Matutina Cinnamon Concha: Sadly, this post is solely for documentation as Matutina, a Mexican bakery in downtown Portland (about a 5 minute walk from Powell's), is now closed. I was able to try a concha fresh from the oven on the day before they shut their doors, and it was excellent. The bread itself was fluffy, yet had a slightly chewy texture, and the cinnamon crust was on the sweet side but had a lovely spiced flavor reminiscent of breakfast cereal. I hope they're able to open up elsewhere as these baked goods ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional portland pastry mexican matutina cinnamon concha 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
exceptional cookies sweets biscuit shortbread chocolate milkchocolate micheletaugustin milk melt caramel cookie squares 4.5 parkslopefoodcoop
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
exceptional desserts pannacotta meringue matcha cereal milk nyc chocolate milkbar panna cotta 4.5
Minamoto Kitchoan white peach mochi: As close to mochi perfection as I've experienced. Beautiful and thoughtful packaging. Each mochi is wrapped to resemble a peach, and the mochi itself has a textured coating to mimic the fuzziness of the fruit. Filling to mochi exterior ratio is very high. Interior paste is a vivid pink color and tastes of sweet peach. A very special treat. 5.0/5.0
minamotokitchoan japanese mochi peach whitepeach exceptional sweets dessert white 5.0
Minamoto Kitchoan kinkan daifuku: Light yellow mochi filled with white bean paste and a whole kumquat. Fantastic citrus flavor. Intense, juicy kumquat. Mochi to filling ratio is perfect, as was the amount of sugar. 4.5/5.0
mochi kumquat exceptional japanese minamotokitchoan kinkan daifuku 4.5
Mong Lee Shang Taiwanese mochi with sesame paste: One of the best pre-packaged mochi I've ever had. Perfectly sized for snacking with a sliver of red bean at its center. Sesame seeds add texture and nutty flavor. Delicious! 4.5/5.0
exceptional asian taiwanese chinese mongleeshang mochi sesame paste 4.5