Ramen breaks out of the package
Noodle bars crop up around the city
By Ben Muessig
Special to amNewYork
In the East Village, it’s hard to walk a block without passing a noodle bar. Considering that these low cost eateries serve tasty fare in huge portions, it’s no surprise that they’ve become so popular. After all, only a noodle bar make slurping soup a life-changing experience.
Kampuchea Restaurant
78 Rivington St. (at Orchard St.)
212-529-3901
$15-$19
This downtown Pan-Asian bistro has an extensive menu that highlights Cambodian, Vietnamese and Laotian cuisines. You’ll find vermicelli, egg noodles, flat noodles, wheat noodles and vegetable noodles served in chicken, beef, pork and vegetable broths. Try unique toppings such as mussels, fresh water prawns, Berkshire pork, braised brisket or Chinese eggplant.
Sobaya
229 E. 9th St., Ste. 3 (bet. Second and Third Aves)
212-533-6966
$9-$18.50
Sobaya offers 24 varieties of soba — a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. This East Village eatery serves cold soba topped with shrimp and veggie tempura, or mushrooms and grated radishes. You can order hot soba soups with fried bean curd or grated yams. If the grayish soba noodles aren’t your favorite, try any of their delicious udon dishes.
Super Taste
26 Eldridge St. (at Canal St.)
212-625-1198
$4.50-$6
Super Taste doesn’t look like the other noodle bars on this list. It doesn’t have mood lighting, sleek modern furniture, or ambient music. Whether you order in or take-out, your food comes in a plastic bowl. No matter the aesthetics, Super Taste’s soups are topnotch. The Chinatown destination specializes in hand-pulled Lanhzou noodles, which it makes from scratch and serves in a spicy broth with beef and vegetables.
Minca Ramen Factory
536 E. 5th St. (bet.Aves A and B)
212-505-8001
$8.50-$12.50
At Minca, a bowl of miso ramen starts with a creamy broth. Fatty cuts of pork, kernels of corn and a hardboiled egg float on the surface. Beneath the accoutrements, you’ll uncover some of the most authentic Japanese noodles in the hemisphere. Minca’s wheat noodles are the perfect compliment for the smooth, filling soup.
Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 1st Ave. (bet. E. 10th and E. 11th Sts)
212-777-7773
$9-$17
While foodies crowd Momofuku Ssam Bar, the original noodle bar continues to attract the crowds for its fantastic fusion fare. Momofuku’s noodles come in complicated broths that combine traditional Japanese ramen recipes with contemporary gourmet tastes. While some deride the eatery for breaking the rules of ramen a serving of Momofuku’s noodles will convert even the loudest of critics.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Worth the wait
Worth the wait
They don’t take reservations, so you better get to these haute spots early
By Karen Tina Harrison
Special to amNewYork
New Yorkers hate to wait … unless it’s to get into the restaurant du jour. In which case it’s all part of the fun. These blazing-hot eateries don’t take reservations, so go early or late, or give in to cooling your heels with fellow trend-setters.
Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 Second Ave.
212-254-3500
Entrees $10-$25
Momofuku Noodle bar
171 First Ave.
212-777-7773
Entrees $9-$17
momofuku.com
Chef David Chang is a wonder boy of New York cuisine. At his twin East Village hotspots, you can sample his quasi-Asian, quasi-NYC bites. You’ll feel very in the know chowing on the meat-centric menu.
Boqueria
53 W. 19th St
212-255-4160
boquerianyc.com
Tapas $4-$8
Decorated in organic modern style, this Flatiron hangout offers a wine bar, tapas bar, communal tables and sociable nooks. It’s an ultra-happening place, and chef Seamus Mullen’s Spanish tapas are tops.
The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th St.
212-620-0393
thespottedpig.com
Entrees $16-$32
Chef April Bloomfield brought her belly-warming gastropub cuisine from Manchester, England to the West Village, where locals and foodies line up for her Roquefort burger and ricotta dumplings called gnudi.
