Introduction

East Village – a portrait of old meets new, where NYU students haunt the streets along with old-timers, where dive bars and second-hand clothing shops are nestled between tattoo parlours and uber-trendy restaurants, where weird becomes weirder,  where hipsters were conceived before flocking further eastwards across the bridge to Williamsburg, and where ….*drum roll*… you may find not one, or two, but three marvellous dessert bars!  Now isn’t that a legitimate idea to replace lunch or dinner? ;p

Dessert spo-(r)-t!

•  Dessert destination: Spot Dessert Bar, East Village (also located in Korea Town and Flushing).
•  Short and sweet story: For the ravenous dessert adventurer, Spot offers at least 7-8 dessert options.  Classically generous American sizing, they feature the occasional inflection of Asian flavours.  The regular menu ranges from a molten chocolate cake erupting with matcha lava, a potted cheesecake screaming for the millennial paparazzi to please, please come visit and take a photo, a camp fire-style half-baked cookie skillet laced with icecream and chocolate sauce, and a hefty chunk of honeyed toast.  Seasonal variations abound – we have sampled an orange-shaped citrus mousse, and black sesame tofu cake pudding. A tip from your Dessert Correspondents: we actually prefer the KoreaTown location, because bigger tables = more desserts ;p

Dessert bento

•  Dessert destination: Cha-An, East Village.
•  Short and sweet story: Set up almost like a hidden ryokan above street level, Cha-An is an escape from the bustle of East Village. Desserts are as subtle as the hushed environs – here you will find sundae creations stuffed with chewy balls of mochi, icy sugared bowls of kakigori (shaved iced), but take our tip, rise out of bed early on a weekend, go early and order Cha-An’s “jewel” bento box. It is truly, a beautiful bijoux.

Dessert barre

•  Dessert destination: Chikalicious Dessert Bar, East Village.
•  Short and sweet story:  Wikipedia defines barre as a “form of physical exercise, usually conducted in group classes” and distinguishable “by its use of the ballet.” Ever tried dessert barre before?  These Dessert Correspondents define that as a form of physical exercise whereby the dessert adventurer exercises his/her eyes on the pastry chef crafting his/her dessert, his/her olfactory and taste senses sampling said dessert, and his/her stomach muscles slowly digesting same. For elegant desserts in a quasi-restaurant set-up, consider the 3-course $18 prix fixe menu at Chikalicious. An amuse bouche or palate cleanser is followed by a main, then a plate of petite fours. Wine and tea pairing is also available. We recommend the panna cotta main surrounded by quenelles of lime verbena sorbet.