HOF: Desserts to Die For

Wednesday, 10 February 2010 11:29

Written by BEVERLY!

Helmed by Brian Tan, a Malaysian, the upscale HoF is a sweet tooth paradise. I like to call it a "dessert bar", because it's a fascinating blend of sweet treats, cocktails and wines. Dark and chic, HoF gets really packed in the evenings, especially after dinner when people roll in for desserts and a cocktail or ten.

I've had a love affair with HoF ever since my first bite of their luscious orange chocolate cake with caramel and sea salt - I think this was mid-year when they first opened. A dense, moist chocolate cake ("it's kinda like a brownie, no?" said my girl friend) with a thick drape of caramel on top, and interestingly, sprinkled with a few shavings of fresh sea salt. "To off-set the sweetness and it goes with the caramel", Brian says as he sprinkles it on with a flair. This particular dessert is the best cake I've had in Shanghai. Rich yet fluffy, I simply cannot resist this gem!

We also had the chocolate and caramel mousse cake which is a fluffy blend of the two flavours and smooth on the palette. I'm not a fan of mousse (even though it is Belgian chocolate mousse) so didn't go wild over it, but one of the girls declared it "the best dessert at the table". The marbled cheesecake with macaroon looks beautiful, and for that reason, we order it too. It's a light yet creamy blend of cheese, but not as heavy as the traditional New York cheesecake.

For the non-chocoholics out there, the vanilla and strawberry trifle is a winner. A light chill vanilla custard encasing layers of soft cake bits, and topped with sweet strawberries. It's a small dish, but it hits the spot.

Randomly, we also had a salami and mushroom pizza to cut through the sweetness. It was much smaller than I'd expected (think the size of a dinner plate) but I loved the thin and crispy base, which wasn't oily at all (very rare in Shanghai, where they love all their food drenched/dripping with oil). A very generous serving of salami made this slightly-spicy pizza oh so tasty!

Brian beckons me over to check out his chocolate truffle selection and I am suddenly fixated. He promptly gives me one to try and I also promptly get more for the table :P Mine is the Original flavour and is incredibly creamy and milky, with a rich flavour of dark chocolate and cream. Oh it is wonderful!!!!! The nicest truffle I've had in a very very very long time - often I find the cocoa dusting is too bitter, or they include weird things like liqueurs on the inside. The truffles also come in Osmanthus and Jasmine flavours but I am too in love with my Original flavour to try the others :P

We had a splendid time chilling out, eating and drinking. I think this is a great place to come with friends to hang out. I'm already trying to plan when we can go there again.