There is a belief amongst crepe-lovers: if you could catch the crepe with a frying pan after tossing it in the air (with your left hand), while holding a piece of gold (on your right) you’d become rich that year. True or not, this I personally know: whatever filling or topping you choose to accompany a crepe, it’s always a delight – whether for a meal or dessert!
When pondering Japanese food, crepe isn’t the first thing that comes to mind but tucked away in Daimaru Sapporo, Kiki Yococho is a little local gem. The crepes are – and I’m only slightly exaggerating – a firm favourite which was sweet-but-not-too-sweet in that dangerous way that means you could eat it all day. The seating area is small in a typically Japanese bustling way.
You can’t really go wrong with the crepe. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
If you’re sweet-toothed in Sapporo, you’re in luck – Fruitscake Factory is the creme de la creme of bakeries in the city.
The array of cakes displayed is jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring. You can’t really go wrong with the tarts, but if you can get it go for their gratuitously enjoyable creation, the strawberry tart which is – and I’m only slightly exaggerating – divine.
On your marks, get set… eat! This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
If you’ve ever wandered around Taipei, the delectable filled pineapple cakes have surely caught your eye. Luckily, Vigor Kobo offer a pineapple cake workshop designed for beginners where they will guide you through the pineapple-making process from start to finish.
The teaching style is informative and fun – the lessons are ‘hands on’! You’ll get to take your practice pineapple cake home.
I’ve become a pineapple cake baking expert. Or at least I certainly want to be. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
Singapore’s dessert scene is anything but boring. I remember when going out for a mid-afternoon sweet treat was about choosing between a red velvet or a chocolate cupcake. These days it’s a whole other story. Desserts have been supersized, with enough calories to fuel a family for a month.
Sunday Folks is piled high with soft serve ice cream, to cakes to waffles. While I wouldn’t advise regular consumption, an occasional waffle sea salt gula melaka topped with gula melaka and hand-harvested sea salt (don’t worry, no eggs in this mixture) with toppings gula melaka mochi, chocolate Mikado sticks and gula melaka sauce can’t do too much harm, right?!
If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent Affogatos to go with it. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
When it comes to bakeries, Japan is a goldmine. The Japanese have embraced the art of French patisserie and become seriously good at it.
Kinotoya Café is neighbourhoody, mildly hip and completely welcoming, but still ever so slightly pretentious in places. I love the omelette parfait. It sounds sound so wrong, but it is so right. You can also indulge in the pretzel croissant and soft-boiled eggs.
For me, at least, Kinotoya Cafe is a great place to have up your sleeve. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
Food is like fashion. People may copy Lady M’s Mille Crêpes, but when they want a perfect specimen, they will go to the store.
Sweet-toothed Singaporeans, you’re in luck. Choose from signature, green tea, marron, salted caramel and pair it with the array of the delicate artisanal tea selection. Personally, the signature and salted caramel are the perfect excuse to shovel spoonfuls of warm carbs into your face.
Lady M is truly the queen of cakes and confectionary delights. On your marks, get set… eat! This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
Should we really leave room for desserts? Bangkok dessert scene is anything but boring. Moreover, I crave my sweets. More and more I revere my sweets.
It’s hard to avoid the After You revolution, with Instagram going wild. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent baby shibuya honey toast to go with it. While I wouldn’t advise regular consumption, an occasional choc banana pancake can’t do too much harm, right?! The baby mango sticky rice kakigori is selling like hot cakes but I don’t share the same sentiments.
Other than mango sticky rice places, After You is easily one of the best dessert places in Bangkok. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
I have to confess, I am not a cheesecake fan. After LeTao had brainwashed thousands of Asians through the power of pure indulgence and wondering what the hype is all about, I decided to take a plunge into the world of cheesecakes. It’s time for the moment I’ve been waiting for: the cheesecake cult initiation process.
The cake itself looks unassuming, but the luscious indulgently rich double fromage was so easy to finish in one sitting although biting into the dense base on its own may get a little overpowering after a while. In taste, the crepe suzette travel that thin line between “oh god, this is good” and “oh god, this is a bit much”. They are sweet and sticky but the rind of the orange pull it back from the nadir.
I am a little fatter now, a little poorer, but much happier. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
Once upon a time, Starbucks prompted millions of consumers to do away with cheaper instant coffee for a more expensive specialty product. With this Reserve Roastery, it is third-wave coffee.
Upscale, and they feature cocktail bars, bakeries, snake-like tubes that transport beans across the store and unique elements, this roastery is completely unlike a typical Starbucks. There are tons of food and coffee options, plus plenty of places to sit and stay for a while with staffers navigating selections the way a sommelier might do with a wine list.
Indeed the food and drinks are, well, a few stars better than your standard Starbucks offerings. My personal favorite is the dark chocolate mocha, which is just sweet enough with a good bitter bite from the espresso. Milanese bakery Princi provides the food, notable ones are cheesecake lampone, carrot loaf cake and torta princi.
Looking around, I see coffee fiends pilgrimage here from all over. You’ll hear different languages, see a spectrum of generations, and many different styles of clothing. If you’re a coffee lover, you won’t want to miss this stop.
This massive, gleaming roastery is the Starbucks Mecca. Translation: Be prepared to be awed and overwhelmed. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
If you love chocolate as much as me, and you’re hungry, then look away now.
These days desserts have been supersized, with enough calories to fuel a family for a month. The Choc a lot is the top seller for a reason – cookie chocolate lava include a scoop of ice cream. Choose your flavour of ice cream – I picked Banoffee (banana, toffee and choco mud pie) – and indulge. Each bite was a perfect ratio of crumbly cake and warm sauce. If you’re feeling extra naughty, order one of their indulgent brownie topped with milo dinosaur ice cream to go with it.
Arrive hungry. This is the true truth as I say it as it is…
PEr FYI 