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:
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….
oh my gosh, that coconut froyo looks delicious! Now I just want some frozen yogurt!
i’ve never heard of that grocery store – i wish i had one near me!!! is the grocery store similar to a Whole Foods??
I love all of these spots you went to in the city (Kyotofu! Westerly Market! Lee’s!). Made me nostalgic! I left NYC for Arizona in April, and the food is what I miss most about the city 🙂
If you haven’t already, and are still in NYC – you absolutely MUST go to Stogo. It is a 100% vegan ice cream shop on the lower east side. Indescribably delicious and they slays have tone of flavors!!
Also check out Dirt Candy – a truly inventive vegan/vegetarian restaurant also on the lower east side.
oh my gosh, I’m going to have to try that restaurant! that coconut ice cream is calling my name!