First order of business: the title of this column is being changed from "The Chronicles of Shakes, Sundaes and Creams" to "The Chronicles of Creams." I've decided the former is redundant.
When one thinks of South Korea, one thinks of pungent, colorful food in futuristic surroundings. One thinks of a culture competing with a conspicuously hip and weird one (Japan) and a gargantuan one that will likely take over the world with currency reserves (China). Therefore, Korea must resort to some sort of trojan warfare, some sort of multi-pronged sneak attack.
Enter Caffebene.
It is a South Korean coffee house. There are two things that distinguish it: it serves waffles and it serves misugaru, a drink made with barley, rice and seasame. The Times said this drink was as "comforting as a hug." I suppose that depends on who is giving you a hug.
The matter at hand: given that I am a man who wanders this city, smoking my pipes and drinking my bourbons, and eating my creams, I decided I had to go.
But wait. What does Caffebene have to do with creams? Ah, I'm glad you asked. For those who are observant, you may have noticed the mention of waffles. Well, where waffles are served, whipped cream is sure to follow, and such is the case at Caffebene.
I ordered a waffle with whipped cream and caramel and bananas. The waffle was dense and delicious. The whipped cream was more of the aerosol cream variety, but still it was a welcome addition to the waffle. An enjoyable treat.
I also ordered this misugaru drink, and it tasted much like liquid Cheerios. I enjoyed it.
There are apparently 50 more of these establishments planned for New York. Soon, the South Koreans will be in control.
