Summer may be gone, but we’re still hoping for a hot day or 12. Since, as the Starks say, winter is coming, you might as well try something a little out of your comfort zone should a surprise summer day strike. Here are five exotic ice-based desserts that are sure to make saying goodbye to summer a little less bitter.
Sabai Sabai Kitchen’s “red rubies,” pictured above
We went bananas for chef Nuit Regular’s tub tim krob (“red rubies”). The coconut milk-based dessert is dotted with ruby-coloured pearls that represent pomegranate seeds. These “red rubies” are in fact diced water chestnuts, coated in tapioca flour and cooked in a red Thai syrup called sala. The result is a gummy bear-like exterior with a crunchy centre that pairs perfectly with the jasmine-infused, smoked coconut milk. The dish can be served hot, but we prefer it over crushed ice.
$5. Sabai Sabai Kitchen, 225 Church St., 647-748-4225
Kanto’s halo-halo
The halo-halo is a motley monster of a dessert. It’s kind of the Filipino version of a kitchen sink salad, except it’s swimming in condensed milk and loaded with crushed ice. The layered treat has a bit of everything in it: corn, flan, purple yam, mung beans, jelly, tapioca, banana, jackfruit, coconut, sugar palm fruit and vanilla ice cream. At Kanto by Tita Flips — which occupies one of the shipping containers at Market 707 — Diona Joyce replaces the ice cream with more flan because freezer space is at a premium. We recommend sharing, because the portion is ginormous.
$6. Kanto by Tita Flips, 707 Dundas St. W., 1-888-393-9990
Kekou’s Asian-inspired gelato
Kekou Gelato House is putting a distinctly Asian spin on the Italian summer classic, gelato. Some of the exotic fruit flavours available on one visit included soursop, jackfruit and the ever-pungent durian. But the showstopper was the chili-specked mango, which packs a serious punch.
$3.75-$4.75. Kekou Gelato House, 13 Baldwin St.
Sweet Vietnamese soup from Bánh Mì & Chè Cali
This sweet dessert soup, called chè, is originally from Vietnam, although you’ll see a few similar versions of it around Malaysia and Singapore. The dessert starts with a base of sweetened coconut milk and ice to which you can add kidney beans, mung beans, tapioca, jelly, aloe and fruits such as durian and lychee. We like how Bánh Mì & Chè Cali allows you to customize what you want in your chè, because sometimes you just don’t feel like finishing off a meal with legumes.
$2.50. Bánh Mì & Chè Cali, 318 Spadina Ave., 416-599-8948
Sweet Snow’s Hawaiian-style shave ice
There’s no texture quite like authentic shave ice — it’s like compacted snow, but not just any snow. You know those loonie-sized flakes? The ones that make for awesome snowman-making? Well, imagine that snow packed down and vivified with tropical fruit. The Sweet Snow Shave Ice food truck offers a wide array of natural fruit flavoured syrups like papaya, passion fruit or guava. Opt for the traditional Hawaiian version and add adzuki beans, vanilla ice cream and condensed milk.
$3.50-$4.50. Sweet Snow Shave Ice, @ShaveIceTO
