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| Sesame Green Tea and Wasabi Chocolate Macarons |
Panya Bakery
8 Stuyvesant St
(between 11th St & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003
I know my last couple of posts have been heavy on baked goods, but I swear I just get drawn to them like a moth to a flame!
You can actually blame my sister for this one because she was the one who pointed out to me that there is a well-reviewed Japanese bakery near where I work, perfect for a mid-week post!
Panya is first and foremost a Japanese bakery, but they also sell a lot of “fusion” pastries such as Japanese flavored macarons and Green Tea Tiramisu. I’ve actually been here a couple of times, but just can’t get enough of their stuff. The pastries and cakes are pretty cheap. The buns/pans especially are such a steal, since they’re all huge and cost less than $3. Here are some of my favorites:
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| Spicy Curry Pan |
Spicy Curry Pan – $2.75
These things are pretty addictive. They’re vegetarian, but they’re so tasty that it doesn’t really matter. Anyone who loves curry will be a fan of them. The filling reminds me of samosas, but they’re slightly sweeter and have a lot more flavor. All of the “pans” are made with soft bread with slight variations. This one is covered in panko breadcrumbs. There is a regular version for those who don’t like spicy food.
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| Cookie Custard |
Cookie Custard – $2.75
At first I wasn’t sure why these have the word “cookie” in their name, but I realized later that they are flattened a bit so they look like very thick and very large cookies. They’re also made with soft bread, with a thick and creamy custard filling. I love the green tea ones, but the plain cookie custards are just as good if you’re not into green tea flavoring.
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| Green Tea Tiramisu (leftmost) |
Green Tea Tiramisu – $4.25
This has a very heavy green tea flavor, and (again) not for those who don’t enjoy green tea. The slightly bitter taste and the jelly layer on top give this dessert a refreshing twist. It’s one of the few cakes I’ve had that doesn’t result in a sugar crash afterwards. On the contrary, I felt as if it gave me a jolt of energy.
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| Chestnut Cream Cake |
Chestnut Cream Cake – $3.75
I’ve always regarded chestnuts as a special holiday treat. We didn’t have them at home usually, so I eagerly wolfed them down whenever I had the chance. This cake is “frosted” with what looks like a sweet chestnut puree, and then topped with a single fresh chestnut. Despite the fact that there’s cream involved, this dessert is also not very heavy, but still very, very delicious. I was glad I only bought one slice, because I could’ve eaten an entire roll.
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| Wasabi Chocolate and White Chocolate w/ Bacon Macarons |
Macarons – $1.50
Those who know me will attest to my love of macarons. These ones are infused with unique flavors such as wasabi, green tea and even bacon. I know the wasabi one sounds a little disgusting, but they added just a hint of it and it actually worked quite well.
Other notable items:
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| A good variety of teas, including Oi Ocha Green Tea |
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| Daifuku/mochi |
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| A variety of bento boxes such as katsus, bulgogi, and yakisoba |
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| Japanese grocery items such as shin bowls and pocky |
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| Whole cakes for bringing to parties (or to eat by yourself haha!) |
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| Plenty of other baked goods! |
Since the weather is still pretty warm right now, they have the bakery open with some chairs and tables outside. It’s nice to just sit there and enjoy a green tea and one of the pans for lunch. They do have limited indoor seating, so I can imagine it must be packed during the colder days. The pans are also good reheated on the microwave, so taking some of them home is not a bad idea. I know this is a place I will come back to many, many times.
*Tip: St Mark’s Bookshop is about two stores away, if you feel like reading while having a snack at Panya.