The Flavors I’ll Miss Most: An NYC Asian Food Farewell
From $3 rice rolls to upscale Thai, these are the 40+ spots that defined my time in New York.
TL;DR: This post is a list of my favorite dishes and where to try them in NYC! As mentioned in my last post, I eat mostly Asian food when I go out and I’ve developed a lot of favorite cravings in NY the past few years. Hoping to find alternatives to solve these cravings while we’re traveling :)
Note: This post may be clipped in email. For the whole thing, you can read here.
I’ve been to 375+ restaurants in NYC since moving here in 2023. About 75% of these restaurants are Asian. Growing up, the only Asian food I really had was my mom’s cooking, which is dishes from a specific region in China. This means most of the food on this list is stuff I’ve discovered from the past 10 years.
NYC Asian food scene is great and I’ve developed a lot of cravings over the years. Because there’s an endless list, this post will focus on certain cuisines; if you’re looking for a specific category, jump ahead: Chinese | Korean | Japanese | Thai | Vietnamese | Asian Desserts. Also note that many of my recommended spots have several locations in the city; I’m simply linking the one I most often visited.
Sichuan
Chinese is great because there’s so much variety, with specific regional dishes and dishes even more specifically tied to a city (Indian is like this as well). My parents’ region is not close to Sichuan province, and my dad also doesn’t like eating spicy food — so there is actually zero overlap between the food I grew up eating and Sichuan food (even now, I don’t think my parents would recognize most dishes on the menu!).
The first time I ever tried Sichuan was in college, but I didn’t start appreciating this cuisine until NY. I feel like Sichuan is the most popular Chinese ‘sub-cuisine’ in NY, with the majority of the most well-known Chinese establishments known primarily for Sichuan dishes (Szechuan Mountain House, Antidote, MáLà Project, uluh, etc.) These are all solid restaurants to try a bunch of different Sichuan dishes. There are a few dishes in particular that I’ve really grown to enjoy the past few years:
Sauerkraut Fish
This is a potentially divisive dish that may require an acquired taste. Basically it’s a fish soup with the broth having a distinctly spicy (mainly from sichuan peppercorns) and sour (mainly from pickled vegetables) flavor. I tried this for the first time in NY when my friend wanted to order it at a restaurant. I love how flavorful the broth is; this has become one of my favorite soups and something I try to get once a month.
I really like the sauerkraut fish from Antidote and Sichuan Mountain House, but I’ve also gone to restaurants that specialize in this dish like Nai brother LIC.
Dry Pot
Another dish I tried for the first time in NY, this is one of my favorite dishes because of the explosion of flavor from all the traditional spices and herbs. The best places will let you choose what ingredients to put into a dry pot, so you can have all the ingredients you want. Our go-to place is Lao Ma Spicy, a kind of ‘dank’ place where you point at the raw ingredients and have to tell the worker to put less of the protein in so you don’t get overcharged.
Making dry pot at home is surprisingly easy as well. All you have to do is buy the spicy hot pot mix, and stir that sauce into the ingredients you’re stir frying on a wok.
Hot Pot
I’ve had hot pot before, and this is something we love to do at home as well. Hot pot is not necessarily Sichuan, but the specific spicy broth in hot pot comes from Sichuan and is one I’ve started craving a lot for.
NY has a lot of really solid hot pot places and it’s definitely a comforting meal for both me and George. Again, you only order the ingredients you want, and the restaurants make the broths really flavorful too.
Our top hot pot spots are LaoJie (really solid AYCE), Shoo Loong Kan (solid broths), and Dolar Shop (good ambience ingredients etc. but on the pricier side).
Our absolute favorite though is Chongqing Lao Zao. The broth there is so good you honestly don’t need a dipping sauce. This place does require a wait though, so be prepared to go early to put your name down (definitely worth it!)
Other Chinese
Of course, there’s other Chinese food I like to eat:
Cantonese
Rice Rolls
Yet another dish I’ve never had until college, rice rolls are ground up rice (‘rice flour’) mixed with water and steamed to produce a chewy and almost gelatinous texture. They’re often filled with meat. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to find the best rice rolls in the city.
The King of Rice Rolls: West Rice Roll King
Possibly my favorite restaurant in NYC. This place is an extreme hole-in-the-wall — there’s no place to sit inside and is cash only. There’s also a single set-up to make rice rolls, and each rice roll costs $3-$6. Often when I go in to place an order, I have to wait 45 minutes as each rice roll takes 3-5 minutes to make with the single set-up. I honestly have no idea how this restaurant stays in business…but regardless I’ve taken most of my friends to this restaurant it’s truly a banger. The texture of the rice roll is better than 99% of the other rice rolls I’ve had.
