Dominique Ansel Bakery Peach Creme Fraiche Mousse Cake: This teardrop-shaped dessert consists of a lemon cake with peach compote, all covered in a thin shard of pink-striped chocolate. It had a sharp, acidic flavor, and technically, the cake was soft and moist. But I couldn't help but wonder what exactly this dessert was trying to accomplish. While I hadn't had anything like it before, I wouldn't say it was particularly satisfying; it exists in its own world that's not quite delicious, yet not really challenging enough to stay in my memory. 3.0/5.0
desserts nyc bakery cake pastry lemon dominiqueanselbakery peach creme fraiche mousse 3.0
Dominique Ansel Bakery Chocolate Hazelnut Hedgehog: I like cute things, and snacks are no exception. This very precious chocolate hedgehog was one of the desserts normally exclusively available in Japan that was offered at Dominique Ansel Bakery this weekend as part of their 7-year anniversary. The hedgehog consisted of a mix of hazelnut, milk chocolate, and coffee-flavored mousse covered in a chocolate shell and chocolate shards. Overall, I found the chocolate dessert to be pretty good and not overly rich, but it isn't one of the better c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
sweets dessert nyc dominiqueanselbakery chocolate hazelnut hedgehog 3.0
Wei Long Spicy Konjac Crisp: I purchased this Chinese snack from JMart in Flushing knowing it would either be surprisingly good or strangely awful. The packaging had limited English, with a stickered label saying it was a product from China, had been imported and distributed by a center in East Williamsburg, and contains as its main ingredients drinking water (as opposed to non-potable water) and edible salt and sugar (versus inedible). While the illustration on the cover looked a bit like tripe, there were no meat in... (read more) 2.5/5.0
chinese vegetables weird jmart schezuan spicy weilong konjac crisp 2.5
Dominique Ansel Bakery Blooming Matcha Latte: To celebrate their 7th birthday, the Dominique Ansel Bakery in Soho recreated several desserts normally exclusively available at their other locations around the world, including Los Angeles, London, and Tokyo. This blooming matcha latte from Japan consists of a marshmallow whose petals unfurl when placed into the hot beverage. At the center of the sakura marshmallow is what seemed to be a sugar cube, acting as the pistil. The beverage itself has a rich but slightly bitter flavor distinct... (read more) 3.5/5.0
drinks nyc dab latte marshmallow dominiqueansel greentea tea dominiqueanselbakery blooming matcha 3.5 recommended
Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar kettle chips : It's crunchy. It's a little bit spicy. And it's a-ok. Nothing particularly memorable here. 3.0/5.0
potatochips bouldercanyon jalapeno cheddar kettle chips 3.0
Choya Yowanai Ume Soda: This Japanese soda is made by drink-maker Choya, who seems to specialize in liquors. This non-alcoholic soda was purchased from Momofuku Bang Bar in NYC, and while it has what appears to be a peach or nectarine on the can, it's ume-flavored, which is a type of Japanese plum. The drink has a really distinct fruit flavor that is unlike any other fruit soda I've had before – slightly tangy, it reminds me of those asian pickled plum candies, but as if all the sourness typically associated with... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks japanese ume plum choya yowanai soda 3.5