Land to Sea — Restaurant in New York

It's places like Land to Sea that keep me living in New York. A local coffee shop that has the community on its back, hosting local art exhibitions, pop-up bake sales, workshops, film screenings, etc.

I’ll be honest though. I'm not the moral authority on how good the actual coffee is. My order is just a black cold brew or americano…. tough to mess that up. BUT, I am the moral authority on a vibe check. Land to Sea CLEARS the vibe check.

No corporate company driven by profits could curate this vibe. No amount of money could. It's straight from the soul. You can tell every chair, table, coffee mug, light fixture, and art piece that hangs on the wall has been hand picked.

You might think I'm fufu or crazy, but in certain spaces I just feel so creative and free to express myself. Right when I walked in here I'm like "OH YEAH. I FEEL FLOWY!" Gotta stay flowy…

Land to Sea is founded and operated by 2 daughters of immigrants who are first time business owners. I love this for a few reasons:

A) I LOVE seeing young people start/run businesses. It's inspiring. They got me over here thinking what do I want to do that I'm not doing. No excuse, just produce.

B) This is pure speculation, but I imagine their parents immigrated to the US to give their children the opportunity to do something EXACTLY like this. Their parents must be so proud. It gets me a little choked up just thinking about it.

I had kind of a business meeting here so I was really nervous and shy, and didn't realize until too late that they specialize in Chinese pastries. I would have cracked off on that Bolo Bao forsure.

Also, I’ll be back for that Jade coffee mug they sell. That thing has been living rent free in my head for the past 5 days. I’m in a jade phase these days.

THANKS LAND TO SEA KEEP DOING Y’ALLS THING! STAY FLOWY!

Ig @jnov_ Tiktok...

Hey friends! This review is about sustainability only. 🙂

I am truly grateful that you offer (beautiful!) reusable mugs for people to use when having their coffee at your shop.

But on this sunny morning, it feels quite apparent that almost no one in the shop knows to ask for a reusable mug for here, or that you offer them.

Instead, it is a sea of single-use, plastic-lined paper cups and single-use plastic cups—that will head off to the landfill, to our oceans, and to our incinerators.

Plastics are made with fossil fuels. Over 95% of the plastics that we produce and recycle do not actually get recycled. And by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

I would love to see your business better promote reusables to customers so that we can collectively stop contributing to this existential mess.

Perhaps that means encouraging your baristas to explicitly ask customers if they will be enjoying their beverage to stay, and then giving them the appropriate cup accordingly. Or perhaps it means putting a little sign up, reminding people that they can be more environmentally conscious by asking for a mug. Or perhaps it is incentivizing that people bring their own reusable mugs for a tiny discount, or putting a post about reusables on your social media.

Thank you for considering my note. I so appreciate your delicious coffee and baked goods, and love coming to support this local business. I believe that with just a bit more intention and communication, Brooklyn can become a leader in lower waste consumerism.

If you’re a customer and you’re reading this, remember that you can ask for your drink in a...

Came here on a weekday afternoon to try this new trendy cafe. I applaud this cafe for presenting Chinese (rather Cantonese) culture and food in a more presentable way for a wider audience. The 港式奶茶 (HK milk tea) was similar to the ones in Hong Kong, and the overall vibe of this cafe is quite good.

We came with friends and got a lot of work done in the seating area in the back. Laptops are prohibited in the seating area near the front.

A note on other reviews of this cafe: I’ve seen other reviews of this place that seem to suggest that the mom and pop shops (that make Chinatown great) are unpalatable (even though the food is the same) and that Land to Sea is a good alternative.

These kinds of reviews (especially from Chinese reviewers) are perhaps some of the most damaging to the community and reinforce negative stereotypes.

Today I asked the barista if the pastries are made in-house, and indeed the reason why the 菠萝包 or 蛋挞 taste the same as Chinatown is because they purchase them from Chinatown bakeries. This is not a dig at Land to Sea; more of a commentary on why we need to “sanitize” food for audiences (and upcharge for them).

I would say come for the vibe and atmosphere and drinks; and if this place makes you more curious about Chinese culture and food, explore New York’s other (perhaps more authentic and affordable) Chinese businesses, bakeries, and restaurants scattered across the...