Van Leeuwen Passion fruit ice cream: I ginormous scoop of ice cream so large that it took multiple tries to balance it on a cone. What struck me about this ice cream shop was the strong buttery smell upon entering. I personally prefer lighter, more subtle flavors and found the richness of the passion fruit ice cream to be somewhat overwhelming. Mixed in with the ice cream were oddly dry pieces of cake - what they had to do with passion fruit ice cream I’ll never know. Expensive at almost $6 a scoop. They also don’t mix two flav... (read more) 2.5/5.0
nyc icecream dessert vanleeuwen passion fruit ice cream 2.5
Want Want Chicken and scallion mini rice crackers: Crunchy rice crackers shaped like golden brown nuggets coated in a seasoning tasting largely of onion and garlic. I wouldn't have guessed it was chicken flavored, but it does have that vaguely bouillon + MSG mix you get from seasoned ramen packets. Overall, I thought it was so-so. I prefer the rice crackers that have a more balanced savory and sweet coating. Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown, NYC. 2.5/5.0
chinese ricecrackers nyc hongkongsupermarket wantwant chicken scallion mini rice crackers 2.5
Wilklow Orchards Apple Cider Donuts: I bought some apples from the Green Market over the weekend and came across Wilklow Orchards apple cider donuts. Apple cider donuts are a seasonal dessert popular in the Northeast, especially at apple orchards. I've never actually had them before, so I was excited to try them, and at 60 cents each, they were wallet friendly. The donuts came in two offerings: coated in sugar, and without coating. I purchased the one without sugar, which I think was the way to go, as it was sweet enough. ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended sweets applecider nyc wilkloworchards apple cider Donuts 3.5
Yaya Tea Clean Clothes kiwi and mango fruit tea with boba: This Little Italy-based tea shop has mixed fruit tea flavors with bizarre names like “Blue Blood” and “My First Car.” I ordered one of the weirdest ones, a mango and kiwi fruit tea called “Clean Clothes.” Somehow the tea managed to be simultaneously super artificial tasting yet also incredibly diluted, with a sweet yet sour flavor that reminded me of those Chinese jello snacks and Jolly Rancher candies. The boba was similarly subpar - overly hard and lacking any taste. Definitely the worst... (read more) 1.0/5.0
avoid nyc drinks bubbletea yayatea clean clothes kiwi mango fruit tea boba 1.0
Yi Fang Grass Jelly Drink: Purchased at the Taiwanese fruit tea chain Yi Fang in Chinatown. A classic Chinese drink, grass jelly has a slightly medicinal taste but rich sweetness reminiscent of molasses. This version from Yi Fang is much better than the canned grass jelly herbal tea that I resort to once in a while when I'm craving this taste from my childhood. Their grass jelly, which surprisingly is not included as part of the drink already, is also satisfyingly gelatinous - not too firm or soft, and fully flavored... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc taiwanese yifang grass jelly drink 3.5
Zabar's Black and White Cookie: Despite having lived / been around in NYC for most of my life, I had not had a Black and White cookie until this week. I learned from Wikipedia that there are at least two styles of Black and White cookies; a dense shortbread base is common in NYC, while a more cake-like base with frosting is more likely to be found in Central New York. Zabar's is the latter, with a sizable diameter and soft, moist-enough cake base with a generous spread of chocolate and vanilla frosting, split evenly down... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cookies nyc jewish zabars black white cookie 4.0