Vegetables, bubbles, flowers and artisanal coffee
Well, it's not surprising that I was out today to eat again and try a vegetarian dim sum house, of course as part of my chef training and tastings. We went to Vegetarian Dim Sum House on 24 Pell Street in NY, which as the name implies serves only vegetarian dim sum. The food was quite good. Then, after strolling to work off my dim sum I went out for a favourite green tea bubble tea at the Green Tea Cafe on 40 Mott Street.
I then went to East Village, my favourite neighbourhood these days, to visit the "green witch doctor" and her herbs and roots shop called Flower Power at 406 E 9 Street between 1st and A. Website is www.flowerpower.net. Yuki went there for her cold and she was given a tea that made her feel better. I have just come down with a cold and am need of something to help me so Yuki took me there. I drank my tea tonight and did start to feel better, so even if it's psychological, if it works...
Afterwards, I visited some friends of friends in "Alphabet City", which is at the eastern edge of East Village and the roads run from A-D and surround Tompkins Square Park. This is an area that years ago was dangerous with a high crime and drug rate and no one wanted to venture into it. My friends said that 15 years ago no friends wanted to visit and cabs would not drive into this area as they said it was too dangerous. Their one floor of a former factory was incredibly bad and they transformed it into this incredibly beautiful loft full of Japanese-influenced design and light. Now, this Alphabet City area has been renovated and is was one of the hottest and growing areas of Manhattan. Tompkins Square used to be a place to avoid and now is a nice small park (same designer that made Central Park) with a full and fun dog run and people all around. How times change.
The people I visited said I had to go to the place that makes the most beautiful and best coffee in NYC and was just around the corner. How could I refuse? Ninth Street Espresso at 700E 9th Street in Alphabet City had a big write up in the NY Times this week as an artisanal coffee shop and and therefore has increased popularity and buzz, and the article talks about espresso's new wave in town as a culinary art. One of the owners of the funky coffee shop was trained at one of the best places for coffee in Seattle called Victrola Coffee and Art in Seattle and is a perfectionist "barista" with fresh roasted beans and a special esperesso machine called Cyncra made by Synesso that costs $9500 and only 175 machines have been made in Seattle. What is interesting is that the barista manipulates the steamed milk pitcher and tops lattes and cappuccinos with hearts and clovers and more. When pouring a pattern called rosetta, which looks like a branch of a fern, baristas distinguish themselves by how many fronds - achieved by a quick trick of the wrist - they can can deck it out with. The owner has occasionally dispensed the 28-leaf rosetta. Mine had around 10 leaves I think and was beautiful, and the cafe latte I had was rich and very good. Only in NYC! Here's the link for the cafe... http://ninthstreetespresso.com/
I then went to East Village, my favourite neighbourhood these days, to visit the "green witch doctor" and her herbs and roots shop called Flower Power at 406 E 9 Street between 1st and A. Website is www.flowerpower.net. Yuki went there for her cold and she was given a tea that made her feel better. I have just come down with a cold and am need of something to help me so Yuki took me there. I drank my tea tonight and did start to feel better, so even if it's psychological, if it works...
Afterwards, I visited some friends of friends in "Alphabet City", which is at the eastern edge of East Village and the roads run from A-D and surround Tompkins Square Park. This is an area that years ago was dangerous with a high crime and drug rate and no one wanted to venture into it. My friends said that 15 years ago no friends wanted to visit and cabs would not drive into this area as they said it was too dangerous. Their one floor of a former factory was incredibly bad and they transformed it into this incredibly beautiful loft full of Japanese-influenced design and light. Now, this Alphabet City area has been renovated and is was one of the hottest and growing areas of Manhattan. Tompkins Square used to be a place to avoid and now is a nice small park (same designer that made Central Park) with a full and fun dog run and people all around. How times change.
The people I visited said I had to go to the place that makes the most beautiful and best coffee in NYC and was just around the corner. How could I refuse? Ninth Street Espresso at 700E 9th Street in Alphabet City had a big write up in the NY Times this week as an artisanal coffee shop and and therefore has increased popularity and buzz, and the article talks about espresso's new wave in town as a culinary art. One of the owners of the funky coffee shop was trained at one of the best places for coffee in Seattle called Victrola Coffee and Art in Seattle and is a perfectionist "barista" with fresh roasted beans and a special esperesso machine called Cyncra made by Synesso that costs $9500 and only 175 machines have been made in Seattle. What is interesting is that the barista manipulates the steamed milk pitcher and tops lattes and cappuccinos with hearts and clovers and more. When pouring a pattern called rosetta, which looks like a branch of a fern, baristas distinguish themselves by how many fronds - achieved by a quick trick of the wrist - they can can deck it out with. The owner has occasionally dispensed the 28-leaf rosetta. Mine had around 10 leaves I think and was beautiful, and the cafe latte I had was rich and very good. Only in NYC! Here's the link for the cafe... http://ninthstreetespresso.com/
posted by Caroline at 8:44 PM
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