The boutique was tucked in a street lined with cobblestone and it was a nice change from bustling Manhattan. As soon as I stepped inside the store, I was surrounded by the sweet smell of chocolate. I bought a box of chocolate with some interesting flavours but I'm saving that for enjoyment back home. Fortunately, it was a nice cool day so walking around the city with a box of chocolate was alright (chocolate does not like temperature fluctuation). Being a cool windy day had another advantage of course. It meant sitting outside the store with my cup of hot chocolate was a great relaxing experience instead of a sweaty one! While I waited for the hot chocolate to cool to comfortable drinking temperature, I messed around with my camera for a bit before finally deciding that it was practically impossible for me to take a decent self-portrait drinking hot chocolate. I waited for some time before a nice group of visitors came out of the store with chocolate in their hands. Lucky for me, one of the guys had a fancy camera around his neck and I asked him to take a picture of me with my camera. It was that moment that I came to the discovery of one VERY IMPORTANT RULE of single traveling: Always look for guys with fancy cameras to take picture of you. In the very least, you will not end up with pictures like this. With a bit of luck, you may even end up having some of the most excellent pictures during your trip! As for the hot chocolate, it was nice though not quite the European-style hot chocolate that I've come to expect. I can't wait to taste my box of chocolate though once I get home.

I got lost for a bit before finally giving in to asking directions at a coffee shop. I wanted to find the walkway entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge but it was not as easy as it seemed. Sure the bridge was looming large over the harbour but it was not obvious how to get there unless I was in a car. When I got there at last, it was well worth the effort. The walkway was divided into two halves, one for pedestrians and one for cyclists. There were tourists like me but there were also joggers and cyclists going about their own business so it did not feel like a tourist trap at all. The rain from the last few days was gone and the clear sky offered a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline as I slowly walked along the bridge. I love the geometric lines created by the criss cross of the cables. It reminded me of all the graphs we drew in math classes back in school and the strength created by such symmetry. It was also cool to listen to the roaring engines of the cars below as they sped away.

Once I got to Manhattan, I proceeded along Lafayette St to Soho. On my way over, I passed through Chinatown...the noise, the sights, the crowds...doesn't seem that different than Chinatown in downtown Toronto. It actually felt kinda strange, like gentrification in a parallel universe. I had lots of fun browsing in the boutiques in Soho but one store caught my attention. It was the Helen Wang boutique! And it was store-closing sale up to 70% off! I bought a dress from this designer a couple of years ago and I still love it today. Out of a whim, I tried on a floor length black satin slinky dress with a double-sided bolero jacket in black velvet and hot pink satin. It was stunningly beautiful. I was not really shopping for a party dress but I was seriously tempted by the bargain. However, as I was checking the dress for defects, I found a tiny hole in the front of the dress. Well, that made for an easy decision...until the store clerk showed me the same dress in a deep sapphire blue in my size. Obviously it did not go well with the jacket but as it was still rather expensive, I decided to think about it over lunch.

I looked at my watch and was alarmed to see how much time I spent at the store. It was less than 10 minutes until my reservation at Le Bernardin on 51st St. There was simply no way that I could arrive on time if I take the subway. I jumped into a yellow taxi and off we went. As the taxi weaved between the busy traffic on 6th Ave, it felt like a Hollywood moment. There I was in a cab, hurrying to a fancy restaurant for lunch after shopping at a boutique in Soho. The whole experience was rather surreal.

