Serious Eats: New York
Sugar Rush: Mouhallabie and Balade Jallab
[Photo: Kathy Chan]
Balade opened up two weeks ago in the East Village, but it was a particular drink, the Balade Jallab ($4.50), that drew me to dinner here one evening. "Jallab" itself is a syrup, and the one at Balade is made from dates and rosewater syrup. It's served iced, with pine nuts, and touch of cinnamon nestled in there. It tasted strangely familiar; only after a few minutes did I realize it tasted of a sweeter version of the Korean drink Sikhye.
For dessert, get the Mouhallabie ($5), a Lebanese milk pudding with a silky texture somewhere between that of a panna cotta and a creme brulee, dairy in its richest form. I'm a sucker for anything that ends in "pudding," and this was lovely indeed, especially with a pour of rosewater syrup and sprinkles of crushed pistachios.
Balade
208 First Avenue, New York NY 10009 (map)
212-529-6868
baladerestaurants.com