Bake Cheese Tart Original Cheese Tart: While walking through Tokyo station, I came across this small shop with a sizeable, but not intimidatingly-so, line and the aroma of baked goods. They specialize in cheese tarts, some flavored with chocolate or seasonally with strawberry, but I went for the original, which is a little smaller than a typical Portguese / Chinese egg tart. The pastry base is twice baked, and the interior is largely cream cheese that has a baked browned crust of brueleed cheese. The texture of the cheese unde... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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b. patisserie milk tea tart: At the corner of Divisadero and California in Lower Pacific Heights (San Francisco) is popular bakery b. patisserie, led by a former pastry chef at fine-dining establishments like Gary Danko and Manresa. The sizable shop feels like a luxury in San Francisco, with only a handful of bakeries able to afford real estate to seat multiple families and smaller parties; the line out of the door, with about a 15 minute wait to the counter, signified they're doing just fine. For Chinese New Year, b.... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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Golden Gate Bakery egg tart: Back in 2010, I came across this legendary Chinatown institution notable for its long lines of Chinese patrons. I ordered a single egg tart and sat on the curb on Grant street savoring the best egg tart I'd ever had. Unlike most I had previously tasted, which tend to sit out in display cabinets, this tart came out hot, giving the custard a glistening glow and a silky texture that was almost pudding-like. Ever since that day, I've gone out of my way to buy another on almost every trip back to... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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Jean-Philippe Patisserie Raspberry Tart: This multi-layered tart has a shortbread base, raspberry "jam," pistachio cream, almond nougatine, and fresh raspberries, topped with tubular shavings of white chocolate. At $8, it comes at a Vegas price tag, but it's easily sharable. Its best attribute is the mix of textures, from the almond crisp to the soft nougat. The raspberries were also remarkably fresh. A bit sweet for my taste, but the layer of raspberry jam does add some tartness. 3.5/5.0
dessert lasvegas berries pistachio jeanphilippepatisserie raspberry tart 3.5 recommended
Lotte Cheese Tart with Lemon Toppo : These are straw-shaped biscuits with an icing-like filling that are popular convenience store snacks in Japan. The biscuits are a little bit smaller in circumference than Pixie Sticks, a bit wider than Pretz crackers. I purchased this box thinking it was egg tart flavored, but the tart pictured on the packaging is actually a cheese tart with a bit of lemon from the Setouchi Region of Japan. You can definitely taste the lemon, but the cheese has more of a more neutral creaminess – kind of ... (read more) 2.5/5.0
japanese lawson lotte cheese tart lemon toppo 2.5
Made in Nature Tart Cherry Fig Figgy Pops: I can’t tell if energy balls / chews are on the rise more generally or just commonly found in health-conscious Berkeley. But I have seen them creep up on more supermarket shelves over the past year and have given a few a try. This one by Made in Nature was purchased at Monterey Market in Berkeley and consists of 1" diameter balls densely packed with dried fruit (figs, cherries, dates) and cashews, all coated with coconut flakes. This antioxidant-rich snack is nourishing though not entirely... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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