Coffee Project New York

Coffee Project owner Chi-Sum Ngai grew up serving traditional condensed-milk–splashed coffee at her parents' cafe in Malaysia before studying the dark stuff at Portland's American Barista and Coffee School. Ngai and her partner Kaleena Teoh have cafes in the East Village, Chelsea, and Brooklyn, and a roastery and training center in Long Island City. They also source from small, often women-owned, cooperatives and family farms that prioritize good working conditions, wages, and benefits for farmworkers. The drinks menu includes drip, pour over and espresso staples, as well as good chai and matcha lattes, a hot chocolate and tasty sandwiches, toasts and baked goods. It's one of the best spots for top-notch coffee in the city.