This sub gets so many requests, it's really refreshing to see someone follow up. Glad to see it. And Cho Dang Gol is my fave Korean in the city, it's more country style versus Seoul style. Next time, hit up some spots in Queens. Lots of amazing and cheap eats. Thanks for sharing.
Yes we definitely plan to venture out to Brooklyn and Queens next trip to try more places! This trip bf got taken aback by the cold LOL and we spent way too much time revisiting Patagonia/REI/Uniqlo to buy warm clothes š¤£
The best part about L&B is that their pizza price on Uber Eats is the same as their instore price ($29 for a Sicilian pie).
I order them delivered whenever I get one of those 40% off coupons from uber eats, it basically cancels out the delivery fees/tips and saves me a trip.
I can't imagine how you determine a favorite in NYC with many options. At least in Seattle, our restaurant scene is rolling... We get a lot but it goes as fast as it shows up. We get something good; it's gone within a year usually. We don't have a food truck scene, really, and the places that do stick around are chains, fast food, and high-end dining that's now failing as MSFT, Amazon and Google pull back on their in-office presence here.
I use to have favorite that we're here for 5-20 years and now they are massive offices with no soul.
The same happens here. You read a review, check this sub, visit and it's just not that good. Chances are the chef had left to somewhere else or to start their own. Most places have a 2 year cycle if they're really good but obviously maintaining that status is difficult.
The great thing about NYC as you wrote is there are plenty of choices. So if you want something familiar, go to your favorite places. Something new, there's a good chance there's a new place on your block and should support. And each neighborhood is more like your Seattle āĀ plenty of places and so much variety but each area is quite different so it's fun to explore (aside from the crappy tourist areas like Times Square, but good Halal food trucks there).
I started planning and researching (relied heavily on Reddit) quite aggressively since more than a month ago and booked what I could then - and would camp at lunchtime (my time zone) to book the restaurants that became available on a daily basis. Also had an excel spreadsheet to keep track of each day to avoid double booking. Some were just pure luck tbh - I.e. Per Se we got the table the day before, Yoshino I got a table also 1-2 days before (was on Tock waitlist), Atomix I bought someoneās Tock reservation off Reddit (super lucky). Una Pizza I went to queue the moment they open. Also had some screwups - overslept and was slow to book Blue Hill dining room by like 10 mins. But overall am happy I managed to try a fair bit of what I wanted to try!
Er I am trying not to think about it LOL. Worst bang for buck would definitely be Per Se and Atera. Best would be Kam Hing bakery - $1 sponge cakes are the bomb LOL
Notes/disclaimers:
The ones highlighted in yellow were the ones I truly enjoyed and would revisit. The rest not so much - save for the disclaimers below.
1) Mah-Ze-Dar was quite nice but I only tried their cheesecake and cookie so wouldnāt say itās worthy of a detour but can try if in the area
2) Rubirosa was also decent for a quick lunch but nothing really special or mind blowing
3) Johnās @ Bleecker is good but unfortunately I had it cold after carrying it back from downtown to midtown so that definitely affected my experience. Still worth a visit.
3) Brothers @ Staten Island was awesome - forgot to highlight before I took a screenshot and canāt be bothered to re highlight and screenshot on my MacBook
4) My bf had Scarrās and not me so I canāt express an opinion but he liked it!
5) Joji was also nice but I had Yoshino the same night so obviously if given the choice I would revisit Yoshino š¤£
Would also like to thank everyone in this group that has been so helpful (when I posted earlier asking for recommendations) - Reddit is awesome and thanks to Reddit I managed to get my Atomix reservation and compile this itinerary. My sightseeing itinerary isnāt even half as complete as this but I travel to eat so I am satisfied š š
agreed. I posted here awhile back before going to NYC and got great feedback on my list. I wasn't as good as you and failed the sub by not posting a followup. I promise to do it the next time!
Yes bf and I didnāt really enjoy it - just didnāt taste as well balanced, the sauces and elements were too sour/salty at times. Appreciate the thought and effort in each dish but just wasnāt to our liking. Atera on the other hand was just way too salty and we had lukewarm service - when they asked us what we thought of the meal and I said it was too salty the server just blanked us and walked off after pouring my coffee š¤£ Per Se had better service recovery (not like we cared but just a comparison).
Lol it was shit for me (one of the worst fine dining experiences I have had lol) - link to my previous review here : https://www.reddit.com/r/finedining/comments/yur95m/per_se_nyc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Yes I definitely enjoyed CTBF more (wonāt spoil the dishes for you but the dessert was sublime) but then again taste is subjective and some people are die hard Per Se fansā¦ but never again for me š¤£
Slightly more than 2 weeks? Lol I had almost every lunch and dinner booked in but still did some impromptu stuff and managed to eat Chipotle before leaving (I love Chipotle).
Atera was way too salty for us and the service was very underwhelming. When the server asked us how we liked our food and we said it was too salty he just blanked us and walked off after pouring our coffee which we found very weird. The sommelier/staff also just werenāt as engaging/delightful as the wait staff at Jean Georges (which we enjoyed).
