The Lower East Side has never been particularly interested in doing things the predictable way, so naturally its latest café comes with Japanese-inspired sushi tacos, creative coffee and a day-to-night transformation.
Meet On Lab, the new Lower East Side spot at 106 Rivington Street that’s quickly becoming one of the neighborhood’s more curious new food stops. The concept is simple enough: coffee by day, bistro by night. The menu, however, is considerably more adventurous.
During the day, On Lab focuses on specialty coffee, matcha and inventive cold drinks. There’s yuzu cold brew, orange Americano, matcha drinks and an orange-guava cold brew, among other caffeinated creations. One particularly intriguing option is the Soosoo Latte, which combines espresso with corn milk, coconut milk and a sweet corn sauce. Because apparently NYC coffee needed another plot twist.
Then there are the Japanese tacos.
Instead of traditional tortillas, On Lab wraps its fillings in crispy seaweed, creating something between sushi and a taco. The current lineup includes eel, crab, tempura and crab-and-tempura versions, giving hungry LES explorers plenty of reasons to order more than one.
The concept has already caught the attention of NYC food obsessives, with recent visitors highlighting the sushi tacos and coffee. The restaurant’s relaxed setting also makes it a natural stop for working, catching up with friends or simply hiding from your inbox for an hour.
And there’s more coming. On Lab has described itself as a coffee-by-day, bistro-by-night destination, with nighttime service expanding the concept beyond its café beginnings.
So if you’re searching for On Lab LES, On Lab NYC, sushi tacos in NYC or new Lower East Side restaurants, add 106 Rivington Street to the list.
Coffee in the morning.
Sushi tacos later.
The LES apparently doesn’t believe in choosing just one personality.