Cantina
29 Avenue B
212-228-0599
cantinanyc.com
Entrees $16-$17
Globe-trotting DJ and restaurateur Jason Swamy has done up his East Village hipster magnet with sweet flea-market finds and an intriguing menu of Cuban dishes to munch on while you take in the scene.
Jimmy’s No. 43
43 E. 7th St.
212-982-3006
jimmysno43.com
Entrees $10-$22
Jimmy Carbone’s popular East Village lair boasts a way-cool crowd and cozy, cavernous atmosphere. And its style is backed up with a great beer list and chef Phillip Kirschen-Clark’s homey, yummy chow.
Bacaro
136 Division St.
212-941-5060
Entrees $12-$18
Frank DeCarlo’s latest haunt is this inviting Italian spot in Chinatown. Head straight for the seductive cellar, rustically elegant with wood beams, a chandelier and a marble bar.
Shorty’s.32
99 Prince St.
212-375-8275
shortys32.com
Entrees $18-$25
Chef Josh Eden, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten protégé, is behind this comfy 32-seater that serves New York comfort food with a smart SoHo twist.
They don’t take reservations, so you better get to these haute spots early
By Karen Tina Harrison
Special to amNewYork
New Yorkers hate to wait … unless it’s to get into the restaurant du jour. In which case it’s all part of the fun. These blazing-hot eateries don’t take reservations, so go early or late, or give in to cooling your heels with fellow trend-setters.
Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 Second Ave.
212-254-3500
Entrees $10-$25
Momofuku Noodle bar
171 First Ave.
212-777-7773
Entrees $9-$17
momofuku.com
Chef David Chang is a wonder boy of New York cuisine. At his twin East Village hotspots, you can sample his quasi-Asian, quasi-NYC bites. You’ll feel very in the know chowing on the meat-centric menu.
Boqueria
53 W. 19th St
212-255-4160
boquerianyc.com
Tapas $4-$8
Decorated in organic modern style, this Flatiron hangout offers a wine bar, tapas bar, communal tables and sociable nooks. It’s an ultra-happening place, and chef Seamus Mullen’s Spanish tapas are tops.
The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th St.
212-620-0393
thespottedpig.com
Entrees $16-$32
Chef April Bloomfield brought her belly-warming gastropub cuisine from Manchester, England to the West Village, where locals and foodies line up for her Roquefort burger and ricotta dumplings called gnudi.
Cantina
29 Avenue B
212-228-0599
cantinanyc.com
Entrees $16-$17
Globe-trotting DJ and restaurateur Jason Swamy has done up his East Village hipster magnet with sweet flea-market finds and an intriguing menu of Cuban dishes to munch on while you take in the scene.
Jimmy’s No. 43
43 E. 7th St.
212-982-3006
jimmysno43.com
Entrees $10-$22
Jimmy Carbone’s popular East Village lair boasts a way-cool crowd and cozy, cavernous atmosphere. And its style is backed up with a great beer list and chef Phillip Kirschen-Clark’s homey, yummy chow.
Bacaro
136 Division St.
212-941-5060
Entrees $12-$18
Frank DeCarlo’s latest haunt is this inviting Italian spot in Chinatown. Head straight for the seductive cellar, rustically elegant with wood beams, a chandelier and a marble bar.
Shorty’s.32
99 Prince St.
212-375-8275
shortys32.com
Entrees $18-$25
Chef Josh Eden, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten protégé, is behind this comfy 32-seater that serves New York comfort food with a smart SoHo twist.
Asian Food
Stuff yourself on Asian fare
By Ben DiMatteo
Special to amNewYork, 6-Feb-08
If there was ever a day to splurge on Peking duck, it would be today, the dawn of the new year, according to many Asian traditions. As we enter the Year of the Rat, now is as good a time as any to stuff our beady, little faces with some good Asian grub. Want to know where to go? Consult our list below.
