Shauna Eats Sunnyside

Something Worth Eating at Starberry

okay, okay .. so i’ve trashed them in the past. but i stand by the chemical compounds argument 110%. crap fro-yo is all too common in this city; hell, even in this ‘hood. but deep inside, i believe that the dessert fiends behind starberry know that they need to go above and beyond to set their green-awning’d fantasy camp apart from the masses on the ethnically competitive queens boulevard scene.

pastel-colored double-helix balloon banners and synchronized seoul-nyc-l.a. wall clocks aside, starberry’s window decals recently began touting the paht bing soo, a popular red bean shaved ice treat we’ve spotted on many a late night in k-town. it’s basically a heaping bowl of battling flavors, colors, and textures that somehow manage to meld together into delicious, vertigo-inducing harmony. and at starberry, the multi-spoon decadence clocks in at a staggering, though not entirely shocking, $8.63.

after gorging ourselves on saltado and sex mussels at pio pio riko tonight, B was dead set on hitting starberry for the red bean delicacy we’d seen so many young koreans enthusiastically inhaling at 4am at koryodang bakery on 32nd st… since he was paying, i went wholeheartedly.

contrary to prior notions, my skin didn’t spontaneously combust upon entry to the fluorescently lit frozen yogurt haven. i crouched into a dwarved set of futuristic round stools and we stealthily tore into the bowl of conflicting goodness with a fervor usually reserved for deep-fried colombian baked goods and gourds of yerba mate.

the korean puppet master had gone to town on our paht bing soo, which only ups starberry’s potential, in my book. enthusiasm in food prep is a big plus, and that lady certainly hooks it up…

from base to peak, this particular paht bing soo had a layer of red bean paste (with bits of beanage strewn epically throughout) beneath a ginormo mound of delicately shaved ice, surrounding piles of fresh green kiwi, strawberry, mango, blueberries, and chewy mochi (as cashier dude explained, “more for the texture - to play with”), a scoop of (i’m not gonna lie, chemically-questionable) vanilla custard, more red bean paste, drizzles of milk and sweet syrup, and this random cocoa-like grain powder topping.

initial impression: this is the weirdest fucking thing i’ve ever eaten.

but you keep eating.. and eating. as the shit melts, the roof of your mouth kinda goes numb. flavors combine, and your tastebuds are almost in shock. thanks to the grain powder and milk combo, at points you’re fooled into believing it’s cereal. at other points, it’s a snowcone. by the end, you’re left with a puddle of sugar water and one bit of remnant mango that you clash plastic cutlery over until B finally yields.

it’s the most confusing, taste-explosive experience we’ve had in years… but somehow, this unlikely treat (and the puppeteer behind it) have won us over. i’ll continue to shun the gaudy angelic starberry ceiling mural and gag-worthy faux-yo/gelato wall, but for a delicious bowl of overpriced socially-hip paht bing soo, we are soooo there.

Starberry Frozen Yogurt & Gelato
Queens Blvd between 42nd and 43rd Sts
Sunnyside NY 11104