Pastry Run 6: Fantoast’s枫多士the Rectangle Series

Let’s Toast till the end for Fantoast has more in store for us. If you are not familiar with this café, I suggest visiting Pastry Run 3 just to give you a sneak preview.

Rectangle Toast # 1: Truffle Toast

Visual: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most exquisite of them all? Gosh, would you look at it, its appearance already spells rarity as it reminds me of a white tiger.

Taste: It makes use of truffle oil, making it the most expensive one in the menu despite its not so filling appearance. While not a fan of threesomes personally but if it is among cream, bread and truffle then I am all up for that! In the box series, I mentioned that Fantoast successfully makes cream and toasts that are perfect match for each other. Let me make an exemption to that. This white tiger transcends that perfect marriage between the cream and the toast, as it welcomes the royal presence of truffle, serving to enhance the flavors rather than causing chaos.

Rectangular Toast # 2: Peanut Butter Banana Toast

Visual: While not exactly rectangular in shape, the peanut butter toast is one of those flavors that are able to successfully penetrate the oriental palate. They are a nation who is very fond of nuts that you can regularly see shops and stalls built solely to sell nuts.

Similar to the triangle series, this is the rectangle's version of a simple toast if you want to take a break from all the fancy toasts and just stick to the classic. Nevertheless, it still is a class of its own when compared with the standard peanut butter banana toasts, given the generous serving of all its components: the bread is composed of two slices stuck together that serves as a bedding and spread with an equally thick layer of peanut butter, crowned with two layers of thick banana slices. The generous serving is already tantamount for it to be deemed a mouth-watering treat, despite the simplicity.

Taste: Bread is surprisingly not good. I was expecting it to be of the same caliber as per their usual toasts but I think the error was in the width. The box, triangle and other rectangular toasts are sliced into smaller parts, giving equal opportunity for the parts to be toasted perfectly even if the slices are thick, it did not lose the crispiness that spells the difference between a good toast and a bad one. This one, however, is toasted as a whole which made it difficult for the heat to penetrate the inner layers, causing it to be rough and dry despite the outer skin being crisp.

Peanut butter and banana is always never a bad idea --- perhaps the only redeeming qualities of this toast. Other than that, just enjoy the treat for what it is

As I was finishing my peanut butter toast with my mind and sight absently wandering around my surroundings, my glance happened to linger long on a very colorful teapot.

                                               
Not even giving myself a chance to dwell, I called the server and pointed to the seemingly refreshing orange drink that my neighboring table seems to be enjoying so much and I did not regret doing so after several sips.
                                          

I did not enjoy the first sip as it tasted weird given the froth from the meat of the apple intermixing with the drink. There is also another fruit in the mix that is responsible for the sour taste. Eventually, I got used to it after drinking several sips and I understood why it is a popular warming drink inside the cafe. It possesses a thickness in the fruity sense making it a pure drink that seems heavy, but is actually light to the senses.                                                                                           
Sip after sip and you will eventually discover an aromatic flavor emitting from the juice, making you appreciate the taste more. It just felt weird at first because we are so used to drinking concentrated juices that when faced with purity, we are kind of overwhelmed.

The Final Rectangle: Strawberry Toast

Visual: My Gosh!!! You are one fine piece of specimen. No wonder, you become my official Google+ profile picture. You are far by the best one I have ever encountered not only in this shop but in the entire pastry world.

To tell the truth, I was not expecting no more than the usual designer toasts but when this was presented in front of me, I almost did not want to touch it for wanting to preserve the design. I treat it as an object to be revered rather than as something to be eaten. And I call it my very own "Lady in Red". Men, look at those dazzling bread layers situated on top of each other, giving this toast a curvaceous figure                                                 `                                                                                     

Taste: Not much difference compared with its fellow toasts from the fruit and creams combination to the mini toasts housed inside. The ice cream is apparently still vanilla which was just coated with red colored chocolate. It still tasted good but I was anticipating to taste strawberry flavored ice cream. I guess using strawberry ice cream would not have as much of that "red hot" impact as compared to a red dip and for that, I applaud the creative input of the maker.

