"Little Flower Cafe is like the Gen-Z younger sibling of popular Astoria spot Sammi’s Kebab House. The wood is blonde, the lighting is industrial, the tables are modernist gray slabs. Everything about the space says “this is a cool place to be,” and it is. You could easily have a first date here, stop by for an hours-long catchup with a friend, or park yourself with a book and consume one excellent cup of coffee after another. The fried chicken sandwich comes drenched in gochujang sauce, with tart pickles, slaw, and a creamy mayo all smashed inside of a pillow-soft bun. Then there’s the firni doughnut—the top is dusted with crushed pistachios, the doughnut is soft and airy, and the interior pastry cream has all kinds of subtle floral and spice flavors going on. You could seduce someone with this. " - carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, neha talreja, bryan kim