new york – Page 5 – Actually Tasty

Today we wanted to take the time to highlight two New York restaurants that we got a chance to try recently, which we both really enjoyed! There’s two commonalities between these places: first, you can find them both in the West Village, less than a mile from each other; and second, they both serve up some excellent noodle soups from two different Asian cuisines. We were especially delighted to find that these two spots offer up vegetarian and vegan options, which is nice because often these particular dishes are made with meat-based stocks and broths. So read on to see where you can get some excellent, hearty noodle soups – but just be warned that we will show some images of meat here.

The first place we decided to check out was BòCàPhê, a Vietnamese spot with one location in the West Village (which is where we went) and another in Chelsea. We started our meal there with these veggie summer rolls, made from scallions, radish, cilantro, basil and sweet potatoes wrapped in a rice paper roll, with peanut sauce on the side.

Miriam was the one who got some noodle soup – a classic Vietnamese phò, which BòCàPhê makes in a vegan version with lots of veggies, herbs, and noodles. You have the option to add in dumplings to your phò, so there’s also some vegetable dumplings floating in there.

Meanwhile, Cyril had one of the specials that day: cà ri gà, a yellow curry made with chicken, potatoes, and vegetables, with some tumeric tandoori rice on the side.

Now if you’d like to try a different type of noodle soup, you can head 3/4 of a mile west to Ramen Danbo, a chain the originated in Japan and now has 30 restaurants across Asia, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. (including a second New York location in Park Slope). The menu is very simple: there’s ramen that you can customize with a bunch of different ingredients, plus a few sides. Here’s what Miriam got: the negi-goma atsuage ramen, made with noodles, scallions, sesame seeds, and slices of fried tofu in a vegan broth dotted with sesame oil.

Cyril had their classic rekka ramen, with noodles, scallions, and slices of pork belly in a tonkatsu pork broth, plus he added in some soft boiled eggs.

And we also split an order of pan-fried vegetable gyoza.

It was great for both of us to be able to get some ramen and some phò, in both vegan and traditional, meat-based forms. Since it’s been a pretty chilly April, we thoroughly enjoyed these warm noodle soups, as well as all the other food we got to try at BòCàPhê and Ramen Danbo. These two places have pretty simple menus, but they make their specialties well so can leave feeling completely satisfied with your phò and ramen. We hope you try these places out, and check back later to see some other recommendations we have for eating out in New York (and elsewhere)!

Where We Ate: Jaz & Javelina

We’re always down to try some great spots here in New York, so today we’re going to shift away from recipes and instead feature two restaurants that we got to try recently. Both places are in midtown Manhattan and serve up food from two different cultures on two different continents. We enjoyed each one not just for the eats, but also for how convenient it is to get to both these spots, since they’re in prime locations right in the middle of the bustle of Manhattan. So if you happen to be wandering around Midtown and you’re wondering what’s good to eat, here’s two of our recommendations.

First up, on 54th Street, is a small space housing Jaz Indian Cuisine. Their menu is full of classic Indian dishes, ones you might have seen on take-out menus, but here they’re served in a nice sit-down atmosphere. We started our meal here by splitting an order of onion kulcha: an herbed flatbread stuffed with spiced onions.

Then, because Indian cuisine is known for its plentiful vegetarian options, Miriam had a lot to choose from for an entree and ended up going with the aloo gobi matar, made with potatoes, cauliflower, and peas in a slightly spicy ginger and tomato sauce.

Meanwhile, Cyril had the Jaz mixed grill, which has chicken, lamb, salmon, and shrimp rubbed in a spice mix and then cooked in a tandoor.

If you’re not up for Indian food, you can also swing down to 18th Street and check out the Union Square location of Javelina (they also have a restaurant on the Upper East Side). Javelina specializes in Tex-Mex, and one of the things they’re especially known for is having an extensive section of their menu devoted to quesos. We decided to try the fried jalapeño queso, which is swirled with salsa verde and topped with a few slices of crispy jalapeños.

Then Miriam had the avocado tacos, which come filled with beer-battered fried avocados, cotija cheese, and pico de gallo, with a side of poblano sauce.

Cyril tried the brisket enchiladas, which are topped with cheese, poblano sauce, and a jalapeño relish.

And for dessert we had an order of churros, served with chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Both these restaurants served up some pretty good food, and it’s pretty amazing to see that you can get such a wide variety of different foods all in the same neighborhood. And both of these places are also pretty quick, so if you want a restaurant experience that’s not really drawn out, you can eat in these spots in an hour or less and be on your way to checking out all the other things Midtown Manhattan has to offer. We know there are tons of options for where to eat in Manhattan, but consider these two spots if you happen to be in the mood for some great Indian food or Tex-Mex.

Where We Ate: Miriam & Nina’s Great Burrito Bar

If you weren’t aware, in the middle of last year we moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Right now we’re only a few stops away from the Upper West Side, so we’ve been spending our weekends checking out some of the cool restaurants in that neighborhood. Today we’re going to feature two of those places, which are within walking distance of each other. These spots each serve up cuisine from different parts of the world, and they’re both interesting and delicious, so read on! Just be warned that we will be featuring some images of meat here.

First up is a restaurant that felt particularly appropriate for us – an Israeli place called Miriam. This is actually Miriam’s second location: they first opened in Park Slope, Brooklyn a few years ago but recently debuted a second restaurant on the Upper West Side. As is traditional with Middle Eastern food, we started our meal with a couple of different mezes. First was their hummus …

… then some falafel …

… and also an order of the whipped feta topped with squash, zucchini, and sliced almonds.

