As part of our Snack Store sequence, Annie Arriaga investigates the newest and best viral snack retailers in New York Metropolis to see if the hype is actual, if the snacks are yummy, and if the spot is underrated, overrated, or completely rated.
Not each new pop-up, bakery, restaurant, or market can go viral—and everyone knows that going viral doesn’t at all times equal good meals. And but, when my coworker despatched me an Instagram from La La Bakeshop, a Vietnamese bakery with a line across the block on a weekday, I knew I needed to attempt it. It has been on my record of new-ish locations to go to as a result of I am a giant fan of Vietnamese espresso (who doesn’t like condensed milk?) and savory pastries. After scrolling via pictures of salty chilly foam espresso and taro lava buns, I queued up La La Bakeshop to be the following place I go to for Snack Store.
Initially from Canada, the bake store has a number of areas throughout Ontario and this new spot is their American debut. The homeowners, Brian Tran and Harry Pham, are recognized within the Vietnamese Canadian group for all issues salty egg yolk and the yellow colour of the partitions is harking back to this particular signature ingredient. A self-proclaimed “fashionable Vietnamese bakery for all,” I used to be excited to see the steadiness of each savory and candy pastries on their menu. From matcha tiramisu to salted egg croissants, I made certain to not eat breakfast earlier than making my option to the East Village to test it out and provides it my greatest ranking.
The Snacks
However first, a proper disclaimer: I can solely eat a lot, and I’d have eaten extra if I may, however I did my darndest to get the very best of the very best for this episode. I saved it savory as a result of I strongly imagine that that is the place La La Bakeshop really stands out from the remainder. Thanks prematurely!
Picture by Anna Arriaga
Salted Cream Iced Espresso. I might be barely biased since I’m considered one of Vietnamese espresso’s largest followers; I love something salty candy, plus, it’s extremely near the flavors of my beloved Cuban espresso. Principally, this drink is an iced latte topped with a sea salt chilly foam and sprinkled with cocoa powder. It’s their greatest promoting drink, and it’s extraordinarily fashionable in Vietnam. Not a lot to say right here besides that it is scrumptious!
Salted Egg Lava Bun. A fluffy little milk bun full of salty egg sauce and topped with pork floss. Learn that once more. It tastes like a breakfast sandwich in all the fitting methods—candy bread, salty inside. If you happen to’re not a fan of pork floss or the sensation of biting right into a runny yolk I guess you need to skip this one, but additionally, possibly you need to rethink your preferences.
Picture by Anna Arriaga
Butter Garlic Cream Cheese Bun. If you happen to like biscuits, this one’s for you. It’s all of the issues I really like about biscuits however full of a garlic cream cheese and minimize in cute little mini slices for sharing. Now we have an identical recipe if this description is inspiring you to make this at house, which I extremely encourage you to do should you dwell exterior NYC. The dough was a tad dry-ish, however I couldn’t resist consuming the entire thing.
Picture by Anna Arriaga
Taro Lava Bun. I didn’t have time to place this one into the ultimate video, nevertheless, she is value mentioning! I needed to pattern at the least considered one of their candy pastries, and I used to be not dissatisfied. The little purple bun is full of a house-made taro cream sauce and is the cutest two-bite snack. Fortunately not too candy and was well-balanced in taste and texture.
Remaining Ranking
If you happen to couldn’t inform from my facial expressions in my video, I totally loved the entire La La Bakeshop treats. The worker stated that they often promote out of their salty egg pastries on weekends, however after we went on a Monday morning, they had been comparatively empty. I haven’t seen a lot social media buzz on this cute spot, so I declare La La Bakeshop to be an underrated Snack Store. I believe they’re doing cool, attention-grabbing issues with flavors they usually have one thing for everybody, salty and candy lovers alike (further factors should you like each collectively).
If you happen to’re studying this and you’ve got a suggestion for a Snack Store within the metropolis that I have to go to and truthfully price (good AND dangerous solutions welcome), depart a remark right here or on our Snack Store TikTok video. I really like solutions!
