Portions of Pi #3: Dessert

Hi again, it’s Hayley and I’m back with another food review! Luckily for all the sweet tooths, I’ll be taking you round my favourite dessert spots in London.

Big Kid Ice Cream

I’m kicking this off with a classic: ice cream! Big Kid Ice Cream first got popular through TikTok, and it’s a great spot for a dessert break after a Carnaby Street shopping spree. It is a really pricey scoop though, going at £5.50 for a single scoop and £7 for a double. Their trademark niche of selling funky flavours appeals very much to my adventurous side, and I’ve tried quite an array. When I came by myself, I ordered a double scoop of Honey Pretzel Praline and Hong Kong French Toast and was only charged £5.50 for it (no clue why, but huge shout-out for that!). The flavours melted so nicely together: the honey's headiness and the French toast's sharpness, sharpened by the pretzel's slight savouriness, giving it a slight kick. Because they use the same cup for a single and a double, things can get pretty messy. I’d advise coming prepared with some wet wipes if you’re planning on a double scoop!

I brought a friend with me on my second visit. I got a single scoop of their Yuzu Honeycomb (on the right), which was utterly gorgeous. It had actual chunks of rich honeycomb and refreshing yuzu peel which made for a fun textural experience. 

Considering the weather is heating up (finally!), I think Big Kid Ice Cream would be worth trying at least once for the fun flavour options, even if you decide the price point is too high for you. I’d rate this place a 8/10 - fun to bring a friend from out of town to, but not a default dessert spot.

Oakberry Açaí

For a spot closer to campus, you can’t go wrong with Oakberry Açaí, which has multiple outlets including one on Rathbone Place. The standard ‘Classic’ size gives you 320ml of açaí and unlimited toppings, though for a whopping £10.99 price point (which I thankfully get 20% off as a Yoga Club member - shoutout to YMC)! If you’re indecisive like me, you can also choose from a range of ‘Signature Bowls’ which have default toppings already selected for you. I got the Crunchy, which comes with chia pudding, cacao nibs, strawberries, blueberries (which I substituted out for bananas), and granola in the ‘Classic’ size. I would say if you want a more refreshing sweet treat that doesn’t rest heavy in the pit of your stomach, açaí is always a safe choice. The base itself is light and naturally sweet, which complements the freshness of the fruits. Overall, I’d give it a decent 7/10.

Kova Patisserie

If you’re looking for something light, Japanese desserts are always the way to go. They’re a lot  less sweet in order to bring out the natural flavours of the ingredients, which means you can actually stomach a slice of cake after a big dinner without feeling stuffed! Kova is located along St Anne’s Court in Soho, and they specialise in Snow Ice, or kakigori, which is a shaved ice dessert topped with condensed milk (along with a variety of other toppings). Their matcha mille crepe is £8.90, strawberry shortcake is £7.90, and hojicha chestnut shortcake is £8.40 - all crazy prices considering they’re standard sizes for cake slices. Unfortunately for my wallet, they were all quite yummy… 

The matcha mille crepe was moist - something that can make or break a mille crepe - and the earthy matcha taste was very 浓, for lack of English word to really capture the feeling vaguely translating to ‘concentrated and rich in flavour’. The strawberry shortcake was a  little disappointing considering it’s my favourite Japanese dessert - it was a bit too dry for my liking, which you can see from the porousness of the sponge cake. The hojicha chestnut shortcake was mellow and deep - pleasantly atypical of a cake! I’d rate this place a 9/10.

Panadera

This Filipino bakery is insanely popular, and for good reason! It’s located near Dean Street, along Hopkins Street. I queued for about 10 minutes outside before getting a seat, and ordered their ube donut for £4.10. Ube is a purple yam indigenous to the Philippines, and has an intense, clean sweetness reminiscent of vanilla. The donut was, plainly put, heaven to my mouth! It wasn’t overly fried, and the ratio of dough to filling really allowed the ube flavour to shine. The rest of their baked goods got rave reviews from my flatmates, so I’ll definitely be coming back to try more of their food. With their limited seating, though, I think I’ll aim to come on a quieter weekday! I’d rate Panadera a 9.5/10 - definitely stop by if you’re in the area!