Varda Chocolatier

Varda Chocolatier I discovered on a recent Japan Airlines flight, although they aren't actually based in Japan, the shop is right outside NYC.

"We use only the finest dark (semi-sweet) milk and white Belgian (Callebaut) chocolate and natural ingredients to create our truffles, pralines, squares, roll bars, coins, signature boxes, holiday gifts, baskets and much more."

Varda makes a slew of different types of chocolates, including coins, truffles (round chocolates filled with all sorts of fillings and decorated on top), and pralines (mostly square and flat, also with fillings, but with printed on designs on the flat top).  I'm still not entirely sure what the difference is between the truffle and praline designation though, as I always thought of pralines as containing nuts, and these didn't.

I don't have much more to share about Varda, as their website is very limited, and so I wasn't able to learn much more to share with you.  It seems they mostly sell gift sets online, and other than that, distribute to airlines, cruise ships, hotels, etc.

What I can tell you is that I enjoyed their chocolate and would gladly have more.

Box of Mini Pralines.

"Mini Pralines packed in a Gold Ballotine Box."

The duo of pralines came in a small gold box, shiny, blingy, and tied up with a gold string.  They offer similar packaging in silver or white.

The packaging warns that the chocolates require refrigeration, but need to be served at room temperature, so you have to pull them out 2 hours before serving, minimum.  I'm not entirely sure why they require refrigeration?  These are high maintenance chocolates.

Cosmos Pralines.

"Dark filling with a hint of Irish Cream in Dark or Milk Chocolate".

Inside was two chocolates (which they call pralines), each with pretty decorations, inspired by the cosmos - suns, moons, stars, planets, etc.

The milk chocolate is on the left with the white cosmos, the dark on the right with gold.

Milk Chocolate Cosmos.

The milk chocolate one I tried first.

The milk chocolate shell was creamy and decent.  Inside was a smooth chocolate filling, that tasted to me more like a soft caramel than just chocolate.

I didn't know they were Irish Cream flavored until I looked them up, but I did detect a flavor to it that I couldn't quite figure out.  That must have been it?

Overall, it was fine, but not remarkable. ***.

Dark Chocolate Cosmos.

Next up was dark chocolate.

This one I really enjoyed.

The dark shell had the perfect snap, and although it was a sweeter dark chocolate, I still liked it.

Inside was creamy smooth dark chocolate, again, a sweeter style, but a good one.  I'd gladly have more of these.  ****.

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Union Square Donuts

I am no stranger to donuts.  Nor am I a stranger to Boston.  The former I eat pretty much weekly (yay for an office with great donut culture!), and the later I visit at least twice a year (en route to my family in NH).  So of course it makes sense that I kinda have my eye on the Boston donut scene (and no, Dunkin' Donuts does NOT count, even though I've reviewed them too of course). 

I loved the donuts from Ohlin's Bakery years ago, but sadly, it burnt down, and was located out in the suburbs anyway.  Some of the well known bakeries, like Flour, do donuts as special things on weekends (which I've had, and they are fantastic!).

But for relatively mainstream donuts in Boston proper these days, I think most people tend to rave about one of three places: Kane Donuts (which has been on my list ~forever but I still haven't tried), Blackbird Donuts (which I've had in my office before), and Union Square Donuts.  

"Union Square Donuts is an award-winning donut company with locations in Boston, Brookline and Somerville, MA. Our donuts are made fresh, by hand, every single day. We pride ourselves on our commitment to producing the best donuts possible, using high-quality ingredients, an extraordinary attention to detail, and all with a passion that shines through to everything we make. " 

Union Square has several locations in the area, I'm not sure which one ours came from.  

"Originating from a brioche dough, our donuts have a light and airy, almost pastry-like texture. All glazes, sugars, jams, and creams are created in-house using real, wholesome ingredients. We love making donuts and that care, passion, and happiness is in every donut we create. We strive to be modern, pushing the creative boundaries of flavor combinations while remaining firmly rooted in traditional pastry techniques. Our bakery team works constantly to develop new products that incorporate regional, national & global flavor trends while staying true to the classic flavors that make donuts timeless."

The donut lineup has a couple basic classics, e.g. glazed or sugar coated, but is mostly far more unique offerings (think: raspberry cheesecake, pecan pie), and changes frequently.  They have many seasonal specials.  Most of the donuts are raised donuts, but they are loftier and lighter than standard raised donuts, due to the brioche base.  They are also larger than most regular donuts.  They make a couple vegan donuts as well, but no gluten-free.

One day when I was working in the Cambridge office, a coveted email came out: "Extra Union Square Donuts! Lots of them, come and get them!".  I'd heard of Union Square Donuts, but hadn't yet had them myself, so I obviously went running (uh, yes, literally).  I was able to try several kinds, and was blown away.  Definitely some of the best donuts I've had in a few years.  I'd gladly try more, and preferably, not just someone's discards.