Other options for rice rolls:
Yi Ji Shi Mo: Pretty similar to West Rice Roll King in that you’ll most likely have to wait after placing an order, there’s no sit-down area, and cash only. These rice rolls are thick with veggies and fillings, whereas West Rice Roll King is not as stuffed with filling
Yin Ji Chang Fen: Notably one of the few places in Chinatown with a decent sit-down. Known for both rice rolls and congee, a combination most commonly for breakfast / lunch
Joe’s Steam Rice Roll & Cozy Rice: Two other options for solid rice rolls without a wait
Cantonese BBQ
The most common Chinese BBQ meats are roast duck, roast pork, and crispy pork belly. They’re often ordered over rice with a side of veggies.
Dim Sum Sam: Unassuming restaurant that has produced the crispiest pork belly. We’ve been going here a lot recently lol
Wah Fung: Probably the most famous place for Chinese BBQ, this place is known for having a line mostly because it’s really good, really cheap (<$10), and with humongous portions. I’ve only gotten this once when the line was somehow nonexistent. I would recommend if the line is chill, if not, you can go to —
Hey Hey Roasted: Slightly pricier / smaller portion size compared to Wah Fung, but tastes just as good and with zero wait
Other Cantonese Bangers
Mei Lah Wah: Another no-frills stop known for their pineapple buns with pork. It’s actually crazy good and <$5
Kong Sihk Tong: Our favorite place for Hong Kong-style food, this place is known for a large menu and relatively cheap eats as well. Our favorites include the salt-and-pepper calamari and the pork chop with baked pasta
Maxi’s Noodle: Best wonton noodle soup in the city. I really like it with the ja-jiang add-on, because the sauce from the meat adds an extra dimension to the broth
Totally focused on our bowl of wonton noodle soup at Maxi’s Noodle East Harbor Seafood Palace: The best traditional cantonese dim sum (with push carts!) I’ve had in the city
Other Top Chinese Restaurants
Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao: My favorite Shanghainese restaurant in NY, the soup dumplings here are solid and we like all the noodle and rice cake dishes
Spicy Village: I love the texture of the noodles here, and they offer a big plate chicken which is a more unique dish (traditional to Uyghur region)
I have an eternal love affair with noodles. We usually order the big plate chicken and the tomato and egg hui mi at Spicy Village Bites of Xi’an: Really solid beef noodle soup and other noodle dishes for <$15
Ji Bei Chuan: Really comforting noodle soups
Tasty Hand - Pulled Noodles & Great NY Noodletown: Noodles are my favorite food group; these are top options separate from the others I’ve listed out
Top Korean and Japanese Restaurants
Neither George nor I care too much about restaurant ambience, and instead value the quality of food in relation to its price. Over time we’ve really migrated to the hole-in-the-wall Chinese places because they all taste amazing and for <=$20 per person. We definitely have our favorite Korean and Japanese restaurants too, but they tend to be ‘nicer’ establishments with food resulting more often like $30-$50 a person.
Top Korean Picks
Samwoojung: Known for Seoul-style bulgogi, which I really like. I also like that this place doesn’t require a wait unlike other options in K-Town
C as in Charlie: Korean in NY has mostly been upscale fusion tapas, which leads to an elevated price point. This is probably my favorite of this upscale-fusion-tapa genre (Other options include Nowon, Hojokbon, 8282, Take 31, Mokyo, etc.)
Witch Topokki: Possibly a meme pick, this is a topokki buffet restaurant where you make your topokki sauce and put whatever ingredients you want in it. Pricing is pretty fair and the fullest I’ve ever felt has been in the aftermath of this place
Fort Lee - Sa Rit Gol, PyeongAnDong: If you’re willing to go to New Jersey, the Korean food is better and cheaper out here relative to NY…Sa Rit Gol makes really good Korean soups and PyeongAnDong has the best galbi-jjim in the area
Mimisa: This place went viral for the green grape + fried chicken combination. I actually think it’s pretty good. In general, just good Korean comfort food here
Top Japanese Picks
Raku: Udon is my favorite Japanese dish, and this place has the best in-house udon. The only cons are it’s relatively pricey for what it is and there’s often a wait
Ramen Danbo: My favorite ramen place in NY, I especially like that getting extra ramen is only $1 (what a steal!)
