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
exceptional desserts cake ganache ginger spiced speculoos chocolate losangeles la dominiqueansel dominiqueanselbakery gingerbread pinecone 4.5
Iceskimo Shaved Snow: Located in La Jolla, Iceskimo is a self-proclaimed "artisan snow shavery" serving shaved ice inspired by those found in Taiwan and Hawaii. The shaved ice is a mix between ice cream and shaved ice - creamier than the shaved ice found on the streets of Taipei, shaved thinly into overlapping ribbons. They have many classic Asian flavors to chose from, from black sesame to matcha to Thai tea. I tried both the black sesame (pictured) as well as the Thai tea and found the Thai tea to be the mos... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended desserts taiwnaese shavedice blacksesame thaitea boba icecream iceskimo shaved snow 3.5
Bhan Kanom Thai Pangchi: Pangchi is a bite-sized sticky rice pancake cooked on the griddle, giving it a crispy crust on both sides and mochi-like interior mixed with corn. While not captured in this photograph, panchi are actually lilac in color. Mochi is my favorite snack, and this take on crispy mochi was eye opening and delicious. A perfect bite. Purchased from the Thai dessert specialty store Bhan Kanom Thai in LA. 4.5/5.0
exceptional dessert thai mochi stickyrice corn bhankanomthai pangchi 4.5
Bhan Kanom Thai Sticky rice with taro: Wrapped in a banana leaf, this steamed dessert consists of long grain glutinous rice with a taro filling at the center. The quality of the rice is superb and quite possibly the best sticky rice I’ve had. It’s chewy but still has just enough bite. Perfumed with coconut water, the rice has a very faint sweet tropical flavor, while the taro adds additional richness and a contrasting soft and creamy texture. As far as classic desserts go, this traditional sticky rice was a revelation and at $1.5... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional la losangeles dessert stickyrice bhankanomthai sticky rice taro 4.5
Bhan Kanom Thai Kanom Bueng Kem: Bhan Kanom Thai is a dessert shop located in a strip mall in the heart of LA's Thai Town. Immediately upon entering the store, you're struck by the wonderful smell of toasted coconut as multiple cooks prepare fresh traditional Thai treats. Along the walls are shelves of packaged snacks, from potato chips to dried seafood to wasabi peas, all from various asian countries and most of which I had never seen before. Many of their house-made pastries are pre-packaged in quantities of 6 or more,... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended la thai crepe bhankanomthai kanom bueng kem 4.0
Ring Baked Tofu Donuts Matcha Donut: A second flavor I tried from specialty donut shop Ring Donuts is their traditional matcha donut. Made with rice flour and soy milk, this small donut cost $2.50 and has a subtle green tea flavor. What makes it stand out is its moist yet light texture. If you're in the area, it's definitely worth a try. 3.5/5.0
recommended losangeles la ringbakedtofudonuts matcha donut 3.5