A dreamy Chinese high tea in NYC.
Our experience
High tea is not a NYC forte — after quite a number of high tea experiences in NYC, we have yet to come across a venue that offers the lavish dessert spreads seen in Asia and Australia, or the cultivated creativity of desserts seen in London. And for the longest time, afternoon tea in NYC has largely been English-centric in style. Aside from Cha-An’s Japanese high tea, the subtly Asian-French offerings of Prince Tea House, the Thai flowers afternoon tea at Sarisa and the modern Chinese desserts at Duo Cafe, allow us to introduce you to a very traditional Chinese high tea in NYC.
QM Dessert Lab is located in the basement of a nondescript building in Flushing. You wouldn’t even know it existed unless you were hunting it down as we were! Inside, it’s a simply beautiful immersive space — akin to a teashop from a historical Chinese drama, complete with a guqin positioned under a delicate cherry blossom tree hung with red trinkets, and a row of unadorned tables and chairs in the ancient Chinese style. Behind bamboo curtains, there is even a sitting room furnished with a low table and painted watercolour scrolls. QM’s desserts are just as finely considered as the setting. The menu includes traditional Chinese flower pastries filled with split pea, mung bean, and red bean, and there are also more modern jelly-like cakes sculpted into the shape of a peony or mini dragon. The pastries were just under $20 for four, and each of the jelly cakes were less than $5 each — unheard-of prices in a city where soaring inflation (and hype) has resulted in very average soporific croissants now commanding a minimum of $8 a piece.
Our verdict
From the everyday Cantonese bakeries in NYC’s Manhattan Chinatown to the elevated modern desserts at Ando and Duo Cafe to now QM, we are loving the nascent emergence of more Chinese-focused dessert spots in NYC. QM is a beautiful introduction to the world of ancient Chinese pastry making, and we very much look forward to returning as well as keeping an eye out for more Chinese dessert spots like it.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: QM (青沐) Dessert Lab, 133-48 37th Ave #1B, Flushing
- ☑ Budget: $-$$.
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: High Tea.
- ☑ Must-eat: Traditional Chinese desserts.
- ☑ The short and sweet story: A dreamy Chinese high tea in NYC.
Dessert Correspondents 