Victor Kwan has always enjoyed sweets, but never thought he’d one day operate his own dessert business.
“I’ve gone out a lot; I’m a sugar guy,” he says. “I’ve tasted a lot of desserts, and sometimes, the sweetness is so overpowering and you can’t even taste what they’re saying it is.”
Kwan — who has been cooking for 20 years and currently works full time at Nanzan Giro Giro — remembers when his dream was to open a restaurant.
“I wasn’t really focused on desserts (at first), but after a while, I thought, ‘Dessert’s kind of fun to do,’” he says. “I thought I’d give it a shot.
“I’m trained to be a cook,” he adds. “I did briefly do some pastry — some chocolate work — at Halekulani, right before Covid. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, that was very short lived.”
Kwan had the idea to start his own dessert business about two years ago, and soft opened it — Victor’s Dessert Lounge — in November. The business pops up within Nanzan Giro Giro from 12 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and celebrated its grand opening in early December.
Nanzan Giro Giro features a Japanese course menu that changes monthly, so Kwan decided to have his dessert lounge follow the same model.
“I tried to make it more seasonal,” he says. “Right now, I have persimmon. It’s a winter fruit that’s less common here in Hawaiʻi. It’s one of my favorite fruits; I wanted to showcase that.”
The menu currently features desserts like Dubai chocolate crepe ($18), persimmon parfait ($18), vanilla Basque cheesecake ($16), homemade ice cream ($6) and chocolate mousse ($17).
The iced chocolate drink ($7.50) has been popular this month, according to Kwan. It consists of rich dark chocolate blended with milk and cream.
“I think it’s really rich, but people like that creaminess and it’s not too sweet,” he says. “It’s different from regular chocolate milk.”
He says the business’s fruity drinks — fruit matcha latte ($9), featuring a matcha latte with a fruit puree — and lounge fizz ($7.50) have also been popular, due to their refreshing nature.
The Dubai chocolate crepe is from November’s menu, but it did so well that Kwan decided to offer it in December. The delicate French pancake is filled with silky chocolate custard, pistachio cream and crispy kataifi. It’s served with strawberry ice cream, chocolate sauce, toasted pecans and vanilla whipped cream.
He notes the Basque cheesecake has been a customer favorite. It features a buttery graham cracker crust topped with creamy Basque-style cheesecake, complete with a slightly burnt, caramelized topping.
“I think it’s (Basque cheesecake) kind of a fad right now, but I really enjoy that creaminess and the caramelized sweetness it has,” Kwan says. “It offers a nice aspect of creamy meets toasty.”
For those looking for a more decadent treat, go for the chocolate mousse ($17), which features a chocolate graham cracker crust, vanilla ganache, a red wine poached pear and candied lemon zest. While this dessert is more indulgent, Kwan notes that it’s not overly sweet.
“I want to feature desserts that are very seasonal and less sweet,” he says. “I think too much sweetness takes away from the main ingredient.”
The desserts are available for both dine-in and takeout, but they’re exclusive to Victor’s Dessert Lounge; customers can’t order them when dining at Nanzan Giro Giro.
“I try to keep them separate,” Kwan says. “I don’t want to take away from the dining experience at Nanzan Giro Giro. If the guests at Nanzan Giro Giro do come in (for the lounge), I don’t want them to be like, ‘Oh, I had this already.’”
Looking ahead to next year, Kwan is contemplating extending the dessert lounge’s hours to be open at night, but will stick to his current operating hours for now.
“I just want people to know that I’m here,” he says. “I just really want to showcase the ingredients of each dish and how it really tastes.”
CONTACT
Victor’s Dessert Lounge (inside Nanzan Giro Giro)
560 Pensacola St. Ste. 107, Honolulu
Instagram: @victorsdessertlounge
Open 12-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
