Teazzi Tea Shop Deep roasted oolong milk tea: Teazzi is a mostly to-go Taiwanese bubble tea shop located a block away from the southwest edge of Union Square Park in Manhattan. I would normally have ordered their house special, which includes an intriguing mix of oats and boba, but opted for a lighter option with their deep roasted oolong milk tea at 30% sweetness. The quality of the tea itself was excellent – definitely tea-foward, with a pleasantly herbal flavor that was well balanced with the creaminess of very lightly sweetened mi... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended milktea nyc drinks teazziteashop deep roasted oolong milk tea 4.0
The Doughnut Project Hotteok Jeju Noodle Bar Donut: I got this donut exactly a week ago on the last day it was available from The Donut Project in the West Village (sorry for the delay in posting!). I had only ever had Hotteok once from a boxed mix from HMart, and not surprisingly, this donut interpretation from Korean ramen noodle shop Jeju Noodle Bar was much better. The dough had a great consistency, with a crisp griddled-like exterior and soft interior filled with a sweet crushed peanuts mix. Topped with a berry-jelly syrup and pistach... (read more) 3.5/5.0
donutproject westvillage nyc dessert fried pbj peanut jelly pistachio thedonutproject hotteok jeju noodle bar donut 3.5 korean
Keki Bakery Ube cheesecake : I purchased this "bouncy" ube Japanese cheesecake from Keki bakery in K-town after having tried their classic cheesecake at their Chinatown shop. Stated to serve 3-4, it easily could serve 5-6 if you're mainly in for a small taste. At $15, it's a great deal for the quality; combining the best of a rich cheesecake with a light and airy texture that I'd describe as more fluffy than bouncy (though we ate it the day after it was purchased, so the texture might have changed a bit). Its intense pu... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cake dessert nyc japanese pastry kekibakery ube cheesecake 4.0
Bao Tea House Rose pudding bao: A special Valentine's day menu item at Bao Tea House in the West Village, these buttery rose pudding baos have a custard-like filling somewhere between whipped cream and pudding. It's light in texture, but quite rich in flavor and tastes deeply of rose On top is a satisfying crumble coating. Overall, the dessert stands out to me with its combination of baked and creamy textures, but it's on the rich side altogether. 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc dessert baoteahouse rose pudding bao 3.5
Fairway Kettle corn: Fairway is the great equalizer, with a mix of affordable conventional and organic produce and snacks that aren't easily found in other chains in NYC. Their kettle corn is more buttery than most, and the caramel coating is not overwhelmingly thick and crunchy. Overall, it's a good value snack. 3.0/5.0
nyc fairway kettle corn 3.0
Besfren Taro and matcha soft serve: I stumbled upon this tiny pastry shop on my way to Penn Station from KTown and was impressed with the quality of their soft serve. Served in a large but slightly pricy cup (at $5.50), the purple and green ice cream swirl is well balanced and perfectly smooth. The creamy, slightly vegetal flavor of taro works surprisingly well with bitter matcha. My only quibble is that the way the soft serve was swirled gave it a hollow center, so I think a third of the cup I received was just an air pock... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended besfren taro matcha soft serve 3.5 nyc ktown softserve icecream dessert