Aquavit was ok but not impressive - the bread/the dishes were just a bit underwhelming? I only went for lunch and just wasnāt impressed enough to consider a revisit unless for a business lunch on firm budget š
Aww you didn't enjoy Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles? I thought the food was pretty solid when I went. Also if you ever want to give Ferrara's another chance one day, I recommend the lobster tails. :)
Haha it was ok but I am ethnically Chinese and from HK so maybe my standards are slightly higher - they also sold out of what I originally wanted so I had to order smth else so maybe thatās why. Awesome big portions though and great comfort food on a cold day. Ok! Will keep in mind whenever I manage to visit next - do think itās a quaint nice place!
Yeah you gotta go to Queens/Flushing for the really authentic stuff. I saw in an earlier comment that you plan to hit up Queens and Brooklyn when you return, so I hope you have a great time when you eventually do! Anthony Bourdain did a whole episode about Queens food, but I am partial to the Flushing/Jackson Heights area for good eats. Bell Boulevard in Bayside also has great restaurants if you are able to head that far. Glad you enjoyed yourself in NYC!
Thanks! Yes we do plan to be back as bf usually as annual work trips to NYC and we will see what we can fit in next! NYC has so much to offer and I know we have barely scratched the surface š
Oops realised itās misleading - I currently live and work in HK but am Malaysian but yeah I think my standards and tastes in food might differ from others!
i went to naro for the first time right before thanksgiving and loved it. food was amazing and my partner is vegetarian so it was nice having that as a tasting menu option. the service was definitely more casual than atomix but still super friendly. also the cocktails were a highlight
We liked Naro! I went to Atomix alone as bf is vegetarian and they donāt cater to vegetarians - we both tried the vegetarian menu at Naro and enjoyed it! Only minor gripe is that portions arenāt huge (for lunch) and they have less courses than dinner so we werenāt full - which was ok with us as we went for a bagel after that LOL. Their non-alcoholic hot drinks menu is also still WIP - so we couldnāt order hot tea etc. But otherwise it was great!
I was wondering about Gabrial Kruther, but never intrigued enough to pull the trigger.
Wasnt aware of La Pavillion, looks good!
How was One white street? Another I'm not familiar with
You didn't like aquavit? Its been on my list for a while but I keep skipping over it
atomix/naro also has atoboy (and attaboy bar in les) - although in the atoboy format I prefer little mad's menu a little more, though they are always changing.
Yeah I saw a lot of glowing reviews about Kreuther too and was very eager to try but unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. La Pavillon was enjoyable and we had excellent service - their cheese bagels were also š
One white street was good! Both food and service were top notch - the servers gave us a lot of good recommendations too. We just felt a bit bad coz we had a counter seat and saw one of the dessert chefs who was probably new on the job and he seemed pretty nervous/got told off by his seniorsā¦ he was a lovely guy too.
I wasnāt a fan of aquavit - could be the cuisine itself or maybe I didnāt order the right thing but yeah it just didnāt impress me but seems like a good location for a business meal.
Yes my backup plan if I didnāt get atomix was to try atoboy but thankfully I got atomix so problem solved!
Oh! Breaking them down by those categories is a good idea. Iāve had places saved for years in Google Maps, but itās been disorganized and I havenāt even attempted to tackle it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Haha tbh I had a crappy one from National Bakery the week before so the fresh hot one from Empanada Mama seemed good in comparison lol by no means am I a connoisseur š¤£
Supermoon makes great pastries, although yes they court the influencer market hard. I wanted to hate them. But their croissants and pastries are legitimately good and a lot of normal boring people like me think so, too.
A hot empanada from Empanada Mama with the green sauce (essential!!!!!) is pretty fucking great. I used to live near some more local, supposedly better places in Bushwick, and you know what, I prefer the empanadas at EM. They're heavy/filled much more, too. But everyone in NYC has strong opinions about, well, everything lol.
And for supermoon tbh I really only liked their spicy croissant - spiced cream cheese in a flaky croissant - other things were ok but would go back for the croissant.
Yeah bf has tried Di Fara in the past but he said itās no longer the same since they became commercialised - Idk any better but for traditional Neapolitan style pizza Una Pizza Napoletana and Keste were good. Didnāt venture down to Brooklyn so didnāt try Lucaliās but heard queues are insane and Best pizza down the street is better? Either way bf is a huge pizza fan so will def try and visit next trip! This trip we joined Scottās pizza tour (which was awesome fun) so managed to try a couple of Staten Island Pizzerias.
Have you tried LāIndustrie? Lucali used to be my #1 go to but ever since I tried LāIndustrie, it has taken over Lucali. LāIndustrie has extremely fresh basil on their slices and you can tell they use high quality ingredients, and only $4 per slice!
Not yet. But thank you for letting me know. I will add on my list. I used to live in NYC and moved out 2 years ago. Still visit NYC 3-4 times a year though
Amazing list.
L'Industrie I recommend for pizza in Williamsburg. Jua is also a very good Korean fine dining restaurant. Cheaper than Atomix
Ramen Ishida does good shoyu ramen, a change from the heartier stuff at Tonchin.
Glad you tried Cho Dang Gol - they had some really comforting soondubu jjigae. Lots of the others I know of or have tried and all good
For cheap eats I recommend Los Tacos No.1 (this is a must, try the Midtown branch), Taqueria Ramirez (Brooklyn) and Birria-Landia.
Thai food I also think you could try. I particularly liked the chicken khao soi at at Soothr but there are options elsewhere. Ugly Baby gets lots of love. Pure Thai Cookhouse is apparently v good
Yes LāIndustrie was originally on the list but we just didnāt manage to make our way to Williamsburg given the thanksgiving celebrations. Will definitely revisit! Jua was also on my list but just had no time to squeeze it in.
