Highland Hype

Date: 26/01/10

Venue: Highlands Coffee
The Manor, Nguyen Huu Canh. Q.Binh Thanh

With branches in almost every large apartment block, business and office in the city - Metro, Saigon Centre and Diamond Plaza to name but a few - Highlands Coffee really is the Vietnamese answer to Starbucks and until relatively recently the Highlands dynasty monopolised Saigon's coffee culture.

The first branch appeared in 2002 at the Metropolitan building in HCMC and was the brainchild of Viet Kieu, David Thai; no doubt inspired by his Seattle upbringing.  Determined to bring an appreciation of the increasingly-popular coffee shop idea to his home country of Vietnam - a country that still remains free of Starbucks itself - Thai worked hard, initially selling packaged coffee to hotels and restaurants before opening a chain of coffee shops in both HCMC and Hanoi.

Walk around the bustling streets of Saigon, Hanoi and even the smaller towns and before long you will stumble across one of Highland's 70 branches packed with giggling college students, families and bemused travellers soaking up the ambience.

Team Members of CT decided that it is high-time to see how Highlands Coffee is faring given the sudden influx of rival chains: Gloria Jeans, 'The Bean' and NYDC.  So with that goal in mind we headed off to The Manor to see if Highlands can keep the competitors at bay.

Highlands certainly offer a good choice for the cheesecake lover and so three varieties were tested:

Vietnamese Coffee (VC) 
Passionfruit (P)
Caramel (C).


Consistency:
VC - a two layer cake.  The upper coffee flavoured layer has a light mousselike texture and the bottom layer of cheesecake is smooth and creamy.
P - a rich, thick and crumbly texture.  A little dry after being in the glass cabinet all day.
C - incredibly light and mousselike.

Base:
VC - a plain biscuit base
P - a thick chocolate biscuit base
C - same as the passionfruit.
CT members agreed that the chocolate biscuit base added extra flavour and interest.

Presentation:
VC - The most attractive of the 3 with its two layers, one rich brown coffee and the other a white cheesecake layer.  White and dark chocolate swirls adorn the top of the cake.
P - Very plain and simple, a slight sheen on the top indicated that maybe it had been out of a fridge for too long.
C - An attractive cylindrical shaped cake makes a nice change from the usual cheesecake wedge slice.  The rich dark brown colour of the caramel topping and the chocolate base contrast nicely with the light brown middle section.

Taste:
VC - The non-coffee drinker of the group found the taste of the top layer strongly overbearing but the hardened coffee fans found the taste mild and complimentary to the bottom layer.
P - This cake had a tangy fruity taste, making a refreshing change from chocolate and plain cheesecakes.
C - The thin caramel topping has a strong taste that beautifully compliments the airy cheesecake beneath.  CT tester said "I'm disappointed because I have finished it."


Verdict:  Highlands is still fighting fit.
VC - A healthy 7/10
P - A hearty 8/10
C - A phenomenal 9/10

NYDC - Once is not enough

This intrepid CT -er made a return trip to NYDC following the team's successful outing there. This time the cheesecake of choice was 'Max's Oreo Cheesecake'. Like its fellows, the Big O and the Goldmine, this confection was everything a cheesecake fan could wish for and more. Its texture is an excellent coupling of velvety cake and creamy cheese (it is indeed cheesy and cakey!) and like NYDC's other offerings, full of flavour, rich enough to satisfy the most hard core of cheesecake purists, yet light enough that it doesn't become sickly. The base, as the name suggest is made of Oreo cookie as is the outside and the topping. Despite the topping being only a thin layer it is more than satisfying even for the chocoholics.

The Verdict - NYDC raises the bar yet again.

Sweet Streets?

Date: 19/01/10

Venue: Original CT member, Rachael's delightful An Phu home.

Cheesecake supplied by 'Sweet Streets' at Annam Gourmet Store, Hai Ba Trung Q.1


Following hot on the chocolatey heels of our current favourite, NYDC was always going to offer somewhat of a challenge so CT headed into District 2 for something slightly different this week - cheesecake and WiiFit.  What better way to enjoy a huge slab of cheesecake than by burning off the calories on the hula hoops afterwards?  The cheesecake was a takeaway effort provided by 'Sweet Streets' and sold in the District 1 Annam Gourmet Store, whose selection of cakes also include 'Harvest Baking'.  Unfortunately; efforts to find out information about 'Sweet Streets' have so far drawn a blank so we shall proceed with the testing.  So, can 'Sweet Streets' compete?

