"From over-the-top cocktail pop-ups to stunning seasonal pastries, there’s a lot to love about Lunar New Year in San Francisco. So last weekend I started my day by swinging through Neighbor Bakehouse in the Dogpatch to pick up a box of festive pastries from Sunday Bakeshop before heading to Chinatown to meander around the flower market. I practically inhaled a subtly-sweet hojicha financier and risked spilling chantilly all over myself just so I could take one bite of the stunning black sesame toasted rice eclair while still en route. The rest of the pastries made the perfect snacks for a post-market afternoon spent curled up by a fire once the storm rolled in. Each pastry surprised and delighted with familiar flavors including mango, match, cha siew, and coconut packaged up in technically impressive forms. Considering the flaky sweet and savory croissants and gorgeous tarts inside, it’s perhaps a little ironic to say my favorite was a relatively simple cookie. For as long as I can remember White Rabbit candies have been a go-to treat and Sunday Bakeshop’s strawberry White Rabbit cookie, perfectly thin and soft, struck just the right balance between tart freeze-dried strawberries and milky white chocolate. And until next New Year, I’ll be looking forward to my next fix." - Paolo Bicchieri