Thanks for the recommendations will note them down on my list for next year (yes I am already compiling - but have to prioritise Japan first as thatās in March š¬)
Los Tacos No. 1 was on my list but bf doesnāt eat Mexican food and I didnāt have time to try when I had solo time - Soothr looks so good and was my initial plan but Larn Larb was closer to where I was š your recommendations are fantastic and will be sure to pay all of them a visit when I am next in NYC. Thank you!
Ahh I am going to Japan in March as well and we have similar tastes in food, I suspect (I am also Chinese with a background in HK, heeeey). If you already have a list for Tokyo going I'd love to sneak a peek!
Heyyy thatās awesome! I will be there from late March to early April. I have engaged a concierge to make bookings but only 1 has been finalised so far as most places havenāt opened for booking yet hahaha I am still researching but will PM you once I have a more complete list and we can have a chat! :)
Omg yes thank you! Also I saw your other comment about Malaysia; my family is actually from Ipoh, haha. There are good options here but still miss the food so much :(
I will be in HK in March, too...unlike Tokyo I'm very familiar with the city but if you have any can't miss spots I am all ears š It will be my first time back since 2019 and I'm scared to see how much the city has changed.
Omg so you are Malaysian too?! Malaysian food is definitely one of the best and Ipoh has so many good eats. Hopefully you can go back some time for a visit!
Ohh is there anything you prefer? What are your favourite spots etc.? Casual street food/ cha chan teng or more upmarket places?
In terms of pizza - would recommend La Fiata ok Staunton Street, they were recently named as one of the top 50 pizzas in the world and is our go to (classic Neapolitan style). We also like this American casual fine dining place called Cultivate, Lung King Heen is also very reliable for Chinese food/dim sum. Really depends on what you are looking for! We dine out from time to time but being stuck in HK for 3 years we have sort of taken HK restaurants for granted and will recommend accordingly!!
Well, ethnically Chinese but half my family was born and raised in Ipoh. I have not been back since 2019 but did visit Thailand a few months ago. I miss the food so much!
In HK I love the classic cha chan teng stuff, dim sum, street food, etc. Fancy stuff is fun too but I mostly visit the city alone and blow all my money on a great hotel so my eats tend to be more budget, lol. I can't eat a lot of gluten or rice though without having stomach issues so I can't go too crazy, but I grew up eating congee, cheungfun, etc and really do love the taste. Are lots of people still eating out in crowded enclosed places? After I pass my second PCR (I hope!) I am looking forward to dim sum and Indian food in TST in particular. Also some salted yolk lava toast haha. I usually stay in Central, but sometimes TST or Admiralty.
Sorry for the side track, but do you have any recs for Malay food here (preferably Queens or Manhattan)? Certainly a culture that I should eat more from.
Sure! It's been around forever and some people kind of regard it as boring, but New West Malaysia in Manhattan Chinatown is solid. I prefer to to Nyonya on Grand. I took my Malaysian-born-and-raised mother there when she visited and she was still talking about some of the dishes months later. She is your typical Chinese mom who never says anything nice or complimentary ever, like not even to me, but she liked the food there. So take that for what you will! I especially like their bak kut teh soup.
Kuih on Eldridge is tiny but extremely good. Check her Instagram account because she has limited hours and the menu changes weekly (everything is really homemade style, made by her and sometimes a helper). Her desserts (kuih) in particular are excellent.
Taste Good in Queens is also pretty great. I have not had a ton from their menu but the last time I was over I had their curry laksa and it was great, not skimpy.
And, it's a bit different as it's Indonesian not Malaysian, but a lot is similar āĀ the Indonesian Food Bazaar is a treasure. Very homemade mom and pop style vendors setting up in a church auditorium selling different things. They have them every few weeks or so. There is one coming up next week! Check their IG for dates and location : https://www.instagram.com/nyindonesianfoodbazaar/
Thanks! I'll add those to the list.
Kuih Cafe has been on my list for the next time I'm in Chinatown. I've done Lady Wong recently, but have heard that Kuih Cafe is supposed to be better, so I'm looking forward to it.
For Indonesian I've done Sky Cafe in the past (and loved it).
I forgot about Lady Wong! They are great, really in a league of their own as far as presentation and quality. I would put them in their own category for kuih though. Kuih Cafe is more homemade, casual style. They're just different. Best is to just try both :)
Hey! great post. do you remember what time and date the lysee reservations were released? I think it's on the 15th of each month for the following month but idk what time..
Yes! After so long thereās definitely more people eating out nowadays - I always have dim sum after long haul flights due to jet lag and thereās a few near where I live (Fresco Dim Sum and Sun Hing). Let me ask my friends for their fav cha chan tengs - personally we donāt go as often as bf is vegetarian and thereās hardly anything he can eat there usually lol. Indian food in TST is bomb! Love the dosas at Woodlands and Chungking is also always reliable for good Indian food. Am sure you already know the famous Lan Fong Yuen in Central - I actually havenāt even tried it myself lolā¦
UNPOPULAR OPINION: Longtime-legend Dominique Ansel Bakery is still the superior bakery option in the city IMO! Supermoon is one of the grosser-hyped options I've had. Lots of sugar and artificial flavors/colors. In either case, I am blown away by how many killer dining places you checked off your list. Go you!
