As I made my way down 70th Street toward York Avenue for a doctor’s appointment at NY Presbyterian, something unexpected caught my eye. A new storefront had popped up — Shwkulata. The name was a mystery to me, but the photos of decadent Dubai chocolates in the window were a siren call I couldn’t ignore. If you’ve scrolled through TikTok or Instagram lately, you’re probably aware that Dubai chocolate has been having a serious moment. It’s not hard to see why. These pistachio cream-filled chocolate bars have become a viral sensation, not only for their rich, sweet flavor but also for their hefty price tag. If you haven’t shelled out $30 to $40 for one yet, you’re either lucky or seriously self-controlled. But today, I didn’t need to look for a viral post. I had one right in front of me.
Stepping inside Shwkulata, I found myself in a small but inviting space with just a few counter seats by the window and a chocolate fountain bubbling by the register. It was around 10:30 a.m. — early for dessert, maybe, but I’d walked up and down this stretch of 70th Street hundreds of times, and the allure of Dubai chocolate was too strong to resist. Besides, if pancakes filled with syrup and other sweets are acceptable for breakfast, why not pistachio cream? The girl behind the counter was friendly and patient, which can be challenging sometimes and dealing with someone like me who asks probably too many questions The store name Shwkulata was unfamiliar, and when I asked the girl behind the counter how to pronounce it, she told me, but I knew I would never remember how to say it which I mentioned to her and she just replied with kind of a smirky smile. It wasn’t until later, after a quick Google search, that I figured out it was an English spelling of the Arabic word for “chocolate.”
The menu was a sugar-lover’s dream: classic smoothies like strawberry banana and strawberry mango ($7.99), over-the-top milkshakes like the Nutella shake ($8.99), and the pièce de résistance — the Dubai Shake, made with vanilla ice cream, pistachio butter, crushed pistachios, milk chocolate, kunafa, and whipped cream ($12.99). But what stopped me in my tracks was a dessert that practically had my name on it — the Dubai Strawberry Cup. A mix of chocolate syrup, pistachio cream, and layers of kunafa topped with strawberries. $13.99 and worth every cent.
Photo by Brian Kachejian
I took my order to go, found a spot to sit outside, and took my first bite. If you want the live reaction, check out the video I attached, but let me sum it up here: absolute perfection. I’ve had similar Dubai desserts before, but this one was on another level — the pistachio cream was rich and velvety, the kunafa added the perfect crunch, and the strawberries were sweet and fresh.
Shwkulata is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. They’re already making a name for themselves as the Upper East Side’s go-to spot for decadent, over-the-top sweets. And given the rise of Dubai chocolate in New York, I’d say they picked the perfect time to set up shop.