I arrived at the restaurant merely five minutes late but as soon as I stepped inside, I totally forgot the stress of arriving late. As one can expect, the service at this calibre of restaurant is impeccable. The need of the diner was met almost before the I felt the necessity to ask. This kind of pampering reminded me of my first Michelin 3-star experience at Taillevent. However, as for the food, Le Bernardin is to seafood as Arpege is to vegetable. The care of preparation and the highlight to natural flavour of the ingredient really shined through. My meal began with a salmon spread made with both raw and cooked salmon. The contrast of texture for the fish was delicious. For my appetizer, I ordered the Black Bass tartare Mediterrean style served with olive, citrus, fennel, and majoram. One often see tuna or salmon given the tartare treatment at restaurants but it was the first time I tried it with black bass. The dish was very refreshing and the more delicate flavour of black bass matched well with the citrus flavour. Although it was served with slices of bread, I did not feel the need to enjoy with the bread at all. It was tasty all on its own. My main course was poached halibut with marinated almond, pistachio, and a blood orange verjus. It went without saying that the fish was cooked just right. It was a bit theatrical when the waiter pour the bright red sauce over the fish tableside but it soon became apparently why. Perhaps because of its cooking method, the fish sweated some water into the sauce which clouded the colour. For aesthetic purposes, it made sense to delay the mixture of sauce and fish until the last moment. I love the fruitiness of the blood orange and the rich taste of the nuts. The flavour of this dish was well-balanced.

The reason that brought me to Le Bernardin was the fame of their executive pastry chef Michael Laiskonis. After the main course, I was served a cute intermezzo of an egg shell filled with chocolate and caramel cream with a bit of fleur de sel and a touch of maple syrup for garnish. The flavour combination is a classic one and the cream was smooth. It was a nice preview of what was to come. After much consideration, I decided on the Chocolate Sweet Potato dessert made with dark Amedei chocolate ganache, sweet potato pearls and sorbet, pistachio, palm sugar, and vanilla salt. The waiter gently warned me that the dark chocolate ganache is very chocolatey and some people may find it surprisingly bitter. Being a fan of Amedei Chocolate myself, I've come to expect that. The ganache was lightly set and resembled the texture of a bavarois. Yes, it was indeed very chocolatey! What was most memorable was the taste of the sweet potato sorbet. I enjoyed sweet potato in many form but sorbet and pearls was a first for me! It was fun but at the same time, very skillfully made. My lunch concluded with a cup of espresso served with various mignardise including warm financiers.

Time was ticking away and I had yet to visit Chikalicious. I knew that I already missed my chance to visit their Dessert Bar for a full dessert tasting experience but I still wanted to drop by the dessert club to try some of their simpler dessert. However, Le Bernardin was practically next door to the Rockefeller Center so how could I possibly not walk over for an I-was-here photograph? I circled the buildings a few times before finding the crowd of tourists around the famous golden statue. It really looked exactly like it did on television (yup, that's the country bumpkin in me talking)! Too bad it's still too warm to have the skating rink in place...

I made a quick stop at La Maison Du Chocolat to pick up a box of assorted dark chocolate. It is one of my favourite chocolate boutiques so stocking up was a bit of a must-do in NYC. :) While I was waiting to pay for my purchase, a lady beamed with happiness as she received her cartons full of La Maison Du Chocolat wedding favours. It was quite a sight to see hundreds of those signature brown boxes...

I didn't know how but I did manage to visit Dessert Club, ChikaLicious. I sampled the vanilla steamed pudding and the upside down cheesecake. My impression of both dessert was the strong Japanese influence. Sure the taste was classical but they were made in such a way that reminded me of the French pastry shops in Tokyo and Kobe. They were well made and I regretted that I could not visit the dessert bar on this trip.

P.S. I returned to Helen Wang even though I was seriously running out of time to arrive at the airport on time...I got the dress and made it to my flight alright. :) It would have been really bad if I miss my flight because it was the last flight out of Newark to Toronto and I had an early flight to catch the next morning to Hong Kong!

Savory And Sweet

clockwise from top left: Foie Gras Napoleon, Chocolate Olive Oil Marquise, House-made Bread, Warm Date Pudding

I looked forward to dining at P*ONG with much anticipation because of chef Pichet Ong's pastry background. Having dined at Espai Sucre previously, I was intrigued by the marriage of savory and sweet as interpretted by a pastry chef. My original plan was to order the dessert tasting menu to get a broader view of what P*ONG has to offer but since the whole table had to participate, I went with a la carte instead.

