Bien Cuit

Oh, Bien Cuit, I wanted to like you, I really did. I had read good things and the bakery looked adorable. But alas, even though I wanted to like it, I didn't. 

Love their logo and the look of the bakery.

Walk in and there's seating to the left and the baked good displayed to the right.

Harney & Sons tea is served here. I got an iced tea in Winter White Earl Grey, which was smooth and refreshing. Not at all bitter.

There isn't a huge selection but there's everything from savory sandwiches to sweet tarts.

How great does that bread look? I should go back to try the bread.

A total of three baked goods were ordered and I was disappointed in all three. Above is the pistachio roulade and the iced tea. I was hoping the roulade would be light and flaky, but it was heavy and dense. The almond croissant (also dense), and the savory strata both lacked a punch in flavor. 

INFO: Bien Cuit | 35 Christopher Street | New York, NY 10014 | 646.590.3341

Kusmi Tea

Stocking up on rooibos at Kusmi Tea. A rooibos in a 4.4 oz tin and organic green rooibos in sachets. 

There are three Kusmi Tea locations in New York, and I visited this one on 61st Street and 3rd Ave. There's one in the Plaza Food Hall and in Bloomingdales.

Every day there's a sampling of a different tea.

Unlike some other tea shops, all teas are pre-packaged and there isn't an option to buy loose leaf by the ounce. The smallest metal tins have 4.4 ounces of tea so I opt for the sachets (in muslin bags) if I want to give a new tea a try.

There are tea canisters the sales associate can take off the shelves so you can take a whiff and look at the loose leaf teas they sell. 

INFO: Kusmi Tea | 1037 Third Ave at 61st Street | New York, NY 10065 | 212.355.5580

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar

ChikaLicious in the East Village is a fantastic dessert spot, where they serve expertly made and meticulously served sweets on the menu. 

Best for a party of two, since this place only seats 20. 

I usually like to take a seat at the bar so I can watch Chika, the chef and the owner, prepare the desserts. 

The menu consists of a prix fixe for $16 which includes an amuse, a main dessert dish, and petit fours. You choose one of the seven main dessert dishes, which changes every time I go. The amuse and the petit fours are chef's choice, so you get what Chika serves you.

I ordered a personal pot of tea ($3.50) and that came out first. Adorable tea cup and matching saucer for my green tea.

The amuse was a sorbet with tequilla gelatin. So refreshing.

I went with the Banana Tartare on Crispy Kataifi with Adult Chocolate Pudding and White Coffee Ice Cream. I've never been disappointed by anything I've had here, so this was not an exception. Flavors went great together and I liked the different textures from the banana, pudding, and ice cream. 

Last up, the petit fours. I met up with Kathy, so you're looking at two servings of petit fours. One-bites that were light, delicate and the perfect way to finish off the prix fixe.

I can't wait to go back.

Note: They're open only Thursday - Sunday from 3PM - 10:45PM. They don't take reservations.

LOCATION: ChikaLicious Dessert Bar | 203 East 10th Street btw 1st & 2nd Ave. | New York, NY 10003 | 212.995.9511

Minamoto Kitchoan

Kasutera (aka Castella), a sponge cake sold in a long box ($14). There's plain and green tea (above). It's fluffy and dense at the same time. 

Sayamanomine, a matcha crepe folded with red bean paste and mochi ($4). 

Minamoto Kitchoan is right by Rockefeller Center and I used to get afternoon snacks here all the time when I worked in a building nearby. It's a bakery filled with all sorts of Japanese confectionery. And because this place is Japanese, everything sold is adorably packaged.

Plastic replicas of the are on display so you know what's in each package. 

Some of these treats have to be eaten within a couple of days and the saleswomen will let you know which ones as they put them in your shopping bag. I've never been disappointed by anything made with mochi here; They're never too sweet and the texture is perfect. 

LOCATION: Minamoto Kitchoan | 608 Fifth Ave. (It's actually on 49th Street between Fifth & Sixth Ave.) | New York, NY 10020 | 212.489.3747

ROYCE' Chocolate

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. Salty and crunchy potato chips and rich milk chocolate ($17). 

Chocolate covered wafers with hazelnut cream ($17). Individually wrapped, which leaves behind evidence of how many you've had in one sitting.

ROYCE' Chocolate opened their first shop in Midtown recently and after getting a taste of their chocolates, I headed up there as soon as I could. The owner of Lady M Confections opened up this shop in the US (it's a Japanese chocolate company) and there are plans to open up two more in Manhattan.

It's a tiny shop with shelves filled with chocolate treats. They have samples so you can give some a try before buying.

Everything is nicely packaged and all chocolates are on display so you know what's inside each box.

Nama chocolates, melt-in-your-mouth rectangular truffles, are their most popular and they come in a variety of flavors. They're kept in a refrigerated case.

I wanted two of everything and it took me a while to narrow it down to the chips and the wafers. Both were excellent and gone within two days of purchase. I'll be going back to try the rest. 

LOCATION: ROYCE' Chocolate | 509 Madison Ave. btw 52nd St. & 53rd St. | New York, NY 10022 | 646.590.0650