Like most of the stores in the trendy Sanlitun Taikooli, Kiss the Tiramisu features floor-to-ceiling windows but adds a little class with gilded characters and a heavy metal door. However, unlike most of the cafés in the area, it’s too small to actually house tables, so patrons perch on the long bar by the window, a passable space for people to stand and consume the store’s “heavenly desserts,” as they claim.

Opened in January, the dessert shop focuses four signature tiramisu ice creams: classic, injeolmi (rice cake), strawberry, matcha, and banana flavors. Since this brand originated in Korea, we opted for the injeolmi variety (RMB 35), traditionally a pounded rice cake made with glutinous rice flour. The soft-serve ice cream rendition here is dusted with bean powder and is suitably lavish, filling a gold-rimmed plastic goblet, making it good for photos.

“Stir well and eat from the middle, or it’ll be a bit sweet,” advised the waitress. We complied, and found that the ice cream also housed pieces of rice cake, whipped cream, and cookies for a combination that was quite sweet but balanced thanks to the savory bean powder. We can’t admit to being fans of the rice cake though, which was as cold and chewy as rubber.

Even though we visited at the end of January, Kiss the Tiramisu was still sporting its finest Christmas decorations. Although it was a little too cold to be eating ice cream this time of year, this shop is chic enough to find its rightful clientele in the coming weeks, no matter the temperature outside.

Kiss the Tiramisu
Daily 10am-10pm. S9-18, 1/F, Sanlitun Taikooli, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (158 1118 7552)
朝阳区工人体育场北路三里屯太古里南区一层S9-18

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Photos: Tracy Wang