Sucre Sweets Los Angeles – Downtown LA’s Sweetest Surprise

By Mike Vallens

There is a story behind every successful venture. Downtown Los Angeles’s newest addition, Sucre Sweets Los Angeles is no exception. A few years ago, Andrew Faour, a recent culinary school graduate had approached his sibling Lauren with an intriguing proposition. Andrew had the idea to open his own restaurant that showcases a fresh take on Middle Eastern cuisine. Together with their business partner Matt Carpenter, the concept for Souk Shawarma was born. After finding a great spot for his dreams to come to fruition, he realized that the shop was a bit too big for just his restaurant. That’s when Andrew came up with that intriguing idea.

Lauren admits that her brother caught her off guard. “I was having the worst day and all of the sudden I received a call from Andrew.” The call would alter the path of Lauren’s life. Andrew offered her the chance of a lifetime, a chance to open the bakery that she had dreamed of opening for quite a long time.

Fast forward three years, and the remarkable Sucre Sweets Los Angeles opened its doors to the public. It shares an open space with Souk Shawarma, so if you are suffering from a major sweet tooth after a nice shawarma meal, then all your problems are solved.

When walking into Sucre Sweets Los Angeles, I was greeted with a huge smile from Lauren. She seems a bit timid at first but her smile brightens up the room and made me feel right at home. One of the specialties Sucre Sweets Los Angeles offers is Parisian Ice Cream, which Lauren explains is custard based and the texture lies somewhere between American Ice Cream and Italian Gelato. All of the ice cream is made in house and represents flavors from the US, Europe and the Middle East.

Lauren was kind enough to let us sample all 12 flavors displayed, some of the highlights were the Coffee Ice Cream, which is made with freshly brewed coffee and is a nice pick-me –up. Brown Muscovado is a unique flavor which comes from the intensely concentrated brown sugar from the bottom of the barrel leaving a rich caramel-like taste. The Lemon Verbena Ice Cream at Sucre Sweet Los Angeles is light and refreshes the palate. The Rhubarb Ice Cream is combined with that classic combo of rhubarb and strawberries. It’s a real treat. The Ice Cream known as Gianduja is a combination of Chocolate and Hazelnut and is a bit milder than the dark chocolate inspired Verona Chocolate. Both ice creams will fill that craving for chocolate that most people undergo.

All of the ice creams sampled pleased, but there was one standout that I could eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the Honey Ice Cream flavor. Winnie the Pooh would flip his lid to get a chance to sample this spectacular ice cream flavor. The honey tastes so fresh within the ice cream that one might think it’s fresh from the beehive. I know for a fact that I will be back ordering three scoops of the Honey Ice Cream before New Year’s resolutions come around.

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In addition to the Parisian Ice Cream that Sucre Sweets Los Angeles offers, there is a display case filled with freshly baked cookies and other Middle Eastern inspired treats. There are three different flavors of Madeleine’s which include Classic, Chai Tea, and Rosewater. There are Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate-Lime-Coconut-Macadamia Nut, Date-Hazelnut-Oatmeal, Double Chocolate, Vegan Chocolate Oatmeal and Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

There are a couple of unique offerings at Sucre Sweet Los Angeles, the first being the Maamoul, a date filled butter cookie. It’s a bit like a Fig Newton but on a whole other level. I would pair it with a hot cup of coffee or a latte for a perfect combo. The second stand out is called Knaffe which Lauren admits she barrowed her mother’s recipe. The Knaffe starts off with a puff pastry then layered with ricotta and heavy whipping cream. The Knaffe is finished with syrupy rosewater and more thinly sliced puff pastry. Served warm, this is my favorite take on Middle Eastern Dessert.

Finally, I was afforded the opportunity to sample the beautiful platter of Macaroons. The four flavors include Sea Salt Caramel, Pistachio, Raspberry and Chai Tea. All of the Macaroons were of the high quality and made with skilled precision. But the Raspberry Macaroon was magnificent and the most memorable.

The fact that Sucre Sweets Los Angeles is open and ready to serve the busy downtown LA crowd is great news. One can cure their sweet tooth cravings with one of 12 flavors of Parisian Ice Cream, freshly baked cookies, brownies and other Middle Eastern inspired sweets. Lauren and Andrew should be proud of the hard work it took to open their conjoined restaurant and bakery. It’s sure to be a success.

Sucre Sweet Los Angeles is open 6 days a week (Monday through Saturday from 11am to 8 pm) and closed on Sundays.

Sucre Sweets

1127 Wilshire Bl.

Los Angeles, CA 90017

(213) 935-8559

Click Here for a review of The Pub at Chino Hills