Toasted Marshmallow Shake
by Celia Cheng
May 27th, 2008
STAND
24 E 12th St
(5th Ave & University Pl)
212-488-5900
$
Stand may be a burger joint, but it’s probably best known for it’s toasted marshmallow shake. This glass of pure decadence is something everyone should try at least once, even if you’re not a big fan of sweets. A sip of the thick, rich ice cream shake is sure to evoke, “Oh my god! What is this heavenly delight?” What’s more, it’s topped with two real toasted marshmallows! As you down this drink, you’ll experience euphoria.
Posted in American , Dairy , Drinks , Greenwich Village , Sweets
Bibingka (Philippine rice cake baked in banana leaves with feta & Gouda cheese)
by Celia Cheng
April 28th, 2008
CENDRILLON
45 Mercer St #A
(Broome & Grand St)
212-343-9012
$$
Cendrillon’s bibingka is a sweet and savory cake that I could eat all day long as a snack or dessert. Made with galapong — rice soaked overnight then ground into a wet batter — it’s lighter and fluffier than most Western cakes. Sprinkled with sugar, Gouda and French feta cheese and then baked under high heat on banana leaves, the top caramelizes, becoming a crusty layer that adds a contrasting savory flavor to the sweet spongy cake. Filipino food is certainly not light, and after a copiously delightful meal at Cendrillon, it’s hard to imagine having a cheese-crusted cake, but no matter how stuffed you are, a piece of bibingka is definitely the way to end this perfect ethnic brunch.
Posted in Brunch , Cheese , Dessert , Filipino , SoHo , Sweets
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Crisps
by Cristy-Lucie Alvarado
March 17th, 2008
DUANE READE
More store locations
I bought a bag of Chocolate Covered Pretzel Crisps that never made it into my kitchen. The Snack factory makes a variety of savory Pretzel Crisps like garlic and buffalo wing, and I recently tried the chocolate-covered ones at a party. They were in the kitchen, not even on the food table. I felt rude and out of line, but I couldn’t stop eating them. So I bought my own and now I am addicted. It’s as if they got an old fashioned chunky pretzel, sliced it in half, then flattened it, leaving a thin crunchy pretzel cracker. They are covered in dark chocolate, but at only 45% cacao they don’t taste bitter at all. These treats are a perfect mix of savory and sweet, and who doesn’t love that playful contrast!
Posted in American , Snack , Sweets
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Custard Bao
by Celia Cheng
December 17th, 2007
CHINATOWN BRASSERIE
380 Lafayette St
@ Great Jones St
212-533-7000
$$$
Bao means buns in Chinese, and these custard bao from Chinatown Brasserie are not only the perfect dessert, but also an ideal snack with coffee or tea any time of day. These bite-size custard pastries — sweet custard wrapped in a chewy, light bun — take inspiration from regular-sized breakfast pastries found in Chinese bakeries. The decorative white and brown swirls on top look like the icing on a cinnamon bun. The custard bao, however, is much lighter and more refined but still takes care of that sweet tooth.
Posted in Chinese , East Village , Sweets
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Mochi Ice Cream
by Celia Cheng
November 15th, 2007
BUBBIES
Bierkraft
191 5th Ave
(5th & 6th Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-230-7600
$
Also sold at Whole Foods stores in New York
I grew up eating Bubbies ice cream in Honolulu (on University Avenue, next to Varsity Theater) and I always loved it. And it seems that mainlanders feel the same way as Bubbies has made its way across the Pacific Ocean, selling products to top restaurants and markets throughout the mainland. Their mochi ice cream has become rather ubiquitous in gourmet food stores in the City. Mochi ice cream, a modern Japanese desset, is an ice-cream-filled rice cake. I’m currently hooked on the guava. It’s light, delicate and flavorful, and the pink mochi skin is soft, thin and chewy. Even when extremely frozen, I can’t help but eagerly pop them in my mouth. Never too hard to bite into, they are a treat I don’t tire of.
Posted in Dessert , Japanese , LES , Park Slope , Sweets , UES , Union Square , UWS
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