The East Village is filled with little Japanese joints serving out delicious sushi and Japanese fare. One little gem on East 9th Street is Hasaki. I know a few people that swear by this place, and after a recent lunch there, I could see why.
Read moreNYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: MASAK
Singaporean influenced fare in NYC? The only place I have found that serves this is Chef Larry Reuten's Masak, in the East Village. I stopped by recently and had an absolutely terrific meal! You should def. check it out some time too!
Start with one of Masak's Quih Pie Tee, little bites of joy. We had one of each ($2), filled with mushrooms, shrimp, pulled pork, and one with foie gras, sweet corn, and strawberries. All were heavenly.
The chili crab dip ($11) with mantou is quite excellent too. A sweet, well-balanced flavor, with just the right amount of kick, this dip is addictive.
Black Pepper Manila clams ($12), cilantro, black bean, chiles, is a fine appetizer too. You'll want to order some more mantou (steamed bun) to sop up that sauce.
Oxtail noodles ($17), egg noodles, baby bak choi, and shiitake is wonderful.
Fish curry ($19), with American red snapper, okra, eggplant, and carrot, is soothing, delicious, and packed with great flavor.
So get your Singaporean cuisine on at Masak. A magical culinary adventure awaits.
Masak
432 E. 13th St. (bet. 1st and A)
New York, NY 10009
212-260-6740
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: RSVP
An invitation to try some of the food at the new hot spot RSVP in Soho, led me to some revelatory miso black cod. The miso black cod, by chef Seth Levine, is so delicate and buttery, it literally melted in my mouth. Truly exquisite. It's some of the best I've had, and you need to order the dish when dining at RSVP.
Seared Ahi Tuna, is not cheap, but so perfectly cooked, it actually glistens.
RSVP is a place to party, but also a great place for a bite of some of the best Miso Black Cod in town.
RSVP
15 Watts St.
New York, NY 10013
212-300-3162
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: PAPRIKA
As the Foodie Magician, my signature trick is guessing people's favorite restaurants. I absolutely love it when people think of restaurants I have not heard of, because then the trick becomes a future culinary adventure for me. A few weeks ago, I did this feat of mind-reading to two different people at two different events, and the restaurant Paprika came up. Paprika is a casual Italian joint on St. Marks Place, in the East Village. I had never heard of the place until I read these people's minds, and I knew I had to eat there. And that I did!
I'm a new resident of the East Village, and it is a dream come true. The culinary scene is astounding down here. I could see why Paprika would be some people's favorite restaurant. It's casual, laid back, rustic-chic, and down right great. A true gem of a place.
A special antipasto of meats and cheeses was fabulous. Silky meats and some unique cheeses, at first I thought it might be a tad boring, but it wasn't. It was perfect.
A black kale salad ($10), with pickled red onions and almonds was outstanding. Kale is huge on the NYC restaurant scene now, and this was one of the best I've had. The pickled onion added a great acidity to the kale, the almonds a wonderful crunch. Order it.
Handmade Pappardelle with Braised Oxtail Ragu ($16) was delicious. That oxtail ragu pitch-perfect.
Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi, Buckwheat Tagliatelle, Savoy Cabbage, Casera Cheese, Potatoes and Garlic ($16), was a unique pasta dish that my dining companion and myself really enjoyed. A touch of Alsace in the East Village. Our stomachs were happy.
Paprika is what the East Village dining scene is all about. Great food, with a casual and cool vibe. Grab a glass of wine, sit back, relax, have some great bites, and enjoy life. It's good to read minds.
Paprika
110 St. Marks Place (bet. 1st and A)
New York, NY 10009
212-677-6563
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: KEN & COOK
What was once the sexy Travertine, is now the sexy Ken & Cook, and I had a tasty meal there a few weeks ago.
Squid ($15), with yogurt, mint, and chili was delicious. The chili adding the perfect kick to the dish. Order it.