This caps off the Fantoastic experience. I was waiting for the right moment to share this to the world and finally done and over with it. To revisit the experiences: here are the links:

Pastry Run 3: Fantoast's 枫多士 China

Pastry Run 4: Fantoast's 枫多士The “Box” Series

Pastry Run 5: Fantoast's 枫多士theTriangle Series

If you have any questions about this fan-bulous place, do not hesitate to message me.

Pastry Run 5: Fantoast’s枫多士the Triangle Series

Tired of the usual toasts? Then it is time to level up and try on Fantoast. This is the second part of the geometrical series, focusing on designer toasts shaped into triangles. If you are not familiar with Fantoast, I suggest reading this introductory post and see what this place has to offer.

Triangle Toast # 1: Green Tea “Matcha” Toast

Visual: Who says that forests can only be black? This is the perfect alternative to the highly popularized black forest, which I can call confidently call the “green” forest. I mean why not? After all, forests in reality are green. In the case of the dessert world, green is the new black.

Taste: Despite its looks, it is quite light in composition. Having been used to Western preparation, from the looks of this dessert, I can already theorize it to be highly filling since the cream alone is thick and is automatically associated with sweetness. After finishing the entire toast, I felt full yes but not extremely so.

The matcha powder coupled with red beans and berries made this toast the ultimate dessert treat for green tea and bread lovers like me. The lack of sweetness is not discouraging as its absence gave more freedom for the flavor of the matcha to be savored fully with your creamy toasted bread.

Triangle Toast # 2: Blueberry Toast

Visual: Puppy? This made me laugh so hard since after taking a photo of this and sending it to my grandmother through wechat, she thought that I sent her a picture of a dog. I was like, “what?” Then for some reason I began to see things her way. Apparently, when this picture is flashed swiftly in front of you, it kind of resembles a standing living creature so it kind of makes sense as to why she thought it was a dog.

Dog or not, I loved the fact that it made use of simple methods but the design came out still looking sophisticated. The ice cream for one, does not have to use blueberry flavored ice cream; it simply made use of vanilla and drizzled with light blueberry juice. Due to the thickness of the cream, even just a small amount of blueberry liquid can give the otherwise white vanilla, an appealing shade of blushing pink.

Taste: Similar with the green tea toast, the blueberry is the one responsible for bringing out the differentiating taste of this treat. While blueberries mixed with cream and bread is not new to us with Western palates, combining it together with almonds is not a usual thing for me. I was not surprised that it added to the good feel that this dessert brings, as nuts are commonly used to equalize your palate when eating cakes and pastries.

Couple it with their very own version of mocha frappe (translating its real name to English might give you nightmares so let’s stick with mocha frappe), is surprisingly delightful and the ultimate haven for those with a sweet tooth. Despite being in love with desserts, I do not particularly enjoy pairing up cakes or anything sweet with heavy drinks like shakes, frappes etc, as it messes up my taste buds that I do not know which is the real thing anymore. Not to mention, the calories that it packs up.

For this treat, I decided to risk it but not out of pure whim; rather I based it on my experience with the matcha toast, wherein it just felt like eating a matcha flavored cream toast less the sweetness found in a regular ice cream toast. Moreover, it is not like I will be living in China forever, so grab the opportunity and try their local version of frappe.

Absolutely GOOD! Never thought that I would enjoy this more than any other frappe I have tried before. The ice is perfectly crushed that you do not have to suffer from biting into ice bits, the graham is not dried up and blended well with the cream, and bits of nuts complemented the small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, where you are further rewarded with two swirling twins of dark and white chocolate sticks. It is then without question when the server told me that it is their best seller under the milkshake category.

       

                                                                 

Triangle Toast # 3: The Real Triangle Toast

Visual: If you are not fond of creams or tired of the ostentatious displays of the other ones, then this is the perfect suitable partner for you. Do not worry for it still has the qualities for it to be considered a designer toast, given the presence of the ice cream surrounded by triangular shaped toasts and drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Taste: Unlike the others, you can absolutely taste the bread toasts at its purest form. Nothing really special as it is just like your regular toasted bread saved for the chunky cuts and the occasional trespassing of the chocolate syrup.

