Update 3/29/09: Panya Bakery has closed.
Update 7/8/10: Panya has reopened in the same location. This review pertains to its prior incarnation

After picking up this sturdy little mousse at Panya Bakery, it withstood sustained jostling in the deli line, and getting shoved upside-down in a bag of beer by an impatient counter person when I didn’t move fast enough to suit him (“My mousse!” I wailed), and STILL looked perfect when I peeked inside the box at home. Nibbling reveals the layers and textures of this confection: first, tart lemon rinds top a clear gelatin glaze embedded with tiny squares of pear, next, a super-sweet, airy mousse of indistinguishable flavor but quite possibly pear, and finally, a thin slice of dense dark cake, tasting something like espresso. For $3.50 was light (er, I can fool myself at least), satisfied my sweet tooth, and had some unexpected flourishes.

Panya also has a tempting selection of indivdually-wraped breads (for something just a little bit on the buttery-sweet side, I like the Melon Pan, which doesn’t taste like melon, but is tasty nonetheless -$1.00) and the ladies at the counter are always extremely nice and helpful. Panya Menu

Panya Bakery, 10 Stuyvesant St. at 3rd Ave.