Visit San Diego: Extraordinary Desserts

A Google Map search of "desserts near me" resulted in a visit to Extraordinary Desserts.  

It's the cutest dessert cafe and the vibe is just so whimsical.

They have so many desserts to choose from, but my kids all ended up with the Frozen Hot Dark Chocolate a la Mode

Frozen Hot Dark Chocolate a la Mode

They were the fanciest Frozen Hot Dark Chocolates I've ever seen!  

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie

I got the Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookie, which was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It was enormous, and they even plated it so prettily!

Definitely visit Extraordinary Desserts for a sweet, sublime experience. 

Extraordinary Desserts
1430 Union Street

San Diego, CA 92101

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Castaways Ice Cream

After a long day at a Robotics competition, our team stopped by Castaways Ice Cream, and it was the perfect way to wind down and celebrate the end of the season together.

Castaways focuses on island-inspired flavors made in-house, and creating a space that feels welcoming and fun. I tried the lychee mochi flavor—creamy, lightly sweet, and studded with chewy bits of mochi. A total win.

They truly mean it when they say samples are unlimited. Our kids definitely took advantage of that, and our server was more than happy to oblige—never rushed and always cheerful. Outstanding customer service. They also make cookies in-house, which you can add to your ice cream, and you can build full ice cream sundaes or choose toppings à la carte. Milkshakes are available too, including fun cereal-infused options.

Whether you’re flying solo or with a crowd, it’s a place to enjoy ice cream and good vibes.

CASTAWAYS ICE CREAM

2346 S. KING STREET

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Visit Las Vegas: Hershey's Chocolate World

Reese's PB Cups are a weakness for me, so I couldn't resist visiting Hershey's Chocolate World. 

They have all sorts of Reese's varieties that you can buy by the package or create your own mix.  

I bought a bag of Sugar Cookie Reese's, and my kids got some milkshakes. 

Cookies N Creme

Reese's PB 

Strawberry KitKat

They even have a number of baked treats.  

Hershey's Chocolate World is definitely a sweets-lovers dreams!

Hershey's Chocolate World
3790 Las Vegas Blvd.

S. Las Vegas, NV 702-437-743

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Liliha Bakery - Nimitz

Liliha Bakery continues to be a popular spot for locals, with now 5 locations throughout the island.  I recently went to the Liliha Bakery at Nimitz for breakfast.

Butter Rolls & Jelly

Butter Rolls & the famous Liliha Jelly were served with our meals.

Oxtail Soup

My friend had the Oxtail Soup.  He said it was a nice portion, and the oxtail was simmered well, but there was no shiitake, and too much star anise. 

Country Style Omelette

I had the Country Style Omelette with Bacon, and subbed the rice with Fried Potatoes (for extra).  They sure did not skimp on the omelette fillings!  It was filled with tomatoes, onion, spinach, and bacon. 

Chantilly Cake

I couldn't resist the signature Chantilly Cake!  

Kouign Amann

I decided to try the Chocolate-Covered Kouign Amann.  It was okay, but I loved the Chantilly Cake so much more.

Service was excellent, and it was nice to see a local spot so busy!

Liliha Bakery - Nimitz
580 N Nimitz Hwy, 
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 537-2488

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Visit Hilo: Shortees

While picking up lunch at Big Island Top Dogs, I noticed a display of sweets being sold for a fundraiser. 

I couldn't resist getting cookies for myself and the kids.  
 

The cookies were huge and so reasonably-priced for the size!   I bought Double Chocolate Chip and Birthday Cake Cookies.

They were thick and on the softer side, and although the one I tried was just a little bit on the dry side, I appreciated that there was no skimping on the chocolate chips (or sprinkles!).  

If Shortees is at Big Island Top Dogs again, I definitely want to try more of the sweets!

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Visit Osaka: Rikuro's Cheesecake

You may have seen the "viral" Japanese Cheesecake, Rikuro's, all over social media, and the long line that is associated with it.  

I had no desire to stand in line at the main Namba location (there are other locations) or try the cheesecake to begin with (I'm more of a dense, rich, NY-style cheesecake kind of person), but my husband was curious.  One day we passed by the line and he was deterred.

But on another day, he decided to wait in line.  

There are two lines - one for fresh out of the oven, and another for those baked two hours ago.  As expected, the line for the fresh ones is longer.

When the cheesecakes come out of the oven, they ring a bell, and jiggle them for all to see.  