Donut Carnage (clockwise from top left)
Holiday Sprinkles, Raspberry Cheesecake, Pecan Pie
 Double Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Caramel Pecan
Sugar Raised, Sea Salt Whiskey Caramel,
Vietnamese Coffee, Maple Bacon

I certainly could have tried all of them, given that they were already cut into hunks, but I restrained myself, and just choose 5.  I have some regrets I didn't try more, as they were execllent.

Double Chocolate Cake Donut. $4.00
"Chocolate on chocolate? Say no more! Our rich moist chocolate cake donut is topped with milk chocolate glaze and sprinkled with chocolate curls. Chocolate lovers, rejoice!"

I'm not normally a cake donut person, and definitely not chocolate cake donut, but I wanted to at least try a cake donut from Union Square Donuts (which I later learned is the only one they make), so I tried a tiny sliver of the double chocolate.  It was a fairly chocolately dense cake donut, with a nice chocolate glaze.  But I still just don't see the appeal of such a thing - if I wanted chocolate cake, I'd have chocolate cake ... which would be more moist, and have more frosting.  Anyway, it was a fine chocolate cake donut, but, chocolate cake donut it was.  ***.

Holiday Sprinkles. $4.00.

"Our fluffy brioche donut is dipped in a rich Belgian Dark Chocolate Glaze and covered in festive sprinkles. Make everyday feel like a holiday!"

Next I tried their classic raised brioche donut that was decked out for the holidays.  I expected it to be a bit ho-hum, but it was the first bite of this one that made me decide to try several others.  The donut was light and airy, and not fried tasting.  The brioche base really makes such a difference.  It had a sweet glaze, and plenty of sprinkles.  It was the perfect texture, perfect sweetness.  Just a really good donut.  ****+.  My favorite of the donuts I tried.

I realized later that I think this may have actually been the *vegan* holiday sprinkles donut, as that one comes with a vanilla glaze, and the regular one has a chocolate glaze, and this sure seemed like a vanilla glaze.  If it was indeed vegan, that is a very impressive vegan donut!

Sea Salt Whiskey Caramel. $4.00

"With each bite of this brioche donut, enjoy the rich caramel glaze with a subtle hit of whisky. We sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt to finish off this flavorful classic. Cheers to donuts and whisky."

Next I went for the one that looked a bit like a creme brulee.  It turned out to be caramel with whiskey, which I can't say I tasted the booze, but, it was slightly crisp on top, was another perfectly light and airy brioche base, and the sweetness was just right, not cloying.  Another just lovely donut, and a bit different from your standard glazed.  ****.  My second favorite.

Chocolate Caramel Pecan Donut. $4.75.

"We fill our classic brioche donut dough with a rich Dulce de Leche pastry cream then dip it in our milk chocolate glaze and finish off with a caramel drizzle and candied pecans."

I moved on to the more decadent creations.  This one was oozing dulce de leche cream everywhere, how could I not go for it?  Since it was pastry cream, not pure dulce de leche, it was creamier and less sweet than dulce de leche alone would be.  The toppings were extensive as well, with chocolate glaze and caramel and candied nuts.  While it wasn't cloying sweet, it was definitely the sweetest of the bunch, and much more for a dessert than a mid-morning or afternoon treat.  The elements were all good, but, I actually preferred the more simple donuts.  ***+.

Pecan Pie Donut. $4.75.

"Enjoy our classic yeasted donut loaded with a gooey brown sugar and toasted pecan filling, sweet molasses glaze and topped with crumbles of buttery pie crust. Help yourself to a slice or a dozen delicious Pecan Pie Donuts."

And lastly, the pecan pie. I adore pecan pie, and I loved everything about the sound of this one.  It seems my co-workers did as well, as there was just a tiny chunk of it left.  I snatched all that was left.

It really was pecan pie in donut form.  The donut base was again a light and airy brioche donut, not too fried tasting.  Inside was, well, pecan pie filling.  The nuts were chopped more than they would be in a regular pie, which makes sense, but otherwise, it was exactly what you'd expect from pecan pie insides, although slightly more sophisticated since it used brown sugar.  It was sweet, but not over the top, and didn't scream out "corn syrup" - which, I'll admit, does have its place in pecan pie.  I didn't really taste the molasses in the glaze, nor the butteriness of the pie crust crumble, but they did add a touch of balance and further texture to it.  There was also some spicing that I didn't love however - I think either cinnamon or nutmeg? 

Overall though, this was very good, and I wish I'd been able to try a bigger piece.  I suspect it would be incredible lightly warmed up and served with vanilla ice cream or gelato.  ****, but my third pick due to the spicing.

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Sushi Shio

Sometimes, you just crave uni.  No?  Just me?  Well, it happened to me, randomly in the months of August and September, when San Francisco had a bit of a heat wave, and, accordingly, I stopped wanting hot food, and opted for a lot of sushi.  And the thing I really wanted? Yup, uni.

