Top 10 New York food favourites

If you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know that, for me, travel and food are a match made in holiday heaven.

So without further ado, here in no particular order are 10 of my favourite foodie experiences in NYC.

1. Momufuko

A trip to NYC is not complete with a pork bun at the one and only David Chang’s Momufuku Noodle Bar original. Try stopping at one! Closer to home, his Sydney restaurant, Momufuku Seibo at The Star does a seriously amazing degustation (it’s exxy but worth every penny) but it’s those pork buns in NYC I still dream about.

Following the same sort of formula as The Meatball & Wine Bar in Melbourne, at The Meatball Shop you pick your preferred meatball, sauce and sides (or opt for sliders, baguettes or ‘Everything but the kitchen sink’) and enjoy simple food done really well. The mashed potato side is a must.

Make sure save room for dessert though, the ice-cream sandwiches are amazing.

The title says it all really. Located in the bustling Chelsea Markets, The Lobster Place is indeed a happy place for seafood lovers. A warning though, once you have the lobster roll, nothing similar back home will compare.

4. Magnolia Bakery

Sex and the City might have made their cupcakes famous (and they are delicious) but there’s another item you have to try while you’re there. Usually, I would never order this but when Paula Joye, described their banana pudding as “quite simply one of the most ridiculous desserts on the planet”, I knew I had to try. Do it. You won’t regret it.

5. Grimaldi’s

In a city dominated by pizza by the slice, Grimaldi’s, with its no-slices policy – is an unexpected winner. The self-proclaimed “institution” that even ‘New York, New York’ singer himself Frank Sinatra has been to, provides seriously big pizzas.

The old school coal-fired oven cooking gives the pizza a unique smoky flavour and a crisp crust that is sure to please. We ventured to the Limelight Marketplace outpost but the Brooklyn location is the original.

6. One lucky duck

One Lucky Duck specialises in raw, vegan and organic offerings. Mr LML couldn’t believe I’d give up another lobster roll at the Chelsea Market for a raw lasagne from their take-away outlet there but I was too intrigued not to! And you know what?! I was pleasantly surprised- think sun-dried tomato sauce, pistachio basil pesto and pumpkin seed macadamia ricotta. Yum! Well worth a visit for a healthy option.

7. Le Pain Quuotidien

This one is a little controversial, I know there are Le Pain’s in Oz and I probably should have been having bagels for breakfast or doing what the New Yorkers do and skip straight to brunch, but for this breakfast lover, the goats cheese omelette at Le Pain Quotidien was the perfect start to the day.

8. Nobu 

Sure you can sample the delicious Japanese delicacies of Nobu all over the world, including in Melbourne, but NYC is as good a place as any to treat yourself at this celeb fave.

9. ABC Kitchen

As recommended by Yasemin here, this is my favourite NYC restaurant and I went there twice on my last visit (which says a lot in a city with so many food options). Everything on the ABC Kitchen menu we tried was amazing but it was the zucchini cake (which the photo below does no justice) that I fell in love with. So much so – and this shows their level of customer service – when I was torn between ordering my fave or trying another dessert, they offered to package up a slice of the zucchini cake for me to enjoy on my flight home the next day. A very happy flight indeed.

10. Niles Restaurant and Bar

I’ve raved about my love for the New York cheesecake in another post but it’s worthy of another mention. It would be rude not to indulge in this treat when in the Big Apple.

Where are your foodies favourites in NYC?