Morgenstern’s Raspberry chocolate with orange vanilla softserve: Morgenstern’s $1 softserve, created in partnership with Street Easy and with proceeds going towards Women in Need, is a no-brainer because where else are you going to get this quality ice cream for $1? An all-white appearance belies the fruity flavors beneath, with a mix of raspberry and orange vanilla. The citrus flavor is especially prominent and well balanced. Not a fan of the white chocolate or sprinkles that adorn it, which overly simplify the otherwise great quality ice cream. Perfect ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended icecream softserve nyc dessert morgensterns raspberry chocolate orange vanilla 3.5
Dr. Brown’s Diet cream soda : I typically drink diet soda to minimize sugar intake. I’ve gotten used to the taste of aspartame (disgusting, I know) and have found over the years that diet root beer seems to fare the best in terms of minimal fake-sugar taste. So I was curious about this diet cream soda, as root beer and cream soda share some similar flavor qualities. The diet cream soda from Dr. Brown’s was quite good as far as diet sodas go, with the vanilla (or more likely vanillin) aftertaste masking much of the unplea... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks dietsoda diet drbrowns cream soda 3.5
Cha Cha Matcha Matcha softserve: I was worried this matcha cafe may be more trendy than good, but NYC-based Cha Cha Matcha’s matcha-flavored softserve (also available in a matcha and vanilla swirl) is very good, with a consistent smooth texture and clean green tea flavor. It has a pleasantly bitter flavor. Well balanced and also reasonably priced (this $5 serving can easily be shared and costs less than many of their $6 special drinks). Given its quality, I would not hesitate to come back to order some of their beverage ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended nyc softserve icecream chachamatcha matcha 4.0
Golden Steamer Pumpkin Bun: Golden Steamer epitomizes what I love about NYC. It’s a hole-in-the-wall, cash-only bao shop right off of Canal St on Mott in Chinatown, with sweet and savory offerings all around $1 each. The sizable buns can easily be a meal on its own, offering an incredible value. This lightly sweetened pumpkin bun has a eggy flavor and starchy, creamy layers of pumpkin paste towards the center. The bread is more dense than their white buns used in their savory baos (reviews forthcoming) but the bread st... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cheap nyc bakery chinese steamed bao goldensteamer pumpkin bun 4.0
Banh Mi Saigon Mochi bread dessert: First time trying non-sandwich options at Vietnamese bakery Banh Mi Saigon in Chinatown. This spongey bread has an aerated mochi-like texture that’s lighter than Korean mochi bread. It comes in a sizeable half roll, with a green interior (I think unrelated to its flavor, as the dessert just tasted faintly of brown sugar to me). Exterior is a bit like a baked muffin top. There wasn’t any labeling on the packaging, so if anyone is able to clarify the exact name of this dessert, it would be muc... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc dessert sweets vietnamese banhmisaigon mochi bread 3.5
Auntie Anne’s Sour cream and onion pretzell: Almost missed my flight to get this pretzel since they needed 10 minutes to “bake it fresh.” Surprised to find it’s actually the plain pretzels with a heavy coating of powdered seasoning. The sour cream and onion flavor was insane, with an ultra tangy sour cream flavor that had a sharp aftertaste like sweet onion. It was kind of like the coating on sour cream and onion Pringles except 2x more concentrated. The pretzel was very buttery but had a nice soft texture. Actually pretty good for an... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended junkfood auntieannes sour cream onion pretzel 3.5