DeLise Dessert Café Brings New Life to Bay Street
By Tamara Palmer
DeLise Dessert Café (327 Bay at Powell), which opened Oct. 16., is a new venture from Dennis and Eloise Leung, pastry chefs for the shuttered Bong Su.
"They let us create whatever we wanted," Dennis Leung told SFoodie of the couple's former employer. "It was a really great place to work." But the Leungs have a lot to celebrate these days. Besides opening their first café, they're also expecting their first child next month.
At DeLise, expect an array of small, artful bites. Most offerings are sweet, but we did sample a lovely tomato scone. We adored a sugar-coated blueberry muffin that was just bursting with juice, and similarly rationed a couple of miniature pecan-chunked banana coffee cakes. A chocolate chip cookie captured that elusive combo of soft and chewy. Four Barrel coffee drinks are also on offer.
The selection of frozen desserts usually includes a mix of regular, sugar-free, and vegan options. On opening day, we delighted in vegan coconut-kaffir lime sorbet, peach frozen yogurt, and -- the true star among stars -- pesto ice cream, deep green in color and studded with whole pine nuts.
Give DeLise a Chance
DeLise Dessert Cafe Opens
A Craving Cease-Fire Agreement
Participating Parties:
Potato Chip Camp
Brownie Battalion
Sponsors:
Former Bong Su pastry chefs and husband-and-wife team Dennis and Eloise Leung
Terms:
The parties shall meet at DeLise, where the Leungs make treats to quell both savory and sweet hankerings from the morning to
afternoon hours.
Salt seekers will dig into jalapeno-cheddar muffins, tomato-basil scones, and truffle and niçoise olive shortbread cookies. Sugar junkies will find satisfaction in traditional blueberry muffins and double chocolate chunk cookies.
Point of Agreement:
Asian-inspired ice creams, made fresh daily, go both ways, with flavors ranging from sesame to basil and pine nut pesto.
Signing Procedure:
Sit at the counter, where goodies can be washed down with Four Barrell Coffee and green tea lattes.
Peace.