Fro-Yo Rankings: Blush in San Francisco

Frozen yogurt doesn’t seem as popular as it was a couple of years ago, and in fact a few stores have dropped off my list because they’ve closed. But I still find a good cup of fro-yo refreshing and a nice healthy option during warm weather.

This weekend I was sitting in the sun all day watching a Giants game, so even though the fog was rolling in during the late afternoon, I had a craving for something cold. So I walked over to Blush, a fro-yo shop that opened a block from AT&T Park awhile back.

In fact, when you walk in there’s two big flat-screen TVs mounted on the wall showing the baseball game (or in my case the post-game show). What’s interesting about Blush is that along with selling four to five flavors of fro-yo, it also sells Hawaiian shaved ice. (I really wanted to try the shaved ice to see how they stack up to what I grew up with in Hawaii, but I had to check out the fro-yo first.)

Blush also promotes the fact that its yogurt is made with organic ingredients, and instead of being made from powder it actually includes live cultures.

The flavors included original tart, signature Blush (which was pomegranate, but not sure if the flavor changes), guava, pineapple, peanut butter, and cookies n’ cream. I ended up getting a small guava ($3.50) and added the optional toppings for $1. (Blush has an odd policy of selling toppings as an four for $1 set price, so even if you don’t want to top it with four kinds of things, there’s no flexibility. You have to choose four things.)

Luckily, Blush has a nice assortment of toppings, and I’m all for the fresh fruits so my cup looked really colorful with the fresh fruits I chose.

The guava flavor actually has a sweet tart taste similar to original fro-yo flavor, but with a pink-purplish color. I liked the flavor but I felt the texture lacked any body or creaminess. It leaned more on the light side, which probably is OK to most people, but I’ve had creamy fro-yo that I really love. Blush does the trick for post-game convenience, but I wouldn’t make the effort to go all the way down to China Basin.

Single Guy’s Fro-yo Rankings:

1. Red Mango, Palo Alto
2. Pinkberry, Southern California and San Jose
3. Fraiche, Palo Alto and San Francisco
4. Mr. Green Bubble, Oakland
5. Tuttimelon, San Francisco
6. YoCup, San Francisco
7. Icebee, San Francisco
8. Yoppi, San Francisco
9. Jubili, San Francisco
10. Tutti Frutti, Oakland
11. SoGreen, San Francisco
12. Yogurt Harmony, Berkeley
13. Blush, San Francisco
14. Creations, Berkeley
15. Cultivé Frozen Yogurt, San Francisco
16. The Loving Cup, San Francisco
17. Yogen Früz, San Francisco

Blush, 219 King St., San Francisco. PH: 415.882.9889. Open daily from 11 a.m. www.blushyogurt.com

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Bloem 'n Sugar in San Francisco--CLOSED

UPDATE (11/30/11): Noticed this place has closed up after a short run. Not sure what happened. Too bad.

Since I rely on BART to get me into the city, I'm quite familiar with the Powell Street station. Recently when I was in San Francisco, I got off at the station and noticed a waffle shop in a tiny corner shop at the entrance of the Westfield San Francisco Centre.

The spot used to be a magazine shop, so it's not a very big space. But when making waffles, all you need is room for the waffle irons and the topping station. This new waffle store is called Bloem 'n Sugar, and it touts that it's the only people selling Brussels and Liege waffles. I can't tell you what's the difference between these two types of Belgian waffles, but I can tell you Bloem has a lot of waffle dishes to choose from (think of them as sundaes).

It was a bit overwhelming trying to decide which waffle dish to choose, so I just went with the "classic," which was described on the menu as waffles topped with strawberries, bananas, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and Belgian-style chocolate sauce ($7).

This isn't the kind of treat that I typically have (I'm not a big sundae person), so you know I'm doing this just for the blog. I was a bit scared when I got my waffles, because anything with all that whipped cream looked larger than it was. But I can't lie, I totally scarfed this baby down. The waffles were freshly made and warm, and tasted light and airy. The whipped cream was just as light, so I didn't feel like I was eating a lot of calories. And the strawberries and bananas were fresh, not like strawberries that's soaking in sugar sauce like some yogurt shops.