Rikuro's uses imported cream cheese from Denmark, and lines the bottom with raisins.  It is very, very light and indeed jiggly, but it was too egg-forward, in my opinion (even one of my kids said "it tastes like scrambled eggs").

I personally did not love it, but if you are one of those that likes to try all the viral things, or if you love Japanese cheesecake, give this a try!

Rikuro's Cheesecake
3 Chome-2-28 Namba, Chuo Ward

Osaka, 542-0076, Japan

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New to Ka Makana Alii: Aunty's Hau Hale

Mango Snow Ice with Mango Mochi

Aunty’s Hau Hale, featuring Taiwanese-style shave ice called snow ice, opened earlier this
month at Ka Makana Alii. The sister restaurant to Aunty’s Hotpot House features snow ice,
shave ice, smoothies, egg waffles and custards. The counter service restaurant is bright and
cheery and has plenty of seating to enjoy your treats.

Since it was our first time, we tried the mango snow ice with mango mochi, an egg waffle with
strawberry dipping sauce, and a green tea custard. The snow ice was really delicious. It was
creamy in texture and we absolutely loved the mango mochi. The egg waffle was warm and
chewy and paired nicely with the snow ice. We saved the green tea custard for home. It was
good and reminded me of an almond float.

Green Tea Custard

Mango Mochi!

Egg Waffle comes with 1 dipping sauce

Menu Board

Located on the back side of Aunty's Hotpot House

Aunty’s Hau Hale is open daily from 12pm to 8pm. We are already making plans for our next

visit!

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Visit Big Island: Doughmo's Cookies

Doughmo's Cookies are some of the best cookies I've ever tried.  This Big Island-based business bakes up huge cookies in a variety of flavors, and they can be found at various shops around the island.

We went to the Honoka‘a Country Market to pick some up since we were in the area.  

My fave is the Chocolate Chip Trip - just chock full of chocolate chips and so delicious!

The employee at the market had a great tip for the Birthday Cake cookie - heat it in the microwave for a few seconds so the caramel bits get gooey.  

The cookies are pricey, but you're paying for a quality, premium cookie that is worth it, in my opinion. 

Visit @doughmoscookies on Instagram for more information and to find out where you can buy these cookies!

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Visit Maui: Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop

 We passed by Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop numerous times on our recent trip to Maui. It's located in Olawalu, which lies in between Kahului and Lahaina. Since we had already eaten lunch, we stopped by to pick up some pies to-go, to enjoy for dessert at our hotel later that evening.

They had 4 different flavors of pies in the display case. We ended up buying the apple crumb pie and the chocolate mac nut pie. They were both AMAZING! I thought $10 per pie was reasonable, because it is easily sharable by two people. And I like how the pies are smaller than the usual 8" pies, so that you can try different flavors (like how we did).

If you love chocolate, you need o try the chocolate Mac nut pie. The chocolate is rich and creamy!

I liked the apple pie because of the crumbly topping. 

I wish they had the key lime pie because I really wanted to try it. I guess I'll have to come back the next time I'm on Maui!

________________________________

LEODA'S KITCHEN AND PIE SHOP

820 OLOWALU VILLAGE ROAD

808-662-3600

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The Local General Store

I finally made it to The Local General Store!

The Breakfast Danish

The Breakfast Danish is their play on "Shakshuka" - and it is so clever!  It had a bit of heat, and the jammy egg was just perfect!

Small Kine Farm Keiki Mushrooms, Bechamel, Gruyere

I loved this savory and I could've eaten several!  The mushrooms and cheese had so much umami - I just couldn't get enough of it - I wish I ordered more. 

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

I enjoyed the cookie, and my family devoured the Croissant Cinnamon Roll and the Pumpkin Crunch Croissant.

Croissant Cinnamon Roll

Pumpkin Crunch Croissant

Every single item we ordered was just perfectly executed and the skill that went into each creation did not go unnoticed.  

I look forward to visiting and trying out even more amazing treats!

The Local General Store
3458 Waialae Ave

Honolulu, HI 96816

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Babes Bakery

Nat gifted our family a bunch of treats from Babes Bakery! 

Cinnamon Roll

Everything Sourdough Focaccia

Cookies

Cheesecake

I tried everything, and my fave was the Cheesecake.  I love cheesecake, and this cheesecake was silky smooth with the perfect amount of tang.

Thank you, Nat!


Babes Bakery
3036 Waialae Avenue
808-744-0168

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