Manna House Bakery Scallion and Ham Roll: I was on my way to Golden Steamer when I passed Manna House Bakery ~2 doors down on Mott St that had a small queue of older Asian customers. Locals don't normally wait in line, especially in places as impatient as Chinatown, so I decided to stop in and check out their selection. The cash-only bakery is very narrow, yet has an impressive selection of traditional Chinese pastries like pineapple bun, sponge cake, egg tarts, and more, all thankfully labeled both in Chinese and English. I left ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc mannahousebakery scallion ham roll 3.5
Mansi calamansi drink: Kalamansi is citrus fruit indigenous to the Philippines that's a cross between an orange and a kumquat. Mansi, a juice flavored with kalamansi, is remarkably refreshing, with a fantastic citrus flavor whose sharpness is balanced by a bit of honey. The website for the brand lists all sorts of health benefits for the fruit, from reduced acne to better digestive health. Regardless of whether any of this is true, the drink is one of the most memorable I've had, and something I would be happy to ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
drinks drinkmansi calamansidrink kalamansi nyc mansi 5.0 exceptional citrus juice calamansi drink
Matchabar Rose matcha milk tea: I really enjoyed a bottled Fuji ginger matcha drink from Matchabar a few months ago and decided to try a freshly-made beverage from their small to-go window in Soho. This rose matcha milk tea, while colorful, was actually quite bad - very sweet, and quickly diluted. Hardly any green tea flavor, and tasted like watery milk after only a few minutes. Definitely $5 wasted. 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks nyc matchabar rose matcha milk tea 1.5
Meet Fresh Sweet Potato Tofu Pudding: Meet Fresh is a sweets shop from Taiwan serving a variety of hot and cold desserts combining classic toppings such as mung bean, taro, and barley, along with glutinous rice balls, boba, and other chewy treats. Their first New York City location is around the corner from Cooper Union. I ordered the chilled version of their tofu pudding with sweet potato, which came with a small mound of ice, all swimming in a lightly-sweetened honey water. The sweet potatoes came in homely, large chunks, a... (read more) 2.5/5.0
desserts nyc taiwanese sweets meetfresh sweet potato tofu pudding 2.5
Milkbar Cinnamon Toast Crunch Marshmallow Cookie: A sweet, indulgent, buttery cookie available at the Milk Bar flagship shop in Nomad. Childhood favorites Cinnamon Toast Crunch and marshmallows combine to form a chewy cookie, a bit hard on the edges (but maybe it didn't come directly from the oven). A nice nostalgic treat. 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc cinnamontoastcrunch milkbar cinnamon toast crunch marshmallow cookie 3.5
Milk Bar Cereal milk soft serve: You’re probably familiar with the cereal milk flavor, which replicates the taste of milk after a helping of frosted corn flakes. Attributed to the Milk Bar franchise, the cereal milk flavor has since been duplicated by many. Although I’ve sampled it before, this is the first time I actually purchased the cereal milk flavored soft serve from its original source. The smooth texture was excellent, but the generous serving size might be best shared with others. The soft serve comes in a single ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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