Best congee
Congee Bowery
207 Bowery
212-766-2828
Congee: $2-$7.75
Congee, a soupy rice porridge similar in texture to grits, is usually served as a breakfast dish, but we like it any time of day. The grand rocky outcrop overlooking the dining room (the Flushing location is more subdued). While the prices may seem high, the portions are large, and with each order you get a plethora of sauces and appetizers — including crab legs, clams and vegetables — that cover the table top. decor of this Lower East Side eatery lends an upscale air to the traditional Chinese-American comfort food. Our favorite is the the roast duck and meatball congee ($3.50). Since man cannot live on rice porridge alone, supplement your order with the delicious Shanghai-style juicy buns ($3.50).
Best dim sum
Park Asia
6521 8th Ave., Brooklyn
718-833-1688
$7/person on average
On Brooklyn’s 8th Avenue lies New York’s second Chinatown, though you won’t find hawkers selling baby turtles and Gucci knock-offs. The neighborhood has an old-world flavor, as well as some of the city’s best dim sum. Check out the modestly decorated Park Asia. As the cart touting goodies goes by, be sure to snag some crispy seafood rolls, taro dumplings and barbecue beef pastry. Bring an adventurous palate, because if you don’t have a solid grasp of the Chinese language you’re likely to bite into a crispy frog.
Best Peking duck
Peking Duck
House
28 Mott St.
212-227-1810
236 E. 53rd St
212-759-8260
Peking duck: $40
The subdued lighting and modern decor at both locations of this Chinese chain create a tranquil atmosphere. Grab a friend to split their signature dish, which comes sliced thinly and served with scallion pancakes, cucumbers and hoi sin sauce. If you can swing the $65 tab, try the steamed shark’s fin soup.
Best Vietnamese
Nha Trang
87 Baxter St.
212-233-5948
$4.75-$8.75
While the Lunar New Year is most often referred to as Chinese New Year, few people are aware that the holiday is also celebrated by the Mongolian, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. For some killer Vietnamese food, head to Baxter Street’s Nha Trang, where the portions are large, the tab is minimal and the service is lightning quick. The cornerstone of Vietnamese cuisine is Pho, a type of rice noodle in broth. The Pho Tai ($4.75) gets you a huge bowl with beef cooked just right. Locals go for the barbecue pork chop over rice ($5) and the squid, chili sauce and lemongrass ($8.75) is to die for.
Best Korean
Kum Gang San
138-28 Northern Blvd.,
Flushing
718-461-0909
49 W. 32nd St.
212-967-0909
Kalbi: $25.95
The secret of good Korean barbecue, or kalbi, is tender cuts of meat, especially beef short rib tips, marinated and grilled over an open flame. Kum Gang San in Manhattan takes the experience one step further, featuring a gleaming white grand piano perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the dining room (the Flushing location is more subdued). While the prices may seem high, the portions are large, and with each order you get a plethora of sauces and appetizers — including crab legs, clams and vegetables — that cover the table top.
By Ben DiMatteo
Special to amNewYork, 6-Feb-08
If there was ever a day to splurge on Peking duck, it would be today, the dawn of the new year, according to many Asian traditions. As we enter the Year of the Rat, now is as good a time as any to stuff our beady, little faces with some good Asian grub. Want to know where to go? Consult our list below.
Best congee
Congee Bowery
207 Bowery
212-766-2828
Congee: $2-$7.75
Congee, a soupy rice porridge similar in texture to grits, is usually served as a breakfast dish, but we like it any time of day. The grand rocky outcrop overlooking the dining room (the Flushing location is more subdued). While the prices may seem high, the portions are large, and with each order you get a plethora of sauces and appetizers — including crab legs, clams and vegetables — that cover the table top. decor of this Lower East Side eatery lends an upscale air to the traditional Chinese-American comfort food. Our favorite is the the roast duck and meatball congee ($3.50). Since man cannot live on rice porridge alone, supplement your order with the delicious Shanghai-style juicy buns ($3.50).
