Dining Out: Mango Yuzu Gelato Daifuku at Savorology

Mango yuzu gelato daifuku

Mango yuzu gelato daifuku

Went to Savorology to try their new viral gelato daifuku, which is made to order. Matcha is their signature flavour, but I decided to go with mango yuzu because it is so goddamn hot out and I wanted something more refreshing (which, in my mind, equates to fruity and/or citrusy). It certainly hit the spot and the mango yuzu flavour is incredible, but I do wish the mochi wrapper was thinner and softer to make it easier to dig into (as you know, mochi gets significantly harder and tougher once it gets cold). That having been said, it does provide an excellent barrier for those who want to bite into their ice cream but have sensitive teeth, so I digress...

Savorology

3621 Highway 7, Unit 120

Markham, ON L3R 0G6

(905) 470-8898

Take Out: Cappuccino Cake from Paris Baguette

Cappuccino Cake

Okay, so Minji bought the Cappuccino Cake (mocha cake filled with mocha buttercream, coated in chocolate, and topped with buttercream and caramel) from Paris Baguette to celebrate Daniel's birthday today at work and dare I say, it might just be my new favourite cake...? Now that they've finally come to Canada and are opening more locations, I will need to look into more desserts from Paris Baguette... You know, for research.

A Friend's Baby Shower: 3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

My friend Minji's baby shower was today!

3:15 Cake from Daan Go Cake Lab

We hosted it in the party room in my building because it was the most central location for everyone invited, but between liaising with concierge, decorating, and meeting and socializing with over 20 new people, I kinda forgot to take photos. But there was a tasty spread of Korean food (two kinds of japchae, bulgogi and rice, gimbap, Korean-style potato salad, etc.), baby games (don't say the word "baby," guess what's in the baby food, etc.), a whole lot of mingling, and the incredible 3:15 cake from Daan Go Cake Lab (which contains Hong Kong milk tea mousse, Vietnamese coffee and evaporated milk crémeux, and the most incredible Ovaltine "pineapple bun" crumb crunch) which was as delicious as it looks.

Loot bag goodies

We even got little loot bags to take home that included the most adorable towel shaped like a bear, a bag of caramel popcorn, and a little trinket box filled with Ferrero Rocher chocolates and Hi-Chew candies. SO FREAKING CUTE.

Congratulations to my very good friends, Minji and Daniel. You're going to be amazing parents!

Take Out: Snow Skin Mooncake Set 2024 from Daan Go Cake Lab

For Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I decided to go to Daan Go Cake Lab for their Snow Skin Mooncakes again because, frankly, they are tastier, prettier, and more unique than those plebe lotus seed paste mooncakes. (I had said last year that I hoped these would be released again this year, so I'm glad they were popular enough for a comeback!)

Snow Skin Mooncake Set Box — Artwork by Kimiko Nogomi

Snow Skin Mooncake Set Box

Snow Skin Mooncake Set

Snow Skin Mooncake Set

This year, we have two returning flavours and two new ones:

• Pistachio Raspberry (new): Pistachio pastry cream with a raspberry gel centre and raspberry pistachio croquantine
• Salted Duck Egg: Salted duck egg pastry cream with a salted duck egg lava centre and white chocolate coconut crisp
• Passion Fruit Cheesecake (new): Cheesecake filling with a passion fruit gel centre and white chocolate graham crumble
• Jamocha Nut: Chocolate pastry filling with an almond lava centre and milk chocolate almond crumble (a.k.a. the GOAT of mooncakes)

Snow Skin Mooncake — Pistachio Raspberry

Snow Skin Mooncake — Pistachio Raspberry (Inside)

Snow Skin Mooncake — Salted Duck Egg

Snow Skin Mooncake — Salted Duck Egg (Inside)

Snow Skin Mooncake — Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Snow Skin Mooncake — Passion Fruit Cheesecake (Inside)

Snow Skin Mooncake — Jamocha Nut

Snow Skin Mooncake — Jamocha Nut (Inside)

Regardless of where your mooncakes are from, I hope everyone has a delightfully food-filled Mid-Autumn Festival!

Daan Go Cake Lab

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Building C, Unit 70

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(905) 707-9098

Food Delivery: Dim Sum Macaron Set and Sushi Macaron Set from Daan Go Cake Lab

Love dim sum? Love sushi? Love macarons? ME, TOO. As if Daan Go Cake Lab didn't already make the cutest macarons in the game, they decided to make these limited edition ones themed after my favourite foods: DIM SUM AND SUSHI! 

