Tucked away in the incredibly dense section of St. Marks Pl is Spot Dessert Bar, a project spearheaded by Pichet Ong. Ong is one of the world?s top pastry chefs, and was brought in to Spot as a consulting chef. Recently, Ian Chalermkittichai (chef of the semi-eponymous Kittichai) was asked to revisit the successful menu that Ong conceived of. ?The desserts reflect the whimsical nature of the restaurant, and?Spot still retains its main theme of offering desserts and drinks with an Asian twist.
The menu is centered around the ?dessert tapas,? all of which were intriguing. My friend ordered the the Green Tea-Ramisu?($8.75). It arrived in a handsome wooden box with a matching wooden spoon. Flowing over the edges of the box was green tea anglaise, which was sifted with matcha powder and topped with small, rectangular blocks of white chocolate. The layers of the cake underneath were made of madeline and sponge cake batter. I was fortunate enough to eat over half of it since my convive had already eaten a large dinner. The textures were neatly balanced and the entire dessert was light on sweetness. What was most apparent was how thick and rich the dessert was. The addition of the moist anglaise helped to counter the cake?s texture and the chunks of white chocolate were a fantastic touch. The Green Tea-Ramisu had a light earthiness that you?d expect from green tea, but would certainly qualify as dessert.
I wanted to pair my dessert with a creamy drink, as opposed to a refreshing one. The waiter kindly recommended the Thai Iced Bubble Tea ($4.75). The drink arrived in a large glass with a generous portion of tapioca balls. The Thai iced tea was a disappointment; it was too watery and the taste of the tea lacked any real substance and flavor. I enjoyed the drink solely because of the tapioca balls, which were quite good.
The Soft Cheesecake?($8.75) had the least interesting name on the menu, but came highly recommended from fans of Spot. It arrived in a tall glass placed on its side, which the waiter later removed. The dessert was presented as a deconstructed cheesecake, with the main components all separated. The blueberry compote and the slices of orange packed a soft tartness with every bite. The walnut crumbs were a necessary textural addition, but were unremarkable. The base of the cheesecake is made with goat cheese, which explained the unusual aftertaste and softness of the dessert. The most exciting element of this plate was the passion foam enveloping the cheesecake. It packed an incredible tang in even a small dose. I was not a fan of placing the sharp intensity of the foam right alongside the subtle, creaminess of the cheesecake, and found the taste awkward though.
The service at Spot was exceptionally friendly and the servers were very patient with our table, even with the long stream of people lining out the door. The food here is far more refined than what you would expect from a St. Marks establishment, so it?s unusual to see Spot at this location. However, the vibe of the restaurant is fun and casual, and I would highly recommend Spot as a place to share a dessert and conclude a date night. Be aware that there will most certainly be a wait for a table. Spot is one of the go-to places to end a dinner in the East Village. If you?re not up for a wait, you can still get a taste of Spot?s desserts by ordering from their dessert takeout counter.
*New camera. No more iPhone pictures.*
Spot Dessert Bar (site)??????
13 St Marks Pl?(between 3rd Ave & Astor Pl) map
New York,?NY?10003
Neighborhood: East Village
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