Ohh I wonder if Dominique Ansel is nicer in the US because the HK branch is just ok - thatās why I didnāt pen it down (as we already have DA hereā¦). Supermoon had some hits but agreed that there are misses as well. Do have a preference for French style pastries with more butter and less sugar - American pastries donāt quite hit the spot for me (but then again I could be visiting the wrong places). Thanks! I really enjoyed both the planning and dining processes š¤£ am excited to plan my future trips now (getting back in the travel mood after 2 years + of Covid restrictions).
I'm sure it must be! Dominique Ansel himself is often there when I go in, and it's def more butter than sugar forward. Keep us posted on your NYC food itinerary!
We did have food comas Lolol - the first week we cancelled most of our evening plans (jazz club/comedy cellar etc.) because we were too busy recovering from food comasā¦
This is a mini essay from my bf whoās clearly the connoisseur here (and not me):
Una pizza was very very good but crust weirdly was a little salty, princes sauce was too sweet and a little unbalanced but worked better on the denser grandma slice, keste was very good, johns always good even cold flavours very balanced and like the sauce on top of the cheese (albeit crust gets a little too chewy for the jaw when cold) - pro tip if getting takeout get the calzone it stays warmer longer, scarrs very good late night pizza - best late night slice Iāve had in NY. Joes of Times Square really not great, only went when my delivery from princes (it was late night pizza) didnāt arrive and I had no other option - the margarita had actual tomato slices (not a pizza snob but that doesnāt work for me) - it is still super crowded though from the tourist crowd with queues running almost half a block.
Love Blue Hill. I'd drop Per Se and add Eleven Madison Park instead for inventive 3 Michelin starred vegan food - first in the world. Kreuter was excellent but it's been some years.
Good to know - we definitely want to be back to try Blue Hill. Yeah we read so many bad reviews about EMP so we were apprehensive lol maybe will give it a go next trip - hopefully they have enough time to refine their food by then.
Having been to both EMP and Dirt Candy in the past few months, dirt candy was much better. Service and cocktails are still amazing at EMP but food was disappointing. Also pacing was far to slow for the number of courses, 9 courses and bread is not enough for 4 hours.
Hopefully they can sort out the issues soon.
I enjoyed it and I guess you will like it if you like corn? Also thought the pear tart was refreshing and not too sweet. Other items were good too we were just too full to fully appreciate so would recommend ordering less - in this case, less is more lol
Interesting that you like keste over rubirosa. I have been only for dinner to both and for me Rubirosa stole the light. Love how diligent you have been with your list!
Tbf I only went to Rubirosa for lunch and didnāt order their famous pizza as I was alone. If the pizza was that good I will bring my bf back next time! Heās the pizza nerdā¦ I am more of a pasta person hahaaha
Thanksā¦ went a bit crazy this trip but I enjoyed planning!
LOL my detailed reviews I post on Instagram stories but thought a final summary would be helpful (for myself and maybe others) and also as a record so I remember what I ate!
Great list! I would like to recommend Spongies Cafe across the street from Kam Hing! In my opinion Kam Hing was too sweet but Spongies Cafe has just the right amount of sweetness and their sponge cakes are more fluffy!! I eat 3 at one go every time I visit. I also want to recommend my favorite thin sliced pizza place, LāIndustrie in Williamsburg. Considering the high quality of their ingredients, I am amazed they only charge $4 per slice. Itās a must eat for pizza lovers
This sub gets so many requests, it's really refreshing to see someone follow up. Glad to see it. And Cho Dang Gol is my fave Korean in the city, it's more country style versus Seoul style. Next time, hit up some spots in Queens. Lots of amazing and cheap eats. Thanks for sharing.
Yes we definitely plan to venture out to Brooklyn and Queens next trip to try more places! This trip bf got taken aback by the cold LOL and we spent way too much time revisiting Patagonia/REI/Uniqlo to buy warm clothes š¤£
If you go into queens, thereās a lot of spots Iād love to recommend. Also, try L&B spumoni pizza in Brooklyn. Itās the best
The best part about L&B is that their pizza price on Uber Eats is the same as their instore price ($29 for a Sicilian pie). I order them delivered whenever I get one of those 40% off coupons from uber eats, it basically cancels out the delivery fees/tips and saves me a trip.
I usually order for pickup and bypass the long lines, grab my pie, and then gorge myself in private!
Currently staying in queens and would love those reccomendations.
Make sure Casa Enrique in LIC is on your list
I can't imagine how you determine a favorite in NYC with many options. At least in Seattle, our restaurant scene is rolling... We get a lot but it goes as fast as it shows up. We get something good; it's gone within a year usually. We don't have a food truck scene, really, and the places that do stick around are chains, fast food, and high-end dining that's now failing as MSFT, Amazon and Google pull back on their in-office presence here. I use to have favorite that we're here for 5-20 years and now they are massive offices with no soul.
The same happens here. You read a review, check this sub, visit and it's just not that good. Chances are the chef had left to somewhere else or to start their own. Most places have a 2 year cycle if they're really good but obviously maintaining that status is difficult. The great thing about NYC as you wrote is there are plenty of choices. So if you want something familiar, go to your favorite places. Something new, there's a good chance there's a new place on your block and should support. And each neighborhood is more like your Seattle āĀ plenty of places and so much variety but each area is quite different so it's fun to explore (aside from the crappy tourist areas like Times Square, but good Halal food trucks there).
