As part of our Snack Store sequence, Annie Arriaga investigates the most recent and biggest 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 all the time 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 listing 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 images 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 places throughout Ontario and this new spot is their American debut. The homeowners, Brian Tran and Harry Pham, are identified within the Vietnamese Canadian group for all issues salty egg yolk and the yellow coloration of the partitions is paying homage to this particular signature ingredient. A self-proclaimed “trendy 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 positive to not eat breakfast earlier than making my approach to the East Village to test it out and provides it my finest score.
The Snacks
However first, a proper disclaimer: I can solely eat a lot, and I might have eaten extra if I might, however I did my darndest to get the most effective of the most effective for this episode. I stored it savory as a result of I strongly consider that that is the place La La Bakeshop really stands out from the remaining. Thanks prematurely!
Picture by Anna Arriaga
Salted Cream Iced Espresso. I may very well be barely biased since I’m considered one of Vietnamese espresso’s greatest 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 finest promoting drink, and it’s extraordinarily well-liked in Vietnam. Not a lot to say right here besides that it is scrumptious!
Salted Egg Lava Bun. A fluffy little milk bun stuffed with salty egg sauce and topped with pork floss. Learn that once more. It tastes like a breakfast sandwich in all the best methods—candy bread, salty inside. Should you’re not a fan of pork floss or the sensation of biting right into a runny yolk I guess you must skip this one, but additionally, perhaps you must rethink your preferences.
Picture by Anna Arriaga
Butter Garlic Cream Cheese Bun. Should you like biscuits, this one’s for you. It’s all of the issues I like about biscuits however stuffed with a garlic cream cheese and reduce in cute little mini slices for sharing. We’ve got an identical recipe if this description is inspiring you to make this at house, which I extremely encourage you to do in case you stay outdoors 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, nonetheless, she is value mentioning! I needed to pattern a minimum of considered one of their candy pastries, and I used to be not disillusioned. The little purple bun is stuffed with 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.
Ultimate Ranking
Should you couldn’t inform from my facial expressions in my video, I completely loved the entire La La Bakeshop treats. The worker stated that they often promote out of their salty egg pastries on weekends, however once we went on a Monday morning, they have 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 feel they’re doing cool, fascinating issues with flavors and so they have one thing for everybody, salty and candy lovers alike (further factors in case you like each collectively).
Should you’re studying this and you’ve got a suggestion for a Snack Store within the metropolis that I need to go to and actually price (good AND unhealthy ideas welcome), go away a remark right here or on our Snack Store TikTok video. I like ideas!
