Ever since I was a babe-in-arms, I have visited New York every year from my home in Los Angeles. I grew up visiting New York City because my grandmother lived on 110th close to Amsterdam, with a view of St. John the Divine.
For several years I taught at RIC in Providence, R.I., so I visited more frequently. Since I am now LA-based, on average I visit the city at least twice a year.
When I visit, it's only for a few days, which means I walk a lot (LA is a city-for-cars-only) and I revisit my favorites.
New York City has thousands of restaurants and millions of residents and visitors. Everyone has their favorite restaurants. These are mine.
Downtown
Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese (you can see posts on Instagram - mr.manmade):
87 Baxter Street, NYC 10013
212) 233-5948
#18 salt/pepper shrimp + order a plate of steamed rice
The shrimp arrive on a mountain of shredded lettuce. Delicious. Add shrimp, lettuce and rice together for a tasty treat. The menu has all the Vietnamese favorites (pho, vermicelli noodle dishes and rice with bbq meats) as well as some Chinese dishes. Be careful about the steps from the sidewalk into the restaurant.
40 Bowery south of Canal Street, NY 10013, (646) 683-0939
Great noodles and pork filled dumplings. I always get the ground pork in sauce with bok chow with noodles. So delicious. And a side order of pork filled dumplings (steamed). Frozen dumplings (meat and vegetarian) can be purchased to bring home. I always bring freezer packs so I can carry him a package of frozen dumplings in my suitcase.
1 Doyers Street NYC 10013
212/791-1817
I like the pork soup with #1 noodles and pork dumplings. The soup is to-die-for delicious. I’ve had rice with vegetables and meat and also noodles with the same combination. Dishes featuring soup, rice or noodles are all good. It just depends what you're in the mood for. The plates are large so come with a friend.
The street level dining room is tiny. When they are busy, which they are often, there is a “cozy” dining room downstairs that is more comfortable than you would expect as you descend the narrow staircase lined with boxes.
Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles is on the same tiny street as Nom Wah Tea Parlor, a tourist favorite, which I think is pricey for the dim sum you get, but the interior is fun. 13–15 Doyers Street, NYC 10013, (212) 392-6800.
Goemon Curry - Japanese curry in Nolita
29 Kenmare Street (at Mott) west of Bowery, south of Houston, 212/226-1262, Cash only. Close to Subway J & Z (Bowery) or B & D (Grand)
Large portions of well made curry. The Yakuzen soup curry with chicken and vegetables and Mama's curry with chicken, potato, carrot and steamed rice are very good.
Szechuan Mountain House 19-23 St Mark’s Place near Cooper’s Union and NYU, (917) 388-3866.
Upscale but affordable. You can order dishes as spicy or not as spicy as you like. It’s on the 2nd floor of a building that seems to be undergoing perpetual construction.
Located around the city. I go to the branch in the Hotel Chelsea, 220 W 23rd Street bt 7th & 8th
212/675-9100
Great cake donuts.
Long Island City
Adda Indian Canteen is an amazingly good Indian restaurant that is easy to get to by subway, recommended by Barbara Chenitz who eats out as often as she attends theater. Babs is my go-to-person for both. She convinced me that Long Island City was easy to get to so we had a fabulous lunch at Adda Indian Canteen, 31-31 Thompson Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101, 718/433-3888, @Addanyc, email: hello@addanyc.com