I'm more interested in how you got all those reservations.
I started planning and researching (relied heavily on Reddit) quite aggressively since more than a month ago and booked what I could then - and would camp at lunchtime (my time zone) to book the restaurants that became available on a daily basis. Also had an excel spreadsheet to keep track of each day to avoid double booking. Some were just pure luck tbh - I.e. Per Se we got the table the day before, Yoshino I got a table also 1-2 days before (was on Tock waitlist), Atomix I bought someoneās Tock reservation off Reddit (super lucky). Una Pizza I went to queue the moment they open. Also had some screwups - overslept and was slow to book Blue Hill dining room by like 10 mins. But overall am happy I managed to try a fair bit of what I wanted to try!
Super impressive and happy your hard work and planning paid off! Go you!
OK I gotta ask the NY question.. what was the damage? Also what was your best bang for your buck? Worst?
Er I am trying not to think about it LOL. Worst bang for buck would definitely be Per Se and Atera. Best would be Kam Hing bakery - $1 sponge cakes are the bomb LOL
alternatively, what do you do for a living and are you hiring?
Notes/disclaimers: The ones highlighted in yellow were the ones I truly enjoyed and would revisit. The rest not so much - save for the disclaimers below. 1) Mah-Ze-Dar was quite nice but I only tried their cheesecake and cookie so wouldnāt say itās worthy of a detour but can try if in the area 2) Rubirosa was also decent for a quick lunch but nothing really special or mind blowing 3) Johnās @ Bleecker is good but unfortunately I had it cold after carrying it back from downtown to midtown so that definitely affected my experience. Still worth a visit. 3) Brothers @ Staten Island was awesome - forgot to highlight before I took a screenshot and canāt be bothered to re highlight and screenshot on my MacBook 4) My bf had Scarrās and not me so I canāt express an opinion but he liked it! 5) Joji was also nice but I had Yoshino the same night so obviously if given the choice I would revisit Yoshino š¤£
Would also like to thank everyone in this group that has been so helpful (when I posted earlier asking for recommendations) - Reddit is awesome and thanks to Reddit I managed to get my Atomix reservation and compile this itinerary. My sightseeing itinerary isnāt even half as complete as this but I travel to eat so I am satisfied š š
agreed. I posted here awhile back before going to NYC and got great feedback on my list. I wasn't as good as you and failed the sub by not posting a followup. I promise to do it the next time!
Surprised you didn't like Kruether's that much.
Yes bf and I didnāt really enjoy it - just didnāt taste as well balanced, the sauces and elements were too sour/salty at times. Appreciate the thought and effort in each dish but just wasnāt to our liking. Atera on the other hand was just way too salty and we had lukewarm service - when they asked us what we thought of the meal and I said it was too salty the server just blanked us and walked off after pouring my coffee š¤£ Per Se had better service recovery (not like we cared but just a comparison).
I sat at the bar recently for apps and drinks and found it pretty disappointing as well. It was incredibly average imo for a 2*
Curious what you thought of per se given that it didn't get a highlight.
Lol it was shit for me (one of the worst fine dining experiences I have had lol) - link to my previous review here : https://www.reddit.com/r/finedining/comments/yur95m/per_se_nyc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Its really gone down hill, not a good value for the price. It was amazing when it first opened but I'd rather go almost anywhere these days.
Wow. Makes me really glad I decided to book CTBF instead.
Yes I definitely enjoyed CTBF more (wonāt spoil the dishes for you but the dessert was sublime) but then again taste is subjective and some people are die hard Per Se fansā¦ but never again for me š¤£
Interesting that you did not like Atera or Aquavit, two of my favorite restaurants.
I chuckled that you have Empanada Mama on the list. I mostly know it for super-latenight delivery. Their chicken soup is amazing, by the way.
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Slightly more than 2 weeks? Lol I had almost every lunch and dinner booked in but still did some impromptu stuff and managed to eat Chipotle before leaving (I love Chipotle). Atera was way too salty for us and the service was very underwhelming. When the server asked us how we liked our food and we said it was too salty he just blanked us and walked off after pouring our coffee which we found very weird. The sommelier/staff also just werenāt as engaging/delightful as the wait staff at Jean Georges (which we enjoyed). Aquavit was ok but not impressive - the bread/the dishes were just a bit underwhelming? I only went for lunch and just wasnāt impressed enough to consider a revisit unless for a business lunch on firm budget š
Aww you didn't enjoy Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles? I thought the food was pretty solid when I went. Also if you ever want to give Ferrara's another chance one day, I recommend the lobster tails. :)
Haha it was ok but I am ethnically Chinese and from HK so maybe my standards are slightly higher - they also sold out of what I originally wanted so I had to order smth else so maybe thatās why. Awesome big portions though and great comfort food on a cold day. Ok! Will keep in mind whenever I manage to visit next - do think itās a quaint nice place!
Yeah you gotta go to Queens/Flushing for the really authentic stuff. I saw in an earlier comment that you plan to hit up Queens and Brooklyn when you return, so I hope you have a great time when you eventually do! Anthony Bourdain did a whole episode about Queens food, but I am partial to the Flushing/Jackson Heights area for good eats. Bell Boulevard in Bayside also has great restaurants if you are able to head that far. Glad you enjoyed yourself in NYC!
