Colibri Cupcakes: A Cheeky Indulgence

Posted: October 18th, 2010 | Author: LumDimSum | Filed under: Foodies & Dining Scene | Tags: Colibri, cupcakes, Lollipop Bakery, Sanlitun Village North | 2 Comments »

Cupcakes are taking Beijing by storm. With different cupcake catering companies and stores popping up all over town, the high demand for quality sweets is finally being addressed!

Colibri Cafe is one of the newest additions, located in the center of Sanlitun North Village, surrounded by high end boutiques and clothing labels.

Offering a range of 10 different flavors from Carrot & Zucchini, Orange & Poppy Seed and Green Tea & Chocolate Granache (all priced at RMB 23 each), Colibri sets itself apart by using all natural and organic ingredients.

“Each cake is made from scratch and baked fresh every day. We source the highest quality ingredients including free range eggs, creamy butter, vanilla and Valrhona chocolate. Each cake is hand finished and topped with a splash of colour. Expect adventurous flavors that are stylishly presented. The cupcakes are a cheeky indulgence perfect for a little celebratory treat.” – Kim the Malaysian pastry chef who is trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and worked in pastry kitchens in Paris, London, Sydney and now Beijing.

Out of the range of flavors, I chose to order a sampling of 6 for a group of us to try, out of which I got to taste the Carrot & Zucchini, Raspberry & Lemon and the Double Chocolate.

The Carrot & Zucchini was the winner out of the batch of cupcakes – a moist, fluffy cupcake bursting with flavor.  I loved the cake part but the cream on top was a bit strong and overpowering.

Carrot & Zucchini Cupcake (RMB 23)

The Raspberry & Lemon consisted of a lemon cake topped with raspberry cream on top.  If you like lemon, I would recommend this cupcake to you.  The flavor was right, but the consistency was not.  This cupcake was more like a muffin than a traditional cupcake with its drier, dense cake consistency.

While the Double Chocolate cupcake looked tasty, it was rather dry and flavorless.  A disappointment to be perfectly honest, but I hear the Chocolate Banana Cupcake is much better (but it is only available on Mondays and Tuesdays as it is not a permanent part of the Colibri menu).

Double Chocolate (RMB 23)

Although cupcakes are the featured item in Colibri Cafe, they serve some of the best coffee in town and they also offer great salads, soup, and sandwiches.

Their Couscous Salad with Roasted Pumpkin (RMB 48) got raving reviews from everyone at the table. It’s light, refreshing and the cool, sweet pumpkin really compliments the couscous.  We also tried the Roasted Cauliflower, Radicchio, Feta, Bacon, Crouton, Quail Egg, Grapes and Red Wine Dressing Salad (RMB 48).  The individual ingredients of this salad were all nice, but they did not complement each other and were too giant to even try to eat together.  The Tomato Chutney, Basil and Cheese Panini (RMB 38) was served toasty hot, just how we like it.

With its bright and airy interior and spacious outdoor seating space, Colibri offers the perfect lunchtime/coffee ambiance.

Watch out Starbucks - Colibri is about to replace you as the new, preferred meeting destination for quick coffee breaks and business meetings.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Colibri’s interior design:

Beautiful Outdoor Patio Space (soak it up now before the temperature drops!):

Review of Colibri Cafe: Opposite Armani Building in Sanlitun North Village, Level LG 51, No. 11 Sanlitun Road, Tel: 6417-0808

Best Part:

• Colibri’s Carrot & Zucchini Cupcake
• You don’t have to feel as guilty devouring these cupcakes as they are made from all natural and organic ingredients.
• Serving some of the best coffee in town
  
• I highly recommend the Couscous salad with roasted pumpkin
• Airy, bright interior space and beautiful outdoor lounge space
• Friendly Service
• They deliver!  With 24 hour notice, you can have freshly baked cupcakes delivered to your door. Call 6417 0808 – RMB 115 for 1/2 dozen or RMB 220 for any dozen
• Colibri has the cutest take away boxes (like little shoe boxes) I have ever seen.

Comments:

• I have only tried a handful of the 10 cupcake flavors, but it seems that most of the cupcakes are more like dense muffins than moist, buttery cupcakes. The exception is the carrot & zucchini cupcake and I plan to go back on either Monday or Tuesday for their Chocolate Banana flavor.
• There is no doubt that Colibri has very quality cupcakes and I like thinking that they are “healthier” than other cupcake brands, but the design of the icing is not the prettiest. Lollipop cupcakes still wins in terms of presentation and decorations.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 8
• Overall Experience: 8

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