Hani’s bakery + café — Restaurant in New York

Made a special trip here this weekend to try the famous cinnamon roll and chocolate chip cookie. I arrived around 12:30 and ended up waiting in line for a bit over 30 mins. The greeter was super friendly and only lets a few people inside the shop at a time, which helped it feel less chaotic. When I got in, I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted because you ever know what’s left, and some of the things posted online weren’t in the case and some of the things in the case weren’t online - no biggie. I just needed a minute to decide and that clearly irritated the employee behind the counter who was helping me. I was asking for recommendations for food and drink combos (bc I planned on getting both). When I tried to ask about drinks that would pair well with the food she rudely cut me off and told me she would get my food first and then if I had questions about the drinks, she would answer later. I could tell she was tired and it was busy, but it was weird and off putting. It made me feel like taking my time to look at the selection and pick a combination mindfully was super annoying to her. After waiting for 30 mins, I kind of expected nicer service. Overall the space was really beautiful and the cinnamon roll was super unique and delicious - not too sweet at all, and the glaze had a tangy brightness to it that made the whole thing easy to devour, it could have been the slightest bit gooey but still worth a try. I ended up getting a strawberry matcha too which was good, but the matcha flavor wasn’t very strong, and neither was the strawberry - you can skip it, there are way better strawberry matchas in NYC. The chocolate chip cookie was… indulgent. It was SUPER chocolatey, chewy and thin, and they didn’t skimp on the salt. My only issue with it was that it was missing that malty, caramel-y dough-y flavor that makes chocolate chip cookies so craveable. It was very much chocolate and salt, with just enough dough to hold it together. Still very delicious but not a cookie I would reach for regularly. It would be one that would pair really well with an ice cream though! There were plenty of things I didn’t get to try that I’m still interested in, so I might go back, I probably wouldn’t wait 30 minutes again though - just based on the service. It’s also pricey as hell, so I keep that in mind! I ended up spending over $25...

Came here several times to sample several of their bakery items as they piqued my interest. Hani’s Bakery does not shy from what appears to be a Central/Eastern European collaboration with many American classics.

Beginning with the black currant ginger scone, I was excited to try this as a scone enthusiast. The texture was tenderly in between dense and fluffy, the outside perfectly crumbly. What I had not expected was my mouth, puckering from being overtaken by a saccharine sampling. The icing far too sweet, drowning out the complexity of the flavors. The ginger overtook the currant, leaving much to be desired. I decided I would come back for another try.

I returned to sample the hibiscus rose morning bun. This is not comparable to its neighbor, the cinnamon bun. Instead of a fluffy, soft texture, it was closer to that of a flaky dough, such as a croissant. The name was a little misleading. Though the hibiscus drowned out the rose, it also was excessively sweet, drowning out everything altogether.

As I had mentioned prior, I had sampled the cinnamon bun, aptly named. The texture was fantastic. It was perfectly chewy and laced with a gentle cinnamon flavor. The icing was a perfect concoction, dripping gracefully with every tear into the tender pastry. But it did not have any unique flavor. The only unique quality about the bun was its shape, which had a mushroom-like appearance.

Finally, I tried the sour cherry coffee cake. My mother was a sour cherry devotee, and I had grown to appreciate the flavor through the course of my childhood years. I was most eccentric about this. The crumble was delicate, the texture of the cake adequate. But it was really missing that punch from the cherry. The aforementioned culprit returned — too much sugar.

If nothing else, you must try their coffee. Hani’s coffee is perfectly balanced, their aftertaste walnutty, and their ratios balanced. The usage of a machine to prepare the coffee does, however, eliminate the relationship to the barista, which could have been a nice touch.

Given that this institution is relatively new, I can detect a robotic sense of cordiality from the employees. I hope that as they become comfortable in the role that they will adjust to the neighborhood they have recently joined.

I see luck in...

I really wanted to love this spot given the pastry chefs involved, having loved their treats at other businesses, but none of the things I ordered really wowed me. The muffin was the best of what we ordered and the chocolate chip cookie was solid but I didn’t care for the potato bun (bland and not satisfying) or the cinnamon roll. The icing was nice but the dough part was too dry and bready. I prefer a gooey bun/roll. Given the rave reviews maybe I just ordered wrong. I would like to go back and try other things especially the cake, but the line is always too daunting. Hopefully, the stars will align at some point.

Update: went back to order other items and once again all were disappointing. I do not understand the hype. Maybe it’s the ingredients they use but the flavors are just off for me. The chocolate items have an almost sour taste (maybe the chocolate they use). Really didn’t like the PB& J cake. The crumb of the cake is very fine and dry and not very flavorful. The frosting is more buttery than sweet which I don’t care for. Nothing was enjoyable or satisfying. Everything just misses the mark for me and I wonder if it’s because they are making American style desserts with possibly European style techniques or trying to “elevate” them too much? The cinnamon roll, cosmic brownie and the pbj layer cake are perfect examples of this. The texture/flavor combos are all wrong for me. Ended up compositing most of what I bought. The only thing I got that was moderately enjoyable was the chocolate pudding. I know the team behind this place is highly skilled so I guess it’s just a matter of the ingredients, recipes and techniques they choose.

Soft serve review: The best thing I’ve tried from here due to the delicious toppings. The fresh blueberry pie...