I've seen the creme brulee cart around town for quite some time. It's gone from cute little cart to multiple location dessert empire as it were. So it was on this particular Saturday of wandering the city I came across the cart in one of it's mostly permanent locations at the corner of Castro and Market, and after all this time thought, why not try it.
After looking over their priderific menu I opted to go with the double chocolate and asked for an add on of sea salted caramel.
At $5 a pop, I'll be honest I expected it to be...umm...bigger. Pictures are a bit deceiving and this little thing fit quite easily in the palm of my hand. Let's start with some good, like the caramel sauce on top, it was perfectly salty and sweet--I do enjoy a good caramel. Underneath the sauce was a classic brûlée top--torched, hardened sugar.
It was like a crispy sugar top with the hint of burntness that gives the creme some boost of texture and flavor. The first two layers are done really well. Sadly, once I hit the creamy bottom, it was a big fail for me. Instead of being like a firm custard pudding, it was more like a too soft chocolate gravy. Yeah, I know, to some of you chocolate gravy sounds like heaven, and well, maybe to bath in, but to eat as a dessert it's too runny. It was also supposed to be double chocolate, but tasted more like a light milk chocolate milk. I wanted some thick double chocolate fudginess but got something that was more like a box mix.
I've stated before that I really enjoy some heft to my desserts, some moist cakey thing covered in frosting or a hearty buttery crusty pie type thing. But I can enjoy a creamy thick mousse or creme brulee if it's done well. Here I have to say I was unimpressed, especially after starting with 2 tasty layers, only to be left with not much underneath. Plus it was all gone in like two bites. I know the cart folks have their fans, I mean obviously, or they wouldn't have been able to add the other locations. Me, I'll just look for a donut cart, or a cookie cart, or a cupcake cart, or crepe cart or.......
