The second day at my new university ran from 10:00am to 5:00pm, leaving me both exhausted and hungry. I had been eyeing one cafe that also seemed to be a dessert shop and restaurant in the East Village area. While roaming the neighborhood, I stumbled upon it multiple times, but hoped to try its Asian-inspired treats with a friend. I asked Yeyya Wane, a new peer from school, to join me in taste-testing the delicacies offered at Cafe 2BY2, located just around the corner from New York University.
As with all meals, we first selected our drinks of choice. The menu showcased many sweet and floral drinks, while others were coffee and chocolate based. I placed an order for the gardenia milk tea, a light and sugary iced beverage, necessary to wash down our savory entrees and thick slices of cake. I sensed mild notes of an evergreen fragrance as I sipped. Yeyya enjoyed a signature fruit tea.
“The fruit tea was refreshing, with a distinct citrus flavor,” she said, contently. “A subtly sweet drink, perfect for the summer time.”
The entrees arrived at our marble table, perfectly lit with a heavenly ring light to my left. The classy and delicate furnishing complimented the tasteful drinks and dainty desserts, though our main courses were wildly different.
My eyes lit up at the sight of my pepper-salt chicken wings, both drums and flats, served in a pastel yellow ceramic bowl. The entree comes with six pieces of battered and fried chicken, dusted in herbs and seasoning with crispy coating for texture. It’s hard to find a not-overly greasy chicken wing. These bites, although not greasy, were full of juice and flavor. Yeyya sampled some after she indulged in the coconut shrimp bowl with fries.
“The wings were crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. They were well seasoned without being too salty,” Yeyya reviewed. “The shrimp had a strong coconut flavor…it was more breadcrumb than actual shrimp.”
To cleanse our palettes, we each chose a slice of cake, served in mighty portions on elegant dishes. As a Filipino-American, I obviously desired the pandan coconut tiramisu flavor. The beautifully split layers give the dessert a mouth-watering look, even for those unfamiliar with the tropical plant. Each bite had a heading mouthful of classic pandan tartness and rich frosting.
For Yeyya, she found the Thai tea and Ovaltine tiramisu as a delightful way to wind down from the night.
“The flavors in this were very subtle, I felt like the Thai tea overpowered the Ovaltine,” However, it was the perfect amount of sweetness and didn’t feel too heavy.
Overall, my experience at Cafe 2BY2 was lovely. It serves as both a quiet brunch cafe, a quaint dessert place, and a cutesy snack time establishment.
“The floral decor made Cafe 2by2 the perfect place to snap an ‘IG-worthy’ picture. The food came out fairly quickly and overall service was good,” Yeyya happily concluded.
Campus Clipper is offering students a discount at Cafe 2BY2 when they present their student ID and digital coupon below. This is a perfect location to hit up after a long day of classes and meetings at New York University.