Best dim sum
Park Asia
6521 8th Ave., Brooklyn
718-833-1688
$7/person on average
On Brooklyn’s 8th Avenue lies New York’s second Chinatown, though you won’t find hawkers selling baby turtles and Gucci knock-offs. The neighborhood has an old-world flavor, as well as some of the city’s best dim sum. Check out the modestly decorated Park Asia. As the cart touting goodies goes by, be sure to snag some crispy seafood rolls, taro dumplings and barbecue beef pastry. Bring an adventurous palate, because if you don’t have a solid grasp of the Chinese language you’re likely to bite into a crispy frog.
Best Peking duck
Peking Duck
House
28 Mott St.
212-227-1810
236 E. 53rd St
212-759-8260
Peking duck: $40
The subdued lighting and modern decor at both locations of this Chinese chain create a tranquil atmosphere. Grab a friend to split their signature dish, which comes sliced thinly and served with scallion pancakes, cucumbers and hoi sin sauce. If you can swing the $65 tab, try the steamed shark’s fin soup.
Best Vietnamese
Nha Trang
87 Baxter St.
212-233-5948
$4.75-$8.75
While the Lunar New Year is most often referred to as Chinese New Year, few people are aware that the holiday is also celebrated by the Mongolian, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. For some killer Vietnamese food, head to Baxter Street’s Nha Trang, where the portions are large, the tab is minimal and the service is lightning quick. The cornerstone of Vietnamese cuisine is Pho, a type of rice noodle in broth. The Pho Tai ($4.75) gets you a huge bowl with beef cooked just right. Locals go for the barbecue pork chop over rice ($5) and the squid, chili sauce and lemongrass ($8.75) is to die for.
Best Korean
Kum Gang San
138-28 Northern Blvd.,
Flushing
718-461-0909
49 W. 32nd St.
212-967-0909
Kalbi: $25.95
The secret of good Korean barbecue, or kalbi, is tender cuts of meat, especially beef short rib tips, marinated and grilled over an open flame. Kum Gang San in Manhattan takes the experience one step further, featuring a gleaming white grand piano perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the dining room (the Flushing location is more subdued). While the prices may seem high, the portions are large, and with each order you get a plethora of sauces and appetizers — including crab legs, clams and vegetables — that cover the table top.
`Crazy Friday' Comes for New York Parents Seeking School Slots
`Crazy Friday' Comes for New York Parents Seeking School Slots
Bloomberg, 15-Feb-2008-02-15
By Beth Jinks
Parental anxiety in New York rises a notch for today's annual ``Crazy Friday'' as the city's private kindergartens issue decisions that may launch youngsters toward Harvard, Yale or Princeton, or not.
Letters, e-mails and phone calls from schools today will say ``accepted,'' ``rejected'' or ``wait-listed.'' Then the kindergarten shuffle begins, with parents balancing waiting-list spots at their top choices against acceptances at so-called safety schools.
Many parents submitted more than a dozen applications to raise their child's chances, according to New York education advisers. The application flood means some of the $28,000-a-year schools including Brearley, Spence, Collegiate and Dalton in Manhattan have more than 10 contenders for each desk, with competition fiercest for about 2,500 prized seats at the most- sought schools.
``Everybody wants to go the same 15 schools, but they don't have 500 kindergarten places. They have 30 to 60,'' said Amanda Uhry, who charges $15,000 to help families through the admissions process. ``It's like a parental feeding frenzy. You can't buy your way in. If you've got $5 billion, there's probably somebody who is applying who has $10 billion.''
The Trevor Day School in Manhattan had 600 applicants for 64 spots, up 15 percent from 2007, a trend repeated elsewhere, said Deborah Ashe, a board member of the Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York and Trevor's application director.