I got the Brussels waffles on this first visit, so now I'm tempted to go back to see what the Liege waffles are like. And to maybe try the "Bananutella" (bananas with Nutella). I just have to wait till I've jogged a few more miles.

Bloem 'n Sugar, Westfield San Francisco Centre (Concourse Level near Abercrombie & Fitch), 865 Market St., San Francisco. PH: 415.615.0064. Open daily. www.bloemnsugar.com

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The Bomboloni is Back!

I’ve had a troubled relationship with the bomboloni. I fell in love with it first here when I discovered it at Boriana’s Corner. Then our relationship was strained when Boriana changed its supplier and the bomboloni wasn’t the same anymore.

Then we had to say goodbye when Boriana’s Corner closed at the Ferry Building because of increasing lease rent, and the bomboloni was no more.

But to my surprise yesterday while strolling the Ferry Building, I saw a stand outside the Village Market selling these beautifully rotund Italian treats! It was like an ex just came back into town but didn’t call or text, and I was all like “when did you get back?”

Turns out, Village Market realized how popular the bomboloni was at Boriana’s Corner, so it connected with the previous supplier and made arrangements to sell the bomboloni again from its storefront. Apparently they’ve been doing this the past three weekends. On Saturdays the bombolonis are available inside the store, but on Sundays they’re front and center at a makeshift stand.

The woman who was manning the stand wasn’t very helpful in explaining what was happening. In fact, she even tried to pass the bombolonis off as beignets because she said that was easier to say, but these bombolonis are no way like the crispy beignets of New Orleans.

Bombolonis are like jelly donuts, but there’s something about the way this bakery makes it (again, I don’t know the name of the supplier because the woman was pretty clueless) that gives them a beautiful round shape like balloons. They’re always filled, and my favorite the custard was still there. But instead of the popular Nutella (they really should bring that back), Village Market was selling a Pistachio cream and strawberry jam.

I bought the custard, of course, and the strawberry jam. I’ll have to save the pistachio cream for another day. (They sell for $2.50 each.) The custard was so satisfying, even though sometimes this bakery Village Market contracts with can sometimes brown the exterior a bit too much so that they look darker than what I remember. Still, the nice round shape and plentiful filling was so enjoyable that I’m such a happy camper to see the return of the bomboloni at the Ferry Building. The strawberry jam was very rich and tasted like homemade jam, fresh from the season’s best and a lot to lick your lips with.

Bomboloni, thanks for coming back into my life. I missed you!

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Smitten Ice Cream in San Francisco

The weather in the Bay Area has finally warmed up, just in time for the start of summer next week. And when the weather gets hot, everyone cools off with ice cream. The latest entry to artisan ice cream in San Francisco is Smitten Ice Cream in Hayes Valley.

I actually visited Smitten a few weeks ago, so the flavors I’m going to talk about may not be there if you visit now because Smitten makes its ice cream with locally sourced seasonal ingredients, although it does have a couple of standard everyday flavors.

When I first approached Smitten with my friend Ken, who lives nearby, I was surprised to find that it was pretty much a fancified shack or kiosk. For some reason I thought it might be a small shop on the tiny Linden Street alleyway, but it was really a shack.

I loved the chalkboard sign with the whimsical graphic illustrations of the ingredients, showcasing how the ice cream is made with natural ingredients. But the main twist to Smitten is that the ice cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen.

This isn’t my first taste of liquid nitrogen ice cream. Remember when I visited here in Chicago? So Smitten is pretty much the same idea, except it’s only been doing it since 2009 and they don’t let you create your own flavor. You have to order what they list on the menu.

The menu is also pretty limited. When I visited, there were only four flavors: vanilla and TCHO chocolate (considered the standards), and two seasonal flavors of salted caramel and rhubard. (I think right now they’re offering a summer herb flavor instead of the rhubard.)

