Here, I made you a matcha latte 🍌

Banana bread iced matcha latte, fried chicken, and more. Matcha shortage who?

Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we continue creating recipes in our home cafe, but we also stop for a little take-out. Read past posts here, and please follow my Instagram, @fivethingsiate.

Banana bread iced matcha latte at home

See syrup recipe below.

First, a warm welcome to all new readers who found their way here from “Platonic Love”! Could I offer you a beverage? (We drink lots of them here.) Perhaps something off my March cafe menu? No, you want something new? Why don’t I make you the Beverage of the Week, a Banana Bread Iced Matcha Latte. It’s seriously delicious, and I’m obsessed with it. It’s got a little homemade banana bread syrup in it, which I make by caramelizing bananas in butter and adding brown sugar. If you’ve never tried combining matcha and banana you’re in for a treat– it’s really greater than the sum of its parts. The banana really draws out the nuttiness of the matcha, and the butter tempers any bitter notes. To make it, whisk 3g of matcha (I used a house matcha from Hibiki-An) with 2oz of warm water until frothy. Fill a tall glass with ice, and matcha, ½-⅔ cups of full fat oatly, and stir in 1 tbs banana bread syrup (recipe below).

Banana bread syrup at home

Inspired by various Instagram reels.

I kept seeing banana bread iced coffees pop up everywhere on Instagram, so you know I had to try to make my own syrup at home. Tbh when I set out to make banana bread syrup I didn’t think it would taste so much like banana bread! It really exceeded my expectations, especially since I saw people online complain that it was hard to get a good banana flavor. The key here is that I caramelized the bananas in butter and cooked them down. To make the syrup, melt a tablespoon of good quality salted butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 ripe banana, cut into chunks, and cook over low till caramelized. Mash with a fork in the pot and add ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup white sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, a smaller pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Stir in 1 cup of filtered water, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Shut the heat off and let sit for 15 mins before straining. Store in the fridge.

Coconut “Viet” iced matcha

Link to coconut sweetened condensed milk.

If you’re the type of person who can’t be bothered to make syrup from scratch, you can still make excellent fun beverages at home. For a simpler and syrup-free matcha recipe, I’ve been loving this coconut “Vietnamese iced coffee” style matcha. It’s pretty easy to make at home, provided you have good quality matcha (Hibiki-An forever, although Ippodo is also top notch, if you can manage to get your paws on it) and sweetened condensed coconut milk. I’ve been craving sweetened condensed coconut milk ever since I tried it in a latte at a cafe in Chinatown. I recommend “Nature’s Charm,” which you can buy at Whole Foods.* To make, add a tablespoon of sweetened condensed coconut milk in a pretty glass. Top with 2oz warm (let’s say between 140-170F, not boiling) water, and froth to blend. Add 2-3g matcha, and froth again until frothy. Fill the rest of the glass with ice. Pour over ½-⅔ cups full fat oat milk. Enjoy!

*Warning: For my first attempt, I ordered the “Let’s Do Organic” brand off Amazon and it was totally separated and greasy and unusable.

Salted egg yolk wings at Pecking House

83 Henry St Shop 1, New York, NY 10002

Ever since Pecking House opened a second location in Manhattan Chinatown, I’ve been meaning to try it. This fried chicken shop has gotten rave reviews from just about everyone I know. I feel like the order to get is the Chili Chicken Sando, which my husband got (it was absolutely divine but maybe too much spicy oil for both of our digestive systems), but I was in a wings mood and went for the salted egg yolk wings. I love salted egg anything and these wings did not disappoint, so savory and not too rich. The wings are on the smaller side, but very flavorful.

Kale Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing at Pecking House

83 Henry St Shop 1, New York, NY 10002

I know, it’s absolutely diabolical that I’m recommending a kale salad from a fried chicken joint, but I’ve been craving this salad ever since we got dinner from Pecking House a while back. It’s just the perfect combination of salty and nutty and sesame-y, and it’s a perfect match for the chicken wings.

XOXO,

Soph

P.S. What’s your favorite fried chicken spot in NYC? Seeking recommendations.