New York City

Bassanova – Some Ramen are Better than Others

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Ziggy

Bumping this one up with a lame update, but hey the pictures are great

April 12th, 2015 Update:

I have mixed feelings about reblogging this one. On one hand I have an important update on Bassanova (Important to me at least. To roughly 89% of yous this is as important as the news that Bruce Jenner is now wearing a bra). But on the other hand, after reading the original post below, I have no clue what the hell I’m talking about there. I suppose I can just rewrite the entire thing, but that would not be keeping it real. You are with me folks, with the good and the bad, and the terrible. And the “He must be high on kasha or something”.

I’ll make this one quick and painless, without any Morrissey references. Its painful enough for me to even spell Morisseey. But I really do wish everyday was like this Sunday. A nice day of eating with the misses where I introduced…

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Take Your Daughters to Roberta’s Day

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Ziggy

I, Ziggy U, because Google will not allow accounts without a last name a la Cher, hearts Roberta’s pizza. I’ve been eating Roberta’s pizza for the past two years. I’ve been stung by its Bee Sting, and started riots when they stopped offering it at Madison Square Eats. I’ve been touting its pizza and recommended Roberta’s to total strangers asking for pizza and even non pizza stuff (Can you recommend a good shoe lace store in Bushwick that wont break the bank). I’ve gone to the annual Roberta’s festival in its back yard once where they give away the pies for free. I’ve done it all. Except for one tiny little detail… Eat at Roberta’s. Up until yesterday I’ve never eaten inside Roberta’s. I’ve gone close a few time. Remember the Zizi Limona post last year? I didn’t feel it was fair to Zizi to mention that we were actually on our way to Roberta’s that day, but the wait for a table was over an hour.

That’s the norm at Roberta’s. Over one hour waits. Regulars will be drooling over the pictures here, not so much for the all too familiar food, but the empty tables. This is Wednesday at 3:30, nap time at hipsterland, and perfect timing before 4-5 where only pizza and Romaine salad are available. Why are there long waits? A) Its extremely popular B) The pizza is great C) There’s nothing else whatsoever in the immediate area, but empty lots and graffiti filled structures. Its also pretty freakin far. We somehow, by pure Hanukkah miracle, survived the drive and ensuing meal without the unimaginable: The youngest’s phone dying.

We started with a salad, which turned out to be $5 more expensive since in true a la carte fashion, the bread and butter is a menu item. This is a New York trend that I hope reverses soon as I didn’t find much wrong with the concept of receiving the bread and butter for free. Here, you expect to get something that resembles this, but instead you get something that you normally get for free elsewhere, albeit a nice warm baguette and butter that was a little oversalted. The Romaine “I cant believe its not Caesar” Salad was as good and fresh as Romaine Salads can get, with candied walnuts, Pecorino and mint.

Ribs or Carbonara? Ribs or Carbonara? “We are out of the Ribs”. That settles it me thinks. The Carbonara arrives looking nothing like traditional Carbonara, and more like some heated yellow mess, was surprisingly quite delicious. The Guanciale was missing its snap, but the pasta was peppery, eggy and rich. We attacked this thing with full force. The pizzas were the same classic Neapolitans we’ve been enjoying for years. Margherita was perfectly light and airy, and so was the busier secret menu item Bee Sting with the honey and Soppressata. Try it at a food festival near you, or take the schlep over the bridge and then some

Roberta’s
261 Moore St, Brooklyn, NY

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: best pizza in Brooklyn, food, pizza, restaurants, Roberta's, Roberta's Pizza, Travel | 1 Comment

Momofuku Ko – Son of David

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Ziggy

On this fine second Seder eve, the beginning of Nutella week (I only eat Nutella with Matzah), I’ll start with a question I’ve been asked many time. How can Jesus be the son of David! Jesus was born 1000 years after David, and yet he is repeatedly described in the new testament as the Son of David. Was David the first ever sperm donor? I didn’t think so. Mmm, a moment of silence as I reflect on the fact that I haven’t and most likely never will produce sons. I get this moment every now and then, bare with me. But the answer to our questions is that its just a Messianic title, like “Son of god”. Jesus, born in the city of David, Bethlehem, was the long awaited Messiah, deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Coincidentally (or not) “Ko” means “Son of” in Japanese, and Momofuku Ko is the son of David Chang, the long awaited Messiah that came to free us from French dominance, and who broke all the rules and then some, like an inspired blogger suddenly writing with run-on sentences. Chang like Ko, is a trend setter that continues to reinvent himself. In a recent editorial piece by Chang about the flux state of ramen in NYC, I couldnt help but notice the extensive profanities in the piece. Some may say Vulgar. I say fucking inspiring!

