Los Angeles satisfies sugary cravings for delicious desserts
It can happen at any time — a looming final exam, a boring night at home or too much time watching the Food Network. It’s the attack of the sweet tooth, and the only way to quell its rage is an offering of the sugary kind. Luckily, Los Angeles has many places to score something sweet, from pastries to ice cream to exotic coffee drinks.
Scrumptious sundae · Syrup Desserts is renowned for its gourmet dessert waffle and French crêpe dishes, in addition to a variety of other delectable treats, including its sweet grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream sundaes. Syrup Desserts also offers sweet and savory drinks. - Mimi Honeycutt | Daily Trojan
Yellow House Cafe
234 S Oxford Ave.
(213) 365-0820
www.theyellowhousecafe.com
Nearby Koreatown has a slew of fun cafes. The cutest is Yellow House. The cafe appears to be any ordinary, regular home, but step inside for a real treat.
Yellow House specializes in epic lattes featuring flavors like S’mores, French vanilla Oreo, banana and sweet potato. For something a little more filling, Yellow House has a wide selection of homemade cakes, brownies and even a delectable s’mores dish.
For something uniquely Korean and perfect on a summer day, choose the Pat Bing Soo — a dish of shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk topped with ice cream, fruit, optional red bean paste, mocha drops and a smattering of crunchy cereal.
Scoops
712 N Heliotrope Dr.
(323) 906-2649
Scoops Westside
3400 Overland Ave
(323) 405-7055
Los Angeles has a frozen yogurt fetish. But sometimes, nothing beats old-fashioned creamy ice cream.
The newer Palms location is definitely worth checking out seeing as it’s owned by Matthew Kang, a USC alumnus and the author of popular food blog Mattatouille.
Scoops is not your grandma’s Baskin Robbins. How about a cone topped wit cheesecake Oreo, chocolate apricot, Guinness tiramisu, pinot noir balsamic fig, or salted caramel?
Yogurtland’s red velvet cupcake batter just got owned.
Syrup Desserts
611 S Spring St.
(213) 488-5136
Sometimes you just want dessert for dinner. That’s where Syrup steps in with its specialized gourmet waffles and crêpes.
Waffle dishes are gleefully decadent, such as the tropical coconut, a coconut waffle with lychee ice cream, sliced pineapples, coconut flakes and pineapple sauce. Syrup also makes delicious crêpes such as the German twist, which comes smothered in lemon curd, dulce de leche ice cream, ricotta cheese, whipped cream and lemon zest.
Those who like a bit of savory with their sweet should check out Syrup’s grilled cheese sandwiches, which combine cheese and fruit, such as brie and raspberry on a croissant, for a delicious treat.
Hygge Bakery
1106 S Hope St.
(213) 995-5022
www.hyggebakery.com
Ever wondered if the Danish ever eat danishes? They certainly do, but a danish from Denmark is a far cry from its American counterpart. Instead of a hulking slab of cream and jelly-stuffed pastry, the authentic danish is flaky, delicious treat topped with custard or chocolate.
Downtown’s Hygge is the first Danish bakery in Los Angeles, but it stands out as a great cafe in its own right. Other treats include the Sarah Bernhardt, a cookie topped with chocolate mousse and encased in chocolate ganache, and the kringle bar, a delicious puff pastry topped with marzipan, buttercream and sliced almonds.
Coolhaus
On the move
(310) 424-5559
www.eatcoolhaus.com
This national food truck sensation is finally putting down storefront roots in Culver City.
Until then, be on the lookout for the Coolhaus truck.
These dessert alchemists create ice cream sandwiches that make you rethink your favorite flavor profiles. The slabs of ice cream are rich and unique, such as mango sticky rice or brown butter with candied bacon. Pair any ice cream with two homemade cookies, from potato chip and butterscotch to ginger molasses.
This truck has stopped by USC from time to time, so be alert to some serendipity on Jefferson Boulevard.
Ground Zero
USC Campus
(213) 821-1484
www.usc.edu/gz
For those carless students reading with teary eyes, don’t worry — sugary salvation exists right on campus. Ground Zero, a cafe, music and improv venue and study hotspot, has some of the most decadent milkshakes ever to grace a blender.
You should share. But you won’t. Not with shakes like the Blarney Stone, which combines chai tea and Irish cream, or the Midnight Show, where chocolate, cookies and toffee meld into one heavenly creation. Just try to get to the gym the next day.