Sweet Run 4: Slushhh

A new fun drink has just arrived in town! The name is so telling.
                                 

If you are a fan of Slurpee from 7-11, then this will definitely excite you! It offers not just one, two, three but eight flavors in total making your drink a fun and colorful one.

You can even opt to buy their tumbler but I suggest you to choose a lighter color for you to really see the synthesis of the different colors. If you decided to purchase a tumbler, bring it to your next visit and have it refilled and save up to P5.

Slushhh your way in and Slushhh your way out. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments.

Sweet Run 3: Bing’s Fong Café Part 2

Welcome to Sweet Run 3 which is the continuation of the Sweet Run 2’s featured Bingsu selections. For the benefit of those who have not seen SweetRun 2, bingsu is a Korean style dessert made of shaved ice and sweet toppings ranging from fruits, red beans, and mocha (rice cake) balls. Hence, bingsu is one of those desserts that is very flexible as you can literally add anything sweet under the sun and it would still taste good.

The selection does not stop with the classic milk red bean and the bean powder which is quite unique in itself but also extends to chocolates and fruits. Like I said, anything sweet under the sun;)

Bingsu Number 1: Chocolate Bingsu/ Snowflakes

Visual: Similar to the first two, this one is also based on soft served vanilla flavored ice topped mainly with white flakes, cookie bits and chocolate chips. 

Taste: I was not really expecting much given that I am not fond of chocolate drinks or any chocolate desserts with liquid base, given that most of them do not mix well with the syrup, cream or whatever it is they decide to incorporate. However, this one really surprised me. Turn out to be good and for some reason the shaved ice blended well with the cookie bits. Usually, combining chocolate and ice do not produce the best results given that the ice cancels out the taste of the cookie bits plus leaving it all soggy but for this one, the cookie bits was able to enhance the taste of the shaved ice.

It got me curious and I think it is the almonds that did the trick. Remember the white flakes, those are apparently, crushed almonds, not white chocolate as I initially thought. The natural sweet and unique taste of the almond neutralized the ice’s power of diminishing the taste of the chocolate as almonds do not get soggy when placed in a liquid mixture. In short, there are like two forces of sweetness surrounding the ice --- one from the almond and the other from the chocolate. Talk about sugar overload ^_^

Bingsu Number 2: Mango Bingsu / Snowflakes

Visual: Attractively Bright amidst the white expanse and you can really see the smoothness of the ice. I almost want to lie down and sway my arms and legs up and down.

Taste: As expected, classic mango bingsu. Nothing really special but still at the very least, they should have gotten the mangoes right. I kind of dislike the fact that most establishments would rely on the sweetness of the dessert to make up for the sourness of the mangoes. I mean we are in a tropical country that is well-known for its mango production.

While the taste is already perfect. It has all the qualities that one can expect from a bingsu. Bing's Fong should find a way to differentiate itself not just with other bingsu cafes but also with other oriental desserts with the same concept. It could do better when it comes to ambiance and service. There is lack of individual tables with most of them having to share with someone else. The café sells grocery products and snacks that do not match its ambiance. Service is good at times but inconsistent. You would encounter really pleasant servers and some on the snappy side.

Store when viewed from outside. Magical isn't it?

Bing! Drop Everything, it's time for Bingsu. Comments? Suggestions? Don't hesitate to share them in the comment box below.

Sweet Run 2: Bing's Fong Cafe

Looking for refreshing alternatives? Then you will love bingsu for a change. Bingsu is a Korean style dessert made of shaved ice and sweet toppings ranging from fruits, red beans, and mocha (rice cake) balls.

With the onset of Kpop as an international phenomenon, it is no surprise that food and desserts will also follow. I cannot exactly say that bingsu is a one of a kind dessert since most oriental desserts coming from Taiwan, China and Hongkong just to name a few, also makes use of shaved ice with fruits as part of sweet selections. However, one still cannot help but try how bingsu differentiates itself from its eastern contemporaries.

Bingsu Number 1: Injealmee Bingsu / Snowflakes

Visual: Looks like a Grain Field with its brown color spreading across the entire expanse of white ice. Actually, it looks more like a Mountain of Grains as it is shaped in a slope with giant pebbles littering the surface.

Taste: Perfect blend of ice and milk which are the two main ingredients that define a good bingsu. Soft ice that is fine enough to absorb the flavors of the milk and the sweet toppings surrounding it. For Injealmee which translates to rice cake or mochi if you are more familiar with the Japanese term, gives it a sweet lingering impression that literally lasts in your mouth as you chew the sticky substance and savor it with the milk flavored shaved ice. The brown bean powder adds special value to the shaved ice coating it with a different texture that gives an illusion of sweetness when it is just actually flavorful. The almond strips while do not provide significant contribution to the overall taste, adds meaning to the visual appeal of the treat. Without these oval almond thins, I highly doubt that Injealmee Snowflakes would attract as much attention.