The best way I can describe Ko is like this. A religious experience for non-religious food geeks. A rather indescribable event that perhaps you should not read much about beforehand, like the back of the Netflix white sleeve envelope. Even the cuisine itself is not something you can categorize. The default “American (new)” is perhaps the closest but only because its the default, and not because its comparable to anything else in its category (with the possible exception of Atera and a few more). Yelp lists it as “Korean, American (New)”. Might as well say “Turkish, Uyghur, Fried Chicken”.

You almost need to become religious when you try to make reservations. You have to open an account with fuku, set a reminder exactly two weeks before the date you want at 9:55 am and start flexing the fingers. At 10:00 am reservations open, and at 10:05 they pretty much close. If you miss your big chance, they can put you on a calling list in case someone cancels on the same day. For me it required a small village, with “fuku” texts from friends reminding me after many failed attempts.

Its counter seating, with ample room between you and other guests. The 2.5 hours meal costs $175 and features a set menu of 18 or so dishes. Overall it felt like what a 2 Michelin star in NYC should feel. Professional, efficient, yet not too stuffy at all, even though you cant drop a napkin without someone handing you a fresh one within seconds. Part of the enjoyment is sitting there watching the cooks do their thing, including someone we dubbed Momofuku Eddik who looked like our friend Eddik.

Describing the dishes at Ko can be as complicated as describing Japanese elder porn. I dont usually take notes while I eat so I will try to do my best describing and will omit some that were not so memorable, like the millefeuille, the only photo not taken (probably around the time I spotted Mr Chang. I’m glad he didnt recognize me because I was having way too much fun with Mrs Z and didnt feel like being bothered)

Lobster Paolise was the highlight of the early round of small bites, served in a cylinder shell like a shot glass. Paloise is essentially minty Barnaisse. A terrific Vegetable Roll followed by less memorable millefeuille and pomme soufflee. Madai (Japanese Snapper looking Sea Bream) served raw with clear jellied consomme and shiso was a nice little transition to the lightweights. Razor Clams swimming in basily pineapple dashi was perhaps the first wow moment, only to be followed by much bigger ones. Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) aided by dry aged beef fat was meaty yet delicate. Then comes a sensational Venison tartare with fermented black bean puree and shredded fried brussels sprouts providing a nice crunch. One of the best dishes of the night

The Mackarel Sawarazushi that we saw our new friend Jay torch time and time again during the meal, was well balanced, and not as strong as mackerel can get sometimes. Surprisingly, in a way I preferred the dashi (soup) they made with the mackerel with shredded King Oyster Mushrooms and Asian Pears. Like the sickest Miso soup you will ever eat. Soft scrambled eggs with Osetra caviar and breadcrum-like fried potatoes was quite the dish. Add the homemade bread and radish butter and you got a triumph. Like breakfast at Putin’s. Momofuku, change the name to Breakfast at Putin’s

The Pilmeni/ravioli like Kaboocha squash dumplings were light and springy. A nice transition to the heavyweights of the meal (perhaps its a good time to say, skip lunch). The lobster dish was another winner. A few pieces of lobster tail with sweet potatoes and some sort of lobster espuma which was like the greatest lobster bisque on the planet. When you make the sweet potato almost match the lobster in taste, for this sweet potato hater, you are doing a lot of things right. The best way I describe the pork piece is steroid injected, beefed up incredibly delicious Canadian bacon. They brine that thing for 6 days. Add some Kimchi and onions and you got yourself an Ooooboy! If you didn’t have your religious experience by now, it will probably arrive with the frozen foie gras liberally shaved on top of Lychee, candies pine nuts and Riesling Jelly.

The desserts, while perfectly acceptable, did not carry the similar oomph you get with the rest of the menu. A Huckleberry sorbet with bee pollen, minty chocolate tart, some mignardises in a form of tiny macaroons. The best thing was the last warm dessert that’s not on the menu but reminded me of a sticky toffee pudding.

