Nana's Green Tea Review - Parfaits, Snowy Mountains, and TEA!

Green Tea! Roasted Green Tea! Tea flavored sweets! Nana's Green Tea opened its first continental US location in Seattle almost a year ago. Nana's is one of several places I actually ate during my very first trip to Japan and fell in love with everything on the menu. When I found out they would be opening in Seattle, I had so much difficulty containing my excitement! Ever since they have opened, I have visited many many times, making multiple visits for seasonal menu items. My Instagram feed is covered in photos from Nana's, and I love taking people to visit for their first time.

The storefront in Denny Triangle, photo credit: Suzi Pratt, Eater Seattle

For our review of Nana's, I patiently waited for the next seasonal menu release, rather than just review my all-time favorites. And oh my goodness was I delighted to find out Chestnut would be the feature! And not only just any chestnut dessert, but Mont Blanc, which is a personal favorite of mine, both in aesthetic and flavor! Before the photos, here's this week's pastry lesson! Mont Blanc is a multi-layered dessert, named for the way it represents a snow-capped mountain. The traditional version features an almond shortcrust cup, coated with almond cream, filled with pastry cream (inside of which is sometimes a mound of sweetened chestnut puree), covered in whipped cream, and then THAT is covered with a chestnut-enriched cream, thick enough to hold its shape through a special piping tip, producing its unique look. The dessert is complex, and each layer builds upon itself, resulting in a decadent confection!

 Before we look at Nana's version of this charming dessert, let's take a look at my order from my latest visit:

On the left is a photo from Nana's interior, featuring the unique structure representing a teahouse. It is a cute little seating area in its own right, but I opted instead to sit by one of the many windows, to better enjoy the lighting. On this visit, I ordered my favorite parfait from the regular menu, the Hojicha with Mochi. To enjoy it with both it and the Mont Blanc, a regular Green Tea Latte was also ordered hot. And last but not least, from the Seasonal Menu offerings, the Green Tea Mont Blanc! I am a big fan of Hojicha, as I really love the flavor of roasted green tea. The parfait is built in several layers: Hojicha syrup with cubes of tea flavored jelly, vanilla soft serve, crispy cornflakes, three delicious shiratama dango (little balls of delicious unsweetened mochi), a scoop each of hojicha ice cream and hojicha infused bean paste, topped with whipped cream and an additional drizzle of syrup! As sweet as it all sounds, their parfaits are delightfully well balanced. The unsweetened elements like the mochi, jelly, and cornflakes provide relief and contrast to the dense sweet flavor of the soft serve. Any of the parfaits are divine, and I have tried nearly all of them!

And now for the seasonal item: Green Tea Mont Blanc! Their delicious green tea-infused version features a matcha-almond cream and a green tea vermicelli cream instead of their more traditional counterparts. All told, the effect is that of a green, tree-covered mountain in the snow!

As someone who loves and adores Mont Blanc, I found this novel version delightful and a refreshing take on the dessert! The green tea pairs surprisingly well with the flavor of chestnut, and you are able to enjoy the flavor of both. The dessert itself is dense and would have been more than enough for me even without the parfait, but I happily soldiered on and finished both!

Nana's menu also features wonderful options for lunch, including a Karaage Curry plate that is great for cold weather and boasts a robust deep spicy flavor to the sauce. Really, it is hard to go wrong with anything on the menu. Definitely stop in and give their menu a try, whether for dessert or lunch!

Vienna Coffee Company - Fancy Coffee & Viennoiserie

This week is another old favorite getting a feature on the blog! Some time ago I lived a short distance from Vienna Coffee Company's very unique Kaffehaus de Chatillon. It's possible to look at the establishment form the outside, and assume that it might be like any other local coffee shop, but it is altogether something different and unique, both by nature and by beverage!

Vienna Coffee Company's establishment is a Viennese Kaffehaus in the most traditional sense. Their menu is unassailable; you won't find lattes or americanos on the menu, nor would you be able to order them. Items may only be ordered from the menu exactly as listed, without change or removal of ingredients. The menu is also entirely adult-geared; there are event two items on the menu containing Kaffe Liqueur. While children are allowed in the establishment, on the whole, it is easy to tell from the menu and atmosphere that it is an adult-focused environment.

I have long been a fan of the beverages they serve, and the relaxed and polite atmosphere of their shop. Even now while I no longer live close enough to walk to it, I do find myself periodically making time to stop by. Recently during a casual shopping day,  some friends and I made time to visit and enjoy their wonderful Kaffee!