Daan Go Cake Lab Dim Sum Macaron Set

Daan Go Cake Lab Dim Sum Macaron Set

Siu mai — Vietnamese coffee

Phoenix claw — Raspberry

Sesame ball — White sesame

Egg tart — Chocolate crunch

Har gow — Roast milk tea

Mango pudding — Mango

The dim sum set comes in an actual bamboo steamer! The sushi set comes in an actual sushi tray (complete with baran wrapped around the "wasabi")! The moment I saw these, I knew I would not be able to resist. In fact, I immediately logged into their website and put them in my cart for check out. And the best part? I had enough Daan Go points to get $20 off!!!

Daan Go Cake Lab Sushi Macaron Set

Daan Go Cake Lab Sushi Macaron Set

Octopus — Black sesame

Maki — Pistachio

Tamago — Passion fruit

Wasabi — Matcha

Shrimp — Yuzu

Salmon roe — Ovaltine

And lest you think that the increase in cuteness means a decrease in quality, I am here to tell you that the texture of these macarons are PERFECT (the crumb, the bite, and the mouthfeel are truly outstanding — frankly, better than many that I've had at French macaron giant, Ladurée) and the flavours are the most accurate I have ever tasted. Daan Go Cake Lab is known for their infusing Western-style desserts with Asian flavours, so that Vietnamese coffee macaron tastes not just like coffee, but specifically Vietnamese coffee. That roast milk tea? Tastes not just like any tea, but specifically roast milk tea from your local boba shop. After many years, I continue to be impressed with Daan Go Cake Lab, and honestly, it's far more worth it to me to pay for the macarons here than most other patisseries.

Daan Go Cake Lab

Times Square Richmond Hill

550 Highway 7, Building C, Unit 70

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3Z4

(905) 707-9098

Food Delivery: February Macarons from The Social Blend

You know who always gets me the best Valentine's presents? Myself.

The Social Blend February Macarons
The Social Blend February Macarons

Like Christmas, I don't really celebrate this holiday, but a holiday is always an excuse to treat myself to something I wouldn't normally. It's practicing self-love, but like, within reason. As expected planned, I did not ration my Lunar New Year's macarons, so I obviously had to get another box from The Social Blend. (Listen, it's not my fault that Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day fall so close to each other this year. So this is still within reason, okay?) The actual Valentine's Day Box didn't excite me as much as their February exclusive flavours (denoted with an *), so I got a custom box of nine: 

Strawberry Crunch
Double Raspberry
Blueberry Cheesecake
Cherry Blossom*
Chocolate Salted Caramel*
Strawberry Lamington*
Mandarin*
Mixed Berry Pistachio*
White Chocolate Mango*

I just realized Family Day is coming up next Monday and these will definitely get stale by then, so unfortunately, I won't be able to ration these, either...

The Social Blend

130 Eglinton Ave. E.

Toronto, ON M4P 2X9

(416) 484-9919

Food Delivery: Year of the Dragon Lunar New Year Macaron Box from The Social Blend

Happy Year of the Dragon! 🐉 I am starting off the new year with some fat Korean-style macarons, featuring the adorable Lunar New Year Box from The Social Blend:

The Social Blend Lunar New Year Box
The Social Blend Lunar New Year Box

It's been nearly three years since I've ordered macarons from The Social Blend and I forgot just how freaking good they are. (My condo management stated that food cannot be left with concierge, and since I'm at work for 9 - 10 hours a day, I'm just never home to get the delivery, so I had to stop ordering them. But a couple weeks ago, I realized that I could just have them delivered to my office building instead. Not sure why it took me so long to think of this, but I guess better late than never!) 

Matcha Rice Puff — Matcha with Fried Rice Puffs
Firecracker — Grapefruit
Red Money Pocket — Strawberry
Dragon — Oreo
24 — Earl Grey
Golden Dragon Pearl — Salted Caramel Chocolate
Sakura — Cherry Blossom
Mandarin — Mandarin

I should probably ration these but — oh no! — they'll go stale within a few days. So I guess I'll just have to polish these off and get myself another box for Valentine's or Family Day or something...

The Social Blend

130 Eglinton Ave. E.

Toronto, ON M4P 2X9

(416) 484-9919