Needless to say, put this Momofuku high up there on your NYC bucket list. The first slot sounds about right.

Categories: East Village, New York City | Tags: David Chang, food, Momofuku Ko, Momofuku Ko NYC, restaurants, Travel | 8 Comments

Two for Tuesday – Spain via Montreal

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Ziggy

Two for Tuesday™ is a brand new column on EWZ, featuring two places generally in Manhattan that well represent another city, state, or country. For the time being Two for Tuesday™ will be featured on the 5th Tuesday of every March! I may increase productivity if I get enough likes.

Mile End Deli

Once you are done with our Jewish Delis, why not visit a Jewish Deli! A Montreal Jewish Deli. Just like in New York, Jews from Eastern Europe flocked to Montreal at the turn of the 20th century, bringing along all their recipes, including unfortunately for many, Gefilte Fish. Some of them opened delis (one of which invented the Montreal Seasoning) and over time a distinct meat smoking/curing style was born. “Pastrama” as the Romanian Jews called it back in the day (and now), became “Pastrami” in NYC, and “Smoked Meat” in Montreal (probably sexier in French) where its done with Brisket (not nave) and seasoned differently. At Mile End on Bond Street you can comfortably taste a full lineup of Montreal Deli goodies from Matsoh Ball soup to Poutine without fighting the selfie stick filled brouhahas you get at the other delis. The Smoked Meat is sliced thick, brinier and less marbled than the pastrami. While I still give a slight nod to the pastrami, there are a growing amount of Montreal fans out there. Try for yourself.

Despana

Little Eataly, Little Spain, Eatspana? I personally call it Despana because thats what it’s called. Started as a chirozo factory in 1971, the Queens branch is still the hub, while the Manhattan branch is the retail source to everything Spain. Chances are most NYC tapas joints deal with Despana is some shape or form, and so can you. A large array of Spanish wines in the wine store. The who’s who in Spanish cured meats… Jamon Serrano, Iberico, and “we only acorn” jamón iberico de bellota. Marcona almonds – if you never had Marcona almonds, you never had almonds. Since my local Costco stopped carrying them, I noticed sudden mood changes. Bocadillo Sandwiched. The famous white anchovies(boquerones). You can enjoy a wide array of tapas in the communal tables in the back, or just browse around the store and try many goodies available before buying. While in other markets, you are not able to try anything and at times it feels like a can of sardines. Talking about cans of sardines, their cans will make you look at your local market sardines not quite the same way again. The other day day I had the spicy red sauce ones over leftover Kasha (buckwheat). Magnifico!

Mile End
53 Bond St

Despana
408 Broome St

Categories: New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita | Tags: Despana, food, Mile End Deli, Montreal Jewish deli, Tapas, Travel | 3 Comments

Mission Chinese 2.0: Possible

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Ziggy

December 20th, 2016 Update:

Mission Chinese Food continues to tickle and tackle my taste buds. But at the same time its becoming more and more apparent that not all dishes work for everyone, and my ability to properly select from this menu is shaky at best. It almost seems like its strength and claim to fame, the ultra fiery stuff, is also its weakness. People either love the numbing heat or hate it, while the hate is strong enough to keep its Yelp score shockingly low for a place with such profile. But even much of the love.. “The wings were KILLA, but I couldnt finish more than 3” is questionable. In a normal world, you dont recommend a dish you personally gave up after ~~eating~~ laboring a quarter of it.

To me the strength lies in the more subdued plates. Like the Green Tea Noodles, and the simple but proper fried chicken. A less subdued solid discovery is the addictive spicy noodles with peanuts, and cold shrimp that dont bring much to the table. But the shocker the other day was the expensive, great sounding Fragrant Crab Rice that turned out to be bland and uneventful. It was essentially a bucket full of dry rice, with crab that is totally lost, and no scent to speak of. Here, such dish can quickly turn into an expensive side dish to balance the heat from other dishes. This is also where the Tom Khallins drink comes in handy. Go, still, but not as enthused as before.