A perfect bowl of Fukuoka-style ramen at Ramen Danbo Izakaya Futago: One of the better spots for soba in the city, there were also a lot of Japanese here so you know it’s legit
Okiboru House of Tsukemen: I tried tsukemen for the first time a few years ago. I really like how flavorful it can be, and dipping noodles is just a fun thing to do
Shinn East: I’ve been to a decent amount of omakases in the city, and this place has continued to be on top. It’s a combination of really good flavors for a reasonable price (<$70). It’s not the best omakase I’ve had, but definitely the best for under $100
KazuNori: I used to be obsessed with handrolls. I’ve either had it too often or the quality has decreased, but KazuNori still deserves a shoutout for fueling my obsession with scallop sushi
Thai in NY
I visited Thailand after college. I remember the first half of the trip we kept ordering stuff family-style where we’d get a bunch of dishes, one of which being Pad Thai every time. At some point though we were all fighting for the Pad Thai, so we started ordering a Pad Thai per person and then an extra dish on the table to share… My problem is I’m not a fan of coconut-based curries, and back then we didn’t really know what dishes we should order besides Pad Thai and curries.
Thai is really popping in NYC; there’s so many highly rated restaurants with a high bar for quality. Some classics include Pure Thai Cookhouse, Thai Villa, Thai Diner, Mitr Thai, Pranakhon. As a result, I’ve been introduced to a lot of dishes outside of Pad Thai that I really like now, and Thai as a cuisine has really climbed the ranks for me the past few years. I also think as I’ve aged my palate has really grown to prefer both savory sour and sweet sour dishes; Thai can be pretty sour with its liberal use of limes.
Personal favorites of mine:
Khao Nom: My favorite Thai in NY, this restaurant offers a variety of dishes at a cheap price. Favorite dishes include the tom yum noodle soup and the crispy pork belly, but honestly everything we’ve gotten here (including the extensive appetizer section) have all been great
Hug Esan: First time having proper larb, which is a meat ‘salad’ with really strong flavors similar to a papaya salad
Go Chin Khao Man Gai: This place specializes in Thai chicken dishes. I’ve really gotten into Thai fried chicken, which has spices different from other fried chicken dishes (Korean, Taiwanese, Southern, etc.)
Soothr: Offers more unique Thai dishes, I’m a fan of the dry crab noodles and the Sukhothai noodle soup. Great for a casual date night!
Bangkok Supper Club: The pricey splurge option, I like this for the upscale Thai tasting menu. Good for a special occasion!
Chef preparing one of our appetizers for Bangkok Supper Club’s tasting menu
Vietnamese in NY
Like Thai, I was first exposed to Vietnamese in college (a white guy introduced me to pho actually lol). For the most part, pho was basically the only Vietnamese dish I was interested in. Philly had really great pho, and honestly, the pho scene in NY is in my opinion very subpar. On average the broth has not been that flavorful, and the phos that do taste decent end up costing way too much ($25-$35 for a bowl of pho when really it should be ~$15 or less).
As a result, I’ve also learned to branch out in Vietnamese cuisine. Banh mis and vermicelli bun bowls are still pretty basic and common Vietnamese dishes, but I only started craving them after moving to NY.
Top Vietnamese spots for me:
Bánh Anh Em: We live very close to this famous restaurant, so I’ve gone here A TON in the past several months as every friend that I plan to get a meal with is suggesting we go here. Unfortunately this place is too poppin’ to become a true regular at. Not only has there always been a line when this place first opened, but the line has gotten worse over time. We used to be able to wait around 5:35PM to get seated when it opens at 6PM, but now we have to wait at 5:15PM (oof). What makes this place so good:
They make the bread for their banh mis in house, creating really buttery and delicious bread. Definitely best banh mi’s in the city
This is a more hole-in-the-wall suggestion, but I’ve also enjoyed the banh mi’s at Banh Mi Zon (take-out only)
They also make the best pho in the city in my opinion. Really rich broths and the noodles are wider than average but don’t immediately fall apart
They also serve traditional Vietnamese dishes not typically found in other Vietnamese restaurants, so it’s a good way to expand your palate in the cuisine
The prices are reasonable!
