Sweet on the B Sweet Dessert Food Truck

As a Filipina Food Blogger, I'm all about supporting Filipino-Owned Food Businesses. So when I got an invitation to visit the Filipino-Owned B Sweet Mobile Food Truck, I was happy to stop by.  Before I talk about the truck, let me introduce you to the Owner, Barb Batiste.

Barb has actually been in the food business for a number of years.  Past stints included working along side the Executive Pastry Chef at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel as well as being the head pastry chef for an LA Art Gallery. But, while she enjoyed making high end pastries and desserts, her real love was all about making homemade desserts the old-fashioned way.

That love was so prevalent that she even started a side business selling her own Chocolate Chip Banana Bread to local cafes, which got rave reviews. Eventually, Barb opened her own catering company and just recently, the B Sweet Mobile Food Truck.

Since the Chocolate Banana Bread was what started it all, I definitely wanted to try that.  I ended up taking a loaf home so that I could have a taste.  To be honest, I'm not much of a "sweet" bread kind of person, but I can see why this was a good jumpstart to her business.  It was moist and it tasted like fresh bananas were used in this recipe.

Other than the chocolate banana bread, you can take a peek at other items they carry below.  Those items are the standard menu items; however, there will also be special dessert items. Every night, there will be a "hot" dessert option like a cobbler or bread pudding. Their selection of specialty cupcakes will also change flavors nightly.
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B Sweet actually put together a selection of items for me to take home which included a Vegan Carrot Cupcake, Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes, an Angel Baby Cupcake (Vanilla Bean), Red Devil Cupcakes (Red Velvet) and Red Velvet Cake Pops. To those of you who are vegan, there will always be one vegan dessert option for you to choose from.  I was only able to try the Red Devil and the Chocolate Ganache Cupcake since everything else and the banana bread were pounced upon by my family and some visiting friends.

I've never been much of a red velvet fan, but I did like how moist the cupcake was; however, I totally fell in love with the Chocolate Ganache Cupcake, which is one of their specialty cupcakes.  The frosting was like a creamy pudding which I thought was awesome and the cupcake itself was moist and made my "chocolate" tooth happy.

Also on the truck was their Cupcake Bar. There's three steps to the Cupcake Bar.  1) Choose your cupcake.  2) Choose your frosting.  3)  Choose your toppings.

The one thing that my 7 year old grand-niece really loved about the truck was that Cupcake Bar. The packaging was such that the toppings were separate, which gives you the chance to add as much or as little as you wanted.  I actually picked one up for my 6 year old niece as well and both their cupcakes became mini art projects, which they were quite happy to devour once it was decorated to their taste.

When it comes to beverages, you have your choice of picking from the Milk Bar, Tea Bar and Soda Bar.  The Milk Bar will offer drinks like soy milk, chocolate milk, regular milk, Yoo-Hoo, etc.  If you're into tea, there will be 8 hot teas to pick from.  Finally, there's the Soda Bar, which will contain unique sodas like the ones I tried below.

Overall,  I'm happy to support the B Sweet Mobile Food Truck. However, I would have loved to see one or two Filipino-inspired desserts.  It's a missed opportunity to introduce a food from our culture.  When I asked about that possibility, I was told that bibingka may make it on the menu, so that's definitely something to look forward to.

ADDENDUM:  After some tweeting with B Sweet, it looks like there will be Filipino-inspired desserts and/or desserts using Filipino ingredients that will soon show up as specials! :)

B Sweet Mobile Food Truck
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B Sweet Catering
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Fluff Ice is Not Your Typical Shaved Ice

 

Last September, I paid a first visit to Fluff Ice, a shop in Monterey Park that specializes in something that isn't ice cream, isn't yogurt and is not your typical shaved ice.  Instead, it's a dessert that's more on the creamy side and will remind you of fresh, newly fallen, fluffy snow; hence, Fluff Ice.  You don't believe me? That's what I got from the sign below.

Before I even saw the sign, I walked into a space that was dominated by the company's signature colors of blue, green and white.
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On the counter, you can check out the various cup sizes for your fluff ice. At the register, you can take a look at the Fluff Ice Menu. Basically, how it works is that you choose 1 of 8 flavors to start with. However, between you and me, sometimes there's a secret flavor or two that is off menu. Just ask the guy or gal behind the counter to see if you can score whatever Owner, Matthew Hui, has been experimenting with in the kitchen.

Once you choose your flavor and size, you can choose two toppings that are included in the original price; however, you'll have to pay extra for the premium toppers.  Don't feel that you miss much by opting out of the premium toppers because some of the regular toppings include things like red bean, egg pudding, lychee jelly ~ all of which are just as good. After that, your choice of either condensed milk or chocolate syrup is poured on your Fluff Ice, also included in the price, and you're ready to go.