Triangle Toast 4: Black Forest Toast

Visual: Sooner or later, this flavor would surely come out, right? Black Forest is one of those flavors that have worked its way as a universal flavor that is favored by both the Westerns and the Orients.

It reminds me of a Christmas tree given its triangular structure and ever constant presence of the cherries for each bread toasts. It is very organized unlike the other triangle toasts and not messy unlike the traditional Black Forest cakes. Each toast is a separate entity on its own as they each have cream, chocolate sprinkles topped with cherry and pistachio. It is not the taste that is the ultimate differentiator in this case; rather the meticulous efforts poured into decorating this treat, making it one of a kind among its contemporaries. For that alone, I commend the maker.

The bread toasts look like steps and compels me to take a hike until I reach the peak for a pictorial with the giant statue of Chips Ahoy! It also resembles a mountain prided by the very nation where it is located and serves as a tourist attraction.

Taste: Very filling. You definitely have to share this one or risk, losing appetite for your next meal. Nevertheless, it has the essence of a traditional Black Forest…cherry flavored cream on top of the breading but in this case, top of the toast. Even if Black Forest is a safe option, it still is an experience to try it as bread topping instead of a cake.

To cap it all, the triangle toasts are generally lighter and thus, recommended for individuals visiting the café alone. Its flavors are different from that of those belonging to the box series and possess the sexiest design when compared with its contemporaries.

This is not the end of the finish line, dear readers for Fantoast still has wilder and bolder flavors that will surely wow you, that is, if this post and the one before it has failed to do so. STAY tune for the Rectangle Series. Or revisit the Box Series prior to this.

Pastry Run 4: Fantoast’s 枫多士The “Box” Series

Finally, let’s get started fantasizing our fantoasts for the day. What is Fantoast? Visit this link and have a run through of the different toasts that this place has to offer. Ohh, in case you are wondering, I paid this café multiple visits. No matter how much I am into these darlings, my body can only take so much in a day.

For our “box” series, let’s start with something familiar to both the west and the oriental taste buds which is the Banana Chocolate Fortress. Woah, sounds intimidating already.

Visual: Reminds me of a castle that is under siege wherein the bananas serve as a shield or perhaps, a catapult is also fitting. The chocolate squares are like flag banners or blades that prevent enemy climbers from penetrating the defenses. The white cream acts as a trap for intruders…just when they think they already reached the top, guess again, only for them to slide down towards their death.

Taste: Perfect Balance of sweetness across the different parts. The chocolate syrup drizzled on the banana is not actually sweet but just enough to give the fruit a chocolate taste. The ice cream’s vanilla flavor was further highlighted as it is not sweet. It is as its name implies: ice cream and not sweet ice cream as most of the ice creams in the traditional western setting. It is however extremely creamy as the locals here prefer creaminess over sweetness, which explains the thick cream surrounding the entire top layer. Hidden below are bread toasts that are surprisingly extremely good when eaten together with cream and ice cream. Usually, I eat my toasts the western way…spread with butter, jam, chocolate or even solo at times.

Next in the box series is the Mangoes and Peaches Prince. The name seems weird but I tried translating the names as accurately as possible as most of the Chinese desserts do not have English names or if translated, would require changing some words that is not already accurate with the original name.

To make this name sound less weird, the locals here possess a certain level of fondness towards words that signifies wealth and status. It is not uncommon to see names of people, places and even food to possess a name with the Chinese character for “king”, “gold”, “luck” or anything related. Going back to our prince, how does it stand out from its box toast contemporaries?

Visual: Reminds me of summer happiness like there is nothing better to do than hang out outside and enjoy the bright bright weather blessed to us by the Heavenly Creator. Everything is at its best from the food to the weather and it is the perfect day for the great outdoors.

