Mercado Little Spain, NYC

Mercado Little Spain is a Spanish food hall consisting of kiosks, restaurants, and vendors, located in NYC, in Hudson Yards.  It is helmed by Chef José Andrés, which made it catch my attention, as even though Spanish cuisine isn't really what I go for, as I've adored, really adored, some of his restaurants in the past (zomg, the foie gras cotton candy at Bazaar in LA).

"Mercado Little Spain is a veritable love letter to Spain – featuring the delicious, diverse food and drinks from all corners of one of the richest culinary countries in the world. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, there is something for every taste – from a quick bite to a lively tapas crawl to an elevated Spanish steakhouse."

There are currently 9 kiosks for quick grab and casual dining, and several full service restaurants.  I believe more are planned as well.

Qué Sweet

"Enjoy a wide variety of Spanish sweet treats at Qué Sweet. Whether you’re in Madrid or Manhattan, there’s no better way to cool off on a hot day than with ice cream; or try tarts, pastries, and cakes from around Spain, like crema Catalana, xuxos, and the ultimate xuxo helado—flaky pastry filled with your favorite soft serve and toppings."

It likely comes as no surprise that the first place I tried from Mercado Little Spain was the dessert place, Qué Sweet.  I didn't order myself, so I was not able to select what I wanted like the basque cheesecake, but instead I was introduced to one item I didn't even know existed, and now must seek out more of.

Xuxo de Crema. $5.

"Reminiscent of another cream-filled fried pastry invented in New York, but predating it by almost a century, the xuxo is a beloved and delicious creation from the Catalan city of Girona in the 1920s. According to legend, during a quarantine forced by an epidemic, an acrobat known as el Tarlà (a common figure in Girona folklore) came to town to entertain sick residents. During his stay, he fell in love with the local pastry chef’s daughter. One day during a surreptitious visit between the couple, the pastry chef returned home early, and el Tarlà was forced to hide in a bag of flour. From his hiding spot he couldn’t hold back a sneeze, and betrayed himself with a loud “xui-xui.” The pastry chef discovered el Tarlà, who announced his love for the chef’s daughter and immediately proposed marriage. Knowing his audience, he sweetened the deal by sharing a recipe for a cream-filled pastry. The pastry chef (and his daughter!) accepted, and the pastry became known as “xuxo” after the acrobat’s telltale sneeze. 

While the story may be fanciful (the name may in fact come from the French choux, which refers to an airy, light dough used in profiteroles and éclairs), the pastry itself has remained a local favorite. It’s made with a laminated dough, similar to croissant dough, which is then filled with pastry cream, fried, and coated with sugar. The Catalan government has recognized the pastry as a Producte de la Terre – a list highlighting traditional products from the region – and Chef José Andrés has even gifted them to Chris Martin and the members of Coldplay."

This was my first ever xuxo, and I'll admit, I didn't even know these existed before today.  One bite in, I was blown away.  Cronut, step aside.  There is a much better pastry in the building.

The exterior pastry was exceptional - it is laminated pastry like a croissant, but deep fried and coated in sugar like a churro.  Super crispy, great sugar coating, but also layers of pastry and some underlying butteriness.  Honestly, it didn't need to be filled to be good, I'd be extremely happy just with it this way.  High 4/5 shell.

But they were filled, and I got to try two varieties, crema and chocolate.  I still don't know which I liked more.

Xuxo de Crema

"The Catalan cream-filled flaky pastry of your dreams filled with pastry cream."

The cream filled version had a very thick pastry cream, very custard like, thick, rich.  This was not a light item.  That pastry cream would probably be too much as a bowl full like a pudding, but inside the pastry, it was fantastic.  It was stuffed very, very full, so definitely a seriously undertaking.  The flavor was good, the consistency was good, just really great pastry cream, I can't think of any I've had better really.  4.5/5 filling.

Xuxos de Chocolate

"The Catalan cream-filled flaky pastry of your dreams filled with chocolate and hazelnut cream."

I also got to try the chocolate version, with a chocolate and hazelnut cream, perhaps even better?  It was not very Nutella like, but rather just chocolate hazelnut pastry cream, so lighter in color, and more strong in the custard.  Complex flavor, again, great consistency.  Another 4.5/5 filling.

Put it all together, and this was a top notch pastry, 4.5/5.

El Flan de Mamá Marisa. $7.

"Traditional Spanish caramelized egg custard inspired by José Andrés’ mother’s recipe."

I also had the flan, as I'm a lover of all puddings.  

It was a perfectly good flan.  Well set.  Decent flavor.  The caramel was in the base rather than on top, but, if you were to tip it onto a plate, you'd have a proper flan.  It had the right caramelized notes, with some bitterness just approaching burnt in the right way.  A traditional dessert, done well, but not overy exceptional, particularly compared to the xuxos!  3.5/5.