If you can't make up your mind, check out the Favorite Combos board to get some ideas. Perhaps, the Peach Me! Combo with peach fluff ice, lychee jelly and condensed milk is your thing.  If not, how about the Mango Madness Combo with mango fluff ice, mangoes, mango pudding, mango jelly and condensed milk. There are four other combos to choose from so I'm sure you'll be able to find something to your liking.

Unlike typical shaved ice that is usually made by putting ice into a machine, fluff ice is done a little bit differently. I don't really know the details, but the ingredients for all the various fluff ice flavors are frozen into cylinders and then there's a machine where that ice cylinder is pushed down and in the process "fluff ice" comes out the other end into the waiting cup.  You can get an idea of what I mean by taking a look at the photos below.

At the time of my visit, Matthew was able to give me small samples of all the flavors he had on hand which included Thai Iced Tea, Taro, Strawberry, Chocolate, Peach, Kiwi and Original.  Unfortunately, he didn't have any Green Tea, which apparently is a favorite among his customers. I pretty much liked everything I tasted, except I didn't really taste that much kiwi in the kiwi flavor.

My favorite was the Thai Iced Tea and with the addition of the condensed milk, it tasted even more like I was eating a Thai Iced Tea instead of actually drinking it.

I was also able to try a couple of their Premium Toppers, which you can actually just order by themselves if you were so inclined. First, there was the Pink Honey Boba, which is actually just boba soaking in honey. Then there was their Popping Strawberry and Passionfruit Boba, which I just tried for the first time a few weeks before at a yogurt shop.  If you've never had them, once you take a bite, you'll know why they are called Popping Boba.

After all that sampling, I was ready for my own full size Fluff Ice. I was feeling a bit lazy, so I decided to pick a combo. I went for the Pretty in Pink Combo that had Strawberry Fluff topped with Strawberry Pink Boba and Condensed Milk. Matthew personally put mine together.  Thanks, Matthew!

Overall, Fluff Ice has made me a fan. In fact, I've been back a few times and even brought friends specifically to try Fluff Ice. What I like is the creamy texture that isn't ice cream or yogurt. I don't know how that creamy texture has come about, but all I know is that it works for me. I also love the variety of Fluff Ice flavors that are available and know that there are still more to come ~ something to look forward to. While I'm normally an ice cream fan(atic), Fluff Ice has definitely given my favorite dessert a run for its money.

Fluff Ice
500 N Atlantic Blvd
Ste 153
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 872-2123
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My "Sweet" Love Affair with Platine Cookies + GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Shane for winning this Platine Giveaway!

When it comes to food, I usually lean more towards savory than sweet. Things that taste too sugary to the point that I feel like I'm getting a cavity with every bite do not appeal on any level. When I do indulge in dessert, I like my sweet to be sweet, but not oversweet, which is why Platine Cookies is an awesome bakery that I'm always recommending to friends and family. I first experienced Platine when I had set up a dessert tasting there last year with my dining group. Chef Jamie Cantor graciously welcomed us into her kitchen where we got to sample 11 of her desserts and 1 savory item, her Gruyere Cheese Puffs.

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Before I get talk about the tastings itself, I just wanted to give you some info on Jamie. Jamie grew up in Miami Beach, FL where as a child, she learned a love cooking from her mother and grandmother. Early on, it was clear that her passion and talent was for baking. Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University, Jamie also received an Associates Degree from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. Upon being awarded the 1998 Women Chefs and Restaurants Scholarship, she continued her culinary education at the CIA Greystone Campus in Napa Valley.

Once her studies were complete and she received a a Certificate in Baking and Pastry Arts, she began work at The French Laundry restaurant as Chef de Partie alongside James Beard Award recipient chef Thomas Keller, and Pastry Chef of the Year Award recipient Stephen Durfee. In late 2001 after several years at the French Laundry and a brief sojourn in Dallas, Texas, Jamie decided to follow her sweet tooth and moved to Los Angeles to begin Platine.

Now that we're caught up, let's talk sweets and in fact, let me mention my favorite dessert of our tasting, the Caramel Topped Brownies. If you are a caramel and chocolate lover, one look at the picture below is going to make you go ooooohhhhh! The caramel was thick and the brownie moist. A perfect combo!

My second fav were the Chocolate Gingersnaps made with fresh ginger, extra Brut cocoa and freshly ground spices. What was nice was the ginger didn't over power the chocolate flavor or vice versa. It was a nice balance.

