In New York City, there is no shortage of coffee shops and cafes, but Grace Street stands out among the sea of regulars by putting a unique Korean-inspired twist on their drinks and desserts. I went up to K-Town to out a few of their most popular items, from their Hong Kong French Toast to their signature shaved ices. Not only were they aesthetically pleasing to look at (perfect for Instagram!), but they were also delicious. Here is the scoop (literally) on some of the highlights.
Hong Kong French Toast
A crispy brioche with strawberries, vanilla ice cream and 100% Grade-A maple syrup. What’s different about this French toast from normal breakfast french toast? The slice of bread is super #thicc and crispy in all the right places. No joke, it is 3x the size of your average brunch-time toast, plus heaps of ice cream and strawberries to top it all off!
Ho-Dduk
A Korean-style donut with a melted cinnamon, brown sugar and chopped walnuts filling (Grace Street recommends this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream). The warm cinnamon-y filling literally oozes into your mouth as when you bite into it. Melted brown sugar and cinnamon paired with vanilla ice cream is a flavor combination that was just meant to be.
Green Tea Ice Cream Waffle
The Asian influence at Grace Street comes through with the green tea ice cream, and it goes really well with the warm, toasted waffle. If that’s not enough to satisfy your sweet tooth, it is also topped with sweetened condensed milk, dark chocolate drizzle, and a sprinkle of Oreo crumbles.
Rose Petal Milk Tea
This is perhaps the most unique drink on the menu: after the tea is steeped, it’s mixed with milk and rose syrup and topped with dried, edible rose petals. Why take time to smell the roses, when you can just…drink them?
Shaved Ice
These shaved ice dishes are mini towers loaded with an assortment toppings to make them the perfect dessert to share with friends. I tried “The O.G.”, which is black sesame shaved snow topped with sweetened condensed milk, fresh strawberry, mochi, red bean, and Misugaru powder (a fine, “superfood”, multi-grain powder popular in Korean drinks), “The Elixir”, with matcha green tea snow topped with sweetened condensed milk, red bean, diced taro, and lychee jelly, and finally “Mango Madness”: sweet milk snow topped with juicy mango chunks, sliced banana, and tangy mango drizzle.
If you’re not feeling dessert, this adorable café in Koreatown also offers specialty drinks such as vanilla-activated charcoal lattes, coconut-ube lattes—and for those who can’t handle coffee—a refreshing lemonade with butterfly pea tea and strawberry purée. Insta-worthy treats and a warm, friendly atmosphere makes for the perfect place to sit with friends and have yourself a little sweet treat.