It all started when I had some really fantastic uni at Fenikkusu, and from there, I just started seeking it out.  However, I didn't venture all over the city for my uni goodness, opting rather for delivery.  While browsing around on DoorDash, I quickly narrowed in on Sushi Shio.  A well rated establishment (which, matters more for sushi than other things!), and in particular, they had a fascinating uni ... bruschetta.  I had to get it.

Ordering online was easy, packaging was attractive, food was good, and I'd definitely consider exploring more of their menu (or, really, just getting that bruschetta again!).

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Delivery Packaging.

When I opened my bag, the first thing I noticed was the unique packaging.  No standard sushi takeout tray here.  Instead each item was in a cardboard box, with a clear plastic lid.  It seemed considerably more attractive for some reason.

No soy sauce was provided with my order, although additional ginger, and chopsticks, were.

Appetizer: Japanese Bruschetta with Uni and truffle. $23.

"Toasted sourdough with 2 kinds of uni, truffle and ikura."

Ok.  Yes, I ordered totally ridiculous uni toast.  Or, as they dubbed it, "Japanese bruschetta".  This was a very creative dish, that did kinda make sense.  After all, uni is soft and luxurious, why serve it just on rice?  Toast makes nearly as much sense, really.  And many fancy restaurants will shave truffle on top of uni dishes, and many Japanese places will have a "spoon" with an oyster, uni, and ikura, so, yeah.  I haven't seen something like this before, but, it all made sense.

I was also drawn to this because the toast, er, bruschetta, contained both local-ish Santa Barbara and Japanese hokkaido uni.  I was originally planning to order both as nigiri, so I could do a side-by-side comparison, but, why not get them on toast, where they would, literally, be side by side.  It was the same price as two pieces of nigiri anyway.

The bruschetta survived delivery just fine.  The visual of the uni, separated by ikura, was fascinating to see the difference.  The hokkaido uni was on the left, darker, much smaller tongues, about 6 pieces laid out horizontally.  The santa barbara uni on the other hand was only 2-3 pieces, laid vertical, as they were considerably bigger.  And they tasted entirely different.  The hokkaido uni was very consistent - strong uni flavor, but no funk.  Pretty classic uni taste.  It seemed fresh enough.  The santa barbara uni on the other hand had one piece that was really sweet (and creamy?!), and one that was kinda all funk ... the taste that I think makes people not like uni.  I liked the sweet piece the most, but, overall, definitely preferred the hokkaido because the other was so funky.  Anyway, it was great to try them side by side and realize that I truly did have a preference (which, wasn't a first, after all, I did visit Uniholic in Tokyo and have an entire meal made of of uni tastings in all various forms ... swoon, that uni ice cream, unforgettable!).

The toast base was a thin slice, lightly toasted.  It was crisp when it arrived, but did soften up pretty fast, so, beware if you are getting delivery.  I really did like having uni on toast, I think I preferred it to having it on rice, it reminded me more of pate this way.  Also, it was quite easy to eat in this form!

The ikura was marinated, so it incorporated some soy flavor in it.  It was intensely salty, and added fun pops to the bites.  Uni and ikura, a totally fine pairing.  There was a generous amount of it.  I liked the freshness the shiso leaf brought as well.

And then, the truffle.  In addition to the two pieces shaved on top, I believe there was a drizzle of truffle oil, as I tasted it in other bites.  It definitely made it taste fancy, for lack of better word, but I'm not sure it really added anything to the dish.  I think I'd prefer gold leaf if I wanted to just bling it up. Sushi Shio lets you add on truffle to any item for $6, if you please.

Overall, I was quite glad I got this.  It was unique, it was fun to eat, and it was a great assortment of textures and flavors.  And now, um, I just want uni toast, rather than uni nigiri.

****.

Scallop Sashimi, Hokkaido. $12.

The sashimi came in its own little box, with a bed of shredded diakon, a shiso leaf, ginger, and wasabi.    I guess it must have been pre-sauced, but, kinda lost in delivery as it likely rolled off and soaked into the box?

The garnishes were all fresh and clearly good quality.  The scallop was sweet and refreshing.  Just a nice fresh piece.  I tend to prefer seared scallops, but this was a nice fresh compliment to the heavier, stronger tasting uni dish, exactly why I ordered it.

Average for a good sushi restaurant, which makes it above average overall. ***+.

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Petit Pita

I've talked before about the various virtual or "ghost" kitchens that operate out of 60 Morris Street in San Francisco, such as Korean Burrito Joint with the fantastic fried dumplings, Ramen Kobo WARAKU for the best takoyaki I've ever had, Dip Me B!tch for some ok dips and dunkers, Ben's Fast Food for healthy veggies and dessert, and Basil Cart for quite reasonable Thai cuisine (and my first ever kao soi).  During the depths of the Pandemic, venturing to 60 Moris to get some kind of takeout became an outlet, an adventure, and a way to get out of the house, so I tried nearly all the businesses located there.