Taste: I just love peaches and cream. There is just something with this combination that I find sexy and cute. Plus the fact that the peaches are sliced into roundish balls, made it more appealing. The mulberries seem weird at first for us who grew up with western desserts as this fruit is seldom used; but it apparently is a good neutralizer to cleanse your taste buds of the sweetness and creaminess of the treat. A little disappointed with the mango though not just because there were no real mangoes present but also the mango flavored ice cream is just lacking in flavor. It has the qualities of an ice cream: cold, creamy but it lacks the taste of mango and the lack of sweetness further highlighted its lack of taste. I am just not sure if this is a cultural thing when it comes to their mango ice creams in general or if the ice cream is just really bad. Now that I recalled, a local Chinese friend of mine who has been to my country where mangoes, bananas and jackfruits are of the best of the best, mentioned that their mangoes do pale in comparison. I guess that partly explains the poor taste of their mango-flavored foods.

Box Toast # 3: Cookie Wafer

Visual: Though not as visually appealing as its fruit siblings, it has its own unique fan base. For those of you who are fond of cookies, then this is the toast for you. Oreo, I must say, is one of those brands that have successfully penetrated the Chinese market. You can see different Oreo flavors from green tea, to strawberries to cheesecakes even. It is similar to Starbucks that has successfully instilled a culture of coffee to a nation of tea drinkers, with Oreo being able to instill cookies as an option to just plain biscuits. They eat their biscuits and even bread with no filling most of the time so Oreo managed to be one of those brands who like Starbucks introduced a whole different lifestyle. So even if it is not visible in the photo, the two round cookies piled on the right are Oreos and even the two wafers that resemble wooden logs are also by Oreo. As mentioned in the previous posts, you will seldom encounter a chocolate product that is chocolaty from outside to inside; usually only the outside is chocolate and the inside is either a biscuit or some sticky substance. It is thus, no surprise why Oreo developed this wafer product just for this market.

Taste: If you are looking for a chocolate fix, this is enough but to put things into perspective, do not expect fully rich chocolate for each bite. Save that thought when you go back to your country where the more chocolate presence, the better. Here, just a taste of chocolate is enough for the local taste buds and too much of that like in our pralines, just does not sit well with them.  

The advantage of each chocolate tasting component, not being overpowering is that it gives equal opportunity for all of the parts to be tasted for what it really is. You can taste the wafer, the cookies, the ice cream and cocoa cream at its core element. Eat all of these with the bread toasts inside, is very rewarding to the taste buds.

Box Toast # 4: Fairy Tale

Visual: Welcome to the land of Fairy Tales. Best to have your kids or younger cousins come along with you and share this cute piece of toast. Parents in China are overly doting of their kids to the point that Children’s Day is more important than Father’s or Mother’s Day. No joke and no wonder why Fantoast developed this toast exclusively to attract children. See those eyes? Peek-a-boo! Those chocolate swirls remind me of Alice in Wonderland. Together, they give a circus vibe.

What I find admirable about this is even if it is meant to be eaten by children, the makers did not remove the health factor. Most of its colors are derived from placing fruits and almonds and not from sugar coloring that are loaded with preservatives as is very prominent in most Western desserts. We can learn a thing or two from the Orient on how they decorate their sweet treats by making use of more natural products, instead of just sticking to food coloring all the time.

         

Taste: Still yummy but once you have tried the first three, you more or less know how the other tastes like. That is the downside with most Chinese cuisines and desserts; they cannot accept a totally different flavor from what they are used to --- it still has to resemble something they are familiar of.  It is quite telling what the fruits will taste like, how the chocolate ice cream is creamy and not too chocolate-y and how the cocoa cream is just cream with a little bit of chocolate taste.

Final Box: Coffee Toast

Visual: Wonder why it is called as such? I don’t see anything particularly resembling coffee; but perhaps in the taste? Topped with the usual fruits, ice cream, white cream and chocolate blades, I cannot help but look at the menu once again and made sure that I understood the Chinese word of coffee “咖啡” correctly.

Taste: Mystery solved. The ice cream is coffee. Does not look like coffee flavor at all. It resembles a vanilla flavored ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup; but I guess different land, different ways of preparing food. Taste is good but not unique and the taste is quite expected already especially since this is already my 5^th visit.

