New Cupcake Company Sets up Shop in the Valley
(Zach Behrens/LAist)
it's been about two years since Vi Trinh left her pursuit of a child psychology degree at UCLA to open Se' La Vi Sweets as a private catering business. Instead of doing homework, she would watch the Food Network and bake. So at the insistence of her boyfriend--and now partner Physent Walker--she dropped out of college and applied to Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. She was accepted, but could not afford tuition, so she just went at it, full time, catering parties and events with her own style of cupcakes and other sweets. So far, business is great.
"To me they're like homestyle baked cupcakes with my own twist on how a cupcake should be--really moist and full of the flavor. That's what's really important to me," Trinh said. And that's no exaggeration. Her cupcakes stand up to the moistness test and best of all, they are regular sized rather than the gargantuan meal-sized food coma inducing ones you find at competitors across the city.
As Trinh made her rounds at events, she eventually met up with Erin Earls and Jillian DeFrehn, owners of Nola Ice in Sherman Oaks. It was a perfect match, so the two businesses are now partnered at the Ventura Boulevard shop, offering New Orleans snoballs and a variety of cupcakes and baked sweets including brownie balls and chocolate covered cheesecake bites (inspired by Florida cheesecake on a stick).
Yelp.com reviews
Los Angeles, Ca 4/20/2009 All I can say is AH-MAAAAY-ZING!!!!! Blue Velvet? Delish! It's absolutely worth the drive over the hill for these sweets. You will DIE - everything is that good!!!! I mean, SO SO SO GOOD!!!! Yeah!!! Seriously, if you want to be popular at a dinner party...bring the dessert and bring Se' La Vi Sweets! |
Tarzana, CA 4/30/2009 I read about Se' La Vi Sweets on Laist and decided to check it out on my lunch break. I'm so glad I did because I got to try Nola Ice at the same time. I'll definitely have to come back for some more ice, but this time I was there to try they cupcakes. They have mini "baby cakes" which at $1.25 is quite a deal. They're bigger than a mini, but still small enough to be a bite. Just enough to satisfy a sweet craving. I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter, Red Velvet, Nutella and Chai. Then Vi gave me a Key Lime Cheesecake bite to try (so delish). And then she was nice enough to throw in samples of the other cheesecake and brownie bites. $5 and I got this great assortment of sweets. How could I not come back! I got in my car and started sampling the goods. The Red Velvet was first and it was SO good. I've probably had a dozen different RV cupcakes but this one definitely makes the top 5. It was super moist and I love the dark swirl of cocoa in the center. Choc PB was next. That was great too. I could have very well kept eating the rest of the cupcakes but I decided to save some for my coworkers. I snuck in another cheesecake bite. I think it was Banana. Those lil bites are so tasty! My coworkers loved everything too. I'm excited that I don't have to venture over the hill for my cupcake fix. Thanks Vi & Phy. I promise to make it back to try the Cotton Candy cupcakes soon. |
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Los Angeles, CA 4/16/2009 The BEST Red Velvet Cupcakes ever! Vi Vi, the owner, is super nice and makes the best sweets! I order from her all of the time. I have had her make sweets for my sister's baby shower, my friend's baby shower, my birthday, and will DEFINITELY use her for my wedding :) Her bakery is worth the trip and her sweets are very affordable! Her sweets are just perfect! |
North Hollywood, CA 6/3/2009 Cupcake I had was crazy - so delicious. Not as big of a fan of the cheesecake bites - but they were good - I wouldn't kick them out of bed. Sherman Oaks, CA 4/22/2009 Nola Ice is excited to welcome Se' La Vi Sweets to our shop!!! The cupcakes are yummy- esp the red velvet and coconut :) And being from Miami, I can say the Key Lime Cheesecake Bites are some of the best I've tasted...and I'm a hard Key Lime sell! Welcome Vi & Phy to the neighborhood :) Studio City, CA 4/17/2009 The Cheese Cake Bites are to DIE FOR! |