After so many other hits at 60 Morris, I decided to give Petit Pita a try, even though the cuisine isn't a style I normally go for.  The menu is basically mediterranean, with different dips you can enjoy with pita (hummus, baba ghhnush, tzatziki), falafel, Greek or mediterranean salads, wraps and sandwiches (and a token burger), fries or rice as sides, and rice pudding or baklava for dessert.

I only had a few small items, but I was impressed with the quality and prices, and returned many times.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

My orders were via Seamless, and were ready for pickup in the lockers promptly.

Pickles. $2.95.

The pickles from Petit Pita were kinda exciting - a generous portion of cucumber spears, slices of carrot, a couple jalapeno, and a single olive.

All were good - nicely crisp, spiced with I think mustard seed, acidic.  I enjoyed them, and it was nice to get homemade pickles (I grew up in a pickling family, so non-commercial pickles are how I was raised).

***+.

Falafel. $1.50.

I was very surprised when I opened my order from Petit Pita.  I ordered a single falafel side, and expected a little round falafel ball, sans any accompaniments.  Literally, I expected just a falafel, and nothing more . I just wanted to try it, and was planning to toss it onto my salad for a little extra protein.  Instead, I found a slice of bell pepper, warm hummus, and a large oblong falafel, the size of two regular round balls.  It highly exceeded expectations.

Even more shocking?  I really liked the hummus, seriously garlic-y and flavorful, smooth and creamy.  The falafel was very dark, very fried, very dense, but it too had good flavor and a nice texture.  Both were the best I've had in years, and better than other highly regarded ones such as Oren's Hummus.

I scraped my salad plan, and stuffed it all into a pita instead, added hot chutney I had leftover from Sajj, and fresh lettuce/tomato/onion, and really enjoyed it.

For $1.50 this was quite the deal. ***+.

Falafel. $1.50.

Just a few weeks later, I got another, but this time, I knew what to expect ... kinda.  I was thrown off a bit when I opened up my bag, as it contained a different style takeaway dish (square plastic container vs round cardboard bowl), and the things that came with it were totally different.

The falafel looked the same, and just as odd - large, oblong, dark, and way over fried.  But I knew I did actually like it last time, so I tried not to judge based on its looks.  It was just as tasty as last time.

There was just a tiny smear of the delightful hummus this time however, which let me down a bit, but the veggies bits were amped up to be a mini side salad, with a few mixed greens, slices of cucumber, cherry tomatoes, single slice of red bell pepper, and red onion.  Really a nice assortment of fresh veggies. Get a pita and some tahini sauce, and you easily had a mini snack.  I'm still shocked by the quality, freshness, and price.

***+.

Falafel. $1.50.

Another day, another falafel ...

This time the same as the last, large dark super fried looking falafel, small amount of their crazy good hummus, chunk of cherry tomato, cucumber, red onion, mixed greens.

I again really enjoyed it, wrapped in pita.  I do prefer when they give me more hummus however.

***.

Falafel. $1.50.

And again.  What can I say, I got a bit hooked.  And again, what a value.  

Warm hummus, creamy and flavorful, I really quite liked it, and I'm not one to normally be excited about hummus.  The portion was back to being more substantial.  Fresh springs of mixed greens, a few slices of cucumber, a sliced grape tomato, a single slice of green pepper, all dressed in a flavorful vinaigrette, which I think was a new addition. And then of course, the oblong dark fried falafel ball that is far better than it looks.

So tasty thrown into a pita for a snack, or on top of a salad.

***+.

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Il Morso Chocolate

Chocolate.  Such a guilt-free little indulgence.  We all love to sneak a little chunk of chocolate from time to time (or, uh, daily in my case), right?  I always pair mine in the morning with my cup of coffee, I love how the sweetness and bitterness compliment each other so well.

But, after my first cup, I do drink mostly decaf, since I drink a lot of coffee, and don't want to be bouncing off the walls (nor do I want to deal with caffeine addiction again - been there, suffered through that).  It still adds up to normal amounts of caffeine, but, is far more controllable this way.  But sometimes, even I need an extra jolt to get going in the morning.

"The Coffee Shortcut. Open & Eat Coffee. No water needed."

Enter Il Morso chocolate.  This isn't just any old chocolate, it is ... caffeinated chocolate.  Oh boy.  Their tag line is "Feel a noticeable lift, similar to a shot of Espresso!"  Oh yes.  And, feel good about it!  The chocolate is 100% organic, 100% fair trade.  Only 1 gram of sugar, 2.5 grams of fat, and 15 - 25 calories in each shot (er, bar).

They make 4 varieties, each with differing amounts of caffeine ranging from Matcha Green Tea with
the lowest (7 mg) to Americano with the highest (18 mg).  All start with a base of cocoa butter and sugar, and add very little else.  Notably, no soy lecithin.  I've tried them all, and genuinely enjoyed them.

Matcha Green Tea (7 mg).

"Elegant & Soothing - Ceremonial grade Matcha Green Tea with a dash of organic sugar and a dollop of cream. We are mindful that the world enjoys a fine brew - we humbly offer this deliciously svelte Queen of teas. A mouth melting tea indulgence."

