Frozen Kuhsterd champorado sundae: Hot and cold combination with warm, Filipino rice pudding and a scoop of ice cream (I selected Thai iced tea). Champorado is a chocolate rice pudding made with glutinous rice. This sundae was excellent-the ice cream was barely sweetened with a fantastic herbal flavor, and the texture of the pudding was surprising and delicious. Unfortunately, the warmth of the pudding caused the ice cream to melt very quickly, leading to more of a pudding soup. The sundae is expensive ($6.50), but the portio... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Dominique Ansel Bakery Gingerbread Pinecone: I still haven't tried a cronut, but I have tried some of Dominique Ansel's desserts in the past, mostly through special events held at his New York West Village Kitchen location. While some were exceptional, namely a pea and carrot dessert modeled after a baby's first word, others have actually been quite bad (like the pie night a few years ago). There is a relatively short line at his first bakery and restaurant in Los Angeles at The Grove, so I opted for a seasonal treat: the gingerbread... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Satie Chocolaterie Koi no Teppoudama Chocolates: Translated as "Love's Tadpole" via Google Translate (though I doubt that's accurate), these earplug-shaped chocolates from Japan are much tastier than they look. The pieces are dusted in cocoa powder and begin to melt instantly on the tongue, with an exceptionally creamy and rich flavor. I'm normally not a chocolate person, but these were some of the best chocolates I've had, reminding me of the high quality hot chocolate from L.A. Burdick but more snackable and slightly less rich, which I... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japanese sweets dessert satiechocolaterie koi no teppoudama 4.5 chocolate
Lava Cookies Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie: These massive cookies (about 4" in diameter and 3/4" thick) are available at pastrami shop Harry and Ida's in the East Village. Each cookie costs a little under $6 each and are large enough to be easily shared. I'm not one to purchase a cookie in a bake shop, as I generally prefer other pastries and breads, but I can easily say this is one of the top cookies I've had in my life. On the interior is a molten chocolate filling whose consistency just holds together, while the cookie itself is... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional baked nyc harryandidas lavacookies chocolate chip lava cookie 4.5
Michel et Augustin Milk chocolate and melt caramel shortbread cookie squares: About the size of a candy bar, this snack consists of four 1.5" square-shaped shortbread cookies, each with a generous milk chocolate well and a thin layer of stretchy salted caramel sandwiched underneath. Definitely one of the best store-bought cookies I've ever purchased. The shortbread have a perfect snap, and the balance of sweet and savory is ideal. Even though the caramel is thin, it has a rich, buttery flavor and flakes of salt that add texture. The cookies are made in France and ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Milk Bar Cereal milk panna cotta: This special cereal milk panna cotta, available at the Flagship Milk Bar in NoMad, is topped with roasted matcha meringue, corn flakes crumble, and dark chocolate shards. It's available just until the end of the day. It's really excellent, a dessert that could easily cost $11 in a restaurant without seeming out of place (it costs a little over $6). Surprisingly light, the panna cotta has a just-set fluffy texture; the matcha flavor is immediately identifiable in the chewy bruleed meringue, ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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