Koryodang

Koryodang in the heart of K-town, looks like a small eatery when I peered in from 32nd. However, when I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised at the size of the cafe; it’s HUGE! High ceilings, stone walls, and very modern decor make up this popular Korean dessert cafe. Chris and I stopped by on a cold night for some patbingsoo, the Korean spin on shaved ice.

I spent a couple weeks in Korea when I was a kid and had patbingsoo everyday; scoops of red bean topped with ice cream, mochi, condensed milk, mango and kiwi bits on a soft bed of ice. I blame patbingsoo on my childhood weight problems (jk!) but I also have fond memories of going to the same Korean bakery every afternoon before heading back to the apartment where I lived on dial-up and the June 2000 issue of YM! magazine. The patbingsoo at Koryodang came with different toppings – you had the option to choose from fruit, red bean, or green bean (which is actually mung bean). We chose a fruit topping, which came with strawberry ice cream instead of a vanilla ice cream:

The patbingsoo was a little too sweet for me (especially after living off Pinkberry for the past couple of months). Also, the prices were a little steep; patbingsoo was $9!! If you stop by Koryodang, you should try their honeydew popsicles instead; they’re only $1 and they’re a great treat while you try to navigate your way through Herald Square.