Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Ave
New York, NY
(212) 254-3500
Cuisine:
Korean, Noodle Shop, Asian
Momofuku Noodle Bar
163 1st Ave
New York, NY
(212) 475-7899
Cuisine:
Noodle Shop, Asian, Noodles
August 31, 2006
"Cheap Eats", but not really
Generally the food is good and the ingredients are top notch, but by no means would I call it cheap eats. Skip the noodles ($14 for a bowl) and go with any one of their other sides. Don’t miss the seasonal pickle plate, the baby octopus salad, the mussels, and whatever seasonal dishes they have on the menu. Also, one of the only places that serves Hitachino Ale (Japan).
Dishes I tried:
Seasonal Pickles
A variety of non-traditional pickled items all in one bowl – in the summer it includes canteloupe and watermelon along with traditional kimchees
Baby Octopus Salad
Baby octopus, tentacles and all, lightly seared and extremely tender
Momofuku Ramen
Good, but very pricey, includes standard ramen noodles with berkshire pork and pork neck, peas, scallions, bamboo shoots, and nori
Steamed Pork Buns
An instant classic – gently steamed mantou pocketing shreds of pork shoulder, a light brushing of hoisin, and a couple slices of fresh cucumber for crunch – almost perfect if not for the price, $9 for 2
Shake Shack
Madison Square Park, Se Corner
New York, NY
(212) 889-6600
Cuisine:
Hamburgers, Burgers, Hot Dogs
October 17, 2006
Expect Long Lines for Tasty Burgers
Long lines, slow service, but very tasty burgers – Shake Shack tops my list of cheap burgers in the city. Don’t miss the seasonal flavors of concretes (extra thick shakes) and the crisp crinkle fries.
Dishes I tried:
Shack Burger
'Shroom Burger
Very tasty vegetarian, but not healthy, alternative to the Shack – a deep fried and breaded portabello cap serves as the meatless patty
Tomoe Sushi
172 Thompson St
New York, NY
(212) 777-9346
Cuisine:
Sushi, Japanese, Asian
October 17, 2006
Fresh, Huge pieces of Sushi
Tomoe is yet another NYC eatery where diners are forced to wait in long lines on the sidewalk, but the wait is worth the meal you’ll get to eat. Food porn from Tomoe can be found here
Magnolia Bakery
401 Bleecker St
New York, NY
(212) 462-2572
Cuisine:
Bakeries, Desserts
October 17, 2006
Overrated
Magnolia’s is great the first time around and for tourists, but generally I think the cupcakes are overrated and pricey ($2 and change each I believe). There are some great items though, including the icebox cake and the banana pudding, but skip the cupcakes.
Dishes I tried:
Cupcakes
Dry and over frosted
Banana Pudding
Excellent ratio of vanilla wafer to banana to pudding, my favorite
Icebox Cake
A multi-layered cake of whipped cream and chocolate wafers – absolutely indulgent, but dangerous: according to one of the Magnolia employees these cakes come in at over 1000 calories a slice
Clinton St Baking Co & Rest
4 Clinton St
New York, NY
(646) 602-6263
Cuisine:
Brunch, Bakeries, Hamburgers
February 5, 2007
Weekend Brunch
Weekend brunch is what CSBC does best. Some of their top hits are the peppery, smoked bacon; pancakes; and buttermilk biscuits in any form, be it as an egg sandwich or drowning in country gravy.
Come before 11AM for the first seating, or be subjected to the CSBC wait and be prepared to walk around the LES for 45 minutes to an hour before your table is ready.
Dishes I tried:
Pancakes
The pancakes at CSBC are some of the best in the city – not only because the batter makes very light and airy buttermilk flapjacks, but also because they forgo the normal syrup topping for a maple syrup and melted butter dipping sauce. You can also order the pancakes with blueberries or banana and walnut garnishes.
happyjc22
09/01/2006Nice review. Those pork buns sound awesome. The ramen sounds great with the pork neck but it does seem like too much money for a bowl of noodles.