If you enjoy your oysters "Rockefeller" style, then try Ken & Cook's ($17), which come with spinach, pernod, and breadcrumbs.
Chicken ($19) comes fried and served with biscuits and honey. My bird was tasty, juicy, and very pleasant.
Black Bass ($28), comes with broccoli rabe, clams, and tomato, and is wonderful. The fish perfectly cooked, that broth soothing and flavorful.
So if you are seeking a downtown spot with good food and sex appeal, Ken & Cook will hook it up.
Ken & Cook
19 Kenmare St. (bet. Bowery and Elizabeth)
New York, NY 10012
212-966-3058
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: CHENNAI GARDEN
Delicious vegetarian Indian cuisine awaits you at Chennai Garden in the "Curry Hill" section of NYC. When I hear the term "vegetarian", I do not normally get excited, although I am learning to love it. There are some fabulous vegetarian and vegan joints in NYC. If you are craving your veggies with some Indian flare, Chennai Garden hits the spot.
Start with a mango lassi, it's truly refreshing, and a great start to your meal.
The assorted appetizer platter ($8.95) came with alu tikki, samosa, pakora, and bajia, and was tasty as can be.
The Bhel Puri ($4.95), a sweet and tangy mix of puffed rice, crispy noodles, onion, and cilantro, was wonderful. Great flavor, great texture, my type of dish!
The dish to order at Chennai Garden is the Dosai, crepes served with coconut chutney and sambar (a tangy, spicy lentil broth). The Masala Dosa I ordered, filled with onion and mashed potato was awesome. It's not a small crepe, it's humongous, and at $8.95, a great bang for your buck!
So get your dosa and vegetarian Indian on at Chennai Garden, veggies ain't so bad.
Chennai Garden
129 E. 27th. St (bet. Park and Lexington)
New York, NY 10016
212-689-1999
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: JONES WOOD FOUNDRY
Ah, the gastropub. What is a gastropub? A bar with great food? Yes. Probably the most popular and best example of the gastropub in NYC, is The Spotted Pig. I went to the recently opened Jones Wood Foundry, a food driven pub on the Upper East Side and was blown away. First off, I really never eat on the UES, but I now have a reason too. The Jones Wood Foundry, in my humble opinion, is now the best example of a "Gastropub" in New York City.
I stopped by for lunch two weeks ago, and fell in love with the place. It is quite charming, with a great layout and a space that will whisk you away to the outskirts of London when you step inside. And of course, the food is top notch.
Tuna tartare ($14) with crunchy tempura and wasabi is absolutely lovely.
The JWF Burger ($18) is truly fabulous too. DeBragga dry aged blend beef, which I topped with Stilton cheese was juicy, succulent, and a joy to devour.
And now ladies and gentleman, I'd like to introduce you to the best fish and chips I've ever had. I don't eat fish and chips often, and have not had every fish and chips dish in NYC and beyond, but I don't see how any fish and chips can be better than the one I had for lunch two weeks ago at Jones Wood Foundry ($22). Beer battered Cod (or haddock), served with tartar sauce and fresh lemon, was a lesson in frying perfection. It's somewhat hard to explain what made this so perfect and wonderful, without you trying it for yourself, and I recommend you do. The fish had this layer of batter that was perfectly crunchy, encasing the wonderful and tender fish inside. It was just perfect and you need to try it.
So for my pick for NYC's top gastropub, Jones Wood Foundry is the winner. Grab a pint, and then order your fish and chips, relax, and enjoy life. True magic awaits.
Jones Wood Foundry
401 E. 76th St. (bet. 1st and York)
New York, NY 10021
212-249-2700
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: PURE THAI COOKHOUSE
I love Thai food. I'm a Thai food fanatic. If I was a boxer, my name would be Mike Thaison. 42nd Street to 59th Street on 9th ave, is filled with Thai restaurants, it's like a little Thaitown in NYC. My favorite NYC Thai joint is Pam Real Thai, on 49th and 9th. But another spot, not too far away, that has opened up recently, and has been very popular, is Pure Thai Cookhouse. It's worth checking out too, because it is excellent and great!
