Been hanging around this lovely dessert place in Funan the IT Mall a few times in the last couple of days, and can I say that this is one of the most unique places to actually sit and chill in?
The vibe here is not easy to describe, not easy to pin down.
First feels of the place make you think of a traditional Chinese tea house.
But give it a while, and you will soon realize that beneath the obvious, surface vibe of a tea house lies an energy that simmers with sincere smiles, cheerful giggles, chuckling laughter, and heartfelt conversation.
That energy you don't actually sense at first, but place your orders, grab a small cup of water, and it will come.
I should know.
When I first visited I had thought it to be a place serving up traditional teas (albeit in a glass pot) but then I looked at the menu and realized how far off the mark I was.
Yes, there are traditional, familiar desserts served here at Ruxu, but how they make it is that they don't stick with the old-school flavors. Instead they mix and match it to the degree where you get a perfect blend of both.
Three different times we've come here.
Three different bowls of desserts we have had.
Recent times have seen me either want a bowl of pistachio cream, or a bowl of what they call the Fresh Milk Ultimate Mix.
I don't know whether it is the Cantonese in me that appreciates this Cantonese-style of preparation, but if there is anything that will keep me patronizing this place here again and again, it is these two.
Both are so good, I tell you.
Pistachio cream, or pistachio paste, is one of the newer introductions in this country. Not as common as, say, walnut paste, peanut paste or black sesame paste, there aren't that many places that offer this richly flavored, slightly salty, slightly sweet dessert.
The texture of the paste here is intense, thick, rich, very smooth, almost like how Cantonese-style porridge is were it not a dessert with the fresh, charming color of green.
I am not joking when I say this pistachio paste was one of the thickest I had ever had. So thick was it that I could almost feel the finely ground pistachio nut underneath my tongue.
First taste of it on the tip of your tongue was just salty, nothing less, nothing more.
You didn't taste the pistachio- not yet- but then all of a sudden, just as the paste began to slide down your tongue to the back of your throat, there it was, hitting your taste buds right on the dot.
And then it didn't go away.
It lingered, staying on your tongue and becoming more enhanced as you ate spoon after spoon more.
I loved how unusual, and rich, the taste of pistachio was.
Made me feel like it could have been a full meal, albeit a sugary one.
That is quite the charm of the desserts here at Ruxu, actually.
You don't think about it much- not when you're staring at the bakes and wondering just whether they should be just a snack or a full meal.
But then you order this Fresh Milk Ultimate Mix, and then you realize it is more than just another post-meal dessert.
It can be a meal all on its own.
Never mind that milk alone is already very filling.
In the bowl there are heaps of soft lotus seeds, all which make for a gentle crunch, big chunks of grass jelly that literally bounce around in the milk, peach gum jelly that I always say is the cheerful version of collagen, and taro balls that aren't sphere-shaped but are more like pillows which give off the best chew.
I love this dessert.
I love it enough that I don't mind coming back for it as much as I can.
But then there are the baked bites.
Like the caramel custard tart that is an egg tart actually surrounded with soft, flaky, buttery pastry so good that you want to have it more and more.
And the Walnut & Pistachio Cheese Brioche that I saw the other day and thought I might want to have, but decided that the matcha bun might be a tad better.
By the way, Ruxu is not just a place that serves up traditional desserts with a modern twist.
It also serves up traditional desserts with its original taste and original flavors.
I had this bowl of peach gum jelly once.
Reminded me very much of all the other peach gum desserts I had elsewhere, complete with the light, sweet, clean taste, the soft but chewy lotus seeds, the crunchy white fungus, and the distinctive jelly chew.