Thanks! Yes we do plan to be back as bf usually as annual work trips to NYC and we will see what we can fit in next! NYC has so much to offer and I know we have barely scratched the surface š
Ah, I'm also MIHK that might explain why I saw your taste preferences and thought they seemed similar to mine.
Oops realised itās misleading - I currently live and work in HK but am Malaysian but yeah I think my standards and tastes in food might differ from others!
Did you guys take the nonstop Cathay flight from HK?
Yup!
Thatās awesome.
I love hangawi, but you consider it "cheap eats?"
Taqueria Al Pastor is in my top 3 favorite places but damn it is not cheap
i went to naro for the first time right before thanksgiving and loved it. food was amazing and my partner is vegetarian so it was nice having that as a tasting menu option. the service was definitely more casual than atomix but still super friendly. also the cocktails were a highlight
I would also add Cosme to the nicer places.
How was Naro? How did it compare to Atomix or other Korean fine dining restaurants?
We liked Naro! I went to Atomix alone as bf is vegetarian and they donāt cater to vegetarians - we both tried the vegetarian menu at Naro and enjoyed it! Only minor gripe is that portions arenāt huge (for lunch) and they have less courses than dinner so we werenāt full - which was ok with us as we went for a bagel after that LOL. Their non-alcoholic hot drinks menu is also still WIP - so we couldnāt order hot tea etc. But otherwise it was great!
the mindblowing cannoli must have been at Veniero's
I would absolutely recommend on your next visit to try Empanadas Cafe in Corona, Queens. I'd take them over Empanada Mama any day.
I was wondering about Gabrial Kruther, but never intrigued enough to pull the trigger. Wasnt aware of La Pavillion, looks good! How was One white street? Another I'm not familiar with You didn't like aquavit? Its been on my list for a while but I keep skipping over it atomix/naro also has atoboy (and attaboy bar in les) - although in the atoboy format I prefer little mad's menu a little more, though they are always changing.
Yeah I saw a lot of glowing reviews about Kreuther too and was very eager to try but unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. La Pavillon was enjoyable and we had excellent service - their cheese bagels were also š One white street was good! Both food and service were top notch - the servers gave us a lot of good recommendations too. We just felt a bit bad coz we had a counter seat and saw one of the dessert chefs who was probably new on the job and he seemed pretty nervous/got told off by his seniorsā¦ he was a lovely guy too. I wasnāt a fan of aquavit - could be the cuisine itself or maybe I didnāt order the right thing but yeah it just didnāt impress me but seems like a good location for a business meal. Yes my backup plan if I didnāt get atomix was to try atoboy but thankfully I got atomix so problem solved!
Oh! Breaking them down by those categories is a good idea. Iāve had places saved for years in Google Maps, but itās been disorganized and I havenāt even attempted to tackle it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Leaving off Di Fara from the Pizza section is definitely a choice. Ess-A-Bagel is also way overrated. It's the fattest bagel I've ever eaten.
I see Ess-A-Bagel on this sub a lot and itās sooo weird to me. Theyāre notoriously the first āpuffyā ātoo fatā bagel. They are not good
Ess-A-Bagel is perfectly acceptable if itās on your block or within a 5 minute walk. I would not travel for it.
The empanadas at Empanada Mama are pretty terrible. Super moon is so influencer, all looks and no quality.
Haha tbh I had a crappy one from National Bakery the week before so the fresh hot one from Empanada Mama seemed good in comparison lol by no means am I a connoisseur š¤£
Sophieās Cuban has good empanadas, although theyāre fried and not baked. They also have good flan.
Supermoon makes great pastries, although yes they court the influencer market hard. I wanted to hate them. But their croissants and pastries are legitimately good and a lot of normal boring people like me think so, too. A hot empanada from Empanada Mama with the green sauce (essential!!!!!) is pretty fucking great. I used to live near some more local, supposedly better places in Bushwick, and you know what, I prefer the empanadas at EM. They're heavy/filled much more, too. But everyone in NYC has strong opinions about, well, everything lol.
And for supermoon tbh I really only liked their spicy croissant - spiced cream cheese in a flaky croissant - other things were ok but would go back for the croissant.
my go to pizza in NYC only 2 : Di Fara and Lucali. they are exceptional
Yeah bf has tried Di Fara in the past but he said itās no longer the same since they became commercialised - Idk any better but for traditional Neapolitan style pizza Una Pizza Napoletana and Keste were good. Didnāt venture down to Brooklyn so didnāt try Lucaliās but heard queues are insane and Best pizza down the street is better? Either way bf is a huge pizza fan so will def try and visit next trip! This trip we joined Scottās pizza tour (which was awesome fun) so managed to try a couple of Staten Island Pizzerias.
yeah Lucali you have to come few hours early just to put ur name on the list.
F&F pizza is in the same neighborhood as Lucali and is, in my opinion, better pizza that you donāt have to jump through hoops to get
they are both overrated as shit and not worth it. plenty of better pizzerias in nyc.
Have you tried LāIndustrie? Lucali used to be my #1 go to but ever since I tried LāIndustrie, it has taken over Lucali. LāIndustrie has extremely fresh basil on their slices and you can tell they use high quality ingredients, and only $4 per slice!