March 28, 2015:

Yesterday I got a disturbing text from my barber. It wasnt so much about the content of the text, but rather the fact that I got a text from my barber that was alarming. Initially I concluded wrong number, but then I remembered that my barber was the only person I know that calls me by the wrong name. I gave up correcting him 5 years ago and simply play along. “Terry, I moved to the other side of the mall, by Macy’s. Please confirm that you received this text”. After confirmation, he was very delighted that I showed understanding, and opted to stick with him!?! Well, why on earth wouldn’t I. Should I consider perhaps that the other side of the mall is further away from my house? Maybe he’s implying lack of parking? I’ve only been with him for 16 years. Should I drop him because the other side of the mall doesnt have an Auntie Anne’s soft pretzel stand, and simply hire one of the old schmucks taking a nap at 10 am? I always show up to a Bunny Ranch-like lineup of sleeping barbers to choose from.

In similar fashion Mission Chinese Food moved from the LES to Chinatown, pretty much the same distance as my barber. Danny Bowien, and MCF opened with a bang initially, even winning in a rather shocking fashion the coveted Best New Restaurant of 2013 from the New York Times. Not too long after, it was closed by the Health Dep’t, reopened shortly after, only to close for good shortly after that. For its fans this unfolding was difficult to watch. As difficult as watching a baby seal getting clobbered to death. If I would only have a nickle for every favorite Chinese restaurant closed at some point by the Health Dep’t, I would have a Quarter by now. Who cares if there’s evidence of mice. As long as the mice and I are not there at the same time.

The new space, compared to the old, is comically stunning. Like a bizarre cross between a fancy diner, a steakhouse, and a Lucky Cheng’s. It kept some of the furniture from previous tenant Rosette, including a pizza oven which they utilize for pizza and bread. Comfortable booths, chandeliers, and Lazy Susans unlike the Lazy Susans at my Doctor’s office where you just got lazy women named Susan. When you add this all up, including the many mild additions to the menu, you get something you can bring your family, or even your in-laws. But contrary to the way it looks inside, and the sign outside, it is very far from your average Chinese joint.

Started with one of the most unique drinks in recent memory (about a week give or take). Tom Khallins – Old Tom gin, coconut milk, kaffir lime, lemongrass, ginger, chile, and sesame oil served in a small tea bowl. After this and Pok Pok I’m really starting to get into those coconuty drinks.

The “Bread Service” is essentially a delicious smoky round Laffa with kefir butter spread. It comes with a price tag ($7) that will make any Israeli or Arab shiver, a la the Jerusalem Bagel at Bar Bolonat. Although the great free cilantro and scrambled eggs dumplings leave less room to complain. One good reason NOT to get the bread is that it takes a lot of space on the table that you will struggle for very soon.

The Cumin Lamb Ribs while on the fatty and chewy side were somehow more satisfying that the previous version. The Dates in this dish alone are worth the price of admission. On the other hand, the Kung Pao Pastrami went from my favorite to least favorite of the night. The pastrami this time was much more charred, with texture closer to the potatoes it came with rather than that great pastrami of 1.0. It wasn’t bad overall, but the rest of the lineup was just better.

Like the great Beef Jerky Fried Rice with Beech Mushrooms. Wildly flavorful, but only the second best fried rice dish of the day (oxtail fried rice @ Blue Ribbon near Columbus Circle for lunch). And if I would have to pick a favorite this night, it would probably be the Green Tea Noodles with ginger scallion, hoisin, and the great matcha flavor which makes the dish. The only issue with this one is that the noodles are so stuck together (not so much in a bad way), that its difficult to remove a portion if you are sharing. Eat this like Chinese eating rice.

Mission Chinese Food
171 E Broadway
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Tom Khallins, Beef Jerky Fried Rice, Green Tea Noodles, Cumin Lamb Ribs

Categories: Lower East Side, New York City | Tags: Best Chinese Food in NYC, food, Mission Chinese Food, Mission Chinese Food NYC, restaurants, Travel | Leave a comment

Is Maialino Turning Stale?

