Dessert Kitchen 糖潮

I didn't know of this place until my friend told me there's a new dessert place in Markham. I asked her what kind of dessert and she said "I think Chinese" lol. I was confused why she wasn't sure, but after we went I understood why. It's more like fusionized Chinese dessert. 

My friend ordered this Mango Hor Fun.

My other friend and I persuaded her to try something different, so she picked a dessert with the coconut "hor fun". The slices of mango were sour, but they are fresh mangos and I guess mangos are not in season at the moment. She mango liquidy tapioca soup part was tasteless, it was really watered down. As for the "hor fun", it was chewy but I couldn't taste coconut flavor.

I ordered the Green Tea Creme Brule.

Sounded interesting since I never seen creme brule green tea flavor. Pictures on the menu are always deceiving. I was expecting more of a green color instead of brown. Anyhow, I didn't taste that great in my first bite, but after another bite it grew on me. It did have a green tea taste and overall wasn't bad. It was a bit too sweet though.

My other friend ordered the Mango pudding.

The picture in the menu showed tons of mango sauce leaking out of the sliced pudding - Clearly that did not happen. There were loads of chopped up fresh mango inside, which is good but other than that, nothing special. It tasted good but something you can easily make at home. The only thing we all looked forward to for this dish was the leaking mango sauce. We thought it would be like a chocolate lava cake.

Food: Alright

Service: Good.

Price: Slightly more pricey than average.
Atmosphere: The place is small but nicely renovated with a nice modernized look. I would not suggest sitting in the middle tables on those cushion seaters as it is not comfy and you will end up slouching the entire time since there's not back support. One thing I am curious is that the kitchen is super small. Makes me wonder how they are able to make the hot cooked food. (Yes they serve not only desserts, but there are rices, fries, etc.)
Overall: I'm pretty sure this place is opened by a group of young owners in their mid 20s. They were probably inspired by the successful fushionized Chinese desserts in Hong Kong. To be quite honest, I don't think their desserts are good. It's not that their food is bad, but it's just nothing special. In my opinion, the taste of their desserts does not justify their pricing. They do gain brownie points for the innovative aspect though. A lot of their dishes seemed really interesting, and it does catch me into wanting to pay another visit to try their other stuff. Hopefully I will have a better experience at my second trip. As a side note, don't trust the pictures on their menu.

Dessert Kitchen 糖潮

3623 Hwy 7 E, At Liberty Square - Suite 106, Markham

Caffe di Portici

After my exam, my bro picked me up from Ryerson and we decided to go for a late lunch. To try something different, my bro suggested going to this Italian cafe that his friend works there as a waitress, claiming that the food is good.

I ordered the Capricciosa pizza ($12)

I know it may not look that exciting through the pictures, which is probably why i wasn't excited when they served me my pizza. But after my first bite, totally different story. The pizza was delicious. The pizza contains fresh mozzarella, proscuitto, artichokes, mushrooms, olives, and fresh basil. I love how the crust was super thin and really crispy. I must say it is one of the best pizzas i've had aside from the one I had in California.

My bro tried the panini, Fontina ($8.95)

Ingredients included spicy calabrese salami, fontina cheese, arugula, and roasted red peppers. I normally don't enjoy peppers in a sandwich but this combination went well. The panini was really crispy.

Food: Excellent
Service: Really good
Price: A bit more pricey than average, but I would comment its great value for the fresh food.
Atmosphere: The cafe is in a rich area on the ground floor of a condo. It is small but really nicely decorated. A good place to chill in the afternoon, its like a hidden secret little spot. Just as a side note they do serve alcohol, I remember at my first visit the table next to me was a tipsy rich lady that was really friendly and kept talking to us. Drunk at 3pm in the afternoon, rich people's life eh?
Overall: I was not expecting much when I decided to come here, but to my surprise the food was really good. The good thing about this cafe is that their hot plates are freshly made - it is a bit of a wait but trust me, its worth it. Not some pizza that's been sitting in the oven waiting for a customer to come order and eat it. I recommend trying their paninis or pizzas - the only 2 things i've tried at this cafe but i believe to be the best.

Caffe di Portici
6 Scollard Street, Yorkville Toronto