Another thing about the made-to-order concept is that different flavors set at different times because of what’s inside; like the salted caramel takes a bit more time because of the salt. Because of this, you’re not allowed to mix flavors if you want to order a double scoop. So how did I get past this? I ordered one scoop each of two different flavors.

Ken was still full from our brunch, so he just ordered the kid’s size of the TCHO, which he thought was great and creamy. BTW, you can watch them create the ice cream, although it was a bit hard to see because of the screen they used to shade themselves from the sun. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to get your ice cream.

My rhubard flavor came out first, and it had an odd texture and was a bit tart. Initially I thought it was too tart, but it was one of those flavors that I grew to enjoy. By the time I was done with my single scoop of rhubard, my salted caramel was ready.

The salted caramel was a bit melted on the edges, but it had a nice creamy texture although the caramel flavor wasn’t as strong. I liked it better than the rhubard, but I wouldn’t call it the best ice cream in town.

Smitten Ice Cream offers some solid flavors but is it any better just because it was made on the spot? I’ve had richer, creamier ice cream that was made earlier in the day and still tasted fresh. So the liquid nitrogen is a fun twist, but it doesn’t necessarily add anything special to the ice cream that’s eventually served up.

But the emerging foodie neighborhood of Hayes Valley was calling out for an ice cream shop, so Smitten Ice Cream has nicely filled the void.

Smitten Ice Cream, 432 Octavia St. (at Linden), San Francisco. Open daily from noon to 9 p.m. (till 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). Smittenicecream.com

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Malasadas at Leonard's Bakery in Honolulu

HONOLULU
People who grew up in Hawaii will probably find it hard to believe that I've never stepped into Leonard's Bakery, home of the infamous malasada.

Don't get me wrong, I've eaten malasadas from Leonard's. But I usually got them at the Leonard's truck parked at carnivals and fairs. And I always enjoyed the airy Portuguese-style donuts coated with sugar that would get all over your clothes and around your mouth.

For many years, the malasada was why people visited Leonard's Bakery in Kapahulu, the neighborhood before Waikiki. And in recent years, Leonard's have expanded its malasada offerings, moving from the classic sugar-coated malasada to include li hing flavored malasadas (li hing is a Chinese flavoring used for preserved plums) and filled malasadas (think jelly donuts gone Hawaiian style).

So after dinner with my family one night, I suggested that we get some malasadas. Arriving at Leonard's, which remains open at night for people with the munchies along with tourists, I thought I'd find a fancy slick bakery. I mean, these people probably made millions selling malasadas.

But walking inside, the bakery looked like it probably did when it originally opened in 1952. It was a tiny bakery, with a small neighborly feel and a variety of baked goods in the glass counter. None of the malasadas are on display because they're kept fresh in the back where someone's probably making them non-stop.

The coated malasadas sell for 90 cents each, but are a bit cheaper by the dozen. I got half a dozen for $5.66 (three classic and three cinnamon coated). Then I added one each of the three filled flavors sold at $1.25 each (custard, dobash, and haupia). With my box of warm malasadas, I headed home for the taste test.

The classic sugar malasadas were what I remembered, really fluffy but messy to eat. As an adult, maybe now the malasadas might be too sweet for me. The cinnamon malasadas actually was disappointing because I could barely taste the cinnamon in the sugar.

And here are the three filled malasadas. I cut each one in half so you could see the filling.

First up was the custard, which is one of my favorite things. The custard from Leonard's had a nice texture and held up nicely when biting into it. BTW, the malasadas, filled or not, are quite big so you can get filled by just eating one or two. Can you imagined I ate just half of each of the filled and two of the regulars. I could barely sleep as my stomach was busy digesting dinner and my malasadas.

The dobash is a chocolate flavor that's very popular in Hawaii. Dobash cakes are standard for most bakeries, and is supposedly not as sweet as straight chocolate. The dobash squirted out as I cut into the malasada, so it was more wet than the custard. But I did enjoy the dobash filling, with a milder chocolate flavoring as advertised.