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Ziggy

Malfatti

Maialino has always been one of those easy, solid, high probability recommendations over the past 3 years. I’ve recommended it to people not only looking for “Italian” in NYC but also “Not Italian”, with the hopes that if anything will convert them this is it. I’ve been singing its praise to restaurant owners from Naples to Alba while touring the country. I’ve been a fan of Nick Anderer for years, and since meeting him at the Parla/Bonci event at Paulie Gee’s, had some fun conversations with him at Marta, which is one of my favorite new places in town. Hence, its somewhat awkward for me to write this post, but I’m doing it out of love and appreciation, not hate. I would hate to see the place turn into another Union Square Cafe

The meal wasnt terrible by any stretch. But the name carries certain expectations, and anticipations, especially when its a special birthday dinner with the family. I always think about that walk to the park with my friend Val and his Bulldog Rocco who out of sheer excitement, farts his way the entire length of the walk until he finally gets to his favorite pooping spot. You can feel and smell the anticipation along the way. But imagine if after all these years, Rocco finds out that his spot has been discovered by a Yorkshire Terrier, or worse, replaced by a condominium development. Something was off the other night, and I’m hoping it was just a Sunday night off-night

The Salumi here has never been a strong suit to begin with, although I found the selection plate still orderable partly due to lack of other desirable options (where’s that octopus when you need it). The Mortadella for example is cut thick with texture and taste resembling its bastardized Bologna more than actual Mortadella.

The Cacio e Pepe and Carbonara still delivered, although the Cacio carried a little less magic than in the past. But that Guanciale in the Carbonara, I can chew on that forever. Or more like 5 minutes, which is like a lifetime in Guanciale years. The Pappardelle was just fine. Chunks of tender nicely cooked pork with light cream. Not your typical Ragu, and missing that beautiful marriage between meat and pasta.

For main we shared another pasta, the Malfatti with the braised Maialino (suckling pig) and arugula. But wait a minute, this dish looks familiar. As in 7 minutes ago familiar. Way too identical to the Pappardelle, but sounded much different. “Malfatti” I suppose is a very loose interpretation of something misshaped or badly formed, and I’ve always associated it with ugly pasta-less (more like gnocchi) ricotta/spinach dumplings as in Al Di La in Brooklyn. But here it looks like hand ripped thin pasta, like Pappardelle “squares”. The pig had decent flavor if not a bit one-note (salt), but by this point we were craving for something more Raguish. The Garganelli which I enjoyed in the past with rabbit could have filled the void but was missing in action.

Very often one dish can make or break a meal, and in this case the decider was the Oxtail. When I had the dish before, the beautiful tender meat was easily falling off the bone in liberal fashion. This time I had to work hard managing the unrendered fat, distributing the kill like a mother wolf feeding her three babies. The surprising highlight of the evening was the panna cotta look-alike Cheesecake with sour cherries. Hope I’m still welcomed at Marta, but if not I’ll understand

Categories: Gramercy, Flatiron, New York City | Tags: food, Maialino, Maialino NYC, restaurants, Travel | 4 Comments

Turks and Caicos – Seaside Cafe

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Ziggy

An update on an old favorite…

Eating With Ziggy

March 21st, 2015 Update:

Get the Fish Sandwich for lunch people. Its a couple of pickled carrots shy of being the perfect Banh Mi, although I sort of prefer this simplified version. Toasty baguette courtesy of Caicos Bakery filled with expertly blackened fish grilled to flaky perfection. Great little sandwich. Moving on from Vietnam to Peru, Amazing Race style. The Peruvian Conch Salad brings out our animal instincts, each time without fail. If there’s one tip I could offer to the 15 TCI viewers I get per day (over 200 look at the Hell’s Kitchen Survival Guide alone, 15 at TCI), get some of that Peruvian. We dont even need to open the lunch menu here.

We also had another outstanding dinner later on. Nice and springy flatbread with goat cheese, pesto, and arugula. A new discovery was the Conch Chowder that may have cracked our top three. More of the delicious Tuna Sashimi…

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A Gentleman’s Guide to Pok Pok

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Ziggy

Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown Thailand” with Andy Ricker is one of my favorite food episodes of all time. It was real, it was fun, and it gives you a good size glimpse of what exactly is behind Ricker’s motivation… women! Yes, food and the culture are probably high up there, but its probably the women that made the man move back and forth and back again for 20 years. Even some of the servers at Pok Pok NY including the boys were a sharp reminder that you are at a Ricker establishment. I vividly recall one particular moment from that episode where they visit a family run shack somewhere remotely, where Ricker starts flirting with a girl pretty much in front of her parents. Now that is some Chutzpah.