Like all the bars, the ingredient list is simple, with only milk powder and matcha green tea added to the base.  This is the only variety made with tea rather than coffee/espresso.

This did have some cocoa butter in it, but, it really tasted like white chocolate to me.  The chocolate was very smooth, with a pleasant, subtle matcha flavor, and a slight bitterness.

My favorite of their bars. ****.

Mocha (14mg).

"Devour Il Morso like chocolate - Feel the energy of coffee!"

The jump in caffeine content from the tea to coffee varieties is large, doubling from 7 mg to 14 mg in the next dose up, Mocha.  The mocha flavor is made with 70% chocolate and milk powder, in addition to the regular base and espresso beans.  It is also the lowest calorie, only 15 calories per square.

This was the first espresso/coffee variety I tried, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  The description of a mocha seems about right, although, it was still far more bitter than I was expecting, and not nearly as ... chocolately, which is interesting, given that it is a piece of chocolate after all.

The chocolate was smooth, with a nice snap, but, it was very bitter from the espresso.  I drink coffee black all the time, so I am used to the taste of unadulterated coffee, but I didn't really care for this.  Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this style of chocolate?  ***.

Coffee & Cream (16 mg).

Next up, amping up the caffeine a bit more, to 16mg.

You can likely guess the ingredients by now.  Same base of cocoa butter and sugar.  Espresso beans.  And, for the "cream", milk powder, just like in the mocha.  The highest calorie, 25 per square.

The chocolate was shockingly smooth.  It had the mouthfeel of a milk chocolate, both in creaminess and and texture.  But, it was bitter.  Very bitter.  So it eat like a milk chocolate, and tasted like a dark, and then some.  Really, it tasted like chocolate covered espresso beans, which, essentially it was.

I certainly didn't taste the "cream" component, and would have never guessed it was a milk chocolate, but it was an impressive piece of chocolate nonetheless.

And yes, it definitely gave me a zing.  My second favorite.  ****.

I also tried the Americano, the most caffeinated, at 18 mg, but seem to have lost my notes on it.

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Bao Bao Bakery, Boston

Update Review, December 2022

During my annual winter pilgrimage the Boston I decided to return to Bao Bao, an Asian bakery I had discovered a few years prior, when I wanted a unique dessert nearby my hotel.  Sadly, it didn't live up to my prior visits, but I'd still return to try more things.

Ube Taro Crepe Cake. $13.

I love ube, and I love taro, so I was pretty thrilled to see an ube taro crepe cake on the menu.  I'm relatively late to the crepe cake fad, but had a great one from International Smoke (review coming soon!) just a few weeks prior, and thus, I've been on the lookout for more.  

This looked great, a lovely purple colors, clear layers of crepes and cream, and more white cream on top.  It looked better than it was however.  It didn't seem particularly fresh - the back, where exposed to the air, was kinda dry and hard.  The crepes inside were a bit better, but still seemed harder than expected.  While both the cream and the crepes were purple, they didn't taste very strongly of anything ... and I'm not sure which part was supposed to be ube, and which was taro?  They were just mildly sweet.  The topping on top was a touch savory which was a nice compliment.

Overall, it was cream, and sugar, and crepes, and the layers were a nice ratio to each other, so those are tasty enough on their own, but it really lacked the flavor of ube or taro, and the texture wasn't great.  I suspect it would be better fresher, but even then, the flavor wasn't there. ***.

They also make a version that comes with boba on top for $3 more.

Original Review, August 2019

Asian bakeries are my weakness.

I can't resist them, particularly when I travel to a new city.  I somehow don't ever visit them in my own city (San Francisco), but they are always a thing for me when I'm in Sydney (Fujipan, Breadtop, etc), or Pasadena (85°C), etc.

And thus, when I was recently in Boston, and realized I was staying adjacent to Chinatown, of course I stumbled into several my first night there, starting with Bao Bao Bakery, one of the better reviewed places (also one of very few open later in the evening).

Storefront/

Bao Bao Bakery is owned by the same family as Double Chin, directly next door, and actually connected.

In fact, I stopped in to grab a treat after fetching takeout from Double Chin myself (zomg, the spam fries!).

Chilled Items.

 The refrigerated case contains a couple types of filled rolls and cakes, all wrapped up and grab-able.

Cakes.

 A few other mousse cakes and cheesecake round out this section.

Packaged Goodies.

Next comes bags of packaged cookies and snacks.

Soft Breads.

And then loaves of fluffy soft breads, including red bean paste, taro, and coconut, in addition to classic white.

Buns Galore.

And the, the fun stuff.  Assorted buns, soft buns or pineapple buns or crispy style "walzt buns', filled with red bean, taro, custard, coconut, matcha, and more.  They even make a trio bun with several fillings.

Savory selections include hot dogs in various forms (mini, full size, with corn, with cheese, etc), pork sung galore, curry beef, and fried bbq pork croquettes.

