Dubai Chocolate Salt Bread

This apartment cafe theme has been in the works for a long time. Ever since we hosted our first Lunar New Year cafe last February, I knew it would have to become an annual celebration. The food: too good. The energy: also too good. How could we not recreate the apartment cafe that started them all?

Last year, my signature item was my persimmon-eclipsed yuzu-ginger tea cakes. I remember talking to someone at a party a few months after I posted that video, and he specifically referenced those persimmon cakes as being so visually striking he could never forget them. My other item was slightly too dense cardamom cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting.

This year I wanted to up the ante about 5 times over. Something possessed me (i.e. Christine told me) to hang lanterns all over my apartment. And as for the food, I’m typically averse to making too many components for any single dish. That’s the easiest way to throw yourself into the deep end. But this time, I said screw it. Self-imposed limits on components out my kitchen window.

The previous weekend I had just ingested an East Village bakery’s famous scallion pancake bacon, egg & cheese. And while good, it was so so so greasy. I had the image in my head that I could make a version that didn’t leave me feeling disgusting after eating it. I decided to eschew cheese (not surprising) and replace it with another C: cabbage slaw. Thus, the title scallion pancake BEC holds. So we have: scallion pancake, chili oil baked egg, candied chili flake bacon, cabbage slaw, scallion pancake. How’s that for components? Keep in mind I had to hand-roll each scallion pancake. Unlike cinnamon rolls where you roll the whole log up and slice into buns, scallion pancakes demand that they are rolled up individually. Fuss aside, they were so unbelievably crunchy, decadent, and flavorful. And they held up really well even after a couple hours of sitting out.

For my other item, my friend convinced me to combine two internet trends: dubai chocolate and salt bread. Thus, dubai chocolate salt bread was born in my apartment. This item also had many components AND individual hand-rolling, resulting in me being “in the weeds” 1 hour before the cafe started. I had scallion pancakes afrying, eggs abaking, chocolate cremeux apiping, and still had yet to ready my living room. Of course, I pulled it together because somehow I always do. And the friends started to arrive with their goods:

me: dubai chocolate salt bread and scallion pancakes bacon egg breakfast sandwiches

Christine: chili oil focaccia with gochujang cream cheese, matcha bagels with strawberry cream cheese

@arlynosborne: mango sticky rice morning buns, chili crisp chocolate chip cookies

Zack: red bean mochi cakes (nian gao)

maddy: dubai chocolate marshmallow balls

Christina: pineapple bun sugar cookies

The sleeper hit was Maddy’s chocolate marshmallow balls. I was expecting something overly sweet or sticky or just flat out unappealing (it’s an internet trend after all), but I was incredibly surprised to find them texturally interesting, addictive, and satisfying. So good Maddy gets a forever-invitation back to all future apartment cafes — a new regular if you will.

I love the apartment cafes with personal ties to my friends. It makes the cafe feel like a true celebration instead of a chore or a routine. To share in one’s heritage and feel the sense of joy that comes with it is very special.

Xin nian kuai le,

Ryan