Tu Cha

Australia Dessert Creator Catherine Zhang Just Opened Tu Cha in Koreatown | Eater LA

"One of Australia’s biggest dessert creators, Catherine Zhang — best known for her desserts on Instagram and TikTok (handle @Catherine.Desserts) and for winning Zumbo’s Just Desserts, a cooking competition show on Netflix — now has her own shop in Koreatown where her inventive, sculptural desserts are the centerpiece and have already garnered early attention from LA food creators. The desserts often resemble produce or modern art: the My Man Go “looks like an unpeeled mango, with an exterior color gradient from red to a soft green; the inside is filled with a slice of ripe, fresh mango, creme fraiche mango mousse, and hazelnut praline.” The Citron is “a whole lemon made out of chocolate, filled with passionfruit cremeaux and lemon yuzu.” The Berry3 is “a three-dimensional cube that looks like a space-age couch, and is filled with strawberry coulis, pistachio praline, and raspberry mousse,” while the Dubai Matcha Dream Cake is heart-shaped and filled with matcha sponge, pistachio knafeh, and matcha mousse. Alongside these pastries are tea offerings such as brown sugar boba, taro milk, and an osmanthus oolong boba milk tea, plus refreshingly bright tonics in yuzu, pineapple, or lychee. Open 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, this shop’s uniquely detailed sweets aim to make a quick, memorable mark on LA’s dessert scene." - Rebecca Roland