Legacy Kids
Some spots go to children graduating from the schools' preschool programs, others to ``legacy'' kids whose siblings or other relatives attended the same kindergarten. That leaves precious few spaces for parents trying to secure a kindergarten that will guarantee their child's prep-school path, according to Ashe and Uhry.
``Families are in the middle of the, `Where-am-I-going-to- get-in' panic, it's Crazy Friday,'' Cynthia Bing of the nonprofit Parents League of New York said in a phone interview. Her group doesn't charge to help families apply.
The ``panicked response'' has been building in recent years, Ashe said. ``We don't know if applications are going up because there's more people out there, or if there's just more panic out there.''
New York's five boroughs have 575,823 children younger than 5, according to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, up 5.8 percent since 2001. Manhattan's under-5 population jumped 22 percent to 98,361 over the same period, reflecting high-paying jobs that keep more families in the city instead of moving to the suburbs, said Ashe.
Automatic Entry
The 2,500 slots are at 60 kindergartens of private schools that are members of New York's Independent School Admission Association. Acceptance grants children automatic entry into grade school, and can secure their place in the best private high schools. The association represents 127 New York private schools, including 112 in Manhattan.
Families must decide whether to accept admission offers by Feb. 27. If they decline, then those on the wait-list are offered the slot.
Some parents begin angling for the right kindergarten even before conceiving, Bing said.
Amanda Brokaw, a public relations executive, said she and her investment-banker husband are already studying schooling options for their 19-month-old daughter.
``I'm amazed that I'm dealing with this so early,'' she said. ``I grew up in Manhattan. Looking at the future, between the finances and competitiveness of getting in somewhere, it's causing anxiety. No sleepless nights yet, but anxiety.''
Brooklyn's Crazy, Too
It's not just crazy in Manhattan, said Ana Patel, who works for an international human rights organization and lives with her lawyer husband and 4 1/2-year-old son in Brooklyn. After applying to five schools, they won acceptance at a private kindergarten in Brooklyn Heights, where the child can continue through high school.
``You find yourself having the most inane conversations with other parents because it suddenly becomes a big deal whether they get in or not,'' Patel said. ``Do you call the head of development during the first round? Do you send her flowers? Do you send her a thank-you note? Is e-mail OK or should it be handwritten, or on some kind of stationary?''
Application fees, interviews and waiting lists are features of most private New York kindergartens, even those far down in preference lists. Parents submit essays explaining why they'll fit in with the school community, and toddlers take aptitude tests and have ``play dates'' with other hopefuls.
At first-come kindergartens, parents or their nannies line up before dawn on application day. Other schools began applicant lotteries to avoid the spectacle.
`Melissa Moms'
Uhry said that her business, Manhattan Private School Advisors, has doubled since 2005 to about 1,400 families and that 2009 will be the most competitive yet. The key, she said, is selling your family and customizing each application to fit the school's criteria.
``You don't want to look like every other person who lives on the Upper East or Upper West Side. The husband works on Wall Street, probably for Goldman Sachs, the wife doesn't work any more, her name is Melissa, she's 40 years old, has a 2-year-old kid and wears those pants with the word `Juicy' across the butt,'' Uhry said. ``You know how many of those `Melissa Moms' we see around here?''
Bloomberg, 15-Feb-2008-02-15
By Beth Jinks
Parental anxiety in New York rises a notch for today's annual ``Crazy Friday'' as the city's private kindergartens issue decisions that may launch youngsters toward Harvard, Yale or Princeton, or not.
Letters, e-mails and phone calls from schools today will say ``accepted,'' ``rejected'' or ``wait-listed.'' Then the kindergarten shuffle begins, with parents balancing waiting-list spots at their top choices against acceptances at so-called safety schools.
Many parents submitted more than a dozen applications to raise their child's chances, according to New York education advisers. The application flood means some of the $28,000-a-year schools including Brearley, Spence, Collegiate and Dalton in Manhattan have more than 10 contenders for each desk, with competition fiercest for about 2,500 prized seats at the most- sought schools.