My first visit, I went later in the day (6pm) but the selection was still reasonable, but nothing compared to what they have earlier in the day (my later visits were in the morning or early afternoon).  Prices are ridiculously good, most items $1-2.

Tray of goodies.

After my first visit, I returned several times, more decisive each time.  

The format is to grab your own items on a tray, with your own set of tongs you pick up at the entrance, as with my bakeries of this type.

This time, I grabbed a tray immediately, and set about picking out one savory item, one sweet item, and one "for later" item.

Sweet

I preferred the sweet items I tried, and Bao Bao Bakery does have far more sweet (or slightly sweet) options than savory.

I only tried 4 items over my 3 visits though, and there are still so many more I'd like to try.

Taro Filled Pineapple Bun. $1.25.

I had a hard time narrowing down my choices on my first visit, as I wanted just one little treat, but, the taro pineapple bun was kinda a no brainer.

This. Was. Delicious.

The bun was ridiculously soft, fluffy, and sweet.  Perfect texture.  The pineapple top was slightly crisp, sweeter, and tasted of coconut. A nice compliment to the fluffy bread.  

The bun itself was tasty enough, and I would have been happy with the simple bun, but I did get a taro filled one.  The taro filling was generous, taro mash, sweet, flavorful.  As a taro lover, this was something I really wanted, but, it really wasn't needed here

They make these with several types of filling, including a custard filled one, which I actually think I might like even more.  I may or may not have also stuffed some soft serve ice cream into a chunk of mine, and made an ice cream sandwich, and *that* was incredible.

Pineapple Bun with Custard. $1.25.

On my next visit, I wanted to try another variety of pineapple bun, since I liked the taro one, but realized I wanted either plain, or, perhaps, stuffed with cream.

I somehow read "custard" and thought "cream", so I was a bit surprised when I actually broke into this one to find .... well, custard.

The bun itself was good, but, it wasn't as good as the taro bun had been.  Not quite as soft, not quite as fluffy, and the top wasn't really crisp.  It still had a great base flavor, and the topping was perfectly sweet, but, just not as good as the previous one.  Just from looks alone, you could see how different they were.  It was fine, but much more on the average side.

Custard Filling.

So yeah, inside the bun.  Oops, not cream.

It was a thick custard, an egg custard, sweetened.  There actually was a lot of it.  It was fine, but again, not exactly what I was aiming for.  Once I reset my expectations, I enjoyed it much more.

I ended up adding some taro ice cream inside, and made it into an ice cream sandwich, and enjoyed it even more that way.

HK Pineapple Bun. $1.10.

My last day, I decided to try the most simple expression of the pineapple bun, the simple HK bun, cheaper, at only $1.10.

Yes, I mushed it slightly in my bag before this photo.  And yes, I got this just to take with me for the next day in SF, knowing pineapple buns hold up decently for a day, and this would be the one most likely to be the best, since without filling.  Plus, I wanted to try the simple one!

It was ... fine?  Maybe after 3 days in a row of eating pineapple buns I just was less excited about it.  Maybe mushing it did effect it.  I'm not entirely sure.  But I didn't find myself loving it.  Maybe I really do want a filling?

The dough was still soft and slightly sweet, and I liked the sweeter crust, but it, much like with the custard bun, wasn't as substantial as the taro bun.

Wife Cake.

And finally, I wanted something to enjoy later.  I remembered reading a positive review of something called a "wife cake", which I knew nothing about, so, I decided to grab one, as they were packaged up and even sealed, and near the register.

Then, I did my research.  These things are also known as "Sweetheart cakes" or "marriage cakes" too.  According to the trusted resource Wikipedia, it is "a traditional Cantonese pastry with a thin crust of flaky pastry, and made with a filling of winter melon, almond paste, and sesame, and spiced with five spice powder."

I'm glad I read this, as, well, there is no way I would have identified what it was.

Wife Cake: Inside.

This was a unique item for me, not like anything I've had before.

The exterior was, as Wikipedia said it would be, a thin layer of pastry, far thinner than I expected.  It wasn't buttery, flaky croissant style though, nor was it crispy filo style, it was something different entirely.  Topped with sesame seeds.

And then, the filling.  Soft.  Sweet.  It sorta tasted, and had the texture of, mochi.  But ... it was winter melon, almond paste, and sesame?  I can't say I tasted any of those things.

I ... think I liked this.  I certainly liked trying something new.  For me though, it wasn't substantial enough, or sweet enough, to be a dessert item really.  I kinda wanted it as a snack with afternoon tea (or, I mean, I would, if I did afternoon tea), or as a breakfast item instead.

Savory

I also tried a couple savory items, drawn in by ingredients I love like pork floss, and, the excuse to consider a baked good a key component of a meal, not just a treat ...

Seaweed pork sung sandwich. $2.95.

