Kati Roll Up Your Sleeves

The Kati Roll Company

99 MacDougal Street
New York, NY 10012

**** (Definite Must)

Its granted that this restaurant is located right in the heart of NYU and is just a stone’s throw away from Washington Square Park, but in a city where great Indian food is strangely hard to come by, The Kati Roll Company definitely stands out.

Hidden in a Hotel?

The Burger Joint

Le Parker Meridien
119 W. 56th St., New York, NY 10019

*** (Worth a Visit)

The best dives are those that make you feel as though you’ve just discovered gold after years of digging. Hidden within the confines of the lobby at Le Parker Meridien hotel and obscured by tall black curtains, The Burger Joint is certainly one such place. This rare find (hardly rare anymore) is bound to make you smirk with a sense of revelation the moment you step in.

A Falafel on MacDougal

Mamoun’s Falafel

119 MacDougal St
New York, NY 10012

*** (Worth a Visit)

Mamoun’s Falafel has a reputation that precedes itself. I know of people who come from the farthest corners of the globe just to get a bite of the falafel sandwich at Mamoun’s. 

Hot Chocolate on a Cold Afternoon

The Cacao Bar @ MarieBelle

484 Broome St., New York, NY 10013

**** (Definite Must)

Having never had a good hot chocolate in New York, I set out in search for the finest, and what better time to do it than in the depths of winter. Of course, I was clever enough to do some researching on the internet and it wasn’t long before I stumbled upon the rave reviews that MarieBelle had gotten from scores of chocolate lovers.

Pork Overdose

Porchetta

110 E. 7th St., New York, NY 10009

**** (Definite Must)

If you love pork like I do, then it’s time to rejoice. On an obscure street in the East Village lies a new culinary gem. Sara Jenkins, the owner and mastermind behind this concept, grew up travelling across Spain, France, and most importantly, Italy. It is therefore not suprising that when she left I Coppi to open up this tiny box of a restaurant, she knew how to do it right.

Japanese Street Food on the Streets of Manhattan

Otafuku

236 E. 9th St., New York, NY 10003


*** (Worth a visit)

One of my favorite things about writing reviews for restaurants is that in doing so, I find obscure restaurants serving food I’ve never before tasted. Otafuku is one such East Village takeout joint that offers a very limited menu of simple but tasty Japanese street food. 

"Belgian" Fries to Die For

Pommes Frites
123 2nd AveNew York, NY 10003

***** (Best in Category)

When thirty year old Suzanne Levinson resolved in 1997 to risk everything and open up a street shop in the East Village, she based her decision on just one enlightening trip to Belgium when she came across rows of street shops selling the perfect Belgian fries. She saw the need and the opportunity for one in her home city of New York and that, in a nutshell, is how Pommes Frites was conceived.