For this visit, I chose to finally try one of those options offering liqueur on the menu. My usual favorite is the Einspänner, which offers a rich creamy vanilla flavor, but I opted for its boozed relative, the Fiaker Kaffee instead! Mokka (the Viennoise term for espresso), Vanilla, Cream, and Kaffe Liqueur, piled high with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa sugar. The coffee flavor is remarkably full, with little bitterness to its flavor. And the cream adds a lot to the body and flavor as it slowly melts into the Kaffee itself. I love their specialty drinks, especially this time of year in Seattle!

In addition to their beverages, they also offer a wide variety of Viennoiserie; French-style pastries, usually imbued with additional fats, or fruits, or sugar. Think a danish or croissant, but much flakier and lighter! If you visit on a day where the pastry case isn't yet emptied, you cannot go wrong with any of those available. Today's photos feature the aux Pommes variety: deliciously light flaky pastry, folded over thinly sliced apples. Served again with the rich whipped cream that tops their drinks.

If you're ever in the area around Ash Way Park & Ride, definitely take the extra 15 to 20 minutes, and make a visit to Vienna Coffee Company. It's well worth the time spent relaxing and enjoying their delicious Viennoise style drinks, and the warm interior!

Dessert @ Bastille - Caramel Pot de Creme

Sorry in advance for both a late and shorter than usual post this week! I thought my buffer was larger than it was and afforded me the week off last week due to illness, but I was wrong! Oops!

This week's review is of a single dessert from a restaurant's dessert menu, as opposed to the several-item reviews I've been writing. (Anticipate seeing these kinds of reviews periodically as well!) In the early part of the month, I visited Bastille with several people to celebrate the book release of a good friend. Bastille, located in Ballard on the same strip they host the Sunday Farmer's Market, is a French-inspired Cafe and Bar. The menu is largely French, featuring things like Croque Madame, and Chicken Liver Pate, but they also offer items that combine French flavors with alternative techniques, such as their Bahn Mi.

This week's review is about the Caramel Pot De Creme offered on Bastille's Dessert Menu.

 Bastille offers a relatively compact, but sufficiently diverse menu for dessert. (The dessert menu is offered at Dinner, which is also where you'll find it online) The Apple Tarte Tatin is a fairly well-known dessert on their menu, but as much of the table opted for it I chose instead to order the Pot de Creme for some variety. Along with the unctuous, rich caramel custard, you also receive two Brown Butter Friands, small cakes made primarily of almond flour, frequently served alongside tea or coffee.

If you're a fan of rich, creamy custards, Pot de Creme makes for a lovely and delicious end to a meal. And Bastille boasts plenty of delicious well-developed caramel flavor, with just the right hint of toastiness. The friands offer help to cut through the richness and compliment the flavor of the caramel well. Definitely worth ordering, as are all the sweets on the menu!

Hopefully, this week's review has encouraged you to give Bastille a try next time you're in Ballard!

Southcenter Trip! - Jollibee & Red Ribbon

Another week, another new post! You're seeing this one a little later than planned, thanks to that surprise Cheez-It pizza post. On the 23rd of September was the brand new MAC x Pony Park launch day for brick-and-mortar locations. My best friend and I decided to make a day of it and took a special trip down to Southcenter in Tukwila for a little retail therapy. We met up with another friend and spent time doing a good bit of walking and browsing through cosmetic stores. Made for a great Monday off! (No makeup haul photos, since I'm not one much for those, haha!)

Any time I am down visiting that mall, I cannot help but visit the walkway leading to Seafood City. It is practically a requirement for me, and if I don't leave without at least stopping for a snack it doesn't feel right. I love both Jollibee and Red Ribbon to death, and they are my usual stops. So I figured it might be a fun change to give you some savory on today's post!

 Jollibee makes some of my favorite fried chicken I've ever had. If you like spicy food, definitely try their spicy fried chicken. The chicken itself is the same as their original recipe but coated with a dry spice blend that offers big flavor and plenty of heat. Our meal also included Peach Mango Pies and Mashed Potatoes. The pies have a super light and crispy crust and are packed with filling. I also ordered a helping of spaghetti, which comes covered in a banana ketchup-based sauce. The spaghetti won't be for everyone, but if you like your red sauce on the sweet side, I'd really recommend trying it!

After a really filling lunch, we spent some time walking around and later circled back to Red Ribbon for dessert. Halo-halo was on the menu and cold nor rain would stop me! We also opted for a slice of Ube Overload cake. The cake is not the star of this review, but deserves an honorable mention for sure! If you enjoy lighter fluffier cakes, do try one from their case.

