Joey Bats Cafe - New York City

Came 10 mins before the opening time. No one was even at the stall. Then came back when it finally opened, but the first batch of tarts took a while to come out. Employee was nice and told me about the wait but also underestimated the time it would take (20 mins, not 12 mins). But honestly shouldn’t all these prep work happen beforehand? Why would you open a bakery without any baked items ready? While waiting, I also noticed this banner they have, which is fairly innocent until you see that tacky mosaic. I bet the GUY behind the design thinks he’s genius and funny. If I hadn’t already paid, I would walk away given how improper this is. And speaking of the “nata” itself, it is also nothing like crème brûlée or croissant. The filling has some type of starch in it so the texture is gooey and sticky, almost like condensed milk. This seems to be the case with all the pasteis de nata I’ve had, and I don’t think it’s an issue per se, but if you are expecting crème brûlée, you’ll be disappointed because it’s not that eggy/creamy. The crust is pretty dense and smells like cheap vegetable oil, so also not the airy, buttery croissant you think you’re getting. For $4, this tiny tart is almost hilarious. And I’d rather go to Chinatown for a decent, unpretentious po tat with flakey crust and crème-brûlée-ish filling for half the price.

In this review, besides complimenting the pasteis de nata I’d like to compliment and show some appreciation and gratitude for Suzette who made my delivery order extra special today! The world needs more people like you.

Grew up eating cantonese egg tarts. Tried many in hong kong and macau. These are simply next level. Don’t waste time going to chinatown if you have taste buds

The pasteis de nata are incredible. Buy the frozen ones as a gift for someone when you’re invited over for dinner. It’s unique and memorable.

$5 for a coffee and delightful pastry is a great deal.