New York

What I Ate In New York August 2018

I was quite surprised by the number of people who messaged me saying they wanted to see what I ate in New York on my trip!

To be honest, for the first time I didn’t have a lot planned food-wise (or otherwise) , I was just going with the flow. I did however find some local gems with the company I was with and visit some old favourites. There’s also links to places from my previous visits I have loved down the bottom of this post too.

It’s hard to plan where you will be at certain times of the day in NYC and there is AMAZING food everywhere. Spoiled for choice! Just open up your phone and search in maps what you’re craving (ie. ramen) and all the local restaurants around you will pop up – then just find the ones with the best ratings are hit directions and you’re off!

So, honorable mentions of what I ate on this trip…

Eataly – 200 Fifth Avenue, Flatiron, New York,

I always visit Eataly! It’s a concept Italian food store, filled with restaurants and producers and happiness. You can buy a glass of wine and do your grocery shopping here with the best ingredients for Italian cooking. I love it! This time we visited the cheese station and enjoyed a tasting platter as well as the ricotta, truffle honey bruschetta. AMAZING. There’s a fab wine list too. Make sure you have plenty of time to wander around and choose your restaurant and check out the amazing food everywhere. Oh and the bar upstairs too!

ORamen – 579 6th Ave, Chelsea, New York

Another great find on a craving whim! Googled, found the highest rating near me and went for a wander. I chose their most popular bowl the pork tonkontsu. The pork was beautifully charred and that flavour carried through the entire bowl. The egg takana is one of the best I have had!! Highly recommend!

China Blue – 135 Watts St, Chelsea, New York

This was a fab find. Possibly the best of this trip! I was craving dumplings (what’s new) so we found this place in Chelsea that looked like it had a fab menu.

The crab xiao long bao is some of the best I have ever had. And I’ve had a lot of xiao long bao! Very juicy, not too thick wrapper and full of flavour.

The wontons left a bit to be desired. Firstly, they weren’t wonton-like and secondly their skins were quite thick.

The salt & pepper fish was tender, fresh and had that great batter and salt and pepper flavour while the fried rice was also good. Oh and the greens were just what the doctor ordered!

The Standard Grill – 848 Washington Street, at 13th Street, New York,

I often come to The Standard Hotel to party but not to eat. To be honest, the lunch menu wasn’t that impressive. I had already eaten but there was nothing that took my fancy. I did however have the oysters! Served beautifully but a little salty for my taste.

The Standard Hotel is a great place to drink (check out the rooftop or the garden bar) but I would choose somewhere else for lunch.

Bryant Market – 1017 6th Ave, New York

My annual breakfast spot. I used to always stay in midtown by the park and this became my local. I love a bagel with scallion cream cheese heated up and devoured in Bryant Park. They also do a mean bacon and egg roll at 3am!

The Spotted Pig – 314 W 11th St, West Village, New York

We came here for dinner with a large group and the place was packed. I had the beef tartare and a pan fired white-fleshed fish.. if only they had updated their menu online! Anyway it is a great place to go for dinner and for drinks. We stayed there until pretty late, having a fab time at the bar downstairs!

 

There are sooo many other places I have visited and loved in NYC. Comment below if you have any questions!

Why Travelling Alone In New York Rocks 

Travelling with company is a lot of fun but I enjoy travelling alone occasionally too. I recently went to New York alone, here’s six reasons I found why travelling solo in New York rocks.

new-york-travelling-alone

No lining up at restaurants
Table for one is a powerful sentence in New York. You almost always skip the queue to the front as there will be a back table or spot at the bar for you ready and waiting. When the lines are 30 minutes plus, this is a massive bonus!

Great Broadway & sports tickets for cheap
Head to a discount ticket seller (Times Square or online at Stub Hub etc) and request a ticket to your chosen show. When they find out you’re alone, they can find great seats at low prices as they’re harder to fill – happy days!

That free subway seat, it’s yours
When the subway carriage is crammed (all the damn time) you only have to watch out for one seat! No scanning for seats next to each other or trying to race for the seat.

It’s easier to meet strangers
When you’re alone people will often strike up a conversation with you. I have met some incredible people who have just started having a chat as we were both alone. Meeting people is one of my fave things to do in New York, I’m curious about everyone.

Freedom to do what you want
Yeah, you can do this when you’re with others but it’s really nice to have no pressures sometimes. I spent a long time getting my hair and makeup done at Sephora and would have felt bad if someone was waiting for me. Sometimes there’s activities that you know nobody else would like to do with you or that you are happier doing alone.

Eat where you want
No trying to find a place that suits both of your tastes or compromising to eat somewhere you don’t want to. For me, I like to eat a lot of dumplings. I know others tire of having them all the time whereas I can keep going back and back and back!

Sometimes it’s nice, just for a change, to have some alone time. I’m by no means an introvert and love being around others however being on your own to travel certainly has its advantages. Give it a go, I bet you’ll enjoy it!

Bryant Market Deli, New York

My fave little unassuming deli, on the corner of 38th and 6th, just up from Bryant Park. 

