Massive Taiwanese Dessert Chain Tackles the East Village

Massive Taiwanese dessert chain invades the East Village

Meet Fresh, a popular Taiwanese dessert chain that peddles taro balls, shaved ice, tofu pudding, and more, is headed to the East Village. With more than 100 stores in Taiwan, plus others across Asia and Australia, Meet Fresh will soon make its NY debut at Cooper Square and East 6th Street.

A Brooklyn bar is paying homage to Beyoncé

Carroll Gardens bar Leyenda is switching things up starting December 1 when it renames itself “Sleyenda” and decks itself out with a Latin theme and some homages to Queen Bey. The menus will be printed on Beyoncé Christmas cards, served with Beyoncé’s songs playing in the background, as well as decorations inspired by various pop icons.

Tom Colicchio speaks out on sexist kitchen culture

In an open letter on Medium, celebrity chef Tom Colicchio addresses male cooks, calling for safer kitchen environments for women. He writes that, “We need to do more than pay lip service to fixing this,” suggesting male chefs need to mentor more women and be completely intolerant of any inappropriate behavior around them. Check out the full letter here.

Take a peek inside Bobby Flay’s apartment

One of New Yorkers’ favorite pastimes can be realized with this look inside celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s apartment. Flay recently rented out the 3,256-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment for about $22,500 a month, so photos of it surfaced online. Check them out here.

The Beckhams hit up Lucali

If you ask dreamy father-son duo David and Brooklyn Beckham, Lucali (575 Henry Street, Brooklyn) is New York City’s top slice. The two stopped by for some pizza last night, looking like they had a grand old time.

Lower East Side’s Kopitiam needs money to survive

Two-year-old Baba Nyonya restaurant Kopitiam is being forced out of its Lower East Side space by a 25 percent rent increase, it says in a new crowdfunding campaign. Now, owner Kyo Pang is looking for $250,000 to fund a larger space with an expanded menu for its Malaysian street fare and sweets.

Celebrating the neighborhood diner

This week’s neighborhood joint column in the Times hones in on Court Square Diner, a classic Long Island City diner that’s open 24/7. Many locals head to this longstanding restaurant twice a day, and regulars have even joined the staff’s fantasy football league. It’s a charming look at a dying NYC breed.

Here’s a look at another Taiwanese bakery with a cult following