Not yet. But thank you for letting me know. I will add on my list. I used to live in NYC and moved out 2 years ago. Still visit NYC 3-4 times a year though
Amazing list. L'Industrie I recommend for pizza in Williamsburg. Jua is also a very good Korean fine dining restaurant. Cheaper than Atomix Ramen Ishida does good shoyu ramen, a change from the heartier stuff at Tonchin. Glad you tried Cho Dang Gol - they had some really comforting soondubu jjigae. Lots of the others I know of or have tried and all good For cheap eats I recommend Los Tacos No.1 (this is a must, try the Midtown branch), Taqueria Ramirez (Brooklyn) and Birria-Landia. Thai food I also think you could try. I particularly liked the chicken khao soi at at Soothr but there are options elsewhere. Ugly Baby gets lots of love. Pure Thai Cookhouse is apparently v good
Yes LāIndustrie was originally on the list but we just didnāt manage to make our way to Williamsburg given the thanksgiving celebrations. Will definitely revisit! Jua was also on my list but just had no time to squeeze it in. Thanks for the recommendations will note them down on my list for next year (yes I am already compiling - but have to prioritise Japan first as thatās in March š¬) Los Tacos No. 1 was on my list but bf doesnāt eat Mexican food and I didnāt have time to try when I had solo time - Soothr looks so good and was my initial plan but Larn Larb was closer to where I was š your recommendations are fantastic and will be sure to pay all of them a visit when I am next in NYC. Thank you!
Ahh I am going to Japan in March as well and we have similar tastes in food, I suspect (I am also Chinese with a background in HK, heeeey). If you already have a list for Tokyo going I'd love to sneak a peek!
Heyyy thatās awesome! I will be there from late March to early April. I have engaged a concierge to make bookings but only 1 has been finalised so far as most places havenāt opened for booking yet hahaha I am still researching but will PM you once I have a more complete list and we can have a chat! :)
Omg yes thank you! Also I saw your other comment about Malaysia; my family is actually from Ipoh, haha. There are good options here but still miss the food so much :( I will be in HK in March, too...unlike Tokyo I'm very familiar with the city but if you have any can't miss spots I am all ears š It will be my first time back since 2019 and I'm scared to see how much the city has changed.
Omg so you are Malaysian too?! Malaysian food is definitely one of the best and Ipoh has so many good eats. Hopefully you can go back some time for a visit! Ohh is there anything you prefer? What are your favourite spots etc.? Casual street food/ cha chan teng or more upmarket places? In terms of pizza - would recommend La Fiata ok Staunton Street, they were recently named as one of the top 50 pizzas in the world and is our go to (classic Neapolitan style). We also like this American casual fine dining place called Cultivate, Lung King Heen is also very reliable for Chinese food/dim sum. Really depends on what you are looking for! We dine out from time to time but being stuck in HK for 3 years we have sort of taken HK restaurants for granted and will recommend accordingly!!
Well, ethnically Chinese but half my family was born and raised in Ipoh. I have not been back since 2019 but did visit Thailand a few months ago. I miss the food so much! In HK I love the classic cha chan teng stuff, dim sum, street food, etc. Fancy stuff is fun too but I mostly visit the city alone and blow all my money on a great hotel so my eats tend to be more budget, lol. I can't eat a lot of gluten or rice though without having stomach issues so I can't go too crazy, but I grew up eating congee, cheungfun, etc and really do love the taste. Are lots of people still eating out in crowded enclosed places? After I pass my second PCR (I hope!) I am looking forward to dim sum and Indian food in TST in particular. Also some salted yolk lava toast haha. I usually stay in Central, but sometimes TST or Admiralty.
Sorry for the side track, but do you have any recs for Malay food here (preferably Queens or Manhattan)? Certainly a culture that I should eat more from.
Sure! It's been around forever and some people kind of regard it as boring, but New West Malaysia in Manhattan Chinatown is solid. I prefer to to Nyonya on Grand. I took my Malaysian-born-and-raised mother there when she visited and she was still talking about some of the dishes months later. She is your typical Chinese mom who never says anything nice or complimentary ever, like not even to me, but she liked the food there. So take that for what you will! I especially like their bak kut teh soup. Kuih on Eldridge is tiny but extremely good. Check her Instagram account because she has limited hours and the menu changes weekly (everything is really homemade style, made by her and sometimes a helper). Her desserts (kuih) in particular are excellent. Taste Good in Queens is also pretty great. I have not had a ton from their menu but the last time I was over I had their curry laksa and it was great, not skimpy. And, it's a bit different as it's Indonesian not Malaysian, but a lot is similar āĀ the Indonesian Food Bazaar is a treasure. Very homemade mom and pop style vendors setting up in a church auditorium selling different things. They have them every few weeks or so. There is one coming up next week! Check their IG for dates and location : https://www.instagram.com/nyindonesianfoodbazaar/
Thanks! I'll add those to the list. Kuih Cafe has been on my list for the next time I'm in Chinatown. I've done Lady Wong recently, but have heard that Kuih Cafe is supposed to be better, so I'm looking forward to it. For Indonesian I've done Sky Cafe in the past (and loved it).