The last filled malasada is the haupia, which is a classic Hawaiian pudding made of coconut milk. The haupia barely stayed in the malasada after I cut into it. And while I enjoyed the haupia, it wasn't necessarily exciting and it was difficult to eat.

Of all these malasadas, I have to say I'm old-fashioned and probably would have been happy with just the classic. I also heard there's a new bakery in town competing for the malasada crown, but I didn't have time to compare the two. But it would have a big challenge ahead to topple the malasada king that is Leonard's.

Leonard's Bakery, 933 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu. PH: 808.737.5591. Open 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday. www.leonardshawaii.com

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Cinnaholic Gourmet Vegan Cinnamon Rolls in Berkeley

Growing up, I used to love the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls. I didn’t always eat them because all that frosting was way too sweet for me, but you can’t escape that aroma.

So even though I’m not a cinnamon roll connoisseur, I had to check out Cinnaholic in Berkeley after my friend David told me they had the best cinnamon rolls – and they’re vegan!

I’m not vegetarian or vegan, but I’m always curious that if I ever gave up meat or dairy, would there be anything worth eating?

Cinnaholic is a bakery west of the entrance to the University of California, Berkeley campus. It sells primarily cinnamon rolls, but in the glass case the rolls are pimped out with special toppings and creations like Smores or Oreo Surprise.

Can you believe this is vegan cream cheese? It looks so creamy.

David ended up getting the regular cinnamon roll, called the “Old School” ($4.25). And yes, it’s pretty huge.

But not as huge as the specialty rolls, like the Oreo Surprise ($5) that I got. What’s nice about the rolls is that they’re nice and soft, and quite airy. It definitely tastes good warm, but you can probably guess that it is definitely on the sweet side. (BTW, those are faux Oreo cookies, some kind of vegan version, but they did the trick.)

So I guess Cinnaholic answers the question that you can give up dairy, but you definitely don’t have to worry about giving up sweets.

Cinnaholic, 2132 Oxford St., Berkeley. PH: 510.647.8684. Open Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; weekends, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.,; closed Monday. www.cinnaholic.com

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Chocolate Library in the Sky in Hong Kong

This is part of a series of reports on my recent gastronomical vacation in Hong Kong. Return every Monday and Tuesday to see some of the things I ate at this major Asian city on the other side of the Pacific.

HONG KONG
One thing I’ve learned about this city is that it’s always looking forward, never backwards. That’s why there’s always construction going on and towers reaching to the heavens.

Hong Kong residents also love anything new, which is why new stores or restaurants get packed by curious onlookers. During my vacation, the new Ritz-Carlton hotel opened its doors. A hotel opening doesn’t sound like anything unusual, but this was atop the International Commerce Center (ICC), a gleaming skyscraper that towers 490 meters high (supposedly the fourth tallest building in the world) on the Kowloon side of this city.

With the hotel taking up the 102nd to 118th floors, the new Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong has an undisputed view of the city. The ICC, which also houses business offices and a high-end shopping mall called Elements on the ground levels, has been opening in phases over the last few years and the hotel is the final stage of construction.

The Ritz, which opened only three days before I arrived, boasts a Chinese seafood restaurant, an Italian restaurant, and a lounge and bar. I didn’t want to deal with the hassles of getting reservations at the new restaurants, so I decided to just drop in on an afternoon hoping to get some afternoon tea at the bar. But the flurry of activity prompted the well-dressed hotel staff to politely turn people away.

Undeterred, I asked if I could get tea at the Chocolate Library, which I’d also read about but wasn’t necessarily in a chocolate mood. But I came for the view, so I followed my escort (every guest is escorted onto the elevators and guided to the right place in case you start wandering around areas you’re not supposed to) who eventually turned me over to the host at the Chocolate Library.

