Press and Accolades

At Kee’s we’ve been making chocolate by hand since 2002. Since then, news of our chocolates and our store has spread both near & far. Here's just a sampling of what's been written about us.

Press
Kee's Chocolates is featured on page 242 (The sun can't hold a candle to these divine, dazzling, delectable desserts. One taste, and you'll be over the moon) for our meringues (available by special order) and our macaroons.
—Martha Stewart Weddings, Winter 2010 		“At this SoHo chocolatier, the same ingenuity that brought sesame to a truffle puts a dark chocolate-and-sesame ganache between two black-sesame meringues, leaving intimations of almond on your tongue. Sample the peach-ginger and rose-lychee confections.”
—Departures, Nov/Dec 2008
“Ses truffles sont au jasmin, au thé vert, au sé same noir ou encore au gingembre. Elles se dé clinent encore safran, citronnelle, pignons, pistache ou cognac, et bientôt fenouil. Ajoutez quelques macarons à la groseille, lavande, fenouil, rose litchi et citron basilic. C'est tout. Ici, la production est très artisanale: elles sont deux à rouler les truffes chaque jour de l'anné e.”
—Le Journal du Patissier, Juliette-Août, 2008 		“Esta tienda ocupa dos escaarates contiguos en SoHo. En el primero, Kee Ling Tong hace sus chocolates; en el otro los vende. Al entrar a esta tienda uno se pregunta por queé sólo hay un pequeño mostrador, pero la encantadora Kee, que prepara sus chocolates cada mañana para que siempre estén frescos, asegura que no necesita más.”
—Travel + Leisure, México. Febrero 2008
“Quality: 29; Display:22; Service: 24. 'OMG!' rave reviewers of the 'divine,' 'creative' chocolates 'made by hand on the premises' at this tiny, 'hidden-away' SoHo shop—this year voted tops in NYC fro Candy—that's owned and run by 'master of flavors' Kee Ling Tong, whose 'exotic' fillings, many reflecting an Asian influence, are deemed 'unforgettable;' 'exquisite' product aside, the vibe is 'unpretentious' and the staff 'a pleasure to talk to,' so 'treat yourself'—'it's worth every penny,' but just 'get there early' because they sometimes start 'running out' of choices later in the day.”
—Zagat New York City Gourmet Shopping & Entertaining, 2008 		“When you turn the corner onto Thompson Street, the powerful aroma of chocolate wafting from Kee's Chocolates conjures visions of Willy Wonka's immense factory. But Kee Ling Tong's tiny shop on Thompson is about the size of a box of Milk Duds, though the chocolate she churns out is extraordinary. Kee Ling Tong is the mad genius here behind everything: She creates the recipes, mixes the chocolate, makes the molds, stocks the displays, and serves the customers. This artisan's unique touch is what makes the chocolates at Kee's so remarkable”
—Gourmet Shops of New York, 2007
“Kee Ling Tong does it all by hand, fresh, every day. Best passion-fruit bonbon extant. The black sesame, blood orange and blended pepper are merely extraordinary. Hands down, the best chocolates in New York. Maybe the world.”
—New York Times Style Magazine, Holiday 2006 		“[Kee] creates exquisite chocolates filled with green tea, Earl Grey tea, pignoli, orange confit, jasmine, ginger and saffron. There are still other enticing chocolate combinations, including a dark truffle coated with white and dark sesame; a truffle made with fresh blood orange juice infused with cream and Grand Marnier; a dark chocolate ganache blended with champagne; and mint mocha, a dark chocolate ganache infused with fresh mint topped with whipped cream.”
—Preferred Lifestyles, 2006
“Kee's Chocolates are handmade by Kee Ling Tong in her jewel box of a shop in New York's Soho. Stop by for the magnificent creme brulee truffle. Or you can order deliverable choices like her jasmine tea truffle, with just enough edge to balance the deep, dark sweetness of the chocolate.”
—Health, January/February 2006 		“Not far away I found Kee Ling Tong, a Macao-born woman making another sort of product at [Kee's Chocolates]. . . . Kee's specialty is a creme brulee truffle. I tried the dark chocolate ganache flavored with clover honey, green tea, and a hint of saffron. So what if the ganache was too creamy? I bought the rest on the plate.”
—Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light, 2006
“Not only has Kee Ling Tong's shop Kee's Chocolates garnered 29 ratings from Zagat's two years in a row—it's been named in Zagat's 2005 Gourmet Guide as the "Best Chocolate in New York City." That's a pretty amazing feat for a woman who opened the store just two years ago after a 10-year stint at various financial institutions.”
—Audrey, October/November 2005 		“In a storefront smaller than a Manhattan socialite's closet, Kee Ling Tong is making some of the best chocolates in the United States. The Macao native was fresh out of the French Culinary Institute, when, two years ago, with no previous business experience, she launched the SoHo-based Chocolate Garden (since renamed Kee's Chocolates). What makes Tong's chocolates stand out? In addition to the fact that she uses fresh lychees, yuzu, and lemongrass and injects her creme brulee truffles with custard she makes herself, Tong's creations feel charmingly homespun, obviously made by one person's hand.”
