Cha An - New York City

One of my favorite cafés to gather with friends. They have delicious vegan mochi, and their matcha latte is the best I've ever tasted.

### Final Verdict: I cannot recommend this place at all. There was nothing that I found worthwhile, and I regret spending $50 on two disappointing desserts. I wish someone had warned me before I went, as social media is filled with misleading reviews. There are plenty of other places with better, more affordable desserts that also offer an attractive atmosphere. Unfortunately, Cha An offers neither, but charges high prices, which feels like a total rip-off. ### Detailed Review: I had a very disappointing experience here. After a long day out with family, we were exhausted and eagerly looked forward to resting. When we arrived, we had to wait over 15 minutes to be seated around 6:30 PM on a Saturday, despite seeing an open two-seater table right in front of us. Numerous waitstaff walked by us multiple times, completely ignoring our presence. One staff member even brushed past me and my brother without a word, which felt incredibly rude. After 15 minutes, when they finally decided to seat us, they placed us at the exact table I had been watching the whole time, leaving me frustrated and wishing I had been given some indication of the wait time. I understand that restaurants can be busy, but a simple greeting or an estimated wait time would have been appreciated. It's not difficult to say, "Just a moment," yet we were left without any communication, despite spending $50 on just two desserts. Next came the food, which was quite disappointing. I ordered a black sesame crème brûlée, but I have no idea where the "brûlée" part was—it resembled more of a melted ice cream blended into pudding, lacking the signature burnt sugar crust. It wasn't terrible, but it was far from the classic dessert I expected. Then there was the matcha parfait, which was just plain disappointing. I found myself looking up parfait glasses on Amazon, thinking I could create something far superior at home. The ice cream tasted like low-quality grocery store brand, the red bean was overly sweet, and the entire combination failed to come together. Honestly, it was not worth the $20 price tag. To make matters worse, the wafer on top of both desserts was stale—there was no crunch, just a chewy texture that detracted from the overall experience. In conclusion, I strongly recommend avoiding this place and spending your money somewhere else.

Charming little gem of a restaurant! I absolutely loved the black sesame crème brûlée. The shaved ice was decent, though I really enjoyed the toppings. The atmosphere is lovely, and the wait was brief—just about 15 minutes. I'm quite picky when it comes to restrooms, and I was impressed by how clean theirs was, complete with a bidet and heated toilet seat!

I was extremely pleased with the desserts here. If you’re a matcha enthusiast, this place is a must-visit. Everything was perfectly balanced, with none of the items being overly sweet. The presentation is gorgeous and perfect for Instagram, and the overall ambiance is very nice. While the prices are on the higher side considering the portion sizes, you definitely won’t leave feeling unsatisfied. We were seated in one of the smaller rooms, which kept the noise level down. My only concern was the waiting area—it’s pretty cramped, and you end up standing on the staircase, which can be a bit hazardous. But this is often the case in New York due to limited space, so just be cautious!

The ambience is nice, and the desserts are novel! However, the desserts are very pricey and not very good. The black sesame crème brûlée had a good sesame-y base, but the ice cream on top tasted like it had been in the freezer for too long (icy and sticky). The matcha tiramisu was pretty, but nothing too special. There was also a thick layer of matcha powder on top that cemented to the roof of my mouth with each bite. I don’t think I would come back.