Bánh by Lauren — Restaurant in New York

There is something to be said about consistently delicious food and stellar service, and BBL (as I lovingly call Bánh by Lauren) delivers in spades. I've been a fan since day one of her pandemic pop-ups and am so thankful she put so much time and care in making Vietnamese and French-Asian desserts with top-quality ingredients and scientific precision. Every single aspect has been well thought out and executed. I'm even more grateful that the stunning bakery/café space opened in my neighborhood so i can get my baked goods fix. The classic standouts are: bánh bò slices with their beautiful, bouncy texture, bánh cam bean-filled sesame balls are light and not greasy (I used to dislike these as a kid but now I love them thanks to this bakery), the cakes are airy and perfect with signature pandan or Thai tea flavors, and the Asian-inspired macarons are the best in the city. I will willingly spend money here to buy savory scones (if they're on the menu!) and chocolate chip cookies that have JUST the right amount of salt, lightly crisp edges, and chewy centers. I've tried all the food items multiple times, and they've been perfect every single time. The drinks are also delicious, ranging from hot/cold salt/sugar-balanced caffeinated beverages to refreshing limeades with a touch of molasses. BBL receives the highest compliment an Asian bakery can get (as shown on merch available for purchase): not too sweet.

BTW, I will physically fight anyone who says her macarons aren't good. They're...

This is my favorite bakery in the city. The macarons and chocolate chip cookies are my favorite. Also the scones if I’m in the mood for salty. They all have such a great texture.

I love scones. And these scones are my favorites. The texture is so right. Flaky, not too flaky. The savory flavors are tasty and work well together. I love the Asian flavors hard to find in a scone anywhere else. Very good for on the go savory snack.

The macarons are soft and light and also have substance! It’s so hard to describe totally have to taste it to understand. There are also so many flavors.

The chocolate chip cookies are soft and chewy and actually stay pretty good for a bit if you want to travel with it. It’s so hard for me to not eat it right away I always have to get multiple.

The Pandan coffee cake is very underrated. I think it deserves more hype than it gets. The streusel on top is so good it’s like crunchy but not too crunchy. Which adds a nice bite to the crumbly coffee cake. The pandan really comes out in the coffee cake it’s the star of the show.

The pandan honeycomb cake is so so so good here. They are my favorite texture one that is so unique. The ones here are so bouncy!

The chiffon cakes are very light and fluffy. It’s like eating a cloud. My favorite is the coffee chiffon cake.

The coffee and drinks are very delicious and definitely worth getting with the cute pastries.

My favorite is the black sesame it has a good balance of coffee and black sesame and is...

Delicious Desserts, But Accessibility & Service Could Improve

Location & Atmosphere: The café is quite a walk to reach, and the nearby train tracks make it noisy. However, the space itself is cozy.

Food & Drinks: We tried the honeycomb pandan cake, pandan cake, a cookie, a pandas latte, and a sesame latte. The cakes were excellent—moist and flavorful—and the cookie was a standout with its perfect touch of salt. Unfortunately, the lattes were overly sweet and underwhelming. Our order was about $40 bucks!

While the taste justifies the cost for some, it’s prohibitive for others—especially elderly customers who might want to enjoy a treat without breaking the bank.

Service Concerns: The staff was polite and efficient with us, but we noticed an elderly Asian woman struggling to order due to a language barrier. The cashier (who was otherwise helpful) told her to wait 10 minutes for a cookie she seemed to want, but she didn’t understand and was left standing there confused while he served the next customer. Another employee eventually stepped in, switching from Cantonese to Mandarin to assist her, but by then, she decided against buying anything due to the high prices and about 8 minutes of confusion.

It was disappointing to see her dismissed so quickly—a little more patience and kindness would have gone a long way. Perhaps the café could consider a small discount or senior-friendly pricing so older patrons can also enjoy their delicious desserts...