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 haven’t really seen any strange flavours near where I live. A few years ago I had green tea ice cream with fresh figs and it was delicious.
That vegan lentil loaf looks so good, it’s making me hungry!
I’m sure S will come along with you if you want to do health food shopping and such- just maybe not willingly 😉 haha.
I just love that you’re in NYC and going to all these parts of the city that I go to every day, yet I’ve never heard of some of these restaurants and such! I’m definitely trying them out! Weirdest ice cream? Well I work at an ice cream shop back at home and there’s nothing too incredibly weird (nothing beyond egg nog) but I will say that the most difficult to scoop is the watermelon Italian ice….it doesn’t stay together and all, so it drives me crazy when someone orders that on a sugar cone!! Lol….
Viagara ice cream? That’s just really, really worrisome that that even exists.
you would make my world if you figured out a GOOD recipe for dairy free caramel. i’ll be waiting (im)patiently for you to work your magic!
The serving of chocolate ice cream looks huge! Was it? I like that!
Have you been to Lula’s yet? It’s my favorite place. They let you try as many ice cream flavors as you like. My favorite’s cake batter!
The weirdest flavors I’ve seen are probably lavender choc. Chip, mango cucumber(which was actually amazing), and rose(also surprisingly amazing!). I found a gelato place with a couple vegan options while I was traveling this past week, and they had banana peanut butter ice cream and I thought of you. :). It was the greatest! I kept thinking of your “low cal pb” spread.
The UK chef Heston Blumenthal makes bacon and egg, mustard and cheese on toast ice cream! Not my cup of tea, it has to be said 🙂
Often when you remember a restaurant dish as that good for that long, it’s a disappointment so I’m glad the loaf was as good as you hoped it would be!
I don’t think I have ever seen any wierd flavor ice creams. Just the usual flavors. I would like to see a man brave enough to order Viagra ice cream though.
I don’t know if you take requests, but I just made an awesome cookie dough cheesecake and recently had cheesecake factory’s version of it and would love to know how to make a healthified version! 🙂
Cool! I will read your post and i will note your good spot for my next trip in NY! Thanks!
And lemon ice cream is the weirdest I’ve seen, not too strange, but I just can’t picture it tasting very good.
it’s so cool you went to Westerley’s! I work about a block from there and sometimes pick up yummy things for lunch there! I love it.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a weird flavor of ice cream. I really like anything with chocolate in it though! 😉
Wow, thanks for sharing about a unknown to me place in my own city! That’s the beauty of NYC, there’s always a new place to try :). I wish I’ve had strange ice creams, but most of the ones I’ve tried are rather typical. 2 of my favorite favors are anything coffee/ mocha/ espresso/etc, and cherry amaretto. I also prefer coconut based ice creams. So far my favorite ice cream in the city is Lulas apothecary- wow, what a treat!
I’m sure you’re super booked for your time here in NY, but if you wanted to meet up, please let me know! I’ve been following your blog from literally day number 1, so it would be great to “meet,” you, but obviously I understand that you probably don’t have any free time. Either way, I hope you have a great trip and let me know if you want any recommendations!