Sonya H.
Yelp
Outstanding shaved ice cafe located in the heart of Chinatown! I have to make a stop at Sweet Moment every time I'm in NYC, and I'm blown away every time by how perfectly fluffy the ice is and the number of mix-ins they add to each bingsoo. I switch up my order each time I visit, but I've recently been obsessed with their mango and strawberry matcha bingsoos. They come in two sizes -- the small fits in a 16-oz plastic cup, which is the perfect size for 1-2 people, and the large option comes in a lovely little black pan and can easily serve 3-4.
The mango bingsoo is delightful, with layers of their perfectly fluffy, milky, and slightly sweet shaved ice sandwiched between a slightly tart, slightly sweet mango puree. There are a few mini mochi pieces mixed in throughout the shaved ice, and then the whole thing is topped with a scoop of ice cream, fresh mango chunks, and little cubes of cheesecake. As a finishing touch, they drizzle on a bit of mango syrup and, to add a slight bit of crunch, a few cornflakes and a small wafer roll. The various pieces come together to create a great combination of sweet and tart, and there are so many different textures in each and every bite.
Their strawberry matcha bingsoo is equally delightful, with layers of their perfectly crafted shaved ice studded with pieces of mini mochi, and slightly sweet and tart strawberry puree. The bona fide tour of shaved ice is topped with a huge scoop of matcha ice cream, whipped cream, fresh strawberries, and white chocolate shavings. Then, the entire thing is drizzled with strawberry and matcha syrups, which give the ice lovely stripes of white, red, and green.
They definitely load up each of the shaved ices with plenty of mix-ins and toppings, although they could probably add just slightly more. The ratios are a bit off, so the last quarter or so of the shaved ice tends to lack a bit of flavor.
The staff is also super friendly and there's a decent amount of seating, so you should be able to enjoy your shaved ice inside; even if you aren't able to snag one of the single-party tables in the back, there's a large communal high-top right next to the cashier counter that's a great spot to hang out and people watch. The front half of the store also often has a few small tables for local vendors (often folks selling k-pop merch), so you can also browse their selection as you wait.