The last time I was accused of being a gentleman was the last time we visited Turks and Caicos, where I kept opening the car door for Mrs Ziggy. But that was because I can never get used to the location of the wheel and keep opening the wrong door. At Pok Pok blvd in Red Hook Brooklyn, Mr and Mrs Hummus Whisperer and us got to open three different Pok Pok doors; The Whiskey Soda Lounge while munching on the famous wings (the only item available from the flagship menu), Pok Pok NY (the flagship), and Pok Pok Phat Thai (Pk Pok light) just for the hell of it. A fun meal overall, and vastly different than the 9th Ave Thai some of us are so used to. Here’s the food rundown

Pok Pok Boar Collar

Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. I don’t know who this Ike guy is but I’m guessing he is a good guy, and an honest citizen, and probably a fantastic cook. These are plus size Amish wings that are seasoned in such a way that you will contemplate not washing hands for a few days.

Het Paa Naam Tok – Spicy forest mushrooms with soy sauce, lime and chili powder dressing, shallots, lemongrass, mint, cilantro and toasted rice powder. Perhaps the only dish I didn’t care much about. Sounds exciting at first but the result was way too much acid for those delicate mushrooms. Probably works better with meat

Kaeng Hang Leh – Northern Thai sweet pork belly and pork shoulder curry with ginger, palm sugar, turmeric, tamarind, burmese curry powder and pickled garlic. This was really good. Super tender pork in a rich, sweet but tasty brown curry. An important note to Yelpers: Pork Belly is in fact fatty

Muu Paa Kham Waan – Boar collar meat rubbed with garlic, coriander root and black pepper, glazed with soy and sugar. Grilled over charcoal and served with chilled mustard greens and a spicy chili/lime/garlic sauce. Even the slightly overcooked Boar didn’t stop it from being the dish of the night. Its all in the sauce of gods that could even make your car keys eatable. Fantastic dish!

Pok Pok Khao Soi

Khao Soi Kay – Northern thai mild curry noodle soup made with curry paste recipe and coconut milk, served with house pickles mustard greens. A little trickier to share but Khao Soi as good as I ever had

Cha Ca “La Vong” – Vietnamese catfish (or as they call it in South Florida, Grouper ;)) marinated in turmeric and sour sticky rice, fried in turmeric oil with scallions and dill, served on rice vermicelli with peanuts, mint, cilantro and mam nem. One of my favorite dishes here and something I’ve had before. Before you even take your first bite, the herbs aroma make their mark and tell the brain “this is gonna be exquisite”

Winged Bean Salad – This was a special. Florida grown crunchy sliced Winged Bean pods mixed with prawns, pork and a hefty amount of Thai Chilies. The spiciest dish of the night by far, and something I would definitely order again.

Dessert was as exciting as Thai desserts can get. A not so smelly Durian scented creation on sticky rice with coconut milk. Slightly less successful than the similar pumpkin at Pure Thai Cookhouse. The Affogato was your good basic Affogato but with Churros-like doughnuts. The lone clunker was the ice cream sandwich which didn’t work for any of us.

Pok Pok NY
117 Columbia St, Brooklyn
$$$
Recommended Dishes: Wings, Catfish, pork belly and shoulder, Boar Collar, Curry Soup

Pok Pok Catfish

Pok Pok – Bean Salad

Pok Pok Mushroom Salad

Pok Pok affogato

Pok Pok Durian

Categories: Brooklyn, New York City | Tags: Best Thai in NYC, food, Pok Pok Brooklyn, Pok Pok NYC, restaurants, Travel | 2 Comments

When Ziggy Met Zizi {Limona}

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Ziggy

More on Zizi Limona after dinner with friends

Eating With Ziggy

March 9th, 2015 Update

Another fun meal at Zizi with friends. You know that you are eager to get somewhere when you park in front of a fire hydrant and don’t realize it. Like a Bulldog going to his favorite poop spot. Everyone enjoyed the meal. Aunt Trippo is now my favorite aunt by default. My only requirement is the ability to make a decent falafel. I’m very east. Grilled Beets, surprisingly appetizing for a non beet supporter. Crazy Baba is still Meshugenah, and the Shishito with white beans is a fun little snack

The tender Chicken Tagine was a winner, spiced properly with Moroccan spices, with chickpeas and Israeli Couscous (bubbly tiny pasta balls). Some enjoyed their fish with tomato based sauce a la Taboon. My Short rib was as tender as short rib should be if not a little gamey (in a good way). It came with Risotto style Freekeh (a Farro…