``Everybody wants to go the same 15 schools, but they don't have 500 kindergarten places. They have 30 to 60,'' said Amanda Uhry, who charges $15,000 to help families through the admissions process. ``It's like a parental feeding frenzy. You can't buy your way in. If you've got $5 billion, there's probably somebody who is applying who has $10 billion.''
The Trevor Day School in Manhattan had 600 applicants for 64 spots, up 15 percent from 2007, a trend repeated elsewhere, said Deborah Ashe, a board member of the Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York and Trevor's application director.
Legacy Kids
Some spots go to children graduating from the schools' preschool programs, others to ``legacy'' kids whose siblings or other relatives attended the same kindergarten. That leaves precious few spaces for parents trying to secure a kindergarten that will guarantee their child's prep-school path, according to Ashe and Uhry.
``Families are in the middle of the, `Where-am-I-going-to- get-in' panic, it's Crazy Friday,'' Cynthia Bing of the nonprofit Parents League of New York said in a phone interview. Her group doesn't charge to help families apply.
The ``panicked response'' has been building in recent years, Ashe said. ``We don't know if applications are going up because there's more people out there, or if there's just more panic out there.''
New York's five boroughs have 575,823 children younger than 5, according to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, up 5.8 percent since 2001. Manhattan's under-5 population jumped 22 percent to 98,361 over the same period, reflecting high-paying jobs that keep more families in the city instead of moving to the suburbs, said Ashe.
Automatic Entry
The 2,500 slots are at 60 kindergartens of private schools that are members of New York's Independent School Admission Association. Acceptance grants children automatic entry into grade school, and can secure their place in the best private high schools. The association represents 127 New York private schools, including 112 in Manhattan.
Families must decide whether to accept admission offers by Feb. 27. If they decline, then those on the wait-list are offered the slot.
Some parents begin angling for the right kindergarten even before conceiving, Bing said.
Amanda Brokaw, a public relations executive, said she and her investment-banker husband are already studying schooling options for their 19-month-old daughter.
``I'm amazed that I'm dealing with this so early,'' she said. ``I grew up in Manhattan. Looking at the future, between the finances and competitiveness of getting in somewhere, it's causing anxiety. No sleepless nights yet, but anxiety.''
Brooklyn's Crazy, Too
It's not just crazy in Manhattan, said Ana Patel, who works for an international human rights organization and lives with her lawyer husband and 4 1/2-year-old son in Brooklyn. After applying to five schools, they won acceptance at a private kindergarten in Brooklyn Heights, where the child can continue through high school.
``You find yourself having the most inane conversations with other parents because it suddenly becomes a big deal whether they get in or not,'' Patel said. ``Do you call the head of development during the first round? Do you send her flowers? Do you send her a thank-you note? Is e-mail OK or should it be handwritten, or on some kind of stationary?''
Application fees, interviews and waiting lists are features of most private New York kindergartens, even those far down in preference lists. Parents submit essays explaining why they'll fit in with the school community, and toddlers take aptitude tests and have ``play dates'' with other hopefuls.
At first-come kindergartens, parents or their nannies line up before dawn on application day. Other schools began applicant lotteries to avoid the spectacle.
`Melissa Moms'
Uhry said that her business, Manhattan Private School Advisors, has doubled since 2005 to about 1,400 families and that 2009 will be the most competitive yet. The key, she said, is selling your family and customizing each application to fit the school's criteria.
``You don't want to look like every other person who lives on the Upper East or Upper West Side. The husband works on Wall Street, probably for Goldman Sachs, the wife doesn't work any more, her name is Melissa, she's 40 years old, has a 2-year-old kid and wears those pants with the word `Juicy' across the butt,'' Uhry said. ``You know how many of those `Melissa Moms' we see around here?''
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