New york’s 50+ best places to enjoy dessert.
By Andrea DiNoto and Paul Stiga
2003 by Universe Publishing a division of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
300 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10010
Once upon a time, SoHo was the place to go for the fresh, the unexpected, the stimulating, the exciting. At Cendrillon, it still is.
Here, behind a modest façade on the southernmost reaches of Mercer Street, one of New York’s most adventuresome chefs continues to blur the lines between Eastern and Western cuisines. He’s Romy Dorotan, and he brings the principles and techniques of the French cooking in which he was trained to the cuisine of his native Philippines. His success comes not only from his talent, but from his zeal in introducing an A-list of Philippine ingredients virtually unknown in the United States. Cassava Bibingka with mangosteen-palm sugar ice cream is not something you improvise from the Union Square greenmarket.
What should you try? We loved the mango tart, Romy’s version of the traditional tarte tatin- its paper-thin, crunchy, torched crust resting on top of a distinctly spiced sweet mango base. Buko pie- buko being young, unripened coconut- came with a fruity, barely sweet rhubarb sauce when we had it (accompanied by the chef’s own vanilla bean ice cream). Buko sorbet accompanies a blueberry-and-ube (purle yam) tart. Kalamansi meringue pie is made from a variety of lime Romy brings in from the Philippines. For the most authentic experience- particularly on a hot summer day- dip into the Halo Halo, a kind of ice sundae, with coconut sport (a variety of very soft coconut flesh), agar-agar, jackfruit, sweet red beans, cocoa gel, palm seed, and toasted rice topped with ube ice cream.
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