Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City
Someone recently asked me on one of my tours what the hottest trends are right now in the NYC food world. I love that question because if I can answer it, it makes me feel very in touch with the food scene.
I told him the usual ones that will be around for a while (food courts, Tiki cocktails, Instagram-friendly dishes), but another one I thought of is not immediately clear to those not immersed in food blogs and the like. Kakigori.
I knew it was a full-on food trend when I also saw a trendy shop in Barcelona specializing in this.
For those not deep into the food world or familiar with Japanese treats, kakigori is Japan’s version of shaved ice. Usually sweetened with condensed milk, syrups, and different textured toppings.
I’ve encountered it at a few places around the city, some specializing in just that. In fact, I’ve almost written about it before but none that I tried blew my mind quite like the intoxicating version I tasted at The Little One.
The Little One is a new little Japanese dessert café in the area where Chinatown meets the Lower East Side. I’ve been here a few times and tried some exciting sweets like a parsnip ice cream sandwich (monaka) and a roasted pineapple and cream pancake (dorayaki). But none stood up to the Hojicha Kakigori.
In fact when I came here again after trying it, I really wanted to order something new but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I had to have this shaved ice again.
There are a few different rotating flavors but the Hojicha has been on the menu every time I visited and it’s so good. The delicately shaved ice truly feels like eating snow soaked with a hojicha (roasted green tea) syrup, kuromitsu (a rich Japanese molasses), kinako (roasted soybean flour), and topped with luxurious whipped cream and lime zest.
I can’t get over both the light texture and the smoky roasted sweet flavor here. It’s masterfully created, tastes fully Japanese (which is one of my favorite cuisines), and is as delicious as it gets.
When you taste a kakigori like the one at The Little One, you realize why it’s one of the latest food trends in NYC – even if not that many people know about it. Maybe it’s best to keep it that way. Price: $7.25
| THE LITTLE ONE |
| 150 East Broadway (between Pike and Rutgers Street), Chinatown |
| facebook.com/thelittleonenyc/ |
