[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

The Red Bean Butter Toast ($9) at Cha-An is substantial enough to count as a meal, so keep that in mind when you order. A three inch-tall cut of a remarkably pillowy soft bread is housemade and slightly sweet; it's given a light toast in the oven and topped with mashed and then whipped tsubushian, otherwise known as sweetened red bean paste. A mountain of whipped cream is delivered in nearly double the portion of the tsubushian. How to eat? Cut the loaf into bite-sized cubes and dab on a bit of both the tsubushian and cream. The cream melts quickly into the hot toast, so pace accordingly; this is one dessert you don't want to slow down to savor.

Cha-An

230 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10003 (map)
212-228-8030
chaanteahouse.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.