So Much More than Dessert: Le Moose Crêpe Café

Step by step, Nicki prepares the Chicken Pesto crêpe with grilled marinated white breast chicken, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, red bell peppers, and homemade basil pesto.

Peeking into the Kitchen Part I: The Crêpe Escape
In the warm Thailand nights, it was almost impossible for young Nicki to close her eyes and fall asleep. The sweet smells of paper-thin crêpes, freshly fried donuts, and velvety chocolate chiffon cakes kept calling her down to the kitchen where her mother was baking away. Tiptoeing down to the kitchen, Nicki would peek around the corner and watch until mom would call to her tiny assistant baker to lend a hand. Giddily dousing donuts in powdered sugar, she would pause to study how her mother artfully poured the creamy yellow crêpe batter over the hot surface of the griddle. With a flick of the wrist, the batter moved round and round until a large, thin pancake took shape. Crêpes were just the beginning...


Peeking into the Kitchen Part II: Indian and Thai Cuisines

Pad Thai made with chewy-thin sen jan moon noodles,
a load of proteins (shrimp, chicken, tofu, egg), crisp bean 
sprouts,a balanced sweet and sour sauce, and finished with 
a dusting of house roasted peanuts.

When Nicki's mother wasn't making spongy sweet jelly rolls or savory curry puff snacks, her mother-in-law would visit to teach her the tenets of Indian cuisine. Unable to resist the lure of the kitchen, Nicki would watch as the learned matrons produced curries like palak paneer with spinach and non-melting cubes of paneer cheese, or masala with chunks of chicken bathed in a creamy turmeric-tinged sauce. Having grown up with the intense flavors of India and Thailand, Nicki packed these food memories in her suitcase and flew to California for grad school at CSU East Bay.
While earning her master's degree, she satiated her culinary curiosity as a café server and kitchen apprentice, learning the nitty-gritty of running a restaurant. Shortly after tossing her mortarboard in the air, her years of International culinary know-how manifested as...a moose?!


Le Moose and Le Mousse

Have you ever craved some Italian fare, like grilled chicken with mozzarella cheese and basil pesto sauce, but your dinner guest lusted after spicy curries in a rainbow of colors like red, green, or yellow? Have you ever felt torn between the vegetarian goodness of grilled eggplant and the hog heaven of ham and cheese? Has your sweet tooth ever ached for dessert nirvana?

Rice paper hugs fresh mango, crisp Fuji and green apple,
lettuce & carrots to make Moose Rolls. 
Finish with a dip in spicy Thai peanut sauce.

To satisfy everyone's bellies, there's a furry moose that knows what to do, and he's armed with a crêpe griddle and plenty of chocolate hazelnut spread. Not to be confused with le mousse, the French dish that can be either sweet or savory, the homophonous Le Moose conjures forth images of French cuisine in an unexpected way. And who wouldn't be surprised to find a happy meeting of Thai, Indian, American, and European tastes under one roof? Your dinner dilemma is hereby cheerfully resolved! The Chicken Pesto Crêpe will suit your Italian tastes, while the mild Panang Curry Fried Rice will curry favor with your Thai sensibilities. Prefer Indian curry over Thai? Chicken Masala it is. Can't decide between something Italian or Southeast Asian? Perhaps the Drunken Spaghetti will inspire you with its fusion of fried pasta, tomatoes and carrots, bell peppers and zucchini, and piquant sauce. Climb both sides of the food pyramid with the veggie-friendly Greek Crêpe and the meaty/cheesy combos of the Hawaiian Crêpe with ham, pineapple, and mozzarella cheese. 

After those portions, FeedMe hopes you saved room for dessert. Fit for a family or a flock of friends, the Gargantuan crêpe is Nicki's own secret crêpe recipe smeared with rich Nutella, ringed with fresh slices of strawberry and banana, topped with three scoops of ice cream dreams, and gilded with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and toasted pecan bits.  While Nicki has spent her life peeking into kitchens, you won't have to look far to peek into her kitchen; she prepares the crêpes right before you in the royal purple-hued dining room. FeedMe recommends you get your caboose to Le Moose for good friends, good food, and good fun!

 The GARGANTUAN dessert crêpe! Three scoops of Foster Farms ice cream sit atop a hazelnut Nutella-filled crêpe, surrounded by fresh strawberries and bananas, then smothered in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and toasted pecan bits. The only question is, to share, or not to share?