My meal began with a dish from the sweet & savory section of the menu: foie gras napoleon served with chocolate, pineapple, hazelnut, cognac, and spicy pepper jam. Foie gras is typically served wtih a sweet/tart component anyway so the combination of sweet and savory is a logical choice. What was surprising with the use of bitter chocolate sauce. I would imagine the richness of chocolate would compete for attention with the richness of foie gras but the result was incredibly harmonious. The tiny dices of pineapple and the spicy pepper jam provided just the right hint of tartness that prevent the dish from too heavy. I was very happy with this dish. The house-made bread was excellent as well. The small boule had a crust that was almost flakey and the inside of the bread was tender and buttery.

My first dessert was the warm date pudding served with caramel, roasted figs, and orange segments. The appearance was rustic enough but the taste was anything but. The pudding had a thin crust created by caramelization. The soft interior reminded me of a really delicious Christmas pudding...some English influence perhaps? Being a huge fan of steamed pudding myself, this dessert really hit the spot for an autumn night. Too bad it was so warm and humid outside. :)

I ordered a second dessert of chocolate olive oil marquise served with cantaloupe and green apple foam. Perhaps I was full at this point but this dessert did not impress as much as the previous dishes. The marquise was like semi-firm chilled chocolate ice-cream and I could not understand the pairing of cantaloupe and green apple with chocolate.

I was glad that I visited P*ONG and I am still interested in checking out their dessert tasting menu. It is wonderful to see dessert-centric restaurants such as P*ONG, Kyotofu, and Tailor flourishing in New York City. However, in comparison with Espai Sucre or the plat Aubergine from Gordon Ramsay, I would return to Europe in a heartbeat.

Seeking Dessert With A Reluctant Friend

I woke up on Sunday morning with dessert on my mind. The weather was not getting any better but I simply must visit the many dessert places NYC has to offer. Since MW did not have anything planned in advance, he decided to come along. I guess that was how it all began.

Our first official stop was Rice To Riches on Spring Street after an unsuccessful first attempt with securing a table at Balthazar for Sunday brunch (go figure). This is a rice pudding specialist which serves rice pudding like ice-cream. There was a huge selection of topping and the menu made suggestions on flavour combination. After a lot of consideration, I went with "Stubborn Banana" without topping. I love the reusable container and matching spoon! As promised, the banana flavour was very strong and the rice grains were very tender. It was a huge serving of rice pudding though even for someone with a huge sweet tooth like me. I couldn't finish half of it. For the novelty factor, it was a fun place to visit but I guess you have to love rice pudding if you're a returning customer.

By the time I finished purchasing my rice pudding, a table became available at Balthazar so a decadent brunch ensued. Without question, I was immediately drawn to the breakfast bread+pastry assortment basket. I knew that between MW and I, there was no way that we could finish all those bread in addition to our main courses. However, how could I NOT order it at Balthazar?

The basket contained a selection of chocolate bread (the yummiest of all), fruit & nut sourdough, cranberries foccacia, tete a brioche, and a sticky bun. It came with a tiny pot of fragrant orange marmalade as well but the star was the bread obviously. After sampling everything, I would say the chocolate bread got my vote as something that I would order standalone at the bakery even though I am not at all a chocolate fan. My breakfast also included a cup of hot chocolate (not the European style though rich and foamy) and a plate of scrambled eggs with mushroom and asparagus in a vol-au-vent. There was a drizzle of truffle oil over the eggs and it added some nice aroma to the delicate texture of the eggs. I was happy with how the eggs was cooked just right but I was not as impressed with the puff pastry. It was correctly flakey and buttery but finishing it was a chore. Before we left Balthazar, we popped into the bakery and came away with a cannele and a madeleine.

By now, you can probably imagine that my tummy was full. MW and I decided to take a nice long walk to Times Square with detours along the way. The first detour was Dean And Deluca (just to take a look). Like most gourmet grocers around the globe, the selection was huge and a feast for the eyes. Perhaps it was me but I felt it was a little generic...like a cookie-cutter gourmet grocer. It was definitely not a destination the way Fouchon, Hediard, or Harrod's fall hall have grown to be.

Our next top brought us to Grand Central Terminal for the tourist photo-op. The ornate and grand interior was lovely to behold and it felt a little strange to see all these people speeding past us in all direction on route to some unknown destination. The images of the station have made appearance in so many movies past that I felt as though I had been there before.

