There was a point, sometime in the early 2000s, when cupcakes made the transition from a dessert to the dessert, and soon, this simple, decorative treat was everywhere. No one is quite sure how it happened, or when – these things are difficult to track with accuracy, especially when one’s busy stuffing one’s face with sweet, calorific nothings. And then it followed the trajectory that all trends will in the end: innovation to ubiquity to cliche. Oh yes, you heard us. Cliche.
Decked out in shades of industrial grey and Barbie pink with a notably perky name, Keepoo is bright, cheerful and sticks to the traditional cupcake shop norm. Frames depicting sweet cupcakes and pots of money plants hang around while a jewel case of 10 interestingly named flavors (from a repertoire of 30) wait to be touched, licked off and consumed whole for a mere RMB25. These gorgeous pockets, baked daily and served daintily by wait staff in Oliver Twist-type uniforms, look dense and indulgent, but instead, they’re light as a cloud, not overly sweet, and filled with lush cream.
Those seeking more robust varieties will love the touches of crunchy chocolate and cherries on sinful flavors like Teletubbies, Black Knight or Ferrero Rocher, which dons a hazelnut-infused swirly dollop of cream and is topped off with a nutty globe of its namesake. The touches of topped fruit and candy are also cute and great for selfie props; try the Minions, a mango and cream cupcake, or the Snow White, topped with strawberries and pink-tinged cream.
If you were to dissect their offerings with the utmost of butter-knife precision, you would find these single serves are more finely tailored to the local palate. And judging by its owners – who also happen to run the ever-popular Lab Café and Bar down the road on Xingsheng Lu – you wouldn’t be wrong.
Fresh cookies and mousses are also on offer, and macaroons – in four flavors like matcha and chocolate – retail for RMB18 each. The cafe sells about 200 cupcakes daily, an admirable feat considering they’ve just opened. Pizzas are also on the menu; the sausage pizza (RMB58) is thick and filling, while the durian (RMB58) masks its potent whiff with plenty of stringy cheese.
Liquid lovers will enjoy the lemon blackcurrant special drink (RMB28), a slushy with mint and lemon thrown in for good measure, and the hot fruit tea (RMB38/pot). Adding to the list of options are smoothies, fresh juices, blended coffees and teas and, of course, plenty of sitting space for tete-a-tetes and last-minute exam cramming. The whole nine yards, you say? Indeed, just like all the other coffee and cake shops springing up around town.
Price: RMB25-50
Who’s going: Dessert queens who like sweets with a flourish
Good for: Selfies with cupcakes, coffee and high tea dates
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