Yesterday, we found the coolest place:
That’s coconut soft-serve, above, and it was absolutely fabulous!
Nestled into the Hell’s Kitchen area, Kyotofu is a modern Japanese restaurant and dessert bar with exquisitely-presented food. Although the establishment isn’t vegetarian, some of its offerings are completely vegan, such as two seasonally-rotating flavors of soft-serve ice cream.
We were lucky enough to go on a day when the flavors were coconut and Thai chili chocolate.
Yes, Thai chili chocolate.
The first spoonful simply tasted like chocolate (really delicious chocolate). But watch out!
It has quite a kick, so you’d better be prepared with water. Above is one of Kyotofu’s gorgeous sundaes: fresh berries, chocolate cookie crumbles, green tea mochi, and the most delectable caramel sauce I have ever tasted. (I want to try and recreate the caramel—which has a special ingredient—as soon as I get back to Texas.)
After snack, we explored The Westerly Market. Jessica is my health-food-shopping partner in crime, and I have to take advantage… because when S comes he won’t want to do any of this!
If only I lived closer, I would’ve taken home one of their many raw pies or cakes: Tiramisu, Strawberry Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cream Pie…
Instead, I went with something more portable: chocolate!
(We also explored a few other shops, including a fun little four-story place called “Lee’s Art Shop,” which sold gifts, lights, art supplies, and toys.)
Dinner was at Josies, a charming vegetarian-friendly restaurant on the Upper West Side:
I was happy to find that the vegan lentil loaf I’d so loved on my previous visit hadn’t changed at all. The loaf features organic lentils, mushroom, sweet potato, and tahini, and it was just as flavorful, soft, and comforting as I remembered from last summer.
What’s the weirdest ice cream flavor you’ve ever seen?
There’s a gelato place near me that sells Black Pepper, as well as Violet and Chocolate Jalapeño. And in California, they have a summer garlic festival with garlic ice cream! Awhile back, someone sent me a link to the top 100 weirdest ice cream flavors ever, which listed things like Squid Ink, Chicken Wing, and Soy Sauce Ice Cream! Oh, and Viagra ice cream. 😕
Link of the Day:
I LOVE the chili chocolate combination! Reminds me of a Mexican Chili I make using a bit of dark chocolate. Ohhh now my mouths watering and I’m 2 hours away to lunch – t.r.o.u.b.l.e.!
Indeed… I also think they are much alike! Plus, I love hot and spicy, so it’s a great combination for me…
I LOVE eating my way through NYC! Enjoy!
In Maine, there’s a place called Ben and Bills that sells Lobster Ice Cream. Dad loved it. I wouldn’t try it. Ever. (http://www.benandbills.com/ic_lobster.html) However, their other flavors were fabulous!
That ice cream looks incredible! I think the strangest ice cream flavor I’ve ever seen was fresh cucumber.
Wow, I have to say I think that sounds amazing!!
Egg and Bacon ice cream from http://www.thefatduck.co.uk!
I like some variations on the chili chocolate theme, but some are too spicy for my taste! That said, I’m always up for some adventure & excitement in the exotic flavor department :).
Weirdest flavor? Hmmm. I actually think of Jelly Bellies when I think of weird flavors (buttered popcorn, for example), but there’s nothing to weird for me. If it’s vegan, I’ll try it!
Yum! The ice cream looks delish! The strangest combination I have seem is bacon vanilla ice cream.
The vegan lentil loaf looks delicious! Are you going to try to recreate that one too? I would love to try a recipe like that.
Me too!
Agreed!
Go to Lula’s Sweet Apothecary or I will have to cut you, Katie. 😉
Also, Cinnamon Snail Food truck.
Shoot, just check out my buddy Abby’s blog for places to go!
http://a-soy-bean.blogspot.com/
I’ve told her I’m coming to run a race in NYC, stay with her and have her drag me all over just stuffing food into my mouth. Ahhhh. Excellent. This will happen eventually!
Definitely planning to go to Lula’s!! 🙂
Oh, thanks for sharing! I just checked out Josies website, and it looks wonderful. It’s the first restaurant in NYC that I actually feel inclined to visit (and I’ve done a LOT of researching!). I will take my family there next week.
Yum mm this is awesome wish u could make a coconut soft serve recipe and the vegan lentil loaf. I’m making your chocolate chip cookie pie and my mom wants me to make some cookie or cake batter dip for a party .
I’m so excited!!!!!!!!
Those flavours sound amazing! I suppose the weirdest ice cream I’ve ever seen would have to be the pickle one that was offered one year at a specialty shop. Sadly I didn’t have the nerve to try it. As for the garlic ice cream, I have the recipe! It’s in a book put out by a local heirloom seed grower and involves honey. But if you know of a substitute for honey (the cloves need to steep in the honey) then perhaps it’s doable for you 🙂
Oh wow! I desperately want to visit those places. And another vote for a recreated lentil loaf.
I really like the choco-chili combo, but it’s been so long since I’ve had any. Never seen it as ice cream though. I think the only ice cream I’ve thought was weird was Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food – until I learned it wasn’t Fish food. I seriously thought it was made fish and scales and things seeweedy. :S
Look at all of that kombucha!! *sigh*
Popcorn and lobster ice cream. EWW!
yummmmm omg that coconut soft serve looks so good, however, I’ve always been partial to mint flavored “ice creams” lol
This looks so good! Love coconut….