On one tray there was a trio that included Chocolate Baby Cakes, Peanut Butter Chocolate Baby Cakes and her Mini Couture Cookies. I'm not much of a cupcake eater, but I really liked these smaller baby cake bites and the fact that they had a hardened chocolate top made them even more appealing. I should mention that while Jamie can bake any number of different desserts, her specialties are actually cookies. The Mini Couture Cookies can come in any shape, size or color for all kinds of special events plus they taste good. I actually just noticed that one those couture cookies had a "P" on them, probably for Pleasure Palate.

One of the desserts which I thought was unique was her Pineapple Upside Down Cake which had an interesting ingredient, pink peppercorns. The pink peppercorns added a little zest of flavor different from the tart-sweetness of the pineapple and I actually think it helped round out the flavors so that the cake wasn't too sweet.

The rest of our tasting included Carrot Coconut Cakelettes. Oatmeal Cookies, Chocolate Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies as well light and airy Gryuere Cheese Puffs.

Just recently, my dining group went back for another tasting event, but unfortunately, I didn't take my own photos. Shame on me! However, I did find some photos online to show you some of my favorites from that event. First up were Jamie's version of Oreo Cookies. The top cookie is her Camee, which is a vanilla cookie with fleur de sel while the bottom cookie is her Platino.

Taken from Muy Yum's Flickr Pool

Next was her Disco Ho-Hos, a gourmet version of the Hostess Ho-Hos that some of us grew up eating. Look at the deep dark chocolate and don't tell me that her version isn't a cut or more above the rest.

Taken from Sweet and Savories Blog

Jamie also introduced us to an item from her Mixology line. It's a line where she's trying to be more experimental with her desserts. That day, we got to sample her Butterscotch Pot de Creme made with Glenlivet Scotch. The alcohol is cooked out, but what's left is the flavor of sweet cream, brown sugar and the Glenlivet Scotch. Other items that were sampled were welcome repeats from before like the Chocolate Gingersnaps and the Caramel Topped Brownies.

Taken from Sweet and Savories Blog

Overall, I just can't say enough good things about Platine. If Platine was located on the Eastside, they would be my one stop shop for all things cookies, cakes and more and if you're living in the Westside, you definitely should check them out. You won't be disappointed.

Coming Soon! Coconut macaroons in March and flourless chocolate babycakes for Passover. Platine will also be offering Rhubarb Tartelettes and what Jamie refers to as the "shortstack" (tiny stack of house made pancakes drenched in Maple OJ emulsion and topped with candied bacon and bacon candy), both in Spring.

Click here to see more pictures of Platine Desserts!

Platine Cookies
10850 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 559-9933


PRIZE GIVEAWAY!
(Open only to US Residents)

Now that you’ve learned more about Platine Cookies and have seen some of their desserts, here's your chance to WIN either a Dessert Tasting for you + 9 of your Friends (only if you're in the LA area or willing to travel to the Bakery itself) OR a Platinum Deluxe Cookie Box (includes 2 dozen cookies and 1/2 dozen brownies) shipped to you anywhere in the US.

There are multiple ways to enter, so check them all out below.

1. Leave a comment and tell me why you'd like to win either the Dessert Tasting or the Platinum Deluxe Cookie Box. (Please leave your email so that I can contact you. Spell it out like abby at pleasurepalate dot com)

2. Follow Platine Cookies on Twitter (if you aren’t already doing so)

3. Fan Platine Cookies on Facebook (if you aren’t already doing so)

4. Tweet: Win a Sweet Prize from @platinecookies via @pleasurepalate: http://bit.ly/dpitnM

You can have up to 4 total entries each; however, please note that you have to comment back and let me know which of the actions you took, so that I can keep track of them. This is especially true for 2 through 4. If you don’t let me know which actions you took, then I won’t count them as entries.

Contest ends Tuesday, March 30 at 11:59 AM, PST and a winner will be randomly chosen from all entries. Open only to US Residents. Good Luck!




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Korean BBQ That Ended with a Kiss

Usually I'm not very fanciful when it comes to giving a title to my blog entries, but this time I just couldn't resist. As for the kiss, I'll let you know about that a little later, but for now, let's talk Korean BBQ, specifically All You Can Eat (AYCE) Korean BBQ at Mu Dung San in Koreatown.

I love eating Korean BBQ. There's just something about cooking meat to your own specification that's pretty appealing. It also doesn't hurt that instant gratification quickly ensues. Once the meat is done, wrap it in lettuce, take a bite and voila, this carnivore is one happy gal.