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What to Eat in NYC – The Ethnic Plays

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Ziggy

Continuing the What to Eat in NYC miniseries. Part 1 is here. Ethnic food is a big part of our daily diet hence it requires its own page. What should you target in NYC of course depends on where you are coming from, but these are generally the areas of excellence in NYC…

Eat Thai – NYC has a thriving Thai food scene, and for reasons unknown to me the area known as Hell’s Kitchen is leading the Pad pack. New Thai restaurants keep opening and existing ones keep multiplying right next to each other. Yum Yum 1,2,3 all on the same block, and Wondee Siam with its three locations is another example. But my favorites are Pure Thai Cookhouse with its vibrant menu, and fun vibe, and Larb Ubol specializing in Isan (North Thailand) cooking. Lately however I’ve been cheating on those two with an old timer, Pam Real Thai. Outside of HK, you got the great Somtum Der in East Village, and the popular Uncle Boons not too far. Zabb Elee is another excellent Isan, and if you can somehow make it to Pok Pok in Brooklyn, you are in for a treat. While not exactly Thai, the Laos inspired Khe-Yo is quite unique in itself and deserves a mention

Pure Thai Ratchaburi

Eat Indian – We eat a lot of Indian food, and the scene overall is fairly competitive. Between Curry Hill and Curry Row in the East Village alone you have a slew of very good options. In the East Village, guidebooks and TV shows may direct you to the Gimmicky Bricklane Curry House, but I suggest heading to Malai Marke around the corner. In Curry Hill you have Chote Nawab, the vegetarian Vatan, and the southern flavors of Kokum and Anjappar. Moving uptown, Moti Mahal Delux is part of a worldwide chain known for their butter chicken, and newcomer Awadh across in the west. But if you are mesmerized by the Times Square lights and cant leave, Basara on 9th may do the trick

Moti Mahal Cauliflower

Eat Middle Eastern -Middle Eastern plays a big part in our Mediterranean diet. You got a few mini empires fighting for the top rights. Einat Admony with Balaboosta, Bar Bolonat and Taim is perhaps the biggest Israeli name at the moment. While Taboon continues to be a strong option in midtown, especially now with its original chef coming back. Baby sister Taboonette dishes out unique healthy[ier] street food in Union Square. Modern Lebanese hot spot Ilili has been around for some time now. Gazala showcases her Druze specialties in two location, Gazala’s and Gazala’s Place. And Zizi Limona in Williamsburg is a product of three veterans who know how to treat the classics well. Speaking of which…

Bar Bolonat – Creme Brulee

Eat Falafel – While visitors seek that perfect New York Cheesecake, keep in mind that we New Yorkers argue more on who has the best Falafel. Is it Taim in the village? Is it Azuri in midtown where watching Ezra make it is like watching Picasso paint. Or is it the nostalgically cheap Mamoun’s. None of the above. Top marks go to Nish Nush which is yet to be discovered by many locals, and those who did will certainty not appreciate me touting it. But the others, especially Taim’s marvelous platter, and Azuri’s sandwich and Shawarma will do you just fine.

Eat Ramen – We are in the midst of a ramen revolution in NYC, and I dont hear anyone complaining. Except for Mrs Z perhaps who wants to go to Ippudo now on a regular basis including Jewish holidays. In Hell’s Kitchen alone you can feel that craze. Even former none ramen establishments are joining the fun. The delicious Akamaru Modern at Ippudo is leading the pack, while the Spicy Ramen at Totto is not far behind. Ivan Ramen in Gotham West is another option, though I would be tempted to get the Smoked Salmon Donburi, formerly known as Smoked Whitefish Donburi instead. But to get a fuller taste of the Ivan without sounding too dirty, one must go to the downtown location. One option that gets overlooked by many is Bassanova in Chinatown with its fiery and unusual Green Curry Ramen. And while you ate it, give the lemon and pepper Ramen a shot as well.