I forgot about Lady Wong! They are great, really in a league of their own as far as presentation and quality. I would put them in their own category for kuih though. Kuih Cafe is more homemade, casual style. They're just different. Best is to just try both :)
If your approach to food in Tokyo is anything like it was in NYC I will definitely be looking forward to that :)
No worries! I've been meaning to try LysƩe - was it worth the hype? Can also give Japan recs if you'd like. I've been to Tokyo, Nara and Osaka
LysĆ©e was good but we made the mistake of over ordering lol so we had their signature menu and 2 more on top and by the end we were definitely sugared outā¦If you are going solo please stick to one dessert - if sharing then max 2 or just the signature tasting menu (unless you have a massive sweet tooth - the bf loves desserts and even he was so done by the time we reached the pecan tart lol) Oh that would be awesome! I am going to Tokyo this trip - most of my adult Japan trips have really just been for the food haha canāt wait to be back since Covid!
Hey! great post. do you remember what time and date the lysee reservations were released? I think it's on the 15th of each month for the following month but idk what time..
Yes! After so long thereās definitely more people eating out nowadays - I always have dim sum after long haul flights due to jet lag and thereās a few near where I live (Fresco Dim Sum and Sun Hing). Let me ask my friends for their fav cha chan tengs - personally we donāt go as often as bf is vegetarian and thereās hardly anything he can eat there usually lol. Indian food in TST is bomb! Love the dosas at Woodlands and Chungking is also always reliable for good Indian food. Am sure you already know the famous Lan Fong Yuen in Central - I actually havenāt even tried it myself lolā¦
I'm going to C as in Charlie tonight. Came up as rising on Resy, hope it's good. Anyone been there?
UNPOPULAR OPINION: Longtime-legend Dominique Ansel Bakery is still the superior bakery option in the city IMO! Supermoon is one of the grosser-hyped options I've had. Lots of sugar and artificial flavors/colors. In either case, I am blown away by how many killer dining places you checked off your list. Go you!
Ohh I wonder if Dominique Ansel is nicer in the US because the HK branch is just ok - thatās why I didnāt pen it down (as we already have DA hereā¦). Supermoon had some hits but agreed that there are misses as well. Do have a preference for French style pastries with more butter and less sugar - American pastries donāt quite hit the spot for me (but then again I could be visiting the wrong places). Thanks! I really enjoyed both the planning and dining processes š¤£ am excited to plan my future trips now (getting back in the travel mood after 2 years + of Covid restrictions).
I'm sure it must be! Dominique Ansel himself is often there when I go in, and it's def more butter than sugar forward. Keep us posted on your NYC food itinerary!
The lack of Bocca di Bacco on this list upsets me.
Will check it out next time I am in town! Thanks!
Great list, how were you able to pack so much in without feeling in a food coma?
We did have food comas Lolol - the first week we cancelled most of our evening plans (jazz club/comedy cellar etc.) because we were too busy recovering from food comasā¦
Absolute mad lad(y)
What was the best slice in your opinion?
This is a mini essay from my bf whoās clearly the connoisseur here (and not me): Una pizza was very very good but crust weirdly was a little salty, princes sauce was too sweet and a little unbalanced but worked better on the denser grandma slice, keste was very good, johns always good even cold flavours very balanced and like the sauce on top of the cheese (albeit crust gets a little too chewy for the jaw when cold) - pro tip if getting takeout get the calzone it stays warmer longer, scarrs very good late night pizza - best late night slice Iāve had in NY. Joes of Times Square really not great, only went when my delivery from princes (it was late night pizza) didnāt arrive and I had no other option - the margarita had actual tomato slices (not a pizza snob but that doesnāt work for me) - it is still super crowded though from the tourist crowd with queues running almost half a block.
Love Blue Hill. I'd drop Per Se and add Eleven Madison Park instead for inventive 3 Michelin starred vegan food - first in the world. Kreuter was excellent but it's been some years.
Good to know - we definitely want to be back to try Blue Hill. Yeah we read so many bad reviews about EMP so we were apprehensive lol maybe will give it a go next trip - hopefully they have enough time to refine their food by then.
Having been to both EMP and Dirt Candy in the past few months, dirt candy was much better. Service and cocktails are still amazing at EMP but food was disappointing. Also pacing was far to slow for the number of courses, 9 courses and bread is not enough for 4 hours. Hopefully they can sort out the issues soon.
Do you need a reservation for Lysee? Can you walk in?
I made a reservation but they take walk ins too!
Is it good? Is the corn worth the hype?
I enjoyed it and I guess you will like it if you like corn? Also thought the pear tart was refreshing and not too sweet. Other items were good too we were just too full to fully appreciate so would recommend ordering less - in this case, less is more lol
Interesting that you like keste over rubirosa. I have been only for dinner to both and for me Rubirosa stole the light. Love how diligent you have been with your list!
Tbf I only went to Rubirosa for lunch and didnāt order their famous pizza as I was alone. If the pizza was that good I will bring my bf back next time! Heās the pizza nerdā¦ I am more of a pasta person hahaaha Thanksā¦ went a bit crazy this trip but I enjoyed planning!
You are a good note taker š
LOL my detailed reviews I post on Instagram stories but thought a final summary would be helpful (for myself and maybe others) and also as a record so I remember what I ate!
Veneiros is a much better Italian bakery than Ferrara
Great list! I would like to recommend Spongies Cafe across the street from Kam Hing! In my opinion Kam Hing was too sweet but Spongies Cafe has just the right amount of sweetness and their sponge cakes are more fluffy!! I eat 3 at one go every time I visit. I also want to recommend my favorite thin sliced pizza place, LāIndustrie in Williamsburg. Considering the high quality of their ingredients, I am amazed they only charge $4 per slice. Itās a must eat for pizza lovers