New York is at its hottest during the summer months. Fret not, though. There are many spots to cool down whether on top of a rooftop or in a secret speakeasy bar.
4. Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream: This is a cross between San Franciscan staples Bi-Rite for its long lines and The Ice Cream Bar for its 60s ice cream parlor theme. Morgenstern's specializes in unique flavors so we got a dose of labneh and sweet potato, which is a runaway winner in my book.
Iced, Iced Baby
5. Cha Cha Matcha: My jet lag was creeping up on me when I realized that Cha Cha Matcha, a cafe that I found via my Instagram feed, was only a few blocks away. Since I'm a matcha lover and not a coffee drinker, I ordered a pick-me-up hot matcha. I burnt my tongue on my first sip though and asked for a cup of ice instead. Sad to say, I was disappointed with what became an iced matcha compared to the matcha I've had from Tsujiri, an authentic matcha cafe.
I give this cafe extra beanie points for their great branding and highly Instagrammable interior decor.
6. Momofuku Milk Bar: Your dear blogger is lactose intolerant, but I've always been intrigued of how Momofuku built its empire with cereal milk. When I chanced upon a Momofuku Milk Bar while walking around Brooklyn, I opted for the cold cereal milk instead of the soft serve. It tasted like regular milk with blended corn flakes. I used to do the same thing as a teenager, but the only difference is that I don't filter out the cereal bits so it becomes a smoothie. FYI, this milk didn't give me tummy issues :)
8. Beauty and Essex: Be prepared to feast your eyes once you enter this secret restaurant through a pawn shop. Besides from the blinding chandeliers, the upscale cocktails, particularly the honey whiskey with slushie, take the spotlight.
This is the first post of my 4-part New York gastronomic misadventure series. Watch out for more!
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| Hello NYC! |
Melt in Your Mouth
Ice creams are always on top of my list. From soft served to rolled, these delights with unique flavors are sure to scintillate your senses.
1. Big Gay Ice Cream: What was once an ice cream truck now has a storefront. Several ones, in fact, in New York plus Philadelphia. Big Gay Ice Cream is popular for its soft serve dumped in chocolate. I got mine with an extra dose of peanut butter that was a great post-dinner treat.
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| Chocolate ice cream at Big Gay Ice Cream |
2. Besfren: This super cute Korean cafe located in Koreatown (where else?!?) sources their ice cream from Ice & Vice and Il Labratorio del Gelato. After taste testing most of their flavors, I got a scoop of the decadent Tea Dance, which is a Nilgiri tea with lemon charcoal caramel swirl, from Ice & Vice. For those of you not in the know, I've been educating myself about global tea distribution ever since my tea shopping trip in Taiwan. Nilgiri is a black tea that is mostly grown in Southern India.
Tip: Besfren is more than just a cafe. It also sells Korean skincare products.
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| Tea Dance from Besfren. Apologies for the melting ice cream since I got too busy taking pictures first. |
3. 10 Below Ice Cream: Be prepared to be entertained at this Thai-style ice cream shop in Chinatown. Ice cream rolls, which are made on a high-tech cold plate, are all the rage these days, and the process itself makes for a good Snapchat or Instagram story. So snap away!
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| My matcha roll with berries. Not the best in terms of taste but fun to look at how they made my roll. |
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| My eating buddies for the day busy chatting about something. |
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| Their wall states, "Shut up and eat ice cream." #QOTD |
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| Sweet potato on top. Labneh on bottom. |
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| Beautiful wall art across the street. |
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| Long line but moves fast. Only location at the Lower East Village. |
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| The eating trio. |
5. Cha Cha Matcha: My jet lag was creeping up on me when I realized that Cha Cha Matcha, a cafe that I found via my Instagram feed, was only a few blocks away. Since I'm a matcha lover and not a coffee drinker, I ordered a pick-me-up hot matcha. I burnt my tongue on my first sip though and asked for a cup of ice instead. Sad to say, I was disappointed with what became an iced matcha compared to the matcha I've had from Tsujiri, an authentic matcha cafe.
I give this cafe extra beanie points for their great branding and highly Instagrammable interior decor.
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| Hi there, Cha Cha Matcha. |
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| Nice wall you have there! |
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| My hot matcha became iced matcha. |
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| Felt like a baby sipping this milk. |
Iced, Iced Baby (Adult Version)
7. Mother's Ruin: Known for its booze-filled slushies, NOLITA's finest gin joint is a good pitstop for a pre-dinner soiree or as a shelter while waiting for an afternoon downpour to stop. The photo below is not a slushie, but a custom-made drink that my fellow blogger, sssourabh, got.
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| Sample taste test on the shot glass. |
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| Before the downpour. |
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| Pour the whiskey in the slushie or drink it up on its own. |
9. The Fat Radish: To cleanse the body from an evening of fun affairs, head over to the farm-to-table restaurant, The Fat Radish, for a healthy brunch. The bloody mary is as fresh as it can get.
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| Bloody Mary paired with a healthy brunch meal. |
10. Angel's Share: This secret speakeasy bar specializing in Asian-infused cocktails is hard to find. My friend even got lost trying to find this spot. Finally, we headed upstairs to a Japanese restaurant where the sushi chefs pointed where the secret doorway is to Angel's Share.
Saving for the best for last... my favorite drink from all my New York shenanigans is the Flirtibird cocktail with plum salt rim, refreshingly sweet to beat the nighttime summer breeze, brought to you by Angel's Share.
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| Flirtibird with barley shochu Mizu no Mai, shiso, yuzu juice, agave nectar. |
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| My other favorite spot at the Highline. |
