| Kee's Chocolates 80 Thompson Street NY, NY 10012 Spring-Broome (212) 334-3284 www.keeschocolates.com |
Nearest Subway
Stop
C/E
Spring Street
Stop
C/E
Spring Street
Hours Home
Tuesday-Friday 9:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Tuesday-Friday 9:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday 11:00am - 7:00pm
01/26/08 - On occasion we update our previous reviews of shops to keep our readers informed of changes in a stores
layout, menu or commitment to quality. With Kee's little ever seems to change. She has acquired space next store and
now her retail shop and production facility are separated by a few feet of sidewalk. The window to her old space, where
the chocolates are made, is kept unobstructed so passerbys can peek in. In a sense the element of watching truffles
being made before your eyes while waiting to be served, frequently by the same person, has changed the dynamic a
slight bit but the open space in the retail area makes the shopping experience more enjoyable. That being said in our
opinion, which many New Yorkers seem to share as Kee's once again garnered a 29 in Zagats, these are just the best
chocolates available in New York today. With the owner/chef usually on the premises and inspecting everything that is
produced for quality it's no surprise to us that so many people feel the way they do about Kee's. Over the last few years
we've found it impossible to explain to those who ask us the inevitable question "who makes the best chocolate in New
York ?" properly. Actually the answer has always been easy , Kee Ling Tong. It's been the explaining of why. The menu
is somewhat limited and even then it's rare to find 50% of what's on the menu in the store at any given time. Some of this
is because some items are seasonal but the real reason is that's just the way it is. Items fly out and are made in such
small batches. Around any holiday you need to get in early or you can get shut out. What makes these chocolates so
exceptional is that they taste the way you've always imagined they should. These chocolates do not age well. That being
said there is nothing better walking through SOHO on a Saturday afternoon working your way through a bag of 6. Any
mixture will do though lately we've become partial to the Blood Orange.
2006 - 2007 - This tiny shop set a few feet off of Spring Street is home to some of the freshest chocolate available in
New York. Most visits find the owner Kee Ling Tong hard at work producing a new batch of truffles. For the devotee of
chocolate nothing could be more fun than consuming a Creme Brulee, Key Lime, Green Tea in White Chocolate, or
Kee's signature Thompson mere moments after its creation. Many of her creations come in both Milk and dark
Chocolate. Try to arrive early in the day as she frequently seems to sell through the days production of some of her
more popular confections by mid afternoon. It can be quite disappointing making a special trip and finding a limited
selection available. The ambiance is topnotch owing to the closeness of the truffle making and the cheerfulness of the
staff. Besides where else can you personally chat with someone, who racked up a Zagats 29 for taste, in a relaxed and
informal setting and ask all sorts of questions about her chocolate making process.
Definitely a must see on any tour of New York's chocolate shops. In fact the troika of Kee's, Vosges and Marie Belle
all within a few blocks of each other can lead to a lovely walking tour through Soho. An article from the Epoch Times ,
A series of nice photos from New York Newsday of Kee making green tea truffles.
layout, menu or commitment to quality. With Kee's little ever seems to change. She has acquired space next store and
now her retail shop and production facility are separated by a few feet of sidewalk. The window to her old space, where
the chocolates are made, is kept unobstructed so passerbys can peek in. In a sense the element of watching truffles
being made before your eyes while waiting to be served, frequently by the same person, has changed the dynamic a
slight bit but the open space in the retail area makes the shopping experience more enjoyable. That being said in our
opinion, which many New Yorkers seem to share as Kee's once again garnered a 29 in Zagats, these are just the best
chocolates available in New York today. With the owner/chef usually on the premises and inspecting everything that is
produced for quality it's no surprise to us that so many people feel the way they do about Kee's. Over the last few years
we've found it impossible to explain to those who ask us the inevitable question "who makes the best chocolate in New
York ?" properly. Actually the answer has always been easy , Kee Ling Tong. It's been the explaining of why. The menu
is somewhat limited and even then it's rare to find 50% of what's on the menu in the store at any given time. Some of this
is because some items are seasonal but the real reason is that's just the way it is. Items fly out and are made in such
small batches. Around any holiday you need to get in early or you can get shut out. What makes these chocolates so
exceptional is that they taste the way you've always imagined they should. These chocolates do not age well. That being
said there is nothing better walking through SOHO on a Saturday afternoon working your way through a bag of 6. Any
mixture will do though lately we've become partial to the Blood Orange.
2006 - 2007 - This tiny shop set a few feet off of Spring Street is home to some of the freshest chocolate available in
New York. Most visits find the owner Kee Ling Tong hard at work producing a new batch of truffles. For the devotee of
chocolate nothing could be more fun than consuming a Creme Brulee, Key Lime, Green Tea in White Chocolate, or
Kee's signature Thompson mere moments after its creation. Many of her creations come in both Milk and dark
Chocolate. Try to arrive early in the day as she frequently seems to sell through the days production of some of her
more popular confections by mid afternoon. It can be quite disappointing making a special trip and finding a limited
selection available. The ambiance is topnotch owing to the closeness of the truffle making and the cheerfulness of the
staff. Besides where else can you personally chat with someone, who racked up a Zagats 29 for taste, in a relaxed and
informal setting and ask all sorts of questions about her chocolate making process.
Definitely a must see on any tour of New York's chocolate shops. In fact the troika of Kee's, Vosges and Marie Belle
all within a few blocks of each other can lead to a lovely walking tour through Soho. An article from the Epoch Times ,
A series of nice photos from New York Newsday of Kee making green tea truffles.
| Any comments or suggestions, contact us and let us know what you're thinking. |
| January 05, 2008 |
| January 05, 2008 |