Sweet Seoul Pastry Pop-Up
K-town is a foodie hot spot. From the bustling Food Gallery 32 to the extravagant Gaonuri, there are plenty of options bound to satisfy everyone and anyone -- except that is, if you’re looking for desserts. With the exception of bingsu (Korean shaved ice), and Bungeoppang (Korean taiyaki), there aren’t really that many options for Korean desserts in the city. In fact, off the top of my head, apart than bingsu and bungeoppang, the only other Korean dessert I can think of is...nothing. I can’t think of a single Korean dessert other than those two, and this is from someone who goes on monthly K-BBQ outings and eats Kimchi by the ton.
Luckily, I was very pleasantly educated on all things regarding Korean desserts at the Sweet Seoul Pop-Up exhibit at Jungsik last Thursday. Headed by top pastry chefs from restaurants Jungsik, Kimssiboon, Biwon, Gangjeong House, Dongbyung Sangryoun, and Haap, the event boasted one treat after another, including:
1. Fried Twist Cookies: a flaky, fried dessert infused with ginger juice and dusted with powdered sugar.
2. Sticky Rice Honey Cookies, Black Sesame Tea Cakes, Candied Apples, and Candied Ginger.
3. Half Moon Rice Cakes, Candied Lotus Root, and Honey Cookies with Walnut.
In addition to being able to feast on all of these delectable desserts, guests of the pop-up were also treated to a surprise performance from opera singers Olga Makarina and Hong Kyung Olivia Kim, both of whom blew everyone away with their renditions of Korean folk songs and classical Italian opera. However, the emotional impact of the event really came from the pastry chefs, including Jungsik’s own Eunji Lee. Hearing the chefs speak about their chosen dessert and their desire to share it with the world, it was clear that, to them, the desserts I tried that day signified more than the ending of a meal -- instead, they were markers of the Korean identity: desserts that could not have been created in a different country by a different group of people.
The Sweet Seoul Pop-up exhibit was a lesson in the diversity of the dessert world, as well as an eye opener to the particular uniqueness of Korean desserts. While going to Seoul to try one of these treats might be a little out of reach for the moment, hopefully it won’t be long before NYC has a Korean Pastry Shop to call our own. For now, though, I’ll see everyone at Spot.
Dessert Goals: Joy Edition
In preparation of their dessert-only food festival, which began this past weekend and will continue on to the next, Dessert Goals held a preview on Saturday, October 13th, providing a special sneak peek of all the sweetness to come. As New York’s first all-dessert festival, this year’s Dessert Goals: Joy Edition provides a taste of the city’s dessert scene, featuring works from New York’s best experts on everything sweet, from trendy novelties to exotic delicacies to plain simple deliciousness.
In the spacious, waterfront location of Sound River Studios in Long Island City, over twenty unique dessert vendors set up shop amidst a mirage of rainbow colored streamers, balloons, and candy bracelets. Fitting with the theme of Joy Edition, the event was pet-friendly and welcomed pups to join in on the fun. With desserts and puppies, it doesn’t get much better.
The collection of the desserts themselves can only be described as a diverse medley of all the goodies NYC has to offer, spanning from the fresh lightness of Meringueshop’s 100% vegan aquafaba-based dragon fruit gelée meringue treats, to the all-out decadence of Sugar and Water’s “dossants” aka donut croissants aka flaky, buttery, sugar powdered goodness.
Other innovative creations include I CE NY’s rolled ice cream, Stuffed Ice Cream bouquets, and Keki Modern Cake’s purple yam “bouncy” cheesecakes while more classic delights include maple walnut pie from Petee’s Pie Company and traditional Canadian butter tarts made by BTarts. Whether it be creations or originals, Dessert Goals has something for everyone, not excluding those with dietary restrictions; Smoothme’s all natural “nice” cream, made with frozen fruit and coconut cream, is the perfect sweet treat for health-food enthusiasts and vegans (and frankly, those of us who could use some fruit after eating six donuts). Dessert Goals: Joy Edition covers all the bases: desserts you never knew could exist, desserts you’ve always wanted to try, matcha everything, and Instagram-worthy treats almost too beautiful to eat.
Photo credit: Liang Shi / @omgdessertgoals and ratya Jankong / @pj_photographer )