—Gourmet, February 2005
“Kee's Chocolate which is run by Kee Ling Tong who is from Macau is extremely popular with gourmets who goes for real daintiness. You can feel the flavors wonderfully once you put a chocolate in your mouth. Kee's Chocolate has made a big sale already but Ms. Kee states positively "I will keep handmade even though our quantity of production is not enough."”
—2005 		“The store is located in the heart of SoHo. Its owner, Kee, covers every area of business miraculously. The miniature chocolate factory is located in the rear of the boutique, that's where Kee makes her own chocolates factually in front of the customers that are always in surplus. The variety of chocolates include exotic Red Thai Pepper (the spice hits your pallet as soon as chocolate melts) crème brûlée, Lavander and Green Tea. The prices, compared to everything else in New York are rather moderate”
—BCE 12/2004
“Nestled in SoHo, among new York's charming boutiques and specialty markets, Kee's Chocolates is a true find.... The Thompson Street store is a study in warmth and simplicity: the various chocolates hand-labeled behind a glass case, the light pouring in through a rear window, the sight of Tong preparing her fresh chocolates. . . . Tong does not advertise. Instead, she relies on the quality of her chocolate, which is undeniably among the highest in the city, and word of mouth.”
—Chocolatier, October 2004 		“The silky handmade creations of chocolatier Kee Ling Tong have quite a following. Her tiny store can get crowded in December, but luckily Tong takes custom orders for such coveted truffles as crème brûlée and strawberry-Champagne (the chocolates are made fresh every day).”
—Town & Country Traveller, Winter 2004
“The one box of made-in-New York chocolates that outshone the others was made by Kee Ling Tong in her small SoHo boutique called Kee's Chocolates. She works right there beside the refrigerated display case with her basin of tempered chocolate and varioius tools, occasionally tapping the molds so loudly that the salesperson can't hear your order. The aroma of chocolate is intoxicating.”
—the Art of Eating, 2004 Number 68 		“Forget about Belgian chocolate; forget the Swiss, the French, the British. According to connoisseurs from Honolulu to Florence to whom I've delivered Kee's Chocolates goodies, this is the best in the world.”
—Financial Times, December 2004
“La dolce Kee Ling Tong nasce fioraia e si transforma in cioccolatiera, unendo queste due passioni in un unico punto vendita, aperto quasi due anni fa e che appunto propone praline e delicate orchidee. Fra i gusti, preparati da lei stessa nel laboratorio contiguo, cappuccino, champagne, mora, arancia, sanguinella, cocco, gelsomino, mango e te verde, nocciola, te Earl Grey, cognac, mandorle e pistacchio, miele e kumquat. Il negozio e aperto 7 giorni su 7 e Kee si occupa di tutto, dalle pulizie alle consegne a domicilio. "I miei clienti amano il fondente—ci confida—ed hanno una predilezione per le praline con ganache alla frutta, con, al primo posto, il frutto della passione".”
—Pasticceria Internazionale, luglio agosto 2004 		“[Kee's Chocolates] . . . on Thompson St. is the shop which looks like a flower garden as it's name. Once you open the door, it is sweet with the scent of the chocolates and you won't want to leave at the showcase. Ms. Tong makes 15 types of chocolate everyday. The recipes are in the traditional way with very delicate work and it takes long time. She was a graphic designer. From her creative character, [Kee's Chocolates] is known for its "Black Sesame Seeds" and "Lemon Basil".”
—Hanajikan, February 2004
“French Culinary Institute graduate Kee Ling Tong makes candy the old-fashioned way at her year-old store. . . . Each morning she carefully assembles a careful of dark- and milk-chocolate creations by hand; for the absolute freshest chocolates, this is the place.”
—Time Out New York, July 17-24, 2003 		“[Kee Ling Tong reaches] for a tiny dome of dark chocolate crowned with a wisp of candied kumquat. This silky and subtle blend is one of 200 chocolates in 25 flavors that Tong hand-makes every day. Her ever-changing creations run from the tweaked traditional—a cherry cordial made with griottes, a tart morello cherry with none of the maraschino's cloying qualities—to the utterly surprising: a slightly savory saffron-and-orange ganache and a white chocolate sphere clad in crushed pistachio. Tong's tiny SoHo shop is a tasteful haven, with wood counters, pastel walls, and her own flower arrangements (She's a florist to boot.)”
—Departures, May/June 2003
“Buques e bombons sao uma combinacao irresistivel. Ainda assim, nunca foi facil encontrar as duas coisas em um so lugar e com a memsa qualidade.”
—Estampa, Marco 2003 		“The tiny boutique she opened on a quiet Soho street six months ago, combines her passions for bouquets and bonbons, which she makes in flavors like black-sesame, orange-confit, Key-lime, and creme brulee. At this point, truffles and retro sweets like turtles and chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks outsell the flowers, but imagine the one-stop-shopping possibilities come Valentine's Day.”
—New York, January 6, 2003
Accolades
The Best Thing I Ever Ate Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, February 2005
Voice in America, Fall 2005 Programa Amaury Jr
New York Streets Gourmet, Diary of a Foodie
Lifetime Real Women