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Queens on Ice
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Eddie’s Sweet Shop
Written by Joe DiStefano
Originally published in his blog, World's Fare
Like Ben's Best Kosher Deli Eddie’s Sweet Shop is an old-time establishment that hasn’t changed much since it opened.The only difference besides what they serve is that Eddie's has been open about twice as long as the 65-year old temple of pastrami. Such bygone crafts of soda jerksmanship as the lime rickey—lime and cherry syrup mixed with seltzer—can still be had at the counter along with less arcane creations like egg creams. There’s something about enjoying a scoop of coffee ice cream topped with whipped cream, cherry, and hot fudge dripping down the metal dish to form a chocolate lake beneath. That said whenever I take a seat at the ancient marble counter I almost always get the same thing: an orange freeze. With its blend of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream the frosty delight evokes the summer creamsicles of my youth.
Yesterday they were out of orange sherbet so the kid working the counter convinced me to order a raspberry freeze. First, a healthy spoonful of strawberry syrup then a splash of soda water followed by a scoop of raspberry ice cream and two of raspberry sherbet. Then the cup is placed beneath a Hamilton Beach machine that whips the mixture into to an ultracold concoction denser than the sum of its parts.
Eddie’s raspberry freeze: thick, fruity, and delicious.
The end result tastes like summer itself in a glass save for the fact that it's many degrees cooler. The frosted metal cup holds a bonus, another half glass of pinkish refreshment. Seven dollars is a small price for a frosty treat and a time machine trip. Opening the door I found it quite disappointing to re-enter the 21st century and the sweltering heat.
Eddie's Sweet Shop, 105-29 Metropolitan Ave., Forest Hills, 718-520-8514
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Koryodang’s Patbingsoo
Written by Joe DiStefano
Patbingsoo—colorful and quite cooling.
After having eaten icy treats from the Philippines and Taiwan I ventured further afield for the Korean version, patbingsoo, or red bean shaved ice. As with halo halo, the name doesn’t do this treat justice. Better to think of it as an icy cold fruit salad combined with the aforementioned beans and other goodies. I found my bowl of frosty refreshment at thorean bakery Koryodang where it costs $6.
Korea’s take on shaved ice includes four kinds of fruit: banana, kiwi, pineapple, and strawberries. Along with sweetened red beans, tapioca pearls, and cubes of chewy rice cake the fruit rings a scoop of vanilla ice cream that’s been lashed with condensed milk and crowned with a cherry. Visually it’s not unlike the Korean dish bibimbap, which consists of several colorful ingredients ringed around a bowl of rice.
Ice, ice baby. Plenty of fruit too.
The combination of fruit, ice, ice cream, sweet beans, and various chewy bits started to lower my core body temperature with the first spoonful. Good thing, too. I had walked from Main Street and Northern Boulevard to 156 Street and was quite overheated when I happened upon Koryodang. It should be noted that the bakery has several other locations in Flushing. And in the highly unlikely event that the half pound of fruit and chipped ice doesn't cool you off there are ice pops in coffee and fruit flavors.
Koryodang, 156-19 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, 718-762-0104 |
Ice Fire Land’s Tai Shi Bao Bing
Written by Joe DiStefano
Originally published in his blog, World's Fare
Pudding peeks out from beneath the permafrost of a bowl of tai shi bao bing.
Like halo halo, tai shi bao bing, or Taiwanese shaved ice is a subarctic treat that cools the body to the core on a hot, humid day. And like halo halo, it is packed with all manner of flavors and textures. One of my favorite places to grab a bowl is Ice Fire Land, a spot in Flushing specializing in shaved ice and hotpot. There are 16 add-ins to choose from including various chewy globules: tapioca pearls, tapioca balls, taro balls, and yam balls; red and green beans; viscous herbal jellys; fruits and vegetables, including sweet corn; and that old standby condensed milk. There is also pudding, which along with pineapple is tops among the toppings for me. Four items will run you $3.95, each additional one costs seventy-five cents.
