HOT DISH: Purple ube lattes at Little Pink Cup

Clockwise from top left, Little Pink Cup bartender Hugo Guzman, some of the Mount Kisco café’s offerings, including purple ube lattes, a sprinkle of rose powder. AMY SOWDER PHOTOS

By AMY SOWDER 

When it comes to the drinks at Little Pink Cup, baristas don’t stay dainty and demure. They think big — far beyond the parameters of the downtown Mount Kisco cafe’s signature blushing tones.

Expect innovative, colorful twists on beverage trends, like those deep-purple lattes made with the root vegetable called ube. Pronounced “ooh-bay” and meaning tuber in Tagalog, this purple yam is native to the Philippines. Ube gained mainstream popularity in the U.S. around 2016, thanks to its mellow, nutty-vanilla flavor that works so well in desserts and its rich, violet hue that shines on social media. 

Little Pink Cup barista and bartender Hugo Guzman loves to look out for creative concoctions and what’s next. He isn’t satisfied with simply hopping on the obvious ube latte train. Guzman created three versions for Little Pink Cup and experiments with variations beyond that for weekend specials.

“Everything now is matcha and ube. Every place is trying to do something with that,” Guzman said. “I go all over Westchester and to bars and coffee shops in the city and ask for their signature drink, just to try it. I don’t want to be stuck in the same thing.”

Little Pink Cup owner Bonnie Saran is known for trying new things but also has the wisdom to keep what’s working. Saran, also the chef-owner of Little Crepe Street and Little Kebab Station, and Little Mumbai Market in Pleasantville, opened the blush-colored cafe and mocktail bar Dec. 23. This latest addition offers teas, smoothies, mocktails, coffee drinks, breakfast items, rolled croissant sandwiches and baked goods sourced from Bella’s Bake Shop two blocks away at 69 South Moger Ave.

Take Little Pink Cup’s most classic version of the hot ube latte. Like other cafés that offer ube, turmeric or beet lattes, this latte has no coffee or espresso in it, choosing instead to focus on the namesake ingredient plus steamed milk. But Guzman’s hot ube latte has ube extract, a touch of vanilla and dustings of cinnamon and rose-cherry blossom powder on the surface. 

That surface could be the canvas for some exquisite latte art, like a cherry blossom tree with a chocolate trunk rooted in a soil of cinnamon. 

“I try to make the drinks colorful and attractive to look at,” Guzman said.

The baristas let their creative juices flow when the muses inspire — especially during those brief calm moments amid the rush.

For patrons who want to sip some ube but require the kick of coffee, there’s the dirty ube latte with a medium-dark roasted espresso bean from Coffee Labs Roasters based in Tarrytown. For the ever-popular iced versions, Guzman smears dollops of marshmallow icing inside the cup’s walls before drizzling a just-pulled espresso shot over the ice. Lastly come half-and-half and some ube-infused, freshly hand-frothed cold foam. 

While the drink is likely to activate your dopamine receptors, there won’t be a sugar rush. “I want my drinks to not be too sweet,” Guzman said.

For a greener take on the ube trend, consider the iced ube matcha latte using ceremonial matcha, the powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves. Following the matcha, luxuriate in the thick, velvety violet-hued cold foam flavored with ube. This creamy yam creates a slightly sweet, herbal fusion like no other. 

“The next time you come here, there will be something new and different to keep you on your toes,” Guzman said. “It’s not always drastically different, but a variation. We love to add our own style.”

Little Pink Cup is located at 27 East Main St., Mount Kisco.