Fong On Can't Go Wrong Tofu Pudding with Red Beans, Grass Jelly, and Taro Balls: Fong On is a small family-run tofu shop on Division Street in Chinatown, right next to the Manhattan Bridge. I found out about it from a profile in the New York Times a few months ago, describing how the long-standing neighborhood tofu shop, which had been open for 80 years, had recently relocated and reopened after the son took over the family business. They sell freshly made soy milk, rice cakes, and doufu hua, all traditional Chinese favorites. Doufu hua is kind of like getting frozen ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended chinatown nyc tofu doufuhua doufu fongon can't go wrong pudding red beans grass jelly taro balls 3.5
Yum Earth Organic Candy Corn: I didn't know that organic candy corn was a thing, but of course the Park Slope Coop had it, as well as other Halloween-candy alternatives. The bag contains 10 individual snack packs. Natural colorants like annatto and turmeric replace artificial dyes; this gives the candy a slightly duller color palette than typical neon-yellow candy corn. Flavor-wise, though, the candy taste remarkably similar, like honey and sugar with a little bit of a caramel aftertaste. Each serving still contains ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended candy halloween candycorn yumearth organic corn 3.5 parkslopefoodcoop
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
Peter Pan Bakery Blueberry glazed donut: One of my co-workers graciously brought a selection of donuts from Peter Pan in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a local favorite I've always wanted to try. This glazed blueberry cake donut was as good as any cake donut I've had, which is to say ok but not really a style I'd choose on my own. It has a crumbly, slightly dry texture; the sugar glaze was extremely sweet; the blueberries, though, felt generous and were slightly tart. 3.0/5.0
dessert brooklyn peterpanbakery blueberry glazed donut 3.0
Clio Hazelnut Greek yogurt bar: Bought a second flavor of this yogurt dessert bar from Clio at the Park Slope Food Coop. The first one I tried was a chocolate covered strawberry treat, whose tartness I was impressed by. I was less impressed by this hazelnut flavored bar, mostly because it had less of a distinctive flavor (reminding me of a tart version of the noguat in a Milky Way candy bar, but texturally more set) and the interior ate very dry so that drinking a glass of milk on the side feels like a necessity. Like the ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
yogurt chocolate clio hazelnut greek bar 3.0 parkslopefoodcoop
Dream Pretzels Sesame Pressels: Baked pretzel chips, shaped like flat mini bagels and golden brown at the edges. Not very seasoned on their own, so the predominant flavor comes from the nuttiness of the white sesame seeds. The packaging is upfront about this, with a label indicating it has 35% less sodium this regular pretzels. They beg to be eaten with a dip, and they taste particularly good with hummus. Purchased at the Park Slope Coop. 3.0/5.0
dreampretzels sesame pressels 3.0 parkslopefoodcoop