While coffee may not have originated in Asia, it plays an important role in coffee culture: a close second, or perhaps even an equivalent, to tea in some Asian countries. Generally speaking, Asians within the diaspora have grown up drinking tea with meals, drink tea as regularly as coffee, or are just beginning to explore the wonders and health benefits of tea. Wherever you are on the spectrum, our hope here is to not only tell you about some amazing coffee and tea shops throughout New York, but also to spotlight the owners and their stories.
with a Warm Welcome is a community organization that amplifies and humanises Asian-American chefs, restaurateurs, and founders through producing podcasts, creating meaningful experiences, and collaborating with artists . It is becoming increasingly apparent that we must find ways to defend Asian-owned small businesses, as they have been hit the hardest during the pandemic. In partnership with infatuation, we’re highlighting some of our favorite Asian companies to support now and forever.
Reading: Asian cafes
the spots
“cute” is the first word that comes to mind as soon as you enter lê phin in the eastern village. The small space with white brick walls is filled with light wooden furniture and fresh flowers, and when it’s sunny this place gets plenty of natural light. Owner Kim Lê, who grew up in Vietnam, worked as a professional coffee quality grader before opening this coffee shop, which, unsurprisingly, offers coffee made from phin. Get a hot or cold latte with house-made pandan syrup along with a croissant, blueberry muffin, or scone. once you get your order in from the friendly staff, you’ll probably see at least one person pecking away at their laptop while trying to write the next great (or just passable) American novel.
Augee Francisco and Joey Payumo, the owners behind Kabisera on the lower east side, clearly want to make the most of their space. In addition to offering drinks and food, this place has a clothing rack, a large rack with Filipino groceries, and tons of art on the walls, and everything is for sale. Augee established a strong basic knowledge of coffee as a child because she grew up surrounded by coffee beans in a mountainous region of the Philippines, while Joey describes himself as a foodie who is always pushing for more exposure to Filipino cuisine. . this place has a great selection of desserts, and we love ordering the flaky hopia ube and custard-like cassava cake with a ginger latte. they also have a tasty menu with items like marinated chicken quesadilla and vegetable lumpia. Next time you need to catch up with a friend, head over to kabisera and maybe do some shopping while you’re there.
If you sit at the hi-collar bar, you’ll see that the coffee and tea are prepared as meticulously as any cocktail in a speakeasy where you had to call a secret number to get in (three weeks ago). this place takes hot drinks very seriously. You can choose from a selection of coffee beans at this kissaten (a Japanese tea room and coffee shop) in the eastern village, and each cup of coffee is prepared by hand through one of three brewing methods (pour-over, aeropress, or siphon) . Owner Bon Yagi, who was born in Japan and moved to New York in the 1970s, is responsible for many of the other restaurants and bars in this location (eg Hasaki, Sake Bar Decibel, and more). During the day, you can order dishes like omurice with bacon and fluffy Japanese-style pancakes to wash down with a cup of hoji cha tea. at night, this place turns into a bar with a great selection of sakes and Japanese whiskeys. If you are the type of person who is related by his name to various mixologists and you also love coffee, hi-collar is the place for you.
See also: Cafe Brown Blanco
We’re not sure if squarrel cafe is primarily a place to play board games that also serves coffee, or if it’s primarily a cafe where you can also play some jenga and take your chances. we lean towards the former, because as soon as you walk in, you’ll see a whole wall of hundreds of games, and it’ll feel like you’re in a toy “r” us instead of a coffee shop. This place, a few blocks from Barclays Center, has several tables in the back where you can play whatever you want for $5 per person for three hours (or $70/mo for unlimited games and one free drink per day). order a matcha latte or some bubble tea while you’re here, and if you’re hungry while trying to think of a word that contains both a “v” and a “j”, order some crispy popcorn chicken and a rice ball with tuna mayonnaise. if you come here and decide to start a game of catan, say goodbye to the whole day and be glad that caffeine is just a few steps away for the next few hours.
Whenever you need a premium cold brew or single origin coffee in harlem, 9tails is the place to go. Korean-American owner John Cho decided on the name as a nod to the nine-tailed fox spirit in East Asian folklore, a benevolent shape-shifting creature considered a good omen as a result of its great longevity. . The menu features seasonal drinks like fresh calpico or yuzu cider iced tea during the warmer months along with a selection of baked goods, including a house-made bourbon apple pie; be sure to get there early before it’s gone. The store is located on a quiet residential street and has recently expanded into the adjacent hardware and supply store, Mushtari. Pleasantly distracted by the abundance of plants for sale, it’s impossible not to smile here, especially after seeing the framed portrait of Cookie Monster sitting by the cash register.
just off the myrtle wyckoff l/m stop in bushwick, there’s an all-day Vietnamese-inspired cafe and bar where you can choose from three different sey cafes, admire the lush plants that line the tiled counter space greens and whites, and drink from beautiful handmade ceramic mugs. Owned by Shriver Tran and partner Jaime Hodgkin, High Low opened during the pandemic, and despite the many challenges they’ve faced, it’s here to stay. the concept continues to evolve, but the influence of Vietnamese flavors is a mainstay throughout the menu. our favorites are the pandan coconut donut and sparkling lemongrass green tea, both of which are a nod to tran’s vietnamese heritage. plus, if you like your natural wine or craft beer, head straight to the shelves for a wide selection available by the bottle, glass, or can.