 While halo-halo is the popularized spelling, haluhalo is the other and the technically more correct way you'll see this name spelled. The name actually is derived from the Tagalog word for mixed, which is the best way to enjoy it! Different places offer a different mix of toppings (though most of the ones you find in the area around Seafood City will all be very similar) but they always include a scoop of ice cream, agar jellies, a mix of fruit native to the Philippines, a mix of sweetened beans, shaved ice, and evaporated milk. Ours also offered a chunk of leche flan, and nata de coco (a jelly made from coconut water). It may sound like a weird mix, but haluhalo is one of my favorite desserts and you should absolutely try it! I love all the different textures, and the varying levels of sweetness you get. And Red Ribbon's offering when we visited offered Jackfruit ice ream, which offered a nice amount of tart to all the sweet!

Hopefully, you enjoyed this week's review, and it's inspired you to seek out some treats you may not have tried!

Pizza Hut - Cheez-Its Pizza?

If you didn't know, in addition to sweets, I -LOVE- weird junk food. Whether it's a strange offering (like today's item), a strange flavor combo, or just something you don't see very often, I can't help but be curious! I love trying things, even if I'm worried I won't like it. (I've even been known to order things I expect to not like, just to see how my palate is changing with age) I also love being extra-critical and dissecting what I'm eating, which goes double if it's food from a major chain.  If you've been out to eat with me in person, you know I don't pull punches with my opinion if I feel like something is meh.

With both those notes aside, today's review is for the recently-released Cheez-Its "Pizza" from Pizza Hut. You've maybe seen this floating around the internet, but here are my own photos:

We all know that the ads we see for food are heavily edited. But what I definitely expected from early images was one P'Zone-ish sized Cheez-It, cut in quarters. What you -get- is what you see me holding; it's a relatively large Cheez-It, about the size of a quarter of the box. You're also provided a cup of marinara for dipping. These are currently on their $5 deal menu, so I snagged it and some filler items to round out the delivery minimum. I opted for the plain cheese-stuffed ones since pepperoni frequently gives me heartburn.

Overall, this is probably the first disappointed review I've written for the blog. The amount of cheese filling is adequate, and the free marinara sauce does a lot to lift the flavor. But the crust was a letdown. If you've ever eaten Cheez-Its from a bag you didn't close well enough a few days ago, you know what to expect. The crust flavor was that of a slightly stale handful of Cheez-Its, and the too-soft texture didn't do it any favors in continuing that image. If you try this for yourself, I definitely recommend asking (nicely!) in your order or by phone for your local Pizza Hut to cook them a little extra, or tossing them in the oven yourself. I crisped up one of mine in the air fryer, and the experience was night and day! Freshly warmed and with a crisper texture, they tasted way more like what I'd hoped for to start with.

That's it for this week's review; quite a bit shorter than the usual! I also had less actual content for this review, seeing as I just wanted to chat about this weird new offering. But next week, expect a regular length review. Have a great week, and be sure to let me know in the comments if you decided to try the Cheez-Itz "Pizza"!

Cubes Baking Company Review - Sweet milk and square cakes

This week's review is Cubes Baking Company! I discovered Cubes by chance the first time when walking through Wallingford, on my way to meet up with friends. I am especially weak for desserts that feature milk as a primary ingredient and flavor. Creme Brulee, Flans, and Tres Leches are all high on the list. So their signboard promising tres leches in many flavors lured me in! Everything they make is delightfully square and boasts amazing flavors. The storefront hasn't been open long, just over two years. They've already won a number of awards, including a win on Food Network's Winner Cake All!  I'm so excited to share them with you.

The Cubes Storefront!

Up first from the bakery are what I'm most excited to share! They offer several flavors of Tres Leches every day they are open. They offer unique flavors as well as more standard ones. Some of the other offerings I've had include Matcha and Mexican Mocha. I've also seen flavors like Cheesecake, which I will definitely be back to try!

For today's review, I selected a personal favorite in Dulce de Leche, and a more simple Strawberry flavor I'd not yet had.

On the left: Dulce de Leche, featuring dulce de leche blended with three milk blend, a whipped frosting, and drizzled with more delicious dulce on top! On the right: Fresa (Strawberry), loaded with strawberry flavored three milk blend, a strawberry whip frosting, and freeze-dried strawberries on top!

 Tres leches are, traditionally, a sponge cake soaked in a mixture made of heavy cream, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Sometimes butter is in the cake mix, leading to a heavier and denser texture.  This leads to a moist almost pudding-like texture to the cake. The frosting is usually a whipped cream. Cubes' recipes seem to be of the lighter variety in general, which I'm a fan of.

