Category: | Dessert Restaurant |
Address: | 203 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-995-9511 |
Site: | chikalicious.com |
Rating: | 4.3 |
Working: | Closed Closed Closed 3–10:45PM 3–10:45PM 3–10:45PM 3–10:45PM |
LE
Leo O
Been here a couple times and I love sitting at the bar. You get to see their work and their meticulousness in plating. Service is slow because they assemble each dessert to order. Just be patient and youll have a great time. Ive tried their: Strawberry Parfait in Jasmine Soup with Lace Tuile and Duo of Tapioca Pearls Mango-Pineapple Tartare with Roasted Banana Ice Cream and Black Pepper Wafer Brown Sugar Panna Cotta with Granny Smith Apple Sorbet and Poppy Seed Puff Vanilla Sorbet on Rhubarb Brulee with Rhubarb Sabayon and Frosted Pistachio Lemongrass Panna Cotta with Basil Sorbet and Mango Salad in Sweet Basil Seed Kiwi marinated in Lavender with Coconut Sorbet Roasted Banana Ice Cream with Expresso Granita and Almond Cake Warm Chocolate Tart According to the chef, they do change their menu daily but not the entire menu. Ive noticed the Warm Chocolate Tart on their multiple times. The Rhubarb is only served 3 weeks out of the year according to her. All their desserts are good. Small portion in relation to the cost. Its an excellent dining experience. Ill just comment a little on the things Ive tried. Never thought that lemongrass would have a roll in dessert, but she definitely made it work and I loved the dish. My 2 most favorite dishes are the Mango-Pineapple tartare and Lemongrass Panna Cotta. I would definitely recommend this place and would come back again and again. All her banana dishes are excellent. The rhubarb was alright. It does take a lot of prep work for how they want the rhubarb to be but I think its still lacking. They do a good job in toning down the sourness but then it lacks flavor and tastes kind of bland. The ingredient itself could not stand on its own in their dishes. They should blend it more into the dessert instead of serving it as an entire piece. The lavender dish has tons of flavor and you can taste the lavender, I thought it was going to be very mild, most places are. Same is true for the jasmine. Overall, go and enjoy!
TA
Taylor Yi
Food (4/5) Decor (3/5) Service (4/5) Value (3/5) Chikalicious is a quaint little dessert shop that serves wonderful desserts. The service is $16 for a prix fixe of an amuse, one dessert of choice, and petit fours. My amuse featured a coffee infused whipped cream, vanilla agar agar, and a fruit base. The coffee whipped cream was really surprising. The coffee flavor was pleasantly strong and worked nicely with the rest of the course. It was a surprising and light way to start the service. For my main course, i had a white chocolate mousse with kiwi-lavender granita and grapefruit. I was initially a little concerned the white chocolate mousse would be too sweet as are many things with white chocolate, but it was just right and paired well with the kiwi granita and the grapefruit. There were also some crunchy noodle like things in the middle that added a nice textural element. Finally the petit fours were probably the low point of the service as I didnt find the marshmallow, shortbread cookie, or truffle to be that special. Aside from the food itself, I enjoyed the experience and given the chance, you should try to sit at the bar where you can watch Chika and the other chefs prepare your food. From a value standpoint, the quantities are fairly small, but meticulously prepared and at least similar in value to desserts at large name restaurants. If you are looking for better value, the ChikaLicious Dessert Club across the street has fantastic desserts as well. And while I may personally find myself at the Dessert Club more frequently, I will definitely be back to the Dessert Bar when I want a more sophisticated/holistic dessert experience.
TA
Tam Le
I guess it depends on what kind of dessert person you are. Are you A.) the type of person who likes novel food concepts and are willing to spend for the unique and avant-garde or B.) the type of person who wants a simple, soul-comforting dessert without the pretension? I used to think I was more in the A camp until I went here and realized I wasnt. Lets not dwell on the price because Im willing to spend a lot of money to satisfy my sweet tooth, but when I spend more money on dessert than I do for dinner, I expect that dessert to make my heart very warm and fuzzy. Are these signs of an eating disorder? Who can say. Anyways, this dessert instead, served in its sterile white environment, did nothing for my heart. It left it as frigid cold as that winter night when my friends and I ventured over. I say give me a warm, soft cookie and a glass of milk any night! I was going to give it 2.5 stars because I felt like my bias against hyped up New York restaurants was unfair in the case of ChikaLicious Dessert Bar and that many people who enjoy haute, trendy cuisine would love this place; however, I am taking it down to a flat 2 stars because I saw them taking down my one of my friends order (he ordered the exact same thing I did), yet they never brought him his dessert. He didnt say anything because he was afraid with the speed service was going that night, that he would hold us up an additional 30 minutes. All in all, its $16 for 3 small courses of inventive desserts made with surprising flavor combinations. You may have to wait in a line to get in and you may have your order forgotten.
CA
Caroline Kerwin
Absolutely stunning find, one of those "only in New York" places thats an absolute must-try. Chef Chika is highly skilled, but these desserts are extra special because of the chefs innovative skills. Our amuse-bouche was an anise sorbet paired with a coffee gel, a pairing I never would have put together but found absolutely delicious. I chose the warm chocolate tart, which came with a peppercorn sorbet--again, never would have thought to create this dish, but I found it stunning, with just the right amount of bite to counter the irresistible creaminess of the warmed chocolate. My boyfriend chose the melon sorbet duo in tequila cream sauce, which was so refreshing and the perfect summer dish. The petits-fours at the end were lovely as well. We both chose to pair with dessert wine, which I probably wouldnt do again as Im not a huge fan of dessert wine and found that the dishes were good enough on their own that the wine didnt add much. However, for those that enjoy dessert wine, its certainly worth the money. All in all, a fantastic experience.
HO
Ho Anh
4.5 stars. Hhhhmmmmm....How can I put this? How did such a Gem find its way into the city?This is a place where youd take your date on a cool Friday night, this is a place that might lock in a Good-Night Kiss on the lips, provided you played your cards right up to that point. But the reason it doesnt belong in the city is that it has a very homegrown feel to it, which is not to stay that it doesnt belong here, but there are the soft touches that separates this place from other establishments in the area. For one thing, theres a screen door in addition to a regular double set of doors. Thats something I would expect from a small shop in the cleaner part of Chinatown. The food is prepared right in front of you like a hibachi BBQ joint. The combinations of flavors are distinct yet they smoothly flow together like mixing orange and lemon flavored Kool-Aid. The service is excellent. Theyre classy and polite and friendly. It really doesnt get any better than this.