worth the trip to the city
New York City has a wide array of cuisine with incredible ethnic diversity and variety - there are truly culinary secrets to be found on every block. Take a peek at a few that we have collected for you - off the beaten track, treasures that we have discovered, and even treats from a bygone era.
off the beaten track
It’s common for us to get into a rut in our “staple” foods, and it’s fun to get out and try something new or that we haven’t checked out in a while - especially when these new - or rarely thought of - foods are absolutely culinary gems.
bahn mi
Originated in Saigon in the 1950’s, a bahn mi is the most popular Vietnamese sandwich, and draws upon Vietnam’s French history, coupled with its own local foodways.
And while it may be just a sandwich in appearance, the flavor combination leads it to being anything but. The baguette, made with a special flour that makes it ethereally light, is filled with pickled daikon and carrot, crisp cilantro, cool slivers of cucumber, juicy and crisp pieces of pork, and a smattering of pate. Done well…they are outstanding. And the two unassuming spots below make the best banh mis in New York City.
Ba Xuyen
4222 8th Avenue, Brooklyn
An absolutely unassuming small shop in Sunset Park dishes up arguably the best banh mi New York City has to offer. And while the restaurant does not have a website, New York Magazine’s homage to their sandwich provides a better description than we ever could.
Saigon Vietnamese Deli
369 Broome Street, Manhattan
The best banh mi in Manhattan can be found in Little Italy, at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it deli. Order the house special, decide on your level of spice, and rest assured that the sandwich served to you will be one of the best meals you will have that week. Cash only
breakfast tacos
You like tacos, right? And you like breakfast. So how are breakfast tacos not perfection? In Texas, they are, and they’re what’s for breakfast.
King David Tacos
Multiple Locations
King David Tacos is the first outlet bringing true Austin breakfast taco perfection to the big city. Until now, they were hawking their wares via carts in Madison Square Park (as well as local coffee shops), but now they will also be opening a small outlet in Prospect Heights at 611 Bergen Street. So if you are a Texan desperately missing – or anyone in search of a super yummy breakfast - warm and fluffy homemade tortillas filled with pillowy eggs and a host of Mexican goodness, get thee to Prospect Heights, stat.
hotpot
Hotpot, at its core, is merely a communal meal, cooking raw meats and vegetables, dumplings, and other ingredients in a bubbling, flavorful broth(s) at the table, then dipping them into a sauce. Pretty simple, right?
What if I were to tell you that you could choose from an array of types of broths, and the meats on offer include many different kinds of wagyu, lamb, and tripe. Every kind of mushroom you’ve ever heard of – and some you have not – and tofus you probably can’t even pronounce. Then make your own dipping sauces out of about 50 different sauce options, as well as and ingredients such as ginger, scallion and garlic.
Still thinking boring? I can’t help you then. Because together, this is one of the best meals you’ll have.
HaiDiLao Hotpot
138-23 39th Avenue, Flushing
If there were Michelin-starred hoptpot restaurants, this would be one. Pre-pandemic, you could expect interminable lines for the gleaming, sleek, and hyper-professionally staffed restaurant that comes equipped with free manicures and massage chairs in the waiting room. You can choose from anywhere from one to four broths, super high end meats, and even opt to have noodles hand-spun and cut tableside in an elaborate presentation.
Hometown Hotpot
194 Grand Street, Manhattan
While Flushing probably edges out other neighborhoods in quality and number of hotpot restaurants, Chinatown does provide a good showing, and Hometown is the star. Super flavorful broths and amazing ingredients on offer will leave you and your party both full and happily content.
pommes frites
Pommes frites, or Belgian french fries, are cut from the potato on order and fried up to a crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside perfection. Pair that delectable treat with an entire array of dipping sauces, and you’ve got yourself an amazing snack or meal.
Pommes Frites
128 MacDougal Street, Manhattan
Decide between three sizes of cones of fries and from over 30 dipping sauces - everything form a host of ketchups, mustards, and mayonnaise, to cheese, curries, and vinegars - and their famous Truffle Supreme Sauce. They make it easier by allowing you to sample as many sauces as you’d like! Pommes Frites may not be the only Belgian frites game in NYC, but they are by far and away the best.
soup dumplings
Who doesn’t like really good Chinese dumplings. But have you ever had soup dumplings (aka “xiao long bao”)? They are the pinnacle of dumplings. Done well, they are a flavor experience to behold.
Originated in Shanghai over 150 years ago, soup dumplings didn’t attain mass acclaim until they became a star attraction on the menu of the famous Din Tai Fung chain in the mid-1900’s. As Din Tai Fung expanded out of Taiwan and China into Japan and then California, the wonder of their xiao long bao spread throughout the world.
Imagine a skin for more delicate than a traditional dumpling, wrapped around pork and/or crab, then filled with an incredibly rich and dense broth (usually chicken or duck). In the case of the infamous black truffle soup dumplings – made famous and perfected by the Din Tai Fung restaurants – you might just sell your unnecessary organs in exchange. Or your necessary ones too. They are that darn good.
(Tip to the wise: watch a video of recommended ways to eat them first; everyone has their own way, but no matter how you decide, the interior broth can be VERY hot, and you’ll want to let them sit for a short bit so you don’t burn yourself.)
Kung Fu Xiao Long Bao
59-16 Main Street, Flushing
All of the places listed here have wonderful xiao long bao, but what a lot of people swear by the unassuming Kung Fu. And what sets them apart even more is the fact they have Chocolate Xiao Long Bao - think Nutella-filled dumplings with a small bit of chocolate. If you have any room left over after your meal, this is a phenomenal way to end.
