Last week, the New York Times published “The 25 Essential Pastries to Eat in NYC,” which of course, I studied top to bottom and figured out when I was going to each one of them. So last Friday, after teaching, I decided to head down to ChinaTown for a long overdue massage (my favorite place in NYC is Renew Day Spa) and a stop at Banh by Lauren to get the Bahn Bo.
First of all, this bakery / cafe was incredibly gorgeous. Located far east of chinatown, it stood out immediately with its beautiful green hues and sophisticated look. Walking in felt very peaceful — almost like a museum.
The NYTimes said that the must was this cake -bahn bo — aka honeycomb cake. It is crusty on the outside with an airy, chewiness of tapioca flour in the middle. Only a little sweet, but the perfect sweetness. The green comes from pandas, a plan with a grassy vanilla flavor.
Vietnamese, French, American bakery.
I got a loaf of the honeycomb cake. AND a chocolate chip cooke (which I didn’t photograph because it was so good that we ate it in 2 seconds).
The cake is pre sliced.
Look at this beauty.
The sponginess.
Definitely worth checking out — especially if you pair it with a ChinaTown excursion like foot massage and bodywork of some kind (or soup dumplings). I can’t wait to try the other 24 essential pastries in NYC — and this one was 100% worth it.
