Pichet Ong always assures one of a marvelous feast at the Spot Dessert Bar. This Asian-style cafe, located in the East Village’s historic St. Mark’s Place, New York City, is a must-visit destination. The setting is cozy and relaxed.
St. Mark’s Place is now an Asian community hot spot. A stroll through the area makes the prevalence of Japanese, Vietnamese, and other Asian eateries evident. Spot is owned by two cousins, entrepreneurs Watanasuparp and Chai Huadwattana. Renowned pastry chef Pichet Ong is on their staff and acts as a consultant. Spot specializes in desserts, and those who venture in are treated to new levels of taste and sight—an incredibly alluring array of sweet treats you have never experienced.
Sitting next to me on a bench at Spot Dessert Bar, Ong smiled and said, “The cheesecake I make is lighter because it is made without eggs. It is more flavorful from the addition of three types of cheeses. The goat cheese, cream cheese, and crème fraiche are responsible for the delicate, faintest whispers of flavors.
The deconstructed cheesecake arrived in an out-of-the-ordinary format: artfully displayed in a simple water glass, lying flat on a white plate. I could not get my eyes off it while thinking of the marvelous imagination it took to present it this way. As my friend and I were scratching our heads as how we should approach this incredible presentation, Ong gracefully took the spoon from my hand, pulled the cake out of the glass onto the plate, making a colorful molded shape. The rush of the amazing flavors and textures on my first bite was unbelievable. I thought my heart stopped beating. The contrast between sweet, smooth, and crunchy versus tart was incredibly delightful.
Based on American classic desserts, Ong looks for the common things and incorporates different exotic and distinct Asian flavors.
The chocolate cookies also made with butter, served warm, with grated coconut to seduce the Asian palate, which is fond of chewy and crunchy textures. Another creation beyond one’s imagination is the flavorful White Miso Semifreddo, using yellow miso, augmented with a few, fresh mint leaves and raspberries.
To quench your thirst, try one of Ong’s refreshing sodas. This layered drink comes with fresh fruit sorbet at the bottom, covered with soda and ice, and topped with foam from the same fruit and basil seeds. Fresh fruit have a wonderful bright flavor and sweetens easily.
Ong’s creations are a reflection of his taste. He loves fresh fruit and sugar, but is adventurous and daringly confident. He never had formal training, only hands-on learning. Ong’s first job was with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse at Berkeley, Calif. as a line cook for five years. Following that, he became a consultant for Jean George, Olives, and Tabla, a position he now holds at Spot Dessert Bar. Recently, Ong opened Village Tart, a bakery, café, and wine bar.
I relate to one of his quotes: “Simplicity is complexity resolved. I like flavors that are simple and straightforward, so you can tell what it is when you eat it. I’d like to think that the flavors in my desserts are that way. To me, these are desserts and flavors I’ve been doing for a long time.”
Allow yourself ample time at this place; its only distraction is slow service.
Spot offers few tasting menus, accommodating the size of a group.
The three-course Tasting Menu is $15 per person. The five-course Tasting Menu is $25 per person. The Omakase Dessert Tasting, at $48, comprises the chef’s choice Tasting Menu.
Spot is open seven days a week, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Thursday and Saturday until 1:00 a.m.
Address: St. Marks Place No. 13, New York, NY 10003.
Phone: 212 677-5670
Web Site: spotdessertbar.com
Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 3 dozen
Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this is mine. The cooks at Spice Market also love it. Whenever I made pretty packages of these cookies for the diners, the bags would mysteriously disappear from the kitchen throughout the day.
Creaming the butter with the coconut maximizes the cookies’ distinctive nuttiness, which provides a great backdrop for the rich, deep flavor of bittersweet chocolate. Be sure to use unsweetened coconut here. Not only does it taste much better than the sweetened variety, but also it makes these cookies crumbly and crisp.
1 1/3 cups (4 ounces) finely shredded unsweetened, dried coconut
2 cups (11 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (6 ounces) dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (6 ounces) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) bittersweet pistoles, bittersweet chocolate chips, or roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Spread the coconut on a large-rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and fragrant, 7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside. Put the butter, both sugars, salt, and cooled toasted coconut into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.
3. Turn the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture. When incorporated, add the remaining flour and mix until no traces of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips. You can also make the dough by hand. Stir the ingredients in the order above. If you have time, cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before baking.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the cookie dough into 1-inch balls and put 2 inches apart on the baking sheets [they will spread]. Bake until brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Editor’s note: Be aware of your oven’s correct temperature. Depending on the calibration, the cookies might take only 9-10 minutes.