For a savory option, I decided I wanted something with pork sung, but certainly struggled to pick just one.  Did I want the the soft fluffy pork sung bun, that I knew had mayo inside?  Or the crispy, pineapple bun like one?  Or the big roll with scallions and cream cheese?  I was debating all of these when I spied this.  Decision made, instantly.

I wasn't sure if the black bread was charcoal flavor, or squid ink, or what, but, I was excited for it.  

The thing was kind of crazy.  The exterior is actually nori, with the sandwich actually wrapped with seaweed.  Under the seaweed is a layer of mayo (more on that soon), and then the dark bread, then, um, more mayo, lettuce, cucumber, and pork sung.  And more mayo.

It was fascinating.  And I think I would have loved it if it was freshly made, but, even at 11am when I got it, it was suffering a bit from age.

The lettuce was crisp, a huge wedge, and was very much needed to provide freshness with the other items.  The cucumber slices were very very soggy, and I extracted them pretty quickly, as they somewhat ruined it.  The pork sung was sadly not very noticeable with all the other ingredients.  I did want to taste it more.

Mayo Overload.

What was noticeable?  Um, the mayo.

Now, I really enjoy mayo.  I have a heavy hand with it.  But this was overloaded, even for my tastes.  Mayo between every layer.  It oozed out everywhere.  I got mouthfuls of nothing but (warm) mayo.  This was not pleasant.  I had to scrape some out.

The mayo between the seaweed and bread also meant for soggy nori wrapper.  The soggy nori was hard to bite through.  I think if this was fresh, that crispy nori exterior would be fabulous.  But I did like the idea of the nori wrapper, i have never thought of wrapping a sandwich in nori ... 

And finally, the bread.  Soft, flavorful, although I'm still not entirely sure what kind it was.

Overall, this had some highlights.  I loved the concept.  But, I wanted to taste the pork sung, and I certainly wanted less mayo, and a fresher product.

I wouldn't get it again, and at a whopping $2.95, I think this is one of their most expensive items.

Deep fried pork croquette. $1.

I read many positive reviews of the deep fried pork croquette, and convinced myself it was totally acceptable to include as part of my dinner on the plane, since, it had pork, and thus protein, and thus I was being responsible.  Better than just munching on snack mix, right?

This was unlike anything I'd ever had before, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect actually.  I knew it would be fried, I knew it would have pork inside, and it looked mochi like.  All of these things were true, but it wasn't quite what I anticipated.

The $1 price tag was shockingly low for what was actually a large item, the size of 2-3 standard pieces of dim sum (which, really, this is just a dim sum item).  Since bought at the bakery directly, not served warm, but I imagine it would be great warm too.

Deep fried pork croquette: inside.

So, what was it?  

Well, the crust was actually about what I expected, soft and mochi-like, but, deep fried on the outside.  It was almost like a thicker version of the crust found on a red bean filled deep fried sesame ball, just, minus the sesame seeds of course.

The wrapper was good, but very, very, very greasy.  My fingers became oil slicks nearly immediately.  I know it was deep fried, but ... yeah, this was too much.

Inside was my issue.  I was expecting chunks of pork, bbq style.  Not sure why I expected that, besides that it is what I'm most familiar with for dim sum items (e.g. pork buns).  Instead, it was ground pork and ... bits of potato.  Doh.  Totally not my thing.  I didn't care for the filling at all.

So, overall, I'm glad I tried it, it was different for me, and I did like the wrapper, but, it really needed to be less greasy.  At $1 price though, I wasn't upset to dislike it.

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Fenikkusu Tapas & Omakase

When I first moved to San Francisco, many years ago now, I discovered sushi.  Yes, I hadn't ever had it before moving here.  In those first few years, I had a *lot* of sushi.  At least once a week at Sushi Zone, epic waits and all.  Once a month or so at Sushi Sam's for the omakase.  And a constant quest to try others as well.

And then ... I'm not sure why, but I stopped going to sushi.  Sure, I still got it every once in a while, but never as a regular thing.  I seemed to go more towards poke bowls for a while instead.  That is, until earlier this year, when I suddenly decided I wanted uni, all the time.  And thus, I started getting sushi again, regularly.

That said, I mostly opted for delivery.  One great side effect from the pandemic is decent quality restaurants, that never offered it before, now have takeout and delivery available.  My quest for good delivery sushi lead me to Fenikkusu, located in the Mission.

Fenikkusu has an extensive menu, and some fairly unique dishes, with a slew of "tapas" such has squid noodles with uni or dried filefish jerky, even baby back ribs.  Then of course, all the standard rolls and nigiri/sashimi.  I picked Fenikkusu for the high reviews, but also the fact that I could order nigiri by the piece rather than pair, letting me order just a few pieces, but have more variety.  

I ordered online using DoorDash, and my order was quickly prepared, packaged well enough, and delivered quickly.  No issues there.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

Nigiri & Wakame Salad.  ~$40.