The Pho 2: This is likely a random hole-in-the-wall pick, but I have yet to find a restaurant that makes a better vermicelli bowl. Portions here are massive, the ratio of noodles and vegetables is great, and I love the freshly made pork spring rolls in the vermicelli bowl
mộc mạc: Has unique dishes similar to Banh Anh Em. The pho broth here is top three in the city for me.
Mam: A more traditional spot with a rotating seasonal menu. Definitely need to be a more adventurous eater here; I enjoyed the boneless chicken feet and frog and pork sausages
Asian Desserts
There’s so many flavors and ingredients unique to Asian desserts! Just use any keyword like pandan, matcha, red bean, kinako, black sesame, ube, taro, kaya, passionfruit, mango, etc. There’s so many options in the city and there’s honestly a ton I still haven’t gone to because we try to limit our dessert intake lol. These flavors have gotten pretty mainstream in general so even general bakeries will often have these flavors baked in. Note that a lot of recommended NY options are actually chains from Asia.
Top Drinks
Xing Fu Tang: Originally from Taiwan (also where boba is from), this is our favorite spot for milk boba
Molly Tea: There used to only be one location in Flushing, but they’re starting to expand. By far the best Jasmine milk tea I’ve had; all other places have the tea a bit too bitter whereas this is the perfect flavor
Teado: Not to be confused with the Teado chain, this is a small business in Chinatown where a single guy makes you one of several options off a menu. He makes them one at a time, and lets you sample it to confirm sweetness before you get the final product. Getting this drink takes time, and we often get Teado at the same time as West Rice Roll King because they’re across the street from each other
Lê Phin: Small coffee shop specializing in Asian drinks. I really like their pandan matcha latte!
Hey Tea: Originally from Beijing, I suspect there’s a lot of Chinese investors coming into NY because we literally went from 0 Hey Teas to probably 10 locations within a 3-6 month span. Seriously they’re everywhere now. This is our favorite spot for fruit-based drinks
N25 Nitro Tea: Great place for Vietnamese iced coffees
Top Desserts
Bibble & Sip: They’re known for elaborate cute desserts, but my favorite here are the large cream puffs
Keki Modern Cakes: Good place for Japanese cakes AND cream puffs!
NaiSnow: Mostly known as a tea shop, they sell really good egg tarts here. Drinks are just okay though
Cha-an: High-end Japanese dessert spot (good for date nights); I’m a fan of the matcha tiramisu here
Petit Chou: My favorite of the ‘slightly pricey’ baked goods, good for birthdays and house-warmings
Hot Spots in NY
Majority of my recommendations are somewhat clustered in hot spots in NY. If you want to discover options on your own, here are suggested places to wander:
Manhattan Chinatown: You can find mostly Cantonese restaurants. Majority of options here are extreme hole-in-the-wall with take-out and cash only. So easy to get a top tier cheap meal here, and you can always do a food crawl to sample many things. Because we live in Manhattan, we usually go here for our Chinese food fix
Flushing: There’s a side of Flushing that’s a lot of Chinese food and there’s a side of Flushing that’s a lot of Korean food. In either case, options here are cheaper and more authentic than what you’d find in Manhattan (for both cuisines)
Sunset Park: Another Chinese hot spot, I haven’t really gone here since moving out of Brooklyn but there’s a ton of traditional options that are cheaper than what you’d find in Manhattan as well
East Village: There’s a lot of Asian food here, particularly Japanese. We’re usually coming here if we’re not going to Chinatown
K-Town: The main area for Korean in Manhattan. I should note that Midtown in general has a lot of Thai and Japanese options, mostly for the lunch and dinner crowd for workers.
Fort Lee: New Jersey; the best way to get here if you don’t have a car is by bus via Port Authority Bus Terminal. The process of boarding of bus there is actually quite smooth, but I understand it’s definitely a journey. Really good Korean though!
Jackson Heights: This area in general is known for being a foodie hotspot. Extremely diverse, the neighborhood is split into areas with Latin American, Nepalese, Indian, etc. There’s a little area known as ‘Little Thailand’ here where some of my Thai picks are found! Nearby Elmhurst area is also where you can find cheap and really authentic restaurants!
Map of Asian hotspots throughout the city
There’s so many good places in NY that while the majority of my list I’ve been to more than once, most I’ve honestly only gone a handful of times because there’s always a new place to check out. All in all, really going to miss having access to all this top-tier Asian food while we’re traveling! Of course, I will be looking forward to our Asian legs (can’t wait to explore Vietnamese food when we’re in Vietnam!)
Let me know if you need any other food recs for the city :)