Bingsu Number 2: Milki Bingsu/ Snowflakes

Visual: Snow White at its best. Temptress to the touch---Soft, white, smooth and everything you can ask for in a perfect caress. 

Taste: Classic Bingsu. If it is your first time to try on a bingsu, then this is the recommended choice for you. It literally is flavored snow topped with red bean paste and mochi balls. It is just that---Plain and Classic.

While the taste is already perfect. It has all the qualities that one can expect from a bingsu. Bing's Fong should find a way to differentiate itself not just with other bingsu cafes but also with other oriental desserts with the same concept.

       

  

Bing! Drop Everything, it's time for Bingsu. Comments? Suggestions? Don't hesitate to share them in the comment box below.

Treat yourself to more of this sweet ice treat by visiting also Sweet Run 3, part 2 of the Bing's Fong series. 

Sweet Run 1: Kozui Green Tea

Green Tea is perhaps one of those flavors that are steadily becoming a mainstream ingredient in world famous desserts and snacks. It used to be a flavor for those with the daring palates; but now, you can almost see popular drinks, snacks and desserts with green tea as an added variation.

My first taste of green tea was back in 2002 and it was in a traditional Japanese restaurant which only caters to Japanese customers as the menu is written only in Nihongo. My father who at that time is starting to become conscious with his health started eating only Japanese cuisines whenever we go out to eat as he feels that Japanese dishes employs the least amount of oil.

As an obedient child raised in a strict environment with strict standards of eating habits, I have to eat with whatever is served in front of me. The only selection of desserts at that Japanese place were only red bean and green tea ice cream --- two flavors which I was not fond of and quite unfamiliar back then. My dad just ordered green tea and I was forever hooked. Looking back I'm grateful for being raised not to be picky with food as my taste buds became diverse and I already loved green tea even before it became a craze.

Kozui is definitely a haven for the growing minority as green tea is steadily penetrating the mainstream flavors. Not one to pass up on an opportunity to bask in a place made just for green tea lovers, I decided to go for their specialty which is the Green Tea Anmitsu instead of settling down with the usual green tea ice cream or frappe.

Visual: Colors of the Orient! No doubt, this is truly a Japanese dessert. I'm already imagining how each ingredient would taste like. Usually I am the type who is not fond of too many colors in a dessert like this because it usually translates to food coloring but the good thing about traditional oriental desserts is that most of them employ fruits, red beans, taros, jellies and sago to beautify their desserts. As opposed to Western desserts wherein we make use of food coloring, colored sugar, candies or chocolates which I also adore just to clarify but satisfying my sweet tooth with more natural flavors at times, is also a welcome change.

At a glance, there are 4 dominant flavors: the green tea ice cream, the pink taro (which I thought was strawberry at first), red bean and green tea jelly. Let's start mixing and eating, so as to discover what lies below the surface.

Taste: Not surprisingly, it is yummy and refreshing! It is your oriental version of shaved ice, only less sweet and more natural. The green tea ice cream do taste like green tea much to my relief because nowadays as green tea is becoming popular, some shops that sell green tea ice cream tastes like green tea sugar and it is just totally yuck.

The taro is surprisingly good despite my initial reservations, thinking that it might be artificial given its deviation from its usual color which is purple. It is the first time I have tried pink taro and I absolutely enjoyed it. The red bean and green tea jelly blends perfectly well with the green tea ice cream but without losing its unique flavor.

As you go deeper, you will encounter 3 more ingredients in the form of black pearls and two kinds of rice balls: one which is white and the other purplish white.The pearl is just pearl which is a bit disappointing given that I was expecting it to be the good quality type like the tapioca. The white rice balls is actually a pleasant surprise; not only is it soft and chewy, it has a tangy lemony aftertaste which is a good contrast to the taste of the dessert in general, given the treat’s lack of a fruit presence. The purplish white ball is just purple and is one of those that just fades in the background in terms of taste.

Overall, Green Tea Anmitsu is a dream come true to green tea lovers such as you and myself but it would have been better if the black pearls have used tapioca rather than using the generic ones that sticks to each other awkwardly and the ice could have been finer.

So, what are your thoughts on green tea shaved ice aka anmitsu? Feel free to share your thoughts below.