I come back to the city every few months or so to eat well and see some shows. In June I dragged a friend with me, and we had a blast trying a bunch of new places.
1) Her Name is Han (Ktown): 8/10 – I’ve been drooling over their lunch specials for ages now. This didn’t disappoint! My beef bulgogi hot pot was very tasty and cozy, while my friend’s spicy pork BBQ was delicious. It’s a great deal for about $20 each!
2) Ramen Danbo (West Village): 7/10 – Just a very solid bowl of ramen. I haven’t tried a lot of spots in the city but I’d say this is up there. I certainly thought it was better than Tonchin.
3) Liberty Bagels (Midtown East): 5/10 – This was a re-try for me, and unfortunately I just don’t like this place. The jalapeno everything bagel was just okay, and there was just too much cream cheese (and I love cream cheese!).
4) Rubirosa (SoHo): 9/10 – We got a pie that was half tie dye, half hot honey soppressata. This is up there for favorite pizza in the city now. The hot honey really outshone the tie dye for me.
5) Morgenstern’s Bananas (Nolita): 10/10 – The salty peanut butter soft serve was incredible.
6) Laser Wolf (Williamsburg): 5/10 – Biggest letdown of the trip. The salatim looked gorgeous but most of them didn’t hit the mark for me. The hummus was too bitter. The pita was just alright. I’ve had much better pita at other Middle Eastern restaurants. The much-hyped fries tasted pretty mediocre. The soft serve and the cocktails were the only parts we really liked. We didn’t even get the nice view because it was raining so the tarps were down. This was a lot of money for a pretty unremarkable meal.
7) Thai Diner (Nolita): 10/10 – I was so impressed with the Thai breakfast sandwich which was so flavorful and unique. Best breakfast I’ve had in a long time. My friend’s Thai breakfast plate was also excellent. We loved the atmosphere as well.
8) Golden Manna Bakery (Chinatown): 4/10 – I’m Chinese American and truly don’t understand the hype around this place. The mango tasted 5 minutes away from rotten, and the mochi itself was too loose in texture.
9) Kam Hing Coffee Shop (Chinatown): 8/10 – Very nice and reasonably priced sponge cakes. The matcha was the standout flavor with the black sesame as my second favorite. This place feels so authentic too, complete with Chinese grandpas snoozing in the corner.
10) Banh Mi Co Ut (Chinatown): 9/10 – Excellent fresh bread, generous toppings. Just a great banh mi.
11) KJUN (Midtown East): 9/10 – This was a re-try for me. Really creative food with the nicest staff and vibes. The watermelon salad was one of the best dishes I had all year (I still dream of that watermelon rind kimchi). Also loved the jambalaya and the honey butter chips!
12) Grace Street (Ktown): 8/10 – Great black sesame shaved ice and enough to share with a group of friends.
13) Blank Street (multiple locations): 8/10 – The matcha isn’t high quality (and they def don’t whisk to order) but if you are new to matcha, the strawberry shortcake matcha latte is a good place to start. It’s very sweet, but I liked it and can see why it’s so popular.
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