I used to stay just across the road and have long been a fan. They have an extensive fresh and hot food section where you can self serve in containers. They also have a bakery type area with sandwiches and rolls and buns etc. 

I love their bacon and egg rolls. They wrap them up and heat them, BBQ sauce and cheese. Absolute best after a big night out! 

My other fave is their bagels. I usually get a sesame bagel toasted with scallion cream cheese. They’re very generous with the cream cheese – you can’t beat it.



Bryant Market Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

9 Classic New York Must Do’s

Heading to New York? Here’s my checklist for the top classic and touristy must do activities while you’re in the big smoke.

1. Walk the Highline 

Jump on the highline and walk through the skyscrapers. The highline used to be the old railway and runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues. There’s expansive views, incredible art installations and you can look into the apartments as you stroll around. Perfect to do after a long brunch to walk it off! Stop at Chelsea Markets too while you’re at it. 


2. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge 

For sweeping views of Manhattan, try walk across the bridge during the day and then back in the evening so you can see the cityscape in both daylight and all lit up at night. Head over for dinner in Brooklyn and then make your way back. If you have time spend a day over there exploring. 


3. Ferry to Staten Island 

Ahhh the lady with the torch representing freedom. There’s a ferry you can catch over to the island if you want to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty. It’s nice to have the wind in your hair and be on the water. Be warned though, there’s nothing to do on the other side once you get there. I recommend going straight back. 

4. Grand Central Station 

Every time I go to Grand Central Station I see something new. It’s an incredibly well kept building and very impressive in size and grandeur. Walk around exploring and head to the oyster bar there, it’s one of my fave places! 


5. Times Square

What’s a trip to New York without a visit to the famous Times Square! You really feel like you’re in New York when you’re there. To get the full effect, visit at night, the advertising and lights are spectacular. There’s lots of shops, quirky characters, photo opportunities and places to eat. 


6. Chelsea markets 

A foodie favourite. The lobster rolls are the absolute best! There’s a mouth wateringly good pasta joint too and cupcakes.. the list goes on. Some funky shops to check out as well. 


7. Shopping 

You can’t go to NYC without doing some shopping, even if it’s just to see the shops themselves and not buy anything! 5th ave and Madison ave are sights to see. Check out the big luxury department stores and the high street flagship stores. Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret and Sephora are popular to visit too. 

8. Empire State Building 

For that Empire State of mind head to the top of the ESB. Wait for a clear day and you can see right around. Be prepared to line up and make sure your phone is charged for that selfie! 


9. Catch a Broadway show 

Broadway musicals are a fun and memorable experience, even if you’re not a fan of musicals or the theatre. You can get discount tickets in Times Square or online for the day of the show usually. Mary Poppins was my first show and then The Lion King was next. The theatres are breathtaking, right down to the red velvet curtains. 

I can always keep listing activities and sights but they’re a decent start! 

Don’t forget Wall Street, East Village and Rockerfellar too…. 

Real Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen, Hells Kitchen, NYC 

After the ChinaTown dumpling catastrophe, I thought I would do a little more research. I was in Times Square and had tickets to The Christmas Spectacular off Broadway so didn’t want to go too far. Thanks to google I found a great little place hidden away on 8th and 49th. 

There was a line out the door – always a good sign. Luckily I was dining alone and it straight in past the queue! I ordered the xiao long bao and a house ramen. 

The xiao long bao were some of the best I have had. Thin wrappers, soooo much tasty soup and beautiful pork filling. I could have eaten double. 

The ramen was nice. Good broth and great noodles. The egg was too well cooked though and I wasn’t a fan of the beef they had included. Reminded me more of pho than ramen. 

Go here for the dumplings!


Kung Fu Ramen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe, ChinaTown, NYC

I really thought eating in ChinaTown would be a great and easy experience. I took the subway as near as I could then walked down. Surprisingly, the streets were quiet, it was dark and most of the shops were shut. I probably wouldn’t recommend doing it on your own. 

I thought it would be easy to find a good dumpling place, I was hunting xiao long bao and hadn’t done much research about where I was going. When I got to the ‘main’ street, there wasn’t much choice and a few places were shut. 

I used google to find a high rated restaurant and went in to where I thought it was… it had a similar name but it wasn’t the one. I didn’t realise until I was already seated though. 

The staff could not care less but the food was quick to come out. I ordered xiao long bao and a noodle dish. They were both pretty average, not bad but just not great. The xiao long bao had thick wrappers and the noodles didn’t seem handmade. 

Awkwardly, there was a couple at the table next to me having an argument. They kept their voices low to start but his soon crept up. It was hard not to take notice from right next door. She had been having an affair and everyone knew and the guy turned up at thanksgiving dinner! The husband was devastated and kept reiterating that he loved her and missed her but how could she do that… it went on a long time!  

Not worth going back to, remember to do your research, kids! 


New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Brisbane-based lifestyle and travel blog image featuring mountain and sea scenery

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