Dulce de Leche is my favorite flavor on the menu. The caramel-like flavor imparted by the dulce de leche they mix in is divine. The cake is so loaded with milk it almost melts away on the tongue. I ate probably a third of the container for lunch the day I picked these up...

Strawberry is wonderful if you'd prefer a lighter affair. I found the flavor of the milk blend to be slightly more milk-heavy strawberry milk. The tartness of those bites with freeze-dried berries added a delicious contrast to the mild flavor! If you'd like a more mild experience, but want to be more adventurous than traditional, give it a try!

Last but not least today, I wanted to feature their well-known Purple Suede cake! At Cubes, they offer CubeCakes instead of cupcakes; mini squares of the full-size cakes they offer for special order. Purple suede is their twist on red velvet, topped with a delicious lavender and lemon zest cream cheese frosting. The cake offers a moist and dense texture, and the frosting is -just- sweet enough, so as to not bury the flavor of the cake! They are delightful, so definitely pick one up if you stop in!

If you'd like to visit Cubes, you can do so by checking the location tag at the end of this post! I've also gone back an added locations for all the previous posts, to make it even easier to visit my recommendations!

Have you tried any of my stops yet? Got somewhere you think I -need- to try? Be sure to let me know on social media or comment on this week's post!

Fuji Bakery Review - French Style, Japanese Flavor!

For this week's post, I wanted to revisit somewhere very close to my heart! Whenever I can, I try to stop by for one of Fuji Bakery's many delicious offerings. I have been a customer since their location in International District first opened, and have yet to find an item I didn't find fantastic. Fuji has been open since 2010, and today has a total of three locations; International District, Interbay, and Bellevue.

To pick up the assortment of treats featured in today's review, I chose to make a stop into the Interbay location. It was conveniently located along my route to work, with only a short walk involved. It also gave me a chance to check out their recently updated storefront!

Photo Credit: Fuji Bakery Facebook Page

Fuji Bakery's specialties are pastries and bread featuring French techniques, but often with unheard-of flavor combinations in traditional french desserts. The flavor profiles themselves feature Japanese ingredients like Pollock Roe (Mentaiko or Tarako), Matcha, or even Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) depending on the time of year! I will likely write a second post on Fuji's October offerings, as they are some of my favorite seasonal Fall desserts. (That writeup may also include some personal favorites of mine I left off this visit)

Clockwise from top left: Beef Curry Bun, Brownie, Canelé, Blueberry & Lemon Croissant, Fraise

The Beef Curry Bun is a signature item of the menu! The bun itself features their soft, slightly chewy dough, filled with a delicious house-made curry featuring ground beef. The entire thing is breaded and deep-fried, leading to a slightly crunchy exterior which pairs so well with the soft savory insides. I've had this many times, and still, find myself ordering it often when in stock. It is a flavor that is hard to get tired of!

The Fraise is one of Fuji Bakery's best-selling items on the menu. This item is made using their flaky and crispy croissant dough. It features custard and milk cream and is topped with lightly glazed sliced strawberries. The milk cream used in this item is also on the menu in other items, and it is remarkably good. One bite of this is enough to tell you why it's so popular!

CANELÉS! There are very few places that I have discovered in the city that make these wondrous little beauties. The batter is a very loose soft texture, which is poured into the molds of special pans designed for them, and then is returned to bake in the oven. This produces their crispy burnt-caramel shells on the outside and a delightfully squishy and spongy, almost custard-like inside. Fuji Bakery's version of the treat has a faint flavor of orange, which I love. Even cold they are wonderfully crisp still.

The difficult-to-find Fuji Bakery brownie! These are a rare treat when you find them at a location; usually, the brownies are part of their catering menu, and not part of the regular cafe lineup. If you prefer a fudgy brownie to chewy, definiely don't miss these if you see them! The chocolate flavor is rich, but not overwhelming since it's not made with extremely dark chocolate. It's also chock full of almond slivers, which provide a delightful crunch with each bite.

Last but not least on the tasting plate from this visit! Lemon Blueberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations; I find the contrast of tart lemon curd and sweet summer blueberries very enjoyable. Fuji Bakery's croissant dough adds a lot to the combo, providing texture and a wonderfully chewy base.

Hopefully, this week's article has inspired you to visit a Fuji Bakery location next time you are in! Check out their social media as well to see what seasonal items are coming out before you visit, or be prepared to leave with more than you meant to.

Have a great rest of your week!