Are you a minimalist who appreciates the simplicity of fewer elements in a room, but still loves wicker armchairs and touches of greenery while enjoying a cup of coffee? ok that is very specific but if so be sure to check out interlude coffee & tea in tribeca Korean-American owners (and brothers) Josh and Melody Kim chose the name as a reference to their past as a classical pianist, and much like a brief transition piece between two larger movements, they aim to give people a place to relax physically and mentally. recharge before moving on to the next part of your day. order an instant beer and a honey butter scone, and sit up front to enjoy the tranquility of hudson street.
Between Coffee Project’s four locations (East Village, Fort Greene, Chelsea, and Long Island City), you’re never too far from one of my favorite cups of coffee in the city. Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh are Malaysian co-owners of Coffee Project NY, and have also opened a roastery and the Specialty Coffee Association’s first premier training campus to train baristas with informative in-person and online workshops and classes. definitely order the nitro mild cold beer and try the avocado, tomato and feta croissant sandwich if you’re hungry.
run by co-owners jane and laura, both korean, hamlet coffee company in prospect lefferts gardens opened in february 2020 and was named with the intention of creating a small town and neighborhood community. based on the line to get into the cafeteria last time we visited, they have definitely created something special here. this is a great place to order a delicious cup of nelson chavez’s seasonal drip before finding a bench in prospect park just two avenues away.
See also: Danh sách 20+ quán cafe phong cách trung hoa hot nhất
Does sitting in a relaxing zen tea room inside a townhouse west of town sound like the perfect Saturday afternoon? Do not say more. tea company serves up to 30 different types of tea along with a light lunch menu and baked snacks. Taiwanese-American owner Elena Liao and her husband Frederico Ribeiro founded Té Company a decade ago to help raise awareness of premium Taiwanese teas and make them more accessible. As you may have guessed, “te” means tea in Taiwanese and was decided as the name because it is a connection to the Liao family and Fujin lineage. try a cup of wild chrysanthemum herbal tea for a calming, slightly sweet taste and definitely grab one of the very popular pineapple linzer cookies.
ppl is a williamsburg cafe serving specialty seasonal coffee brewed using 95rpm roasters, a variety of japanese shizuoka barley and black teas, and organic matcha from kagoshima, japan. Owner Tomo Takasugi was born and raised in Japan and originally founded PPL as a clothing brand that morphed into a coffee shop based on Tomo’s love of coffee. Inside the cafeteria there are species of plants of all shapes and sizes that cover the walls, the counter, the ceiling and the corners; basically our dream space to enjoy a hoijicha latte and a slice of vegan banana bread.
brandon and faith lee are chinese-americans and co-owners of bird & branch, located in hell’s kitchen. from the name and mission to the menu itself, every detail here is intentional and selectively selected. the lès created the store with the purpose of giving back to the community by providing a job training program for people with various barriers to employment, including victims of trafficking and those trapped in the shelter system. They also partner with Saint Frank Coffee Roasters because of their conscious relationships with coffee farmers. order the Mockingbird, one of many menu items named after a bird, a blend of milk-soaked earl gray tea with espresso, along with the scrumptious egg sandwich, which integrates Chinese ingredients from kiddie snacks they grew up with , such as rousong (pork floss) and ginger chives.
run by shin won-yoon and her husband stefen ramirez, 29b is meant to be a social and interactive setting rather than a traditional tea ceremony, though they try to keep a close reverence for Korean tea traditions. As tea traders, they import a variety of single-origin, naturally agriculture-conscious teas sourced from farms in Taiwan, Japan, India, China, and Korea, where Won-yoon is from. If you let them know what you’re in the mood for, they’ll create an experience that will leave a lasting impression. there’s also an entire corner of the east village store dedicated to beautiful handmade ceramics and glassware by Japanese and Korean artists to peruse.
Owner Paolo Maliksi is a Filipino American and created alita with his business partner Alejandro Ceballos to bring together innovative coffee techniques, comfort food and traditional hospitality in one place. (“alita” is the nickname of alejandro’s grandmother.) the cafe is located in east williamsburg, and they serve delicious coffee using regalia, a roasting company that maliksi also co-owns with his wife as part of the collective of regalia roasting—a shared space roasting company for aspiring roasters and coffee entrepreneurs. You can’t go wrong with the classic drip coffee and a bec sandwich, and we like to enjoy both while people watching from their outdoor seating area.
cha-an bonbon is a charming Japanese cafe located on east 9th street that is owned and operated by mother-daughter duo tomoko and sakura yagi, who are Japanese and Japanese-American respectively. This cafe continues to keep the Japanese wagashi tradition alive, combining matcha and hojicha lattes with a variety of mochi and desserts such as anmitsu. (they also have soft serve versions of both lattes). For a sit-down experience, you can also visit the Cha-An Tea House, located on the second floor of 230 East 9th St. stop by for unagi, inari, or something sweet like a matcha affogato or black sesame crème brûlée.
See also: Café Chorreado: το μυστικό της Κόστα Ρίκα
