When Nadine Donovan joined the Ace team as pastry chef two years ago, she set out to create a fun and playful dessert menu that would match the energy of the restaurant. She wanted to incorporate the traditional flavors found in the rest of the food, but also bring something new to the flavor.
And that's exactly what she did. The bao doughnuts use the traditional five spice and also lime leaves that can usually be found in curries. The bon bons change flavors, but there is always an Asian-inspired option. And then there's the fortune cookies.
"Let's be honest though, fortune cookies are not traditional. We [Americans] made them up, I'm pretty sure," says Donovan. She's right. Fortune cookies were actually created in San Francisco.
But her version is a far cry from the cardboard-tasting, barely edible versions you get with takeout. These fortune cookies smell a little like heaven and taste like your grandmother's sugar cookie, but more fun.
"I wanted to create something that we all associate with Chinese food. And after I decided to make fortune cookies, we all sat down with a few beers and wrote the fortunes that would go in them."
There are 110 fortunes in total, mostly song lyrics or movie quotes, all references to pop culture. "I think it goes with the fun vube of the restaurant: the music, the food, and the ping pong."
The cookies are on the menu for just a dollar each. If you're looking to celebrate the Chinese New Year this weekend, the restaurant is open from 4 p.m. to midnight.