While I have my favorite Korean BBQ haunts, I'm always up for trying different places. I can't quite remember how I found out about Mu Dung San, an All You Can Eat (AYCE) Korean BBq joint, but for some reason it stuck in my head so one afternoon, I decided to check it out for lunch. Initially, I wasn't sure if I even wanted to eat there. The last time I dined at an AYCE Korean BBQ, it was at Manna Korean BBQ and I was quite underwhelmed. However, since I was really craving Korean BBQ and was also a bit budget conscious at the time, the price of $16.99 per person was just right for my pocketbook. I managed to corral corral my niece to join me and off we went.

When I walked inside Mu Dung San, my first thought was that it was smaller than it looked from the outside, but that was before I noticed two other separate dining rooms from the one we walked into. We soon sat down and were handed menus and thankfully, they were in English, which isn't always the case when you dine in Koreatown. It didn't take long to decide, so between the two of us we went for the pork belly and marinated beef (bulgogi) and also ordered the seafood pancake and cold noodles with skate fish to share.

Dishes of various panchan soon came our way, which I didn't find out of the ordinary, but still tasty. Also, out came a large salad with a dressing I couldn't identify, but still enjoyed. Instead of the large lettuce leaves that usually accompany Korean BBQ, we were served square rice wrappers. My last experience with those rice wrappers was at Shik Do Rak, which I found to be too oily. Thankfully, the oil content of the Mu Dung San versions were to a much lesser degree.

Then out came the meat and I could already tell the difference from Manna. Manna's meat was ultra thin whereas the pork belly and bulgogi in front of me were more substantial. With the meat in front of us, were definitely ready to get cooking. Ahhhh...there's just nothing like the smell of meat that's grilling. As for the taste, suffice to say that I was very pleased. The marinade used for the bulgogi was flavorful and cooking the pork belly extra long meant you got extra smoky caramelized fat along with the pork meat itself. How can your tastebuds not love you?

When it comes to the rice wrappers, I'm still not quite sure how to eat with them. I tried wrapping the meat and some of that dressed lettuce into the rice wrapper like a spring roll/burrito, but it had a tendency to tear. Finally, I treated it more like a tortilla, where I would tear the wrapper into small pieces and use it to scoop the meat and lettuce before popping into my mouth. So if anyone can give me the scoop, that'd be great.

As for the cold spicy noodles, I couldn't get into them. The noodles were not very firm and for some reason, they tasted a bit bland. The seafood pancake; however, was a hit. It was thick and "meaty" with ingredients. I Just looking into a cross section, it's very easy to identify the octopus, the crab and veggies that comprised this dish. I also enjoyed the crispiness of the outer edges.

Overall, for an All You Can Eat Korean BBQ place, it's pretty good. I wouldn't consider Mu Dung San a destination Korean BBQ place, but it offers good value for what you get and sometimes that's all you can ask for. $16.99 per person, not including tax and gratuity, is definitely not bad. Something else to note, they give you a pretty good portion for that price. My niece and I found no need to order extra meat. What we had was just right.

So do you want to know about the kiss? :) Well, it's not what you think. I heard about a Korean dessert shop called Ice Kiss and since we had just enough room for something sweet, we drove on over there. The Ice Kiss in the shop's name refers to the fact that their specialty is serving Bingsu, a Korean Shaved Ice Dessert that usually consists of shaved ice and ice cream that is topped with any or all of the following: sweetened red beans, fruits, fruit preserves, syrup, candies, cereal, rice cakes, etc. The shaved ice itself is different than what you'd expect. It has a finer, almost fluffy texture to it.

The ice cream choices include chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and green tea. When it comes to ordering, there are different concoctions to choose from, all with different toppings. It just really depends on what you're in the mood for. Their shaved ice desserts come in different sizes, and if you choose the medium, it's actually served in a dog dish and is enough for 3 to 4 people.

For our visit, we shared a small, but even the small was a pretty good size. I don't remember what it was called, but it was basically chocolate ice cream topped with strawberries, kiwi, banana, chocolate sauce, cocoa krispies and whipped cream. It was very colorful and definitely satisfied my sweet tooth, but in truth, I was a bit overwhelmed.

There was just so many toppings and believe it or not, compared to pictures I've seen of some of their other desserts, the one I had was pretty basic. Pricewise, this is no cheap kiss. Expect to spend $6.99 and up. I definitely appreciated the finer shaved ice because I felt like I was eating powdered snow; however, too much of a good thing is sometimes too much of a good thing. If I did go back, I'd ask for less of a deluge in ingredients.

So ends my afternoon at Koreatown. Starting off with hot Korean BBQ and ending it with an Ice Kiss is definitely a good day in my book.

Mu Dung San
1040 S. Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(323) 737-9292

To see Mu Dung San pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603898436284/

Ice Kiss
3407 W. 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 382-4776

To see Ice Kiss pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603898541720/