Bánh by Lauren

Bánh By Lauren Review - Two Bridges - New York - The Infatuation

"Bánh By Lauren is the house that pandan built. Formerly a pandemic-era pop-up with a devoted online following, the Chinatown bakery is home to their signature bánh bò nướng—a bright green pandan honeycomb cake that remains as delicious, and as photogenic, as ever. You'll also find chiffon cakes and macarons, an outstanding chocolate chip cookie, and a unique Vietnamese-inspired coffee menu. The Lime Drip is like nothing we've ever had before—imagine walking through a citrus orchard in full bloom with a cup of coffee in hand. Get there early to join a line that snakes around the corner, and peer in through the enormous plate-glass windows as you inch closer to the green-accented treats. There's limited counter seating, plus a couple of small tables in the corner. Split a slice of cà phê chiffon cake and catch up with a friend—or simply fill a pastry box to its capacity with chinese sausage-studded scones and bring your treasure home to your loved ones—provided you don’t eat everything on the train first. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick Food Rundown Coffees Some bakeries are happy to phone in their beverages, but not Bánh By Lauren. On the Vietnamese-inspired coffee menu, you’ll find things like a pandan latte (not Shamrock Shake-green as we originally envisioned, which is for the best), and cà phê trứng with sweet, creamy egg custard. The Lime Drip, a refreshing iced coffee made with sweetened lime, is our favorite—and it’s what we want to drink all summer long. Bánh Bò Nướng This is a cake with so much textural personality that every bite feels like you’re having an active, lively conversation with your dessert. The outside is caramelized and the inside is gooey, springy, beyond-satisfyingly chewy. Chinese Sausage, Cheddar & Chive Scone “Not too sweet” is one thing, but we would never have guessed that a dark-horse contender for our favorite menu item would be… savory? You’ll understand once you taste this dense, crumbly, moist scone, which contains so many layers of flavor, all packed in like a clown car. Chocolate Chip Cookie Look, we know you probably didn’t come here with the ultimate goal of eating a chocolate chip cookie, but what can we say? It’s a really good chocolate chip cookie. The edges are crispy-crunchy and the interior is soft, and we appreciate their generosity with the flaky salt. Chiffon Cakes The cà phê is a must-order: The vietnamese coffee flavor is robust—a little bitter, even—and a perfect match for the condensed milk mousse filling. We have no quarrel with either the thai tea nor the pandan cake, but compared to the cà phê, the tea feels too subtle, and the pandan too sweet. Macarons There are three flavors on offer—including french vanilla and pandan buttercreams—but we love the red oolong ganache for its rich, tannic tea flavor. Pandan Coffee Cake Having tried the entire food menu at Bánh By Lauren, this is the only item we would hesitate to order again. The cinnamon streusel topping is a nice, unexpected pairing with the floral pandan, but the cake is dry." - Molly Fitzpatrick