To cap the box series, I learned that bread toasts is extremely yummy when paired with ice cream and cream. I mean who would have thought? The toasts are surrounded by creamy goodness regardless of whichever you order, making it a perfect match with the fruits and ice cream.

The downside though is there is no unique factor separating all of them saved for the design and the flavor in which they only alter an ingredient or two. The box crust itself is similar to all: it is edible yes, but not recommended to be eaten as it is quite dry even if you dipped it in the cream, it just does not have the same crispiness as the bread toasts that it houses. Not surprising as this reminds me of those bread soups wherein no one usually eats the bread that houses the soup, as it is already dried up and designed to be hard for it not to break under the thick texture of the broth.

The upside is the toasts are good and it is something you would really consider going back. It is an ideal place to hang out given its bright ambiance and fantastically designed toasts that never fails to make you feel at a loss whenever choosing from their menu. I deemed this place as the marriage of breads and creams.

You think that is all? Stay tune for this Fantoast has more in store for us. Next one is the Triangle and the Rectangle Series. 

Pastry Run 3: Fantoast 枫多士 China

Are you a fan of toasts? If yes, then this is the perfect entry for you. If not, feast your eyes and enjoy wonderfully crafted bread toasts designed just for you and discover why it is almost irresistible to look away.

Mangoes and Peaches Prince

Originated in China, more specifically in Fujian region, Fantoast has established itself as a favorite place for socializing, romantic dates, or simply bonding with one’s friends and families. If you are a foreigner and looking for other places to hang out aside from your usual Starbucks, I highly suggest that you try this place. Do not worry if you cannot speak the language, their menus are littered with pictures so you just have to point and do hand signals with your hand as to how many you would like to order. They can understand basic English so ordering should not be a problem; unless, you are the type who has to modify your chosen dish because you are following a certain diet; that my friend, would be a problem. Since you are already here, I suggest to go with their design. It is not every day that you are here. Plus, their desserts and toasts are not sweet; their ice cream is also not sweet so less guilt for you, my friend. They are a nation who runs away from dishes that are overly sweet, so their desserts are usually light with high emphasis on cream as is also evidenced in the designs incorporated in their toasts.

A word of advice though, the place serves huge toasts that are good for sharing for at least 2 to 3 people so bring someone along with you; but if you are like me, who has quite an appetite for breads and pastries, then go on, INDULGE and I challenge you to finish one just like me.

So, what are these toasts that I am so proud of that I would even consider featuring them in a blog? It is not just one, two, three but many many more so to not overwhelm you, my dear readers, I will divide my Fantoast Experience into three parts. And since the designs are just breath taking, it would not do it justice to just label each part as Part 1, 2 and so on; rather, I will label it using geometrical shapes.

Part 1: The Box Series:

Mangoes and Peaches Prince

Banana Chocolate Fortress

Cookie Wafer Toast

A Bread box which contains square toasts inside, surrounded by cream around the corners then topped with ice cream and a flavor of your own choosing. Popular flavors in China usually are fruits (mangoes, peaches, strawberries), chocolates (not the pure chocolate praline like what we are used to, but limited to wafers and cookies), and coffee (their Starbucks, wow, brimming with people)

Part 2: The Triangle Series

Black Forest

Green Tea

Each toast is shaped like a triangle as they are mounted on top of each other with an entire expanse of cream covering it from head to toe. Cream is then sprinkled with a flavor of your own choosing like matcha (green tea), blueberry and black forest

Part 3: The Rectangle Series

Mushroom Truffle

Strawberry Toast

Though not exactly rectangular, the formula is quite similar with the first two wherein the top portion is covered with either cream or ice cream and with a flavor of your own choosing; however, unlike the box type, it does not contain toasts inside; the structure is the very bread itself.

So did this further excite you? Made your curious? Stay tune then for the next three entries as I tackle the three geometrical parts more specifically.

Pastry Run 4: Fantoast's 枫多士The “Box” Series

Pastry Run 5: Fantoast's 枫多士the "Triangle" Series
Pastry Run 6: Fantoast's 枫多士The “Rectangle” Series