Start spreadin' the news
"Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today
I want to be a part of it New York, New York
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York,
These little town blues
Are melting away
I'll make a brand new start of it
In old New York
If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere
It's up to you, New York, New York" Frank Sinatra
Ten places you must eat in New York
Vacilando recommended*
Restaurant: Five senses
Cuisine: Korean
Price: $
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A recommendation from a Korean friend, Fives Senses truly ignites each of the senses, with the amazing smells & flavors that leave you only craving for more!
09/02/2013-Present
Highlights
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Five Senses; Korean
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Ippudo; Japanese
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Jacob's Pickle; Southern Comfort/Soul Food
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Peacefood Café; Vegan
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Saravanaa Bhavan; Indian
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River Cafe; American
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Laut; Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai
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Flushing; Chinese
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Atrium; French
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Grace Street Café; Desserts
We tried one of the signature dishes, Dol Pan Kimchi Bokum Bap, kimchi fried rice with shrimp which came on a sizzling stone pan with egg and mozzarella cheese.
Next up was Bulgogi, thinly sliced marinated prime beef ribeye [below right]
Jae Yook Bokum, spicy marinated Berkshire pork shoulder on a sizzling pan.
Restaurant: Ipuddo
Cuisine: Japanese
Price: $$
For the best ramen in town, Ippudo is the place to go! The rich flavors, distinctive taste and long lines are what you will find here with ease ;) They don’t take reservations, so plan ahead because sometimes the wait can extend to a range of 1-2 hours.
My personal favorites are the Pork Buns for appetizers. Get ready for the deliciousness with two pieces of steamed buns with pork that almost melts in your mouth [its that soft], served with Ippudo’s spicy sauce and mayo.
With your taste buds nicely warmed up, for the main course, order the Karaka-Men, which includes tonkotsu (pork broth), thin noodles with a blend of delicious spices, thrown in with pork belly chashu, sesame kikurage mushrooms, cabbage, scallions, and garlic oil and I always like to add an extra topping of a boiled egg!
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A variety in ramen and shrimp for starters if you are feeling experimental!
I have to say that the dessert was an unexpected surprise! The Chocolate Forest is an aesthetically presented apricot and pistachio crumb covered choco mousse cake with chocolate filling that oozes out as you bite into it, served with pistachio ice cream! So highly recommended!
Restaurant: Jacob’s Pickles
Cuisine: Southern, comfort/soul food
Price: $
An all-time favorite, Jacob’s Pickle is my go-to for brunch. Usually, the wait is long with no options of prior reservations, but if you don’t mind eating at the bar, it’s much faster to find a spot. They do have an option of outside seating as well, which in the summers is prime seating.
Known for their pickles, biscuit and grits, I typically begin my experience with the fried pickles, which is served with spicy mayo.
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Croque Madame and Mac & Cheese (above)
Distinctive in taste, Croque Madam hit the spot for me every single time. The Croque Madame is surely one of the exceptional ones in town; Bacon and cheese biscuits with ham, fried chicken, gruyere cheese and a sunnyside egg with fried potatoes, is simply scrumptious.
Hard to go wrong with cheesylicious classic mac & cheese :)
Another recommendation is the Honey Chicken & Pickles, with buttermilk fried chicken, hot sours and clover honey that make for the perfect combination of savory and sweet.
The quantities are so massive that I end up with a take-away!
Restaurant: Peacefood Café
Cuisine: Vegan
Price: $$
For Vegan food, Peacefood café is my personal favorite! I like the vibe of the place and everything that they have to offer, including their mains, sides, smoothies and desserts!
With a filling of shitake and wood-ear mushrooms, marinated tofu, vegetarian protein and chinese chives, dipped in a ginger balsamic dipping sauce, the pan-seared shanghai-style dumplings are delicious!
The vegan cheeseburger, served on house-made focaccia bread, has a wheat & soy-based patty. Together with daiya cheese, garden blend sprouts, jalapeno, avocado, lettuce, pickles & caramelized onions, is worth trying.
My favorite fruit in the world is acai, so my natural choice for a beverage is acai tossed with mixed berries and apple juice.
Personally for me, the highlight at Peacefood café is the potpie. Only served as a dinner special between 5:00-10:00 PM, the crustiness and the creaminess of the dish are mind-blowing! Often enough, it's the potpie, which beckons me to return to Peacefood café.
Restaurant: Laut
Cuisine: Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai
Price: $
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A michelin star restaurant, Laut is a keeper not only because the food is delightful but its economically viable as well.
Filled with fusion, the rotis at Laut are recommended as anytizers. Influenced from the Indian cuisine, there are options of roti canai [above], roti telur [addition of hot pepper, egg and onion] and murtabak [addition of ground beef, hot pepper, egg and onion] all served with spicy curry dip.
We went for Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia [left], since, it included the sampling of coconut rice, achar, peanut & anchovy sambal, egg, rendang chicken, shrimp in sambal sauce.
Tamilian style, the Malaysian curry, has a mix of spicy coconut milk, okra, eggplant, onions, tomato.
Restaurant: Saravana Bhavan
Cuisine: Indian, Vegetarian
Price: $$
Having grown up in India, I haven’t found many places in NYC that match up to the authentic Indian experience. For South Indian food, however, I would recommend Saravana Bhavan. The ambience is no great shakes but the food is totally worth it!
I don’t even look at the menu any more, because I know what I want even before I enter!
For starters, a plate of Vada with coconut and tomato chutney. Fresh and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, Vadas are made from soaked pulses, molded into doughnut shapes and deep-fried.
To follow is an Onion Rava Masala Dosa. Rice, black gram ground, onions and a dash of salt are battered to make a Dosa with a stuffing of delicious potatoes. Depending on how hungry you are, you could share this with a buddy, to keep some room for dessert.
To culminate this meal, I usually go for Gulab Jamuns, a milk-based-solid sweet, which is served hot. One bite and all sweet buds are electrified.
Restaurant: Atrium
Cuisine: French
Price: $$
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Located in the fun town of Dumbo, Atrium has a full menu of food, but my recommendation is specifically for their desserts!
With pimms as a fantastic drink of choice for the day, we indulged in the Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse, made with chocolate crumble, hazelnuts, aleppo pepper and vanilla cream. Soft and squishy, every bite was mouthwatering.
The Carrot Cake, with passion fruit sorbet and cream cheese ice cream makes for a fascinating combination, which you will either totally dig or find too strong a taste. For me, it was the former :D
Café: Grace Street Café
Cuisine: Desserts
Price: $$
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Known for delectable desserts and bubble tea, Grace street café has a unique variety to offer. With Korean donuts, beignets and pyramid of matcha ice-cream, each one is a drop of heaven.
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