Consistency:  Whereas some cheesecakes have a nice cake-like consistency, this cheesecake is very heavy on the cheese which seems to be of the Philadelphia variety.  (CT is only a group of people who like cheesecake, we do not claim to be food experts and so we apologise if we make any errors in identifying food groups).

Base:  The base is the strong point of this cheesecake, reminding tasters of the good old oaty flapjack.

Presentation:  The cake has a glossy sheen that makes it look rather, dare I say, plastic?!  Other than that it is difficult to comment on the presentation of a takeaway cheesecake, other than it looked very nice on Rachael's plates.

Taste: A pleasant taste but the cheesecake becomes sickly after a while.

Verdict:  Seconds are not likely.
An average 4/10

New York, New York.

Date: 12/01/10

Venue: NYDC
Nguyen Du. Q.1

Another newbie in Saigon, this is more than just a coffee shop. The acronym NYDC stands for New York Dessert Cafe and desserts are certainly their speciality. Contrary to what the name suggests, the company was originally founded in 1995 in Singapore by an American husband and wife team. Aside from desserts, NYDC also offers a varied menu offering soups, pastas, sandwiches, burgers and salads - at reasonable prices.                                                   

However, far more exciting to the CT team than the extensive food menu is the mindblowing dessert menu, which really does have to be seen to be believed! Page after page of chocolate mud pies, brownies, cheesecakes, sundaes, pies and tarts; it will certainly please even the sweetest tooth. Stocks do tend to run a little low later in the evenings and you should maybe expect that despite their 6 page dessert menu, they may well only have what is on display in the cabinet. This is Vietnam after all...

The location could not be more convenient; right on the corner of Nguyen Du and Dong Khoi it is perfect for putting down those heavy bags during a Saturday shopping spree and enjoying an afternoon dessert.

So, how did NYDC stand up to the scrutiny of the CT team? Two cheesecakes were tested (this in itself was a very difficult decision as there were so many to choose from);

The Big O - New York cheesecake topped with a thick layer of chocolate fudge mousse and an Oreo base. (See top picture)


Goldmine, New York Cheesecake on an Oreo base with a chocolate topping. (bottom picture)

Consistency: Thick, creamy texture. Calories taste good!!

Base: Oreo base was not too thick and was a big hit with all the tasters.

Presentation: The cake speaks for itself. Deliciously simple.

Taste: Heaven on a plate, or as one tester put it 'Cheesy and Cakey'!!  What more could you ask for in a cake?

The CT team is a big fan of NYDC. It should also be mentioned that they offer a large range of yummy shakes and smoothies.


Verdict: Leave the diet at the door.
An amazing 9/10

The Coffee Bean Reigns Supreme!

Date: 05/01/10


Venue: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Le Thanh Ton, Dist.1

The first Cheesecake Tuesday of the new decade certainly turned out to be a great start to the year.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a newcomer to Vietnam and is certainly offering stiff competition for the likes of longstanding Vietnamese favourite 'Highlands Coffee'. The company was founded in California in 1963 and, according to their website, it is affectionately nicknamed 'The Bean' by its regulars.

Prominently standing on the corner of Le Thanh Ton and Thai Van Lung (Q1) - a space so long occupied by Korean burger chain 'Lotteria', The Bean is easily accessible for residents of Q.1, Q.2 and Q.Binh Thanh (where the current CT members are from!) but with new branches springing up all over town (Dong Khoi, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai) there is sure to be a number of outlets in every district before long.

Comfy chairs create a cosy ambience and unlike other coffee establishments around noisy Saigon, the music level is set at a comfortable level and the A/C not set to arctic conditions (let's face it, we all left our home countries to enjoy the warmth!). The perfect setting for cheesecake...

Service was a little slow and there was some confusion between hot coffee and iced coffee but we'll put that down to it being early days.

Members of CT tasted two types: Chocolate Swirl (top picture) and Cappucino (bottom picture) - although the decision was a difficult one to make as all the cakes looked mouthwateringly delicious (must go back to check out the chocolate fudge cake).

Consistency: Light & creamy.

Base: The thin pastry base was a hit with the testers, made a nice change from the usual biscuit base.

Presentation: Chocolate swirls through the cheesecake looked very inviting. Cappucino Swirl's dusted cocoa powder diamonds gave it a professional look.

Taste: Cappucino Cheesecake was well appreciated. Chocolate Swirl was a nice cheesecake but didn't quite deliver the chocolate promise. It would work well if marketed as a plain cheesecake.

Verdict: Watch out Highlands
an impressive 7/10