This Chinatown pâtisserie looks nothing like the rest of Chinatown. The space is all exposed brick, natural wood, and glass—as modern and chilly as any high-end jewelry store. And those cases glow with some pretty baubles. People stream in and out of Jungle Café with space-agey boxes full of exquisitely decorated cakes, truffles, macarons, and tarts. But wait! There’s more: have an out-of-this-world milk tea—in an actual glass!—with lovely tapioca pearls. Pastry chefs trained in the French tradition find the treats here a little…restrained. Jungle Café began as an operation catering to the more sugar-sensitive palates of Asian shoppers, but has won fans among the less-is-more set.

Sometimes cakes come adorned with decorations like Japanese cartoons. Flavors are interesting (dark chocolate, Madagascar, and lemon), but our absolute favorite is Black Forest. Alhough it also comes in a mini-plated size, you’ll probably want to pre-order a large one for yourself and hide in the corner eating it. It’s hard to believe that one thing can be so light while so decadent, with layers of chocolate sponge, buttercream, and rum-soaked cherries. Mango mousse cake is another signature of the shop, with impossibly airy layers of cake sandwiching a mousse made of fresh sweet-and-sour mangoes. Taro cake is an acquired taste, with earthy woodiness cutting through the sweet flavor. Chocolate and mocha desserts are weaker; a chocolate-hazelnut pyramid lacks definitive bold flavor. But then, there’s a call for that, too.