In York, where it snows all year round, there's one place you can get it.
Bae specializes in fine patisseries with an Asian twist and has just opened in Franklin's Yard, a cobblestone lane just off Fosgate, in the heart of York's premier dining district.
This has to be one of the most unusual eateries in the city. First, you can have a “snow” bowl topped with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Called bingsu, it's a popular dessert in South Korea, where people line up on hot days like they would for ice cream in the West.
“Snow” can be made from any liquid, including alcohol, and is made in special freezers that reach -50 degrees Celsius. The Bingsoo I tried at Bae was made from milk. Inside the bowl, it looked like fresh powder snow. It turned into icicles in my mouth and melted back into watery milk. Please be careful. Your brain freezes and your sensitive teeth begin to jingle. But it's so much fun to eat!
Bingsoo made of 'snow' at Bae Dessert Cafe in York Photo: Frank Dwyer
This dessert cafe is the brainchild of Mikhail Lim, a 28-year-old Filipino who has lived in York for 14 years. He prefers to call it a “dessert boutique,” and there's a point. This is no ordinary cake shop. This is an authentic sweets parlor that can be called the haute couture of the cake world. This cake catwalk features the finest French patisseries, with an oriental twist on everything from mousse and glaze to posset and buttercream, chiffon and cannel.
Exotic flavors such as matcha and yuzu are gaining traction, as are miso and tonka bean.
Bae is located on the ground floor of Osibi, a Korean restaurant that has been a staple of Franklin's Yard for the past five years, and is open during the day (Tuesday through Saturday).
The cafe is a collaboration with Oshibi owner Ross Sinclair, and the restaurant sells desserts every night.
So is York ready for this confectionery revolution? Well, says Mikhail, who is largely self-taught. “York is a place where you always want to try something new,” he says.
And Ross said customers are already raving about the desserts, especially the signature pudding, the Bae, which is a milk mousse topped with a white chocolate dome and decorated with crushed specular biscuits. “Our regulars say this is the best dessert of their lives!” Ross said with a smile.
Special dessert bae transformed with cherry sauce
Some people praise it, so of course you have to try it. And we can confirm that it deserves a place in the Pudding Hall of Fame. It comes with a small pot of hot cherry sauce that you need to pour over the chocolate dome. This melts the chocolate shell to reveal white chocolate mousse, milk ice cream and poached pear. Once melted, the kirsch-infused coulis flows through the ingredients, transforming it into a naughty dish. Each spoonful scoops up silky, sweet sauce, bits of biscuit, nuggets of hard, cold ice cream, and slices of just-tender pear. I loved every bite and would go back for more.
While The Bae and the Bingsoo fall into the category of serious after-dinner desserts, the cafe also offers a variety of small sweet treats.
Some are as simple as Korean cookies, yakga, and others are super delicious cornflake brownies flavored with tonka bean (yes, I tried that too! – if you love brownies and cornflake cakes, this is for you) .
Perhaps the concoction that most closely resembles traditional French patisserie is Decadence, which lives up to its name. “It's a chocolate mousse cake with caramel miso chocolate and sesame sauce,” Mikhail explains. It is then finished with a chocolate glaze so glossy that you can see its face.
Other delicious items include Arirang, a Swiss roll with matcha buttercream. Dalgi, a strawberry chiffon cake with strawberry buttercream, and Yuja, which features white chocolate and yuzu (an Asian citrus fruit). Prices range from £1 to £2 for small cakes and £8.95 for desserts such as bae.
Asian-inspired sweets at Bae with Mikhail Lim
Patisseries are often strictly off-limits to those with allergies, intolerances or vegan diets, but Mikhail emphasizes that this is not the case at Bae.
Some items are gluten-free and vegan-friendly, such as the lilac-colored goguma made from purple sweet potatoes and vegan cream cheese.
He added that Vince's can also be made vegan by switching the milk to a dairy-free alternative.
There's quite a bit of skill and artistry on display in Bae, which is even more impressive because Mikhail taught himself the job.
A former pupil of All Saints School in York, he attended the University of York and then studied drama at York St John's University. He has appeared in many York Stage Musicals productions, including playing Eddie in Sister Act and Dennis in Rock of Ages.
His love of cooking led him to Ashburton College, a culinary school in Devon, where he studied the art of being a chef. But his true love was desserts, and he learned how to become a pastry chef while working in various kitchens. “I worked in a number of chain stores and ended up as pastry director at The Ivy in York when it opened.”
His dream was to open his own shop serving delicious desserts with an Asian twist. He said: “I have always been inspired by Asian flavors. I was inspired by Aoki Sadaharu, a Japanese pastry chef who has a Japanese bakery in Paris. I went to Paris just to visit him. And my sister went to Disneyland!
Bae Dessert Boutique is located in Osibi, Franklin's Yard, York and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30am to 5:30pm.