After being seated at a table in what seemed like a mezzanine area overlooking the Italian restaurant, my host promptly told me they were out of the chocolate tasting menu. In these early days of the hotel, the kitchen was doing just a limited amount of food. (I guess they’re just getting adjusted to the crowds.)

So I ordered a pot of Earl Grey tea and reviewed the dessert menu, deciding on the chocolate gateau with bourbon vanilla ice cream and macerated strawberries (HK$110 or $15).

Side note: As you can imagine, the Ritz-Carlton was on the pricey side. When they ask if you want sparkling or still water, they mean from the bottle that they'll charge you for later. The total I spent for the chocolate gateau, pot of tea, and bottled water was HK$283 (including 10% service charge) or $36.

The setting was serene and the service friendly, and the décor was typical Hong Kong flashy metals and chandeliers. From where I sat, I had an awkward view of the city because the windows were decorated with some stenciling that blocked the view from my level (of course the people at the Italian restaurant below had an unobstructed view).

No matter, I just sat back and sipped away at my tea, poured in beautiful and delicate China. When my chocolate gateau arrived, my server was quick to tell me that cocoa crisps were sprinkled on the top.

The gateau was like a cross between a cake and a mousse. (Wikipedia says it’s a fancy word for cake.) It was extremely moist and decadent, and crispy bits on the top were a nice contrast in texture.

Funny though, the view from so high didn’t seem that much different from below. The city still seemed to be massive and overwhelming, even from the top. But the chance to step away and find a bit of peace in the afternoon did replenish me as I headed back downstairs to the MTR, back among the crush of people and the sounds of humanity.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (Nearest MTR: Kowloon station) PH: 852.2263.2263. Website

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San Francisco International Chocolate Salon 2011

This past weekend I was called up to the Show. For you baseball fans, you know what I mean when you get called up from the minor leagues to the majors, or "The Show." That's what I felt like when I graduated from being a judge for last fall's Luxury Chocolate Salon to the larger San Francisco International Salon at Fort Mason.

This time I was ready, eating lunch before I went, pacing myself and surveying the different chocolate vendors. I made sure to take notes after each bite, and not necessarily gorging on two many chocolates from one chocolatier.

Luckily, the Chocolate Salon (by TasteTV) has been good in the last few years in controlling the crowds and the list of vendors. So instead of being overwhelmed, the number of vendors this year made tasting more manageable.

As part of the tasting panel, I just had to vote for my favorites in 21 different categories. There were a lot of other judges, so in a way it was like people's choice awards.

Here are some sights from the salon, and a few of my favorites.

Amano Chocolates of Utah is consistently a winner at the chocolate salon. It's no wonder, because its chocolate bars (primarily dark chocolate) are especially luxurious and rich in flavor. (I've tried some dark chocolate bars at other vendors that tasted dry because of the bitter chocolate levels.)

Socola Chocolatier is from San Francisco and it had several different flavored truffles, with some unusual flavors like stout beer and durian. I did try the stout beer but didn't get the chance to try the durian.

Here are truffles from Salt Side Down Chocolates, another chocolatier from the Bay Area. Its truffles have salt sprinkled on the bottom. I tried them in the fall luxury salon, and was excited to try a couple of new flavors with some unusual names like Sweet Fungus Among Us and Number 5: Umami. Both were amazingly complex.

Not sure why, but the booth for William Dean Chocolates had the longest line throughout the salon. They definitely have the most beautifully decorated chocolates but I didn't feel it was necessarily that different than other luxury chocolates out there. Not sure if it was one of those situations where the line started and everyone just kept jumping in because it was the only vendor with a long line. Or maybe they were just slow with passing out samples? Hard to say.

One of the toughest category to judge was "Best Fair Trade Chocolate," partly because it was hard to find a chocolate maker using fair trade chocolates. But the chocolate from Alter Eco got my vote. I liked their chocolate bars and their name.

I like flavored truffles that wake me up, like this new product from Gateau et Ganache. It was a sour cherry truffle. Nice.

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