A Week in New York City : Part 2

As promised last week, here is part 2 of my New York City adventures! This post is all about FOOD, which I ate a lot of in the week that I was visiting the city.

Scarpetta

I’ve been dying to try the handmade pastas at Scarpetta for a while now, but the high price tag on their foods prevented me from going earlier. Now that I no longer pay NYC rent (what a relief!), I can finally afford a night out at Scarpetta! The Italian restaurant is located at the James Hotel and has a beautiful outdoor dining setup complete with heaters and flowers. My friend and I dined on fried mozzarella, tomato spaghetti, and duck ravioli as well as a scrumptious bread basket. Everything exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to return!

Boqueria

Ever since I visited Madrid, I’ve become a little obsessed with tapas and I had heard that Boqueria has some of the best tapas in town so I knew I had to give it a try. And I wasn’t disappointed! I loved the crispy and creamy croquettes as well as the savory seafood paella and the rich nutella churros. There are several Boqueria locations in the city- I went to the Upper East Side outpost.

Uluh Tea House

I discovered Uluh on Instagram and couldn’t wait to try their unique dim sum options while eating in my own private outdoor bubble. The food here is not cheap, but the quality and taste can’t be beat. Make sure to order the pumpkin puffs, crab tofu, shredded duck pancake, and the matcha bang bang drink! Also, the bubbles are heated and limited to just your party so its social distancing at its finest!

Scarr’s Pizza

Is a New York Trip complete without pizza? While Scarr’s didn’t turn out to be my favorite pizza spot (I’m not a huge fan of super thin pizzas), I still enjoyed checking off another pizza restaurant off my list. Scarr’s is located in the Lower East Side and currently allows in person ordering outside their entrance.

Best Bagels

A New York trip isn’t complete without bagels either! I have dreams about the perfectly chewy bagels from Best Bagels and could not wait to reunite with them during this trip. Usually there is a line around the block for their bagels, but due to the pandemic the giant bagel shop was practically empty and my chicken pesto sandwich was ready in just a few minutes,

Machi Machi

This new Ktown bubble tea shop came over from Taiwan and was made popular by the Chinese pop singer, Jay Chou. Hence, the long lines... The drinks come in reusable plastic containers with lids and taste just ok. I had the milk tea with panna cotta and wasn’t that impressed. There are better bubble tea shops in New York!

Ralph’s Coffee

Can it get any more New York than Ralph Lauren’s cafe? I stopped at this classic Upper East Side cafe after visiting the Met for a peppermint hot chocolate. Customers aren’t allowed to enter the cafe anymore- ordering takes place at the door and there are several coffee tables lining the sidewalk now.

Keki Modern Cheesecake

Keki’s wow tarts use to always sell out so I’ve never had the opportunity to try them until this trip. 2 wow tarts and 1 ube cream puff later, I have to say their desserts are life changing. Keki Modern Cheesecake has two locations- one in Koreatown and one in Chinatown.

Sushi Lab

If you haven’t seen Sushi Lab’s Instagrammable rooftop dining photos floating around social media, then where have you been? Sure, the sushi, especially the omakase is great and affordable ($60), but what everyone is really here for is to dine on a roof covered in beautiful flowers overlooking the city. Sushi Lab was such a great lunch experience- the food was so yummy (make sure you get the taro chips as well!) and the service was exceptional. We were one of two groups dining there that day so I didn’t feel crowded at all.

Nonono

I walked by Nonono so many times when I use to work in the Noho neighborhood, but never had the chance to dine at the Japanese inspired restaurant. And I’m so sad I didn’t their delicious food any sooner! Even though many menu options weren’t available for whatever reason, they still had several awesome ramen/udon and yakitori choices. My spicy pork tonkontsu ramen and egg wrapped bacon yakitori was beyond delicious and filling. Another great thing about Nonono was their outdoor dining- each party has their own enclosed heated dining box. Talk about private dining!

Nowon

Nowon’s outdoor dining is unique as well in that each table is divided by solid silver shields, which gives the illusion of private dining. Their Korean fusion food is top notch and delicious. I loved the cheesy rice cakes and honey butter tater tots and royal kimchi fried rice! Everything is extremely flavorful and shockingly good. This East Village restaurant is 5 stars in my books.

The Alley

I have tried prepacked bubble from The Alley in my local Chinatown grocery store and was curious about trying their freshly made drinks so I stopped in one afternoon for a taste. I have to say the two are actually similar, although the fresh drink was definitely better. Their bubble tea drinks aren’t too sweet and doesn’t leave behind an unhealthy feeling like you just drank too much sugar. The Alley is located in Cooper Square.

Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles

This nondescript and often overlooked noodle shop is one of my favorite Chinatown eats. The handmade noodles and dumplings here are beyond delicious- I can’t fully explain how wonderful the food here is, you’ll have to try it yourself! For Covid precautions, they have actually built tiny heated wooden huts so I felt perfectly safe dining in my own personal enclosed hut. Food was delivered to me through a tiny side opening above the table. My roasted pork knife shaved noodle soup and pan fried dumplings were my favorite things on this trip! The noodles can actually be made in different methods (hand pulled, knife shaved, etc…) so pick whichever speaks to your heart (or your stomach)!

Bibble and Sip

I use to live down the street from Bibble and Sip and would always stop by for the lavender lattes or delicious cream puffs. The lines for Bibble and Sip use to be out the door so coming here and witnessing it empty was slightly painful for me (cafe lines are such a New York thing!), but I was so grateful to see tons of beautiful cream puffs available for sale. I tried their new brown sugar bubble tea flavored puff and was floored by how flavorful and wonderful it was!

Crop Circle

I saw that this North Chinese snack had made its way to West Village so I knew I had to stop by and check it out. I went with the spicy pork “guokui” and felt instant regret that i didn’t buy two! The outside is perfectly crispy and the meat inside is well spiced and tasty- its the best winter on the go snack.

About Coffee

West Village coffee shops are plentiful and always spot on with great coffee and cafe culture. I knew I wouldn’t go wrong with any cafe I chose so I went with one closest to my hotel- About Coffee. Their caffeinated drinks are slightly bigger in size than the normal coffee shop so be prepared for an adrenaline rush!

The Elk

Located in Greenwich Village, The Elk is an adorable neighborhood coffee shop that is actually Asian owned. I wanted to support a fellow Asian’s business venture so I stopped by on a windy Wednesday morning for a delicious matcha latte. The Elk is tiny inside so if you see a small line formed outside, don’t worry! The wait won’t be too long- and the drinks are worth it!

PinkLady Cheese Tarts

I spotted these colorful and mouthwatering Asian cheese tarts on Tour de Luste’s Instagram story and knew that whenever I visited New York I would have to try them. So…. I ended up buying every single they baked! Flavors include ube, chocolate, matcha, original cheese, blueberry cheese, and black sesame. The ube was my favorite!

Alimama Tea

I’ve never actually had the drinks at Alimama, but their mochi donuts? I’ve had almost every flavor! Their mochi donuts are to die for- so chewy and flavorful. The tiny (and I do mean tiny because there is no room to eat inside) cafe is located on a nondescript street in Manhattan Chinatown. It can be easy to bypass their small entrance so keep your eyes open for their floral themed outdoor dining setup.

Hope you guys enjoyed my 2 part New York reunion trip recap! I can’t wait for my next trip back to the city (fingers crossed it will hopefully be June 2021!) so if you have any ideas on what I should do or eat next time please drop a comment below!