When I dine at a Thai restaurant for the first time, I always must check out their dumplings. Daddy loves dumplings. The steamed vegetable dumplings here ($6.50), with peanut, tofu, spinach, garlic chip, and a ginger soy dip, are delectable and great.
A special pork larb was fabulous. The flavor perfectly balanced, a stunning kick, that was not overpowering, but just right. Refreshing and crunchy. My dining companion and I loved this dish!
Wok chili tumeric with beef ($10), kaffir lime leaf, thai chili, asparagus, string bean, and tumeric chili puree sauce is excellent.
Ratchaburi crab and pork dry noodles ($10), handmade egg noodles, roasted pork, lump crab meat, yu choy, and scallion, is awesome. The noodles were perfect. Pork and crab? This dish was made for me. It was devoured in moments. Love.
So, on a stretch of plenty of Thai choices, Pure Thai Cookhouse stands out. It's one of the best in town.
Pure Thai Cookhouse
766 9th Ave (bet. 52nd and 51st)
New York, NY 10019
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: THE BROOKLYN STAR
Truly awesome Southern home cooking awaits you at The Brooklyn Star, chef Joaquin Baca's Williamsburg, Brooklyn joint. A recent meal there had me and my dining companions beyond excited with the place. The casual, low-key setting, mixed with great food, makes this spot worth checking out. I did not expect to love everything, but we did!
Start with a freshly baked bacon jalapeño cornbread, it is wonderful.
Mac and cheese with bacon is addictively terrific. Might not be great for the diet, but it sure is great for the stomach.
Smoked marrow bones, toast points, red onion jam, parsley, and sea salt, is totally delicious.
Mussels and smoked sausage, pinto beans, pearl onions, in a beer broth, is fabulous.
Roasted half chicken, black eyed pea salad, goat cheese, and pan gravy, shows you how chicken doesn't have to be a boring dish. This dish is great. The addition of goat cheese an awesome touch.
Grilled whole trout, warm potato salad, Carolina style BBQ sauce is also great.
So get your southern charm on in Brooklyn, at The Brooklyn Star, a truly awesome joint. A star is born.
The Brooklyn Star
593 Lorimer St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-599-9899
NYC FOODIE QUICK BITE: SRIPRAPHAI
After having a magical meal at Pok Pok NY in Brooklyn, I actually felt weird. It had nothing to do with the food, but the fact that I had never eaten at Sripraphai in Woodside, Queens, what many people hail as the temple of Thai cuisine. The Best in New York. So last Sunday, I took another culinary adventure out to Queens to see for myself if this Thai mecca was magical. I will tell you that the food is definitely great. I loved all the flavors in the dishes we ordered. I think the balance of flavor was spectacular. Is this the best Thai in New York? I'm not saying any restaurant is the best in any cuisine, it's too subjective. Is it great though? Yes.
I'm a lover of dumplings. A dumpling fanatic. So I had to try the steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings ($5) here. They were delicious, and had wonderful flavor.
The pork larb ($8.50) with fresh mint, dry chili, and lime juice, was pitch perfect wonderful. This is probably the dish that put Sripraphai on the map. Order it.
Fried shredded taro and peanut ($7), with chili sauce on the side, was tasty as can be. A crunchy and sweet appetizer to please all you taro fans.
Fried sea trout ($12) topped with a green mango sauce was excellent. Sweet, spicy, and tangy, all at the same time. I could not stop picking at this fish with my fingers. Deliciousness.
Another day, another magical culinary adventure for the Foodie Magician. With dishes that have a great balance of awesome flavor, I can see why Sripraphai rates the "best" for many people. I surely had a delicious meal here. Magical culinary adventures sure are tasty.
Sripraphai
64-13 39th Avenue
Woodside, NY 11377
718-899-9599