I ordered a few pieces of nigiri, along with a side of seaweed salad.  The nigiri and seaweed salad came packaged separately, with fairly generic ginger and wasabi in one little bowl, and a single packet of generic soy sauce.  I didn't realize that some of the nigiri would be a bit more "new" style, with garnishes and unexpected flourishes added already.

The meal was mostly average, although the uni alone was good enough that I'd consider ordering again, perhaps getting the aforementioned squid and uni tapas plate.

Wakame salad. $6

The seaweed salad was fine.  Pretty basic, no different from grocery store seaweed salad really.  Sprinkled with sesame seeds.  The portion was enough to go alongside my sushi (and other stuff I was finishing up), but it wasn't particularly generous for the $6 price.  I wouldn't get it again unless I was really craving it for some reason. ***.

Nigiri: unagi, uni, blue shrimp, blue fin chu toro.

My nigiri definitely suffered a bit in transit, with the uni falling over, but, remarkably the toppings on the other pieces stayed in tact.  I thought sushi would be a safe bet for delivery since already not served warm, but I didn't realize that two of my pieces (the shrimp and toro) would be lightly torched.  I suspect that getting them at the restaurant would be a slightly different experience, as they'd be lightly warm.

I went for nigiri for all my pieces, as they were available in singles that way.  I normally opt for sashimi as I'm not a big rice person, but, sashimi came in 3 piece increments, and I wanted more variety.  Kudos to Fenikkusu for offering these smaller portions, rather than the standard nigiri pair and sashimi five piece.

All the pieces were well constructed, and the sushi rice was fine, lightly sticky.  They all seemed to come on rice that was pre-sauced, lightly sauced with soy in the rice, the rice was actually light brown.  Again, I wonder if that worked better in the restaurant?  Here it was a bit odd as they were a bit slimy from it.

Anyway, the sushi was a mixed success, but the uni really was stellar.

Unagi Nigiri. $3.

I forgot to take a photo of it alone, but the unagi was pretty standard - lightly bbq flavored, soft, and it hit the spot.  Only $3 for the single piece, a good price.  I'd get this again if I was craving unagi, although it is clearly better warm (I actually heated it up a minute in my toaster oven to revive it). ***.

Blue Shrimp Nigiri. $7.

I was very surprised when I saw the blue shrimp.  It ... was lightly torched.  Ok, that is fine, but, um, it also was topped with a creamy sauce and toasted pine nuts?  This I was definitely not expecting, but I went into it with an open mind, although, still a touch of apprehension, not because of the mayo-looking sauce or nuts on my sushi, but, because of the pine nuts specifically.  I was unfortunate enough to experience pine nut syndrome about 10 years ago, and it took me until just last month that I finally was willing to consume a pine nut again.  I did it once, I got over that hump, but I wasn't really eager to do it again, and certainly not to have pine nuts on my sushi.

Anyway, getting back to the sushi.  The blue shrimp was really, really chewy.  It was basically raw, as I expected, just lightly torched on top.  The result, well, chewy, chewy.  I didn't care for it much at all, although the flavor was light and sweet.

As for the toppings, the sauce seemed to be very creamy mayo, which I didn't think went all that well with the basically raw mild fish - I think it would go much better with cooked shrimp (or any other seafood really), or with a fleshier fish like red tuna, but here it felt like it was fighting with the shrimp and overpowering the mild fresh taste.  I didn't taste the pine nuts, but they added a slight crunch, although that was difficult given how chewy the shrimp was.

This piece was not a winner for me, but it did remind me of one of my favorite pieces from Sushi Sam's - a cooked baby lobster nigiri that comes topped with spicy tobiko mayo and slivered almonds.  So, same concept of a base langostine, creamy mayo sauce, and crunchy nut, just, the Sushi Sam's version is remarkably more successful, at least for me.

I wouldn't get this again, but it was unique at least. **.

Blue Fin Chu Toro Nigiri. $8.

Next up, I selected the chu toro.  For some reason, several years ago, I kinda stopped liking raw tuna.  It makes me sad, but, it is what it is.  That said, I still had hope that a nice piece of quality toro would revive my liking of raw tuna.  I selected the chu toro, rather than o-toro, because I actually often like it more.

Like the blue shrimp, it came lightly torched, but, very lightly.  It was ... fine.  Medium-fatty.  Topped with a tiny bit of wasabi.  It didn't really melt in my mouth the way I wanted it to, but it was fine.  Just not what I'm in the mood for these days still it seems.

***.

Uni Nigiri (Santa Barbara). $10.

Next up, the piece I was most excited for, the uni.  I love good uni, and the last few times I've had it, it wasn't particularly great (e.g. mediocre at Ozumu and really not very good at Pabu).

This piece fell over in the box, but I was able to re-assemble it.  I'll cut to the chase: the uni was excellent.  It was creamy, it had a strong but not funky flavor, and tasted fresh.  It was delightful, really.  I wish I'd just gotten a big pile of uni.  The portion was good too, the piece nicely loaded up.

I loved this, and would get more again in a heartbeat.  Best uni I've had in years really.  ****+.

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