Ippudo – Akamaru Modern

Eat Chinese – Some folks familiar with the Chinese scene here, may be asking themselves at this point, how is this guy going to cover our entire Chinese arsenal in one paragraph. I cant, and I wont, but I’ll offer a small glimpse just like with the rest. Some of the best Chinese Food is offered outside of our many Chinatowns, like the Szechuan Gourmet empire (I frequent the one on 56th st). A recent discovery for me is Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns and their addictive Shanghai style soup dumplings. Talking of which, Prosperity Dumplings is perhaps the biggest value in town, and that’s saying a lot. Mission Chinese Food is the hottest Chinese play in the city right now, and may even be when you read this a year from now. Han Dynasty, a Philly chain is doing a lot of things right seems like. And do check out at least one of our Chinatowns. Dim Sum in Golden Unicorn, or if you feel adventurous, East Harbor Seafood Palace in Brooklyn’s Chinatown, followed by cruising along tourist free zone 8th ave.

Gourmet Szechuan 56 – Shredded beef

Eat Mexican – Lower your eyebrows and listen up. The notion that there’s no decent Mexican in NYC is sooooo 2013. In the last few years a slew of exciting young chefs like Alex Stupak has given us some very cool options. Stupak perhaps is leading the rat pack with the Empellon empire… Empellon Cocina is the flagship, Empellon Taqueria is the high end Taqueria, while the new Empellon Al Pastor is the more basic Taqueria highlighting the namesake Al Pastor. Other options include Tehuitzingo, the fine taqueria in Hell’s Kitchen and its bigger neighbor Tulcingo Del Valle. Visitors flock to the more polished and Toloache practically in Times Square, and while I don’t have any quarrels with it (I recommended it myself), I tend to feel more at home in the previous two. Los Tacos #1 at the Chelsea Market is another great option if you can brave the crowds, though I would opt for something more along the lines of Otto’s Tacos which is in the process of opening a branch in Hell’s Kitchen. Another one to consider is Mission Cantina, home to the best Burrito in NYC, not surprisingly coming from the Mission neighborhood in SF

Mission Cantina Tacos

Eat Eastern European – Perhaps this is more for the Coney Island bound tourists who should keep in mind that there’s much more to downtown Brooklyn than a Hot Dog. The area adjacent known as Brighton Beach is loaded with all sorts of great Uzbek, Russian, Georgian and even Uzbek/Korean delights. Consider Cafe Glechik on Coney Island Ave, sort of a Russian institution in the area. Or perhaps Tone Cafe, aka Georgian Bread for the great Adjaruli Khatchapuri. Uzbek/Uyghur specialty Kashkar Cafe is an absolute gem, and one of my favorite restaurants in whole of Brooklyn. For a livelier Uzbek filled with Russians on a daily basis there’s Cafe Nargis a few blocks north on Coney Island ave. Cant leave Manhattan but still want a small taste? Veselka, Oda House, and Uncle Vanya in midtown should be able to take good care of you. Unless you are a vegeterian

Kashkar Cafe – Geiro Lagman

Eat Tapas – Basque, other Spanish, Mediterranean tapas galore all over. In Chelsea alone you can Patata Brava to your heart’s delight, starting with tiny Tia Pol and ending with Toro near the Chelsea Market. In the East Village you have the fun Cata, and lately I’ve been itching to go back to her sister Alta. Tertulia has its fans in the West Village, while I’ve been enjoying its sister El Colmado in Gotham West Market lately. Many locals are in love with Casa Mono, but I need a bit more convincing. And watch out for newly opened Espoleta, some big names behind this project

Casa Mono Razor Clams

Eat Miscellaneous – Do you honestly need more ideas? I didnt think so. But all of this is just scratching the surface of what the greatest food city in the world has to offer. In Staten Island for example, you can take advantage of the large Sri Lankan community by trying the museum-like Lakruwana, San Rasa or New Asha. Vietnamese food, while still lagging behind other cities, is getting better. Try Co Ba and Co Ba 53. How about some Korean like Danji, Jungsik, HIT Korean Deli or Food Gallery 32. Filipino inspired? We got plenty of that too.. Lumpia Snack Shack, and Maharlika are just some

Overwhelmed? Join the club. I only live here.

Jungsik Steak

Categories: Brooklyn, Chelsea, Chinatown, East Village, Gramercy, Flatiron, Lower East Side, Midtown East, Midtown West, New York City, SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, Staten Island, TriBeCa, Upper West Side, West Village | Tags: best food in NYC, food, NYC food, resaturants, Travel, Where to eat in NYC | 12 Comments

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