By the time we arrived at Times Square, weather took a turn for the worse and the rain came down hard. All the lights on the billboard and screens was an assault to the senses with the hectic traffic adding to the chaotic feeling. MW and I dodged umbrellas ("they will poke our eyes out for sure") while trying to snap pictures of the screens ("I hope my camera doesn't get wet"). I can see why back home in Toronto, people say Dundas Square is merely a pale imitation of Times Square. My favourite screen had to be the one mounted on the M&M store continuously showing hijinks of Red and Yellow. It was really cute that one of the clips showed Red climbing to the top of the Empire State Building in true King Kong fashion. MW explained to me how the advertising airtime was sold and how much they cost from screen to screen. It was an interesting lesson indeed.

Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center was our next destination and it was time to indulge in more sweets! I ordered a lemon tart and a chocolate bouchon. The chocolate bouchon was a fancily-named brownie. The lemon tart, on the other hand, was one of the best lemon tarts I enjoyed in a while. The pate sable was crunchy and soooo buttery (no soggy bottom for this tart!). The rich buttery taste offset perfectly the puckery lemon cream. The filling was lemon cream and not lemon curd. It was silky smooth with butter emulsified entirely. The meringue topping was restrained and more of an after-thought. I love it when a pastry shop pays attention to the classics and wows in such understated manner.

We went for a stroll in Central Park after our afternoon snack and then wandered along Madison in search of La Maison De Chocolat and MarieBelle. Unfortunately, both stores were closed by the time we arrived and our legs were tired (MW skated 100k the previous day).

Next post I'll have a detail account of our dinner at P*ONG.

Racing Against Time

Obivously the main reason for visiting NYC is the Skate Marathon in Prospect Park. However, it is just as important that I satisfy the food lover side of me. After a whole morning of skating/cheering/celebrating, I finally returned to the hotel room at three in the afternoon, soaking wet from standing in the rain for far too long. I was starving obviously but that only made me more determined to seek out one of the many dessert places on my to-visit list.

The post-race party was held at Zanzibar, just a short walk away from Kyotofu. I secretly thanked my lucky star as it was one of the more intriguing places I wanted to visit and I wasn't sure if the opportunity would come up. The promise of a Japanese-influenced dessert tasting menu featuring tofu and soy milk sounds absolutely delicious to me. I ordered the three-course dessert kaiseki prix fixe of course while MW ordered unagi wrapped in phyllo pastry and housemade artisanal tofu salad served with avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and yuzu miso dressing.

My first course contained two dessert: their signature sweet tofu served with kuromitsu black sugar syrup and dried apricot and warm miso chocolate cake served with chocolate-black soybean ganache, saikyo miso, and green tea anko cream. I was impressed with the delicate texture and subtle sweetness of the tofu. It was like a well-made panna cotta with a much lighter touch. The dark colour of the sugar syrup had me anticipating hints of caramel but the taste was more complex without the bitter background. The chocolate cake was, well, chocolate cake. It was moist and decadent though not something that I would order off the menu for sure.

The second course once again contained two dessert: yuzu & blueberry anmitsu and summer sweet corn tofu cheesecake. Anmitsu is a very traditional japanese dessert of agar-agar, fruit, and optionally ice-cream, anko, syrup. Kyotofu's version was very restrained in comparison with blueberries, yuzu flavour agar agar, and a pickled plum. The yuzu flavour was very refreshing and that was what I enjoyed most. The tofu cheesecake was delicious though not in a cheesecake-y kind of way. The texture was a lot more fragile and the taste was not at all tangy. However, I enjoyed it very much and am curious to replicate it in my kitchen.

The last course was a soymilk soft-serve ice-cream sundae garnished with little dices of mochi. I love the chewy mochi! They add a lot of interesting contrast to the texture. As for the ice-cream, since I had soymilk ice-cream before, the novelty factor was not there for me. It was very creamy though the portion was just a tad too big.