A blob of slippery black jelly is one of many textural components in this bowl of shaved ice.
On a recent visit I opted for five items: creamy bits of pudding, soft cubes of taro, sweet chunks of pineapple, condensed milk, and a blob of black grass jelly. It was a good combo, though the grass jelly, which is renowned for its health benefits proved rather tricky to pick up. Next time I think I’ll try corn, red bean, green bean, yam balls, and of course condensed milk. Don’t be surprised if you find Ice Fire land out of pineapple, it’s one of their most popular toppings.
Ice Fire Land, 135-11 40th Road, Flushing, 718-886-8600 |
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Jollibee’s Secret Halo Halo
Written by Joe DiStefano
Originally published in his blog, World's Fare
This incredibly refreshing treat is nowhere to be found on Jollibee’s menu.
When Filipino fast-food favorite Jollibee opened its first East Coast location last winter I was quite disappointed halo halo wasn’t on the menu. The other day I noticed someone sitting in Gantry Park eating the icy treat whose name means mix mix in Tagalog. Soon enough I was at the cheery restaurant with the betoqued bee in Woodside’s Little Manila. Waiting on line in the sweltering dining room I was somewhat puzzled. Halo halo didn’t appear on the menu board. As I handed over $5.43 the lady behind the counter explained they’ve been serving it since last summer. “Everybody knows we sell it,” she said.
Jollibee’s halo halo—teeming with textures, flavors and colors.
Jollibee’s halo halo is one of the most interesting and refreshing frozen treats to be had in a fast food restaurant or anywhere else. It’s a snow cone on steroids packed with a sugar rush’s worth of brightly colored gelatin, ice cream, tropical fruit, and a three bean salad of sorts. Crowning the cup of fluffy shaved ice find a scoop of ube (purple yam) ice cream, a scoop of langka (jackfruit) ice cream, and a jiggly chunk of flan. Digging down into the ice, which has been drizzled with both condensed and evaporated milk, there are red beans, white beans, and chickpeas along with chewy cubes of red and green gelatin and shards of young white coconut and golden yellow jackfruit. And then there’s the mysterious unidentified purple jelly that my imagination says is surely the nectar of the Jollibee himself.
Taken as a whole Jollibee’s halo halo is as incredibly fun to eat as it is refreshing. Sure it can be had elsewhere, but there’s something about sitting in a bright orange dining room scooping up a secret frozen dessert. It may not be listed on the menu, but the receipt revealed an apt name for the frozen treat: halo halo supreme.
Jollibee, 62-69 Woodside Avenue, Woodside, 718-426-4445
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Manducatis Rustica's Ice Cream Sandwich
Written by Joe DiStefano
Originally published in his blog, World's Fare
Manducatis Rustica’s Italian-style ice cream sandwich—perfetto!
On a hot summer day what’s better and more refreshing than an ice cream sandwich that favorite of big and little kids alike? A scoop of gelato smashed between two of the circular Italian wafers known as cialde. This grown-up treat with an Italian accent can be had at the gelato bar that graces the front of Manducatis Rustica for $3. I first noticed the circular wafers when I stopped in with a bunch of folks after the Queens leg of 5 Boro Pizza Tour. I really wanted to try the ice cream sandwich, but was nearing critical carbohydrate overload after all that pizza, so had a cup of hazelnut gelato instead.
Recently I returned for the Italian ice cream sandwich. From the dozen flavors, including Sicilian pistachio, I chose fior di latte, or flower of milk. It’s an apt name for the creamy milk-based gelato that’s made fresh daily in the restaurant’s Carpigiani gelato machine. And having it between the two crunchy wafers was way batter than scooping it out of a little plastic tub.
Massimo Slama, Rustica’s pizzaiolo, was working the gelato counter. He told me that such ice cream sandwiches are quite popular in Italy. As he searched for the English word for cialde and described them as like Communion wafers, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have some blood orange gelato between the crunchy cialde. Talk about a religious experience!
Manducatis Rustica, 46-35 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City 718-937-1312
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