NYC Import Restaurants We’re Digging
New York City is known to be home to one of the most global and diverse food cultures, so it isn’t much of a surprise that there are a plethora of offsets of popular restaurants from all around the world that have landed in New York. Here are some of our favorites from just the past year:
Wagamama – Wagamama, the British fast-casual, Asian food chain with over 150 locations, recently opened in NYC. They serve up fresh and inspired takes on primarily Japanese food, with offerings such as udon, curries, and noodle dishes. Their ramen is not to be missed!
KazuNori – KazuNori, the uber-popular LA handroll restaurant from the people behind Sugarfish, is a great option for a relatively low-cost meal. The handrolls come in different size and type combinations, at around $6 a pop. Our favorites are the blue crab and spicy scallop rolls.
&pizza – &pizza is DC’s take on an assembly line, make-your-own-meal, similar to that of Chipotle and Sweetgreen – but with pizza. The oblong shaped pizzas are entirely customizable and come with unlimited toppings. They do offer a list of their most popular combinations, as well, if you’re too overwhelmed by the topping choices.
4 Charles Prime Rib – 4 Charles Prime Rib came to NYC from Chicago last year and boy are we glad it did. The West Village steakhouse serves up one of the best burgers in NYC (and Chicago, for that matter) that we’ve ever tried. The bacon is crispy, the meat juicy, and the fried egg runny – what more could be asked of a burger?
Tim Ho Wan – The immensely popular Hong-Kong based dim sum chain famous for being one of the cheapest Michelin-Starred restaurants in the world recently opened in NYC – cue the lengthy lines. The dim sum is pretty good, but what we really love are the BBQ pork buns which are crunchy and slightly sweet, rendering the perfect balance when combined with savory pork.
Ichiran – Ichiran, a Japanese ramen chain that is famous for serving only one type of pork broth (tonkatsu), arrived in East Williamsburg last fall. Diners can customize their tonkatsu ramen to their liking – yay garlic, nay scallions – but the real kicker here is that the meal is meant to be eaten in silence. You sit in an individual partitioned booth, allowing you to slurp your ramen with full concentration.
Ikinari Steak – Ikinari Steak is one of the most experiential meals we’ve been a part of recently. The standing room only, inexpensive steak restaurant in the East Village that originated in Japan has made a big splash since opening. The lines are consistently out the door with patrons wanting to see what the hype is about. Trust us, it’s worth it.
TsuruTonTan – Hailing from Japan, TsuruTonTan offers housemade udon, tempura, and sushi. The dishes here are unique as they utilize ingredients such as uni and caviar, which are not typically found in noodle dishes. The Tatsuta Fried Chicken, with a Pepto Bismol colored sauce, and the Mentaiko Caviar Udon are our favorites!
Coffeemania – Contrary to it’s name, Coffeemania is serving up much more than coffee. The Russian import’s take on upscale American food is one that isn’t to be missed. Try the scallops, the burger, and the hamachi tartare.
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