The Hong Kong equivalent of New York cheesecake.

I’ve been eating my way through Flushing’s New York Food Court for about a year. Yet somehow, I only just got around to trying Mango Mango yesterday. The bowl of spicy soup I’d just finished had put me in the mood for something sweet to cool down.

I wasn’t in the a mango mood though, and almost left the food court without getting dessert.  Then I saw the hand written special sign reading “mille crepe durian (slice).” There was also a mango version, but I was more intrigued by the durian.

Intriguing is definitely the perfect word to describe my relationship with the pungent durian fruit. I’ll never crave its custardy flesh the same way I will cherries, but there are times when the mood for a durian smoothie or some other confection featuring the fruit strikes. Yesterday was one of those times.

The dessert’s Chinese name “Liu lian qian ceng gao,” translates to “durian million layer cake.” There’s not quite a million layers in Mango Mango’s durian mille crepe, but I’m willing to lay odds there are more than 100. Each is layered with a luscious durian cream. Decadent, duriany, and refreshing it was worth every penny of the $7.50.Think of it as the Hong Kong equivalent of New York cheesecake, right here in Queens. You know, come to think of it, I still haven’t tried Mango Mango, more like Durian Durian . . .

Mango Mango, No. 18, New York Food Court, 133-35 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing