If you thought the NYU Bookstore was the most purple you’ve ever seen, you’ve clearly never been to Ubeland.

The seasonal Filipino street food festival took over Broadway from 12th to 13th Street on Saturday, lining the street with purple tents and fuchsia flags. Organized by Philippines Fest, Ubeland drew over 100,000 attendees.

Native to Southeast Asia, the viral bright purple yam — pronounced “oo-bay” — has a subtly sweet, earthy and vanilla-like flavor that makes it easy to pair with other foods. In celebration of this Filipino cuisine staple, Ubeland’s more than 20 vendors sold a unique array of both savory and sweet ube-infused creations. 

Despite enormous crowds and long lines that rivaled Disneyland, vendors moved through customers quickly. Some people came to Ubeland on a mission: One woman came dressed in purple head to toe — shoes, jacket, leg warmers, bag and beret. Others simply came across it and were intrigued. 

The first item I tried was easily one of my favorites of the day. While Ok Na To’s ube tiramisu was small for $10, it was also surprisingly filling. The tiramisu was neither too sweet nor too plain, though it was very messy, so maybe don’t wear white if you eat it — I got ube all over me, but it was definitely worth it. The espresso-soaked ladyfingers pair well with the ube mascarpone and crumbles on top.

Next up was the Purple Haze ($10) from Kapehan ni Roney. The ube-infused coffee, sweet like a Vietnamese cold brew, drew the longest line I waited in all day but was worth the wait. The ratio of milk, ube and coffee made for a simple yet well-balanced beverage — if I could get it every morning before class, I would. 

Gobi’s Goods calls its ube brioche donut the “CEO of Ube” and I’d have to agree. This fried purple donut is topped with ube halaya — a thick, creamy jam — and ube sugar and ube chantilly cream and caramel shards. Despite its many social media-friendly qualities, this vendor saw shorter lines but certainly deserved a longer one.

With a wide variety of ube sweets, Fern & Aurora’s booth felt like a proper slice of its Queens dessert shop. Its gluten-free ube Basque cheesecake ($9) with flakes of dried coconut on top was superb: gooier than the other versions of the dessert I’ve had, though a little too sweet. 

Kapamilya’s menu was loaded, from icy halo-halo to chewy hopia; there was almost too much to choose from. After already eating enough ube to dye my intestines purple, I got the ube pianono — two small Swiss rolls filled with ube cream, rolled up in a fluffy purple sponge.

Though the ube flavors took a backseat to the soft cake, I thoroughly enjoyed this dessert, which is also served by Kapamilya’s food truck.

The ube churro from Mucho Sarap was my other favorite of the festival, filled and drizzled with ube-flavored Bavarian cream. With a slight tartness, the cinnamon sugar and ube cream paired surprisingly well, evoking warm, autumnal notes — the best way to describe it is addictive. 

For a refreshing spring drink to end the day, I tried Logan & Co.’s ube mansi. In what can be described as a tangier, purple lemonade, the flavor of the calamansi — a small hybrid citrus also ubiquitous in Filipino cuisine — added a zing to the lemonade while the ube provided a bit of needed sweetness. 

While Ubeland’s next location has yet to be announced, it will likely return to New York City in the fall. 

Contact Alessa Alluin at [email protected].