I am here for the Japanification of every dessert: Find Jiggly/Japanese Cheesecake at 5T Ice

 

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A post shared by fangling (@fangling8) on Apr 20, 2019 at 5:23pm PDT

I ate cheesecake this week.

It wasn’t on purpose.

I had a review to write. I couldn’t write it. I couldn’t make myself type.

I decided to buy myself a treat. I drove to 5T Ice in Sterling because a sea salt iced coffee (hold the boba) is what will convince me to end the hours and hours of procrastination.

And then I saw tubs of sriracha bacon candy, which would have been a fun snack until I spied the cheesecake. “Jiggly/Japanese Cheesecake” will really get me writing.

That was a lie.

I returned to the office to dive deep into the Japanese cheesecake trend, how it’s lighter, less sweet, fluffy, more like a cake than a packet of flavored cream cheese—and can wiggle!

McCormick has a great explainer. It’s included in food trend roundups with the likes of cooking pasta in the vein of risotto (thanks Germany) and serving tacos out of a flattened, bendy croissant instead of tortilla. While the so-called Japanese cheesecake is light and cloudlike, cheesecakes on the other end of the spectrum are also trending: Basque-style burnt cheesecake.

I haven’t found that charred cheesecake in NoVA, but I have a feeling there will be another review where I won’t possibly be able to start writing until I can find this blackened dessert. Send tips!

 

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#Repost @oneloudoun • • • • • Opening on Thursday April 25th at One Loudoun Four Corners! Fantasticks Customized Gelato Bars & Pops #OneLoudoun #whatsNext #loveloudoun #FourCorners #NotDoneYet #downtownfest #loudoun #loco #loudouncounty#loudounva #ashburnva #ashburn #theONEthingyouneed

A post shared by ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱᴛɪᴄᴋꜱ (@fantasticks_pops) on Apr 22, 2019 at 6:56pm PDT

News, events, etc.

A husband-and-wife team with New York City restaurant cred, plus time at DC’s RPM, will open Thompson Italian in Falls Church next month. [Eater]

Today and tomorrow (April 26-27) the new Settle Down Easy Brewing Company hosts an oyster festival at its Falls Church taproom. [Settle Down Easy Brewing Company]

Gelato-on-a-stick shop Fantasticks debuted a pop-up in One Loudoun this week. It will last through summer. [The Burn]

Fairfax’s Mama Chang and Sperryville’s Three Blacksmiths are among Tom Sietsema’s best new restaurants. [Washington Post]

Follow the saga of the disgruntled ticket holders for the now rescheduled/canceled NOVA Mac & Cheese Meltdown Festival. [Washington City Paper]

Stephanie Ganz (not me) dishes on the next new food city: Richmond. [Bon Appetit]