These are definitely sweet days for Shanghai dessert lovers. We've already reviewed Sugar and La Crêperìe. We even panicked a little over the temporary closing of Paul, which thankfully is now thriving and whose napoleon is one of the best tasting pastries we've ever had. Now comes Brix 12, located on the first floor of Hong Kong New World Plaza, which had their grand opening last week after a month-long soft run.

Calling itself a dessert bistro, Brix 12 is named for the sweetness level of an apple on the Brix scale, which is used to measure the approximate amount of sugars in fruits, vegetables, juices, wine, and other beverages (thanks Wikipedia!). The restaurant's name references the apple because it represents the spirit of their dessert offerings: refreshing, healthy, and light.

Shanghaiist had the very distinct pleasure of indulging in a parade of their treats, perhaps too eagerly after convincing ourselves that the fruit-based nature of Brix 12's concoctions would spare us from an onset of post-dessert guilt. Alas, despite the natural ingredients, the experience ceased to be healthy once we started double-fisting the blueberry cheesecake and the peppermint panna cotta. And this was after we had already enjoyed some of the more original creations from the chef, who we were told was classically trained and held a previous stint at the St. Regis hotel. Some of the more memorable offerings included the passion fruit risotto tartlet and the mango coconut crepe rolls.

Thankfully for our waistline, the regular portions are truly light as advertised, most of them clocking in the 38 RMB range. Brix 12 also has salads, soups, smoothies, and risottos, but the desserts are clearly the stars of the menu. While most of us will start off with meals of greater substance elsewhere, we expect the small but chic space to be filled with those seeking a sweet and satisfying after-dinner tickle of the taste buds.

Brix 12 - Hong Kong New World Plaza, G112, 300 Huaihai Zhong Lu (淮海中路300号，香港新世界广场, G112室) - Tel: 6335-3398, 11:00am-10:00pm. Their 2nd bistro is scheduled to open in Xujiahui later this month.

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.