Then for entrees Miriam had the seasonal vegetable stew, which also comes with a side of couscous.

While Cyril tried the lamb shank osso buco, with roasted carrots in a pomegranate sauce on top of pearled couscous.

If you’re in the mood for something different, you can also head a few blocks north to Nina’s Great Burrito Bar. This is a new location for them too – they were previously in a counter-service spot nearby but were able to open a sit down restaurant recently. So we went in to check out what Nina’s is all about, and we started our meal with the calabacitas con elote, made with corn, squash, and zucchini cooked with queso fresco and monterey jack cheese.

Then we both had some tacos: for Miriam it was the vegetales.

And Cyril got these birria tacos, with chile de arbol salsa and extra beef broth on the side.

And we also split two desserts – the flan …

… and an order of churros.

We thought that both of these places were really good – at Nina’s Great Burrito Bar we got some elevated classic Mexican cuisine, while at Miriam we had several interesting versions of Israeli food. It’s amazing that by walking just a few blocks you can eat food from two different continents , and that’s one of the things that makes this city so amazing. We look forward to exploring more of the Upper West Side, and other neighborhoods around New York, and of course we’ll update you with what we find!

Where We Ate: Ci Siamo & Macchina

We’ve got a ton of New York City food recommendations that we’ve been storing up through the winter, and now we’re putting them all out there! Last week we showed you two good casual spots in New York where you can grab a quick bite, but today we want to showcase some places where you can sit and have a good meal. The two spots are connected by their cuisine: both serve up Italian fare in different iterations, and through they’re in two separate boroughs, they’re both worth a visit to check out – so read on to see some new restaurant recommendations.

First up is Ci Siamo, a new place that opened up late last year near Hudson Yards. We were really impressed by the interesting-looked appetizers they had on offer, so we got two: here’s the caramelized onion torta, topped with pecorino cheese and a balsamic drizzle.

And as another round-shaped starter, we also had the focaccia.

For entrees, Miriam had some tagliatelle, made with a tomato and butter sauce.

While Cyril got the potato topini, in a sauce of mint, almonds, and pecorino cheese (sadly, this wasn’t vegetarian because it’s made with chicken broth).

And we also split a side of charred red peppers with capers and feta.

But if you’re looking for some Italian food that’s a little bit different, you can swing over to Brooklyn and check out Macchina in Williamsburg. Macchina has been around for a few years now but was previously located in Midtown Manhattan – now you’re going to have to travel a little farther for their signature Neapolitan-style pizzas. We decided to do a little sampling and split two pies: one spinach kale pesto, topped with ricotta, mozzarella, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes …

… and one margherita pizza with a ball of burrata melting right in the middle.

And we also shared an order of crispy artichoke hearts.

It was fun getting to check out both of these restaurants – one where we could get some excellent pastas and appetizers, and one where we got inventive pizzas. There’s thousands places in New York where you can get Italian food, but we like to scope out the ones that rise to the top of the heap and serve up some really good and interesting cuisine. These are two spots that we think fit the bill, so enjoy!

Where We Ate: HipCityVeg & Breakfast by Salt’s Cure

Earlier this week we featured some cool food spots we got to check out while traveling in southern California, but today we want to feature some places closer to home. We’ve been searching high and low for some interesting food that we’ve never tried before, and recently we got to check out two casual eateries that are new the New York. One is an all-vegetarian spot, while the other has plenty of vegetarian-friendly options, but what unites them is that they’re both counter service restaurants where you place your order up front and then someone brings it to you, making for a great place to grab a quick bite. These two places also both originated in other cities in the U.S., but we’re glad they made it here – and as it just so happens, they’re both within a mile of each other. So here’s some great food you can grab and eat in a hurry, if you’re so inclined.

The first place we visited was HipCityVeg, a 100% vegetarian chain which originated in the Philadelphia area but has now expanded to Manhattan and Queens as well as DC. We visited the location just south of Union Square and decided to sample a bunch of things from their menu. Here it is: on the left is a smokehouse burger, made from a Beyond Meat patty topped with smoked gouda, fried onions, and barbecue sauce, and on the right is the Basic B burger, with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles, plus their house burger sauce. There’s also a six-piece order of their veggie chicken nuggets with a honey mustard sauce, plus some sweet potato fries.

If you want to head a little ways from HipCityVeg into the West Village, you can also check out Breakfast by Salt’s Cure, which started out as an all-day restaurant in Los Angeles before spinning off a breakfast spot in that city, which then opened a second arm here in New York. The specialty here is pancakes, but not just any old pancakes – Salt’s Cure has their signature oatmeal griddle cakes. Here’s an order of three, made with chocolate chips and butter on top:

You can also get a full breakfast platter, which comes with three griddle cakes (these are the banana and walnut variety), plus two eggs, plus your choice of sausage – the patties here are a vegetarian version made from chickpeas.

It’s pretty cool that within just a few blocks you can find two different quick and casual spots where you can get some great vegetarian food – you have your choice of burgers, nuggets, and fries that are completely meat-free, or unique pancakes and other breakfast foods that are mostly vegetarian. These are the perfect spots for a quiet, inexpensive breakfast or lunch on the weekends, and we’re glad we got the chance to try them. We’ll definitely feature more food from around New York in later posts!