A quick stroll South down Oakland will lead to a hidden gem in Riverwest: Haraz Coffee House. Part of a chain of 31 other locations, the cafe brings not only unique desserts, but a special dining experience. The prices are fairly reasonable considering the luxurious desserts, and the atmosphere does not disappoint.
The cafe clearly draws inspiration from aspects of Arab culture. When you enter, you can immediately see how the design of the tables and chairs have traditional middle-eastern embellishments and structure. The space is filled with soothing Arabic background music, and each decoration symbolizes a modernized take on traditional designs. Culturally, the cafe accurately captures the Arabic style.
In their voluminous glass display were countless mouth-watering desserts. It took ages to create our perfect test platter. From mousses disguised as realistic fruit to cheesecakes decorated to perfection, their presentation and gastronomic aesthetic is one of the strongest appeals the cafe offers. To be frank, it was very Instagram worthy.
The biscoff cheesecake was one of our favorites. Although we were originally skeptical due to its simple design compared to the elaborate, realistic mousse, it greatly exceeded our expectations. Structurally, it still looked very appealing; a thick, stable crust supporting a perfect layer of cream, topped off with an astonishingly smooth biscoff glaze and crumble. The body was light and fluffy, melting in the mouth. While subtle at first, the biscoff flavor was prominent in the aftertaste. It wasn’t too sweet, allowing one to fully savor each taste. It was beautiful, flavorful, and left everyone yearning for one more bite.
One of the most surprising desserts was the date cake. It was unique, authentic and exceedingly delicious. The dates added a natural sweetness to contrast the nutty flavor given by soft walnuts. A sweet glaze drizzled with care gave a nice moisture. Being on the denser side, it definitely took a bit longer to chew than the airy cheesecake. The cake was extremely filling. However, unlike the cheesecake, it was too sweet from both date sweetness and additional sugar. It made it hard to keep eating after a few bites, the sugar seeming to coat the mouth in an unsatisfactory way. Although it made for an exciting dessert experience due to the unique flavor, the sweetness was simply too overpowering.
While the date cake was not a total disappointment, the Nutella baklava sure was. Traditionally, baklava has a crispy, sweet honey flavor. It is designed to melt in one’s mouth, but this baklava did no such thing. The nutella flavor did not go hand in hand with the earthy flavor of the kataifi base, and in the end resembled the taste of shredded wheat cereal. Of all the desserts tried, this was by far the most disappointing,
Lastly, and most importantly, we excitedly dug into the mango mousse. At least, we tried to. The thick layer of white chocolate was almost impossible to cut through, requiring strategic maneuvers to achieve that satisfying crack. The famed mousses are designed to portray the food they are flavored as, almost like a dessert in disguise. Not only was it meticulously painted with a red and green ombre, but it proved very entertaining to crack open, revealing the layers inside, a foam-like mousse surrounding a creamy mango curd. Although visually stunning, the dessert was not entirely fulfilling. While the mango puree in the center was decadent, there simply wasn’t enough of it. Due to the lack of curd, each bite simply did not have enough mango flavor, and the sweetness of the mousse and chocolate shell became extremely overpowering. The initial taste sends a shock through the system, and does not subside, overwhelming the taste buds. The experience of this dessert was worth the price, but the flavors failed to meet our high expectations.
In addition to these desserts, Haraz Coffee House offers a large selection of savory foods. While we had visited with the mission of being pastry connoisseurs, we found ourselves wishing for a taste of the flaky spinach and feta pastry or Zaatar bread, a popular Levant breakfast, to diminish the sweetness from the desserts. If you intend to try some of these unique desserts, it’s recommended that you pair it with a savory snack.
On top of the food being disappointingly mediocre, an additional downside was the lack of eco-friendliness within their restaurant. Everything they curated was served on plastic plates, and consumed with plastic cutlery. Once the plates were used, since they had various crumbs and dessert debris on them they were not eligible to be recycled. Normally, cafes that have large plastic output still offer reusable plates upon request, yet when we requested they refused us that privilege. Not only did it take away from the overall aesthetic of the restaurant, but it made us as the consumers uncomfortable. With each bite, we felt the weight of the degradation of the environment, as if every dollar we put towards their business was singlehandedly doing harm.
Overall, this experience is definitely worth a try. It serves as a fun experience to explore with friends and an opportunity to try new treats and flavors, even if not all aspects are satisfactory. If you do go, heed this warning: you may need to plan for a post-meal nap as this is the perfect formula for a food coma.