Before I left, I remembered about the okara cookies and I had to order a half dozen. They came in three flavours: hand-dipped green tea, white chocolate black sesame, and hojicha. These cookies were very soft and had a homey feel to them. If I didn't know about the use of okara, I doubt that they are too interesting to me though.

I left the party early so I could go to Serendipity 3. I know, I know...leaving a party early to visit what some people call a tourist trap? Well, I really wasn't there for the food. It was the charm and atmosphere that made me want to go. It was midnight by the time I arrived yet the place was as busy as ever with line-ups outside the door. Fortunately, getting a table for one is always easy and I waltzed in immediately. It was so cozy inside with the low-hanging tiffany lamps and the cafe tables. The oversized menu could hardly fit on my tiny table but I already knew what I wanted anyway. Of course I had to try their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate! There was this innocent charm about this huge bowl of chocolatey goodness topped generously with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. It was something out of a time machine before low-fat, low carb became part of our everyday culture. The drink itself tasted like a Frappucinno without the coffee but that was beside the point. After my drink, I happily strolled through the dark streets of 5th Ave admiring the shop windows. Yes, I felt like I was in New York at last.

NY And New York Style Cheesecake At Last!

Last I wrote, I was waiting for my delayed flight in the departure lounge. The wait wasn't so bad. For all I knew, it was raining cats and dogs in NYC anyway so it wasn't like I was keen to go sightseeing in pouring rain. That's the beauty of not having a tight deadline to meet. If things run late, so be it. I would say I was in a vacation state of mind.

We eventually made our way to Newark airport in New Jersey but not so fast! Our plane sat on the tarmac for what seemed like forever because we had to wait our turn to park at a gate. I took the opportunity to nap. Gosh, I was tired from that late night packing session. Here's a look at the contrast between the beautiful weather in Toronto and what greeted me at my destination:

By the time MW and I arrived at the hotel, it was already close to 16:30. We were starving and according to my trusty map, our closest point of interest was Junior's for a slice of authentic New York style cheesecake. Of course I read many not so favourable reviews recently regarding Junior's and how they are coasting on past reputation. However, upon my first bite of their original cheesecake, I was smiling ear to ear. The cake was creamy, dense, rich beyond believe, and offset with a subtle tang. I adore the smooth flawless golden brown top and the thin sponge cake lining the bottom. It was everything I imagine a good slice of cheesecake suppose to be. If this is an example of a "just okay" New York style cheesecake, I can't wait to sample superior ones from places such as Two Little Red Hens!

Although I have many experience with baking rich and dense cheesecakes, I don't think I've ever attempted one with such a taste profile. I have come close to the texture but my cheesecakes tend to be much more tangy from the large amount of sour cream. The slice I enjoyed today was very mellow from the taste of cream. Different, but good. :)

I am already thinking seriously of bringing a whole cheesecake home so my brother and I can enjoy it together.

Off To New York (Eventually)

After a night of frantic packing, I'm finally sitting pretty at the departure lounge, waiting patiently for my flight to New York City. Just for kicks, I decided to fly Porter Airlines this time instead of my usual pick of Air Canada. The flight leaves from the Toronto Island Airport and that 121m ferry ride was quite amusing. 121m! I could have run over if I strap some styrofoam on my feet. :D

So far, I can best describe this experience as "stylish". Between the decor, service, and complimentary drinks/snacks/internet connection, I definitely feel like I'm at the Maple Leafs Lounge except that I don't have to pay a premium fee! Besides, it was so nice not having to deal with huge line ups for security.

Well, it's good that I'm enjoying my surrounding because MW just told me the flight is delayed by an hour because of the thunderstorm in New York. According to The Weather Network, we're looking at 50mm of rain today. Oye. So back to packing...the reason that it was so difficult was because I had to pack "nice" outfits for everyday. Not just any nice outfits, but ones that I can wear with sensible walking shoes! I plan to visit many restaurants and pastry shops and chocolate stores on this trip so jeans and T-shirt is not quite versatile enough. In case you're interested, here is a look at some of the places I plan to visit in the next few days. It's way too ambitious to go to all these places obviously. We'll see how many I end up visiting by the end of this trip!