Welcome to Iced Beverage Szn <3
Classic brown sugar milk tea, an iced shaken mint espresso, Salty Lemonade, and more.
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, welcome back to my home cafe! Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate for a nice swirly video of my mint coffee.
Fresh mint shaken iced espresso with oatmilk at home
I was in a bad headspace this week and accidentally smashed my favorite glass from Fishs Eddy in the sink. Mind you, I only own one glass and one wine glass specifically due to this issue – I break everything I own, including my own body, which turns out to be very expensive. Anyways, you never know how much your mental health is held together by a precariously placed glass until you smash it. Thankfully, it was 78 degrees outside so I walked to Zabar’s where I got not one, but two new glasses (so I have a backup), and some ingredients to make a frosty mint latte. Even though I love coffee, I am by no means a “purist.” One of my favorite things about coffee is how well it pairs with other flavors. In the summer, I love to mix it with fresh mint. To make an iced shaken mint espresso with oat milk, simply shake together 2 shots of espresso (or 2 Nespresso capsules) in a shaker (not a Mason jar!! I’ve shattered many) with ice, fresh mint leaves, and a tablespoon of brown sugar OR 1-2 tbs fresh mint syrup. Note that I have never quite been able to make a strong-enough mint syrup at home, and in a random fit of rage I threw out the bottle of Monin mint syrup I owned? I am not sure why I did that because Monin is delicious… and now I have no mint syrup. But brown sugar with fresh mint will do just fine. Strain into a glass filled with more ice, because I love ice, and top with ½-⅓ cup of barista blend oat milk or whole milk. (Here’s a hot version, if the weather gets chilly again.)
Classic brown sugar milk tea at home
With or without boba pearls.
Nothing beats the classic combination of brown sugar, whole milk, and black tea. It’s my favorite beverage aside from coffee, and I have a cup of hot milky tea every afternoon. It’s also incredibly easy and cheap to make at home. Don’t let those boba stores fool you. Since the weather hit 78 degrees this week, I switched over to a 100% iced beverage menu at home. Here’s my formula for how to make an iced brown sugar milk tea that’s better than one you can get at any store. All you have to do is throw two cheap, strong, black tea bags into a small mug (I’ve been using Red Rose orange pekoe lately, mostly because the bags are stringless), top with 4oz of boiling water, and stir in 1 full tablespoon of brown sugar. Let it steep until the tea cools down, which feels like a lot of time, but you want a nice and strong tea base. This is not the time to brew tea the proper way. When it is cool, fill a pretty glass with ice, pour in the tea concentrate, and top with ½ cup of whole milk (I enjoy Lactaid, for that authentic Asian lactose-intolerant taste). Stir, and enjoy. (Of course, this is even better with boba. If you happen to have some on hand, you can omit the brown sugar and just stir in a packet of reheated Trader Joe’s boba or freshly boiled soft boba.)
Salty lemonade soda (Soda Chanh Muối) at Pho 87
87 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002
I don’t really know how to explain it, but I feel like Vietnamese salty lemonade is one of the most “dense” and potent fizzy beverages I’ve ever drank. It reminds me a lot of Chinese suan mei tang, a sour fermented plum drink, but somehow a lot saltier and more funky. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s labeled as “lemonade,” this is more like a fermented lemon tonic. I usually chug cold fizzy beverages fairly quickly but this is one you want to slowly sip, and then chew a bit on the bits of fermented lemon leftover.
Egg yolk and sweetened condensed milk soda (Soda Sua Hot Ga) at Pho 87
87 Chrystie St, New York, NY 10002
Raw egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, and club soda might not sound like an appetizing combo, but this drink was almost the opposite of the salty lemonade above. It was extremely mild and drinkable right off the bat, almost like a richer cream soda, with the mouthfeel of a non-icy milkshake. However, after a few sips it felt too rich and creamy to continue. This is definitely more of a dessert treat than a pho-side thirst quencher.
Black sesame and taro ice cream at Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
The line outside Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is always snaking around the block, even in the winter. So, naturally, on the first Very Warm day of Spring, there was a bit of a wait. I didn’t mind, though. It might be overhyped for some, and the scoops are definitely quite pricey, but I am happy for CICF’s success. After all, who could fault an ice cream store with a mascot that’s basically like a friendly Bowser? I got one scoop, which you’re allowed to choose two flavors for. The portion sizes are pretty good. I chose half black sesame and half taro, and my friend chose a medium with black sesame, pandan, and fresh mochi topping. I dunno. Say what you will about lines and high prices and tourist traps, but I polished the whole thing off, and would go back another sunny day for sure.
Enjoy the weather!
Soph
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