ATHLEISURE MAG #64 APR 2021 | Athleisure List: NYC Little Chef Little Café

Little Chef Little Café opened Nov 2019 and is known for an extensive menu that rotates frequently. Customers can enjoy a mix of healthy comfort food and baked goods with salads, soups, smoothies, bowls, rice bowls, waffle sandwiches, toasts, pastries and Filipino inpired tacos.

In addition to coffee and tea, they have special herbal teas too, like a house brewed ginger tea made with fresh ginger that is pressure cooked, blended, and strained. Lemon juice and honey are added and this is a version of a Filipino Salabat. It's served hot or iced and is great since ginger is great for cleansing, healing, and has many health benefits.

For those that are vegetarian or vegan, there are options on the menu for this as well. One of the favorites is the Anti-ox Salad with kale, mixed greens, red cabbage slaw, seasonal roasted vegetables, hemp seeds, and raw pepitas. The dressing is house made from basil, cilantro, scallions, garlic, dates, lime juice, and oil. Customers really enjoy these dressings! All dressings are made in house and packed with flavor. There is always a vegan soup like the Hearty Lentil or Sinigang, a Filipino tamarind-based soup with tomatoes, potatoes, tofu, green beans and bok choy. And for their Filipino tacos, which are offered individually at the café or in DIY kits to go (simple and fun to make at home: 3-20 tacos with fried wonton shells or classic gluten free corn tortillas and spicy pickled pineapple), they offer a vegan filling: Veggie Ginataang, vegetables sautéed in coconut milk, along fillings like Pork Adobo or Chicken Adobo.

It's worth noting that nothing is fried, many items are gluten free and dairy free, and they make sure to have plenty of plant based selections. The menu is rotated and offers hearty and healthy breakfast and entree options to be enjoyed throughout the week. For example, the Kale and Quinoa Power Bowl with marinated kale, seasoned quinoa, roasted mushrooms, cauliflower, toasted seed blend, green goddess dressing - you can add balsamic rosemary chicken too. Smoothies are packed with antioxidants: Mellow Yellow made with mango, banana, turmeric, cauliflower, ginger and coconut water; Orange Glow with papaya, pineapple, carrots, ginger, orange juice; Green Machine with kale, spinach, bananas, pineapple and almond milk.

In addition to daily offerings, they provide a weekly meal prep program of Paleo and Whole30 friendly meals.

As we continue into the summer months, the menu will continue to change as they stay seasonal as possible with daily specials and meal prep. You can find special drinks and food specials throughout the week.

LITTLE CHEF LITTLE CAFÉ

5-43 48th Ave

Long Island City, NY 11101

www.littlecheflittlecafe.com

IG @littlecheflittlecafe

PHOTOS COURTESY | Little Chef Little Café