Ruby Chan
Google
I found the BEST black sesame vegan mooncake and black sesame latte in a new cafe in Chinatown!!
Paper Sons Cafe is the sister restaurant of Buddha Bodha, a traditional vegetarian spot right across the street. We all know it is difficult to find a sit-down cafe in the area, so I’m so glad they opened up in Mott Street.
I can’t stop raving about their high quality coffee and pastries. No doubt my new favorite coffee shop in NYC. If you have an Asian palate like me, you'll love the drinks here—they're not too sweet, and very coffee-forward.
*Silk + Smoke (Black Sesame Vanilla Latte) $9 **
Nutty, rich and very lightly sweetened, this was hands down the BEST black sesame latte I had in NYC. I will get this drink again and again whenever I’m in Chinatown.
*Black Sesame Vegan Mooncake $6.5 ***
Black sesame / matcha maple flavor available on the day I visited. Their homemade mooncake was generously STUFFED with black sesame paste!! They reheated the mooncake for us so the crust was crunchy. The sweetness level was just right, and the filling was smooth, nutty and earthy.
I always find traditional mooncakes with lotus paste and egg yolk too heavy for my taste, so I’ve been searching for vegan mooncakes since last mid-autumn. I’ll definitely get a box of mooncakes from them this year.
*Mocha $8
The most coffee forward mocha I’ve had in a long time. My bf is a non coffee drinker so he didn’t like this as much as I did.
*Espresso Sparkling Lemonade
A sneak peak of their spring specialty drink. Very refreshing for the warmer weather ahead.
*Sesame Mochi Ball $3
I got another signature pastry — a sweet lotus filled mochi ball with a sesame crust. It is basically 煎堆, a dim sum you can usually find in your local yum cha spot. I was surprised to see it in a cafe. $3 was pricey for one but it was fun to pair with your coffee.
Shout out to the friendly service!! Very cozy space with a clean bathroom. It could be a pain to find a seat on weekends but it is all worth it.