Shanghai You Garden
41-07 Bell Boulevard, Bayside
A brightly lit and colorful establishment that has not only exceptional soup dumplings, but also some of New York City’s best Peking duck, as well as an extensive menu of really fantastic Chinese food.
Shanghai Asian Manor
21 Mott Street, Manhattan
The only Manhattan outlet on our recommended list of New York City soup dumpling restaurants, Chinatown’s Shanghai Asian Manor routinely has a wait, so plan accordingly. And while you’ll have to travel to the west coast - or abroad - to sample Din Tai Fung’s legendary black truffle soup dumplings, Shanghai Asian Manor’s representation are definitely not lacking.
discovered treasures
As any New York resident for their favorite on a host of a type of foods, and you’ll undoubtedly hear a selection of definite “best ofs”. While we don’t complain to be the absolute authority of the best of, we don’t know that the establishments below provide some of the very best of the foods we’ve tried in the city.
bagels
There are fewer type of food that will spark more debate than the best bagel in New York City. Everyone has an opinion, but you can’t go wrong with any of the options below.
Absolute Bagels
2788 Broadway, Manhattan
Cash only, and there can be long lines, but Absolute Bagel’s untoasted everything bagel with scallion cream cheese has many people’s pick as the absolute best bagel in the city.
Empire Bagels
3101 Westchester Avenue, The Bronx
Open at 5 am, but go early; they run out quickly (and close at noon). Their caramelized exterior and abnormally fluffy inside puts them atop the city’s best bagels. (They are cash only as well.)
Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street, Manhattan
We’ll get a bit more info Russ and Daughter’s history in the treats from a bygone era section below, but suffice it to say that there is a reason that this store (which now has a cafe down the street) has been in operation for 107 years, and its bagels (and lox) stand testimony to that.
fried chicken
While one may think that a search for exceptional fried chicken would require a trip to a Southern state, its comfort food goodness has enveloped the nation in popularity, and there are some truly great places in New York to find fried chicken.
Pecking House
NYC Delivery or Pickup Only
·An 8-week waitlist (you read that right) makes this a more difficult meal to come by than securing a spot at Noma, but never fear – Chef Eric Huang (former sous chef at Eleven Madison Park) will be offering his insanely popular and insanely good chicken at a pop-up at the Lower East Side food hall, The Market Line, which has a collection of ridiculously good vendors. In the meantime, sign up to be on the waitlist to get that coveted call to come pick up his amazing chicken…months in the future.
The Commodore
366 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
Need your fried chicken fix a lot sooner than Pecking House’s 8-week waitlist allows? Want outstanding fried chicken in a super groovy atmosphere (think The Regal Beagle from Threes Company fame vibe, and boat drinks galore)? Look no further. And if you possibly have room after, there is a Milk Bar a couple of feet down the street at 382 Metropolitan Avenue.
sushi
Sushi restaurants in New York City can largely be broken down into two categories: traditional and non-traditional. Traditional sushi focuses heavily on the fish alone, with no other flavors adulterating it (I’m sure I’m not the only reader who withered under the gaze of the sushi chefs at Sushi Yasuda as I contemplated whether to try to get away with using soy sauce). Non-traditional sushi restaurants are far more open to experimenting with combining the flavors of the fish with other ingredients, including those not associated with Japanese cuisine. Below, we have our picks for traditional and a non-traditional sushi places.
Sushi of Gari
402 East 78th Street, Manhattan
Consistency and flavor reign supreme here, and every one of the (very) frequent meals we’ve had here over the course of decades has been superlative. Focus your order on their “signature sushi”, as the flavor combinations are second to none (particular standouts are the toro marinated in garlic ponzu and then lightly seared, salmon topped with seared tomato and sweet onion sauce, blow-torched fluke topped with a a poached quail egg and white truffle oil, and blue fin tuna topped with a creamy tofu puree and sesame chili oil. Sushi of Gari’s spicy tuna roll is also arguably one of the best in the world.
Sushi Nakazawa
23 Commerce Street, Manhattan
Sushi Nakazawa opened in 2013 to great fanfare, as the head sushi chef had been an 11-year protege of Jiro Ono of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame (Daisuke Nakazawa is the guy who cries after Jiro finally approves of his tamago after over 200 rejections). Purity of the fish and flavor are what it is about here, and on that front, you can find few better places in the city. The restaurant was also featured on Billions.
treats from a bygone era
In its almost 400 year history, New York City has seen a lot of food establishments, cultures, and traditions come and go. Some of them are still with us, and providing not only fantastic product, but also a wonderful peek into the past.
Economy Candy
108 Rivington Street, Manhattan
If you can’t find a particular candy at Economy Candy, it probably doesn’t exist. This deceivingly large store has been packed floor to ceiling with every conceivable candy, fruit, and nut since it opened in 1937.
The Pickle Guys
357 Grand Street, Manhattan
In the late 1800’s and into the 1900’s, Essex Street on the Lower East Side was the home to a placed called “Pickle Alley”, which was store after store selling pickles (at one time, New York had over 80 purveyors selling solely pickles). While Pickle Alley is now a thing of the past, The Pickle Guys is the last remaining relic of that era, and you’ll find barrel after barrel of a whole host of different types of pickles, as well as olives, peppers, and a host of other pickled vegetables and fruits.
Russ & Daughters
179 East Houston Street, Manhattan
Open in its existing location since 1920, Russ & Daughters was founded by Joel Russ, a Jewish immigrant from Poland. 100 years may have passed since that time, but Russ & Daughters still supplies some of the country’s very best bagels, lox, bialys, and smoked fish. A gem for city dwellers, but via Goldbelly, those not close to the city can breakfast on the same goodness as New Yorkers.