Store Details
Le Moose Crêpe Café
5014 Mowry Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone
(510) 745-7288

Hours
Monday-Friday, 11:00 am-3:00 pm, 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday, 11:00 am-3:00 pm, 4:00 pm-9:00 pm

Website
http://lemoosecafe.com/index.htm

Nicki uses her favorite food memories to create dishes 
inspired by Thai, Indian, andAmerican cuisines. 
(Left to Right: The Gargantuan dessert crêpe; Moose Rolls; Chicken Pesto crêpe).

Stopping to Smell the Roses: Homemade Gelato at "Sweet Orchid"

"X" Marks the Spot
If you're looking for treasure, it's usually hard to find. In some cases, if it's hidden behind the sloping roof of der Wienerschnitzel, you may drive right past without realizing it. And instead of an "X" marking the pay dirt, you'd be well advised to look for the giant fiberglass waffle cone. This is where you will find  "Sweet Orchid," a small shop that specializes in frozen confections made from scratch, and made from the imagination of Leslie, its proprietor.

Sweet Orchid, named for Leslie's love of both the eponymous flower and the gratification of sweet-tooths everywhere, is a trove of gelato, sorbetto (also known as sorbet), and the obligatory frozen yogurt. Leslie calls upon her knowledge of dietetics, food science, nutrition, decades of cooking experience, and a heavy pinch of curiosity to make her artisanal delights. While the frozen treats she offers are relatively healthier than traditional ice cream, Leslie's philosophy is "...to strike a balance, being as healthy as I can be. But if something tastes good, why not?"


An Orchid in Bloom
The store is nearing its one-year anniversary, yet the seeds of this orchid were planted many years ago. As a young couple, Leslie and her husband often spoke of owning an ice cream shop when they retired. After raising a family and welcoming grandchildren into the world, their vision slowly became reality.

The Quest for New Flavors
Seated across the dessert case of whole-wheat brownies and creme puffs, FeedMe conversed with Leslie like she was an old, familiar friend. She was most animated when discussing her trials with novel ingredients, and infusing their true essence into frozen form.

Lavender gelato with a yellow
sponge cake base.

Classic gelato flavors pay homage to their Italian roots, including Tiramisu, Zabaione, Pistachio, and Chocolate. What makes this store unique, though, is the fusion of global fare: the Funfetti gelato will bring to mind the vanilla frosting that you greedily licked off the tops of spongy cupcakes as a child; Red Bean and Sesame flavored gelatos reflect ingredients endemic to Asian confections; Pistachio Kulfi, Rose gelato, and Mango sorbetto summon the aromas of South Asia and the Middle East; Lychee, Banana, and Pandan gelatos briefly transport you to a tropical heaven where the fruit is lush and freshly plucked from the vine.

Owner Leslie's quest for exciting tastes has even led her to spend an entire morning hunting for the perfect edible rose. After smelling countless varieties at Fremont's own Regan Nursery, two rose bushes with the perfect balance of floral notes and crimson blush now grow in her backyard for the sole purpose of flavoring gelato.

If for some reason you can't find a flavor to pique your interest, Leslie also takes requests. When bacon fans came knocking on Sweet Orchid's door, it was only a matter of time before Chocolate Bacon gelato was added to the lineup. Says Leslie, "Some flavors, I have to do trial and error, over again, but when you got it, it's so exciting!" FeedMe's palate was certainly excited, by the flavors as well as the passion for good friends, good food, and good fun at Sweet Orchid.

Art to Eat: Mango and Cookies n' Cream gelatos
sit atop chocolate sponge cake.

Chips Galore
Sweet Orchid and Leslie have this special Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe to share with you. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, cold
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt 2/3 cup (4 ounces) of the chocolate chips in a double boiler, or in the microwave.
(For tips on how to melt chocolate quickly and easily in the microwave, click here). Set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, use a mixer to beat the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy. In this same bowl, beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.
Gently fold in the remaining chocolate chips.

Scoop rounded mounds of dough (about 1/4 cup) onto the baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake for about 18 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the center is moist. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Makes about 1 dozen large cookies.

 

Store Details
Sweet Orchid
34460 Fremont Boulevard
Suite D
Fremont, CA 94555

Phone
(510) 739-6300

Hours
Daily
12:00 pm-11:00 pm

Website
http://sweetorchiddesserts.com/

These gelato cakes may be mini, but the flavor is big.