Bassanova Ramen, originally from Tokyo, is on many listicles of New York City's best ramen.
Johor Kaki Adventurous Foodie Traveler with 77 million+ reads 📧 johorkaki@gmail.com
Bassanova Ramen in NYC New York
Bassanova Ramen, originally from Tokyo, is on many listicles of New York City's best ramen.
Totto Ramen in NYC New York
Totto Ramen, a basement level, dingy noodle shop is on every list of New York City's best ramen.
Stepping inside, Totto Ramen was a very compact and intimate ramen shop. This bar was half the ramen joint's seating capacity ;-D Everyone was sitting elbow to elbow.
Stepping inside, Totto Ramen was a very compact and intimate ramen shop. This bar was half the ramen joint's seating capacity ;-D Everyone was sitting elbow to elbow.
Ippudo Ramen in NYC New York
Ippudo is one of the most popular ramen joints in New York City.
I chose to come in here only after lunch time in order to avoid the infamous line at Ippudo.
Though there wasn't the usual peak hour queue outside, there were people waiting at the bar/ holding area.
I chose to come in here only after lunch time in order to avoid the infamous line at Ippudo.
Though there wasn't the usual peak hour queue outside, there were people waiting at the bar/ holding area.
Nom Wah Tea Parlour in NYC New York
Nom Wah Tea Parlour is listed in almost every tourist guide book and website. It's a New York City tourist destination that needs no introduction.
Established in 1920, Nom Wah Tea Parlour is the oldest dim sum joint in New York City. It is located on Doyers Street, one of the tiny backstreets that was the cradle of New York City's Chinatown.
Nom Wah is located at the notorious "Bloody Angle" of Doyers Street where in the heydays of the Chinatown triads, rival tongs 黨 (gangs) ambushed each other at the blind corner around the bend. Nom Wah, the only original Doyers Street establishment that survived till today, was witness to the storied street's much more colourful but violent past.
Inside Nom Wah, it was quite small for a dim sum hall. It was bright and clean, and wasn't too crowded at lunch on a cold, raining January Monday. On weekends, lines form outside the restaurant.
There were still reminders of Nom Wah's pedigree and heritage including the original patterned mosaic flooring, yellowed by age.
There were no dim sum trolleys and customers check off their choices on a menu slip.
There was a row of booths like a diner. The walls were decked with framed photographs of celebrities that visited Nom Wah.
There was a row of bar stools.
There were also window seats at the corners for those who like to watch the goings on on Doyers Street while they dine.
I ordered a small selection for tasting.
The rice rolls with shrimp at USD4.50.
The rice rolls were clean tasting, smooth but a little thick. The shrimps were fresh and had a nice soft spring. The rice rolls were doused with a mildly savoury brown sauce that tasted a little flat as it lacked layers.
The shrimp dumplings at USD4.50.
Fresh shrimp and fish paste wrapped in a snowy rice shell. Same fresh, slightly springy shrimps while the tender rice shells were thick and a little stiff.
I was wowed by Nom Wah's "Original Egg Roll" at USD7.00.
The egg rolls had very interesting textures.
The golden hued, light and brittle crispy outer shell wrapped a soft egg roll which was stuffed with warm, mushy soft, juicy fillings. The textures were a joy to bite. I also like it that the egg roll was not greasy at all.
The egg roll was a blend of egginess, very mild savouriness from the chicken, preserved vegetable and marinade, and sweetness from the braised turnips.
Nom Wah's Original Egg Roll is a Must Try.
Each table had a dolly of condiments.
The oyster sauce tasted flat. Probably commercially bottled.
The "duck sauce" had a delicate tart and sweet flavour and it went well with Nom Wah's Original Egg Rolls.
Even though Nom Wah is a tourist trap, I still recommend a visit for it's history and also because the dim sum is among the better ones in New York City's Chinatown. The service is pleasant and friendly too.
(If you like to experience dim sum in Manhattan Chinatown closer to what it is like in Asia with giant dining halls, crushing crowds, loud noisy banter, steaming dim sum squeezing between tables on hand pushed trolleys and rushed, frenetic,slightly scruffy service, you can check out Jing Fong on Bowery Street.
Read more about the legendary Doyers Street here. The short bendy backstreet has lots of amazing twists and surprising turns in it's long colourful history.
Restaurant name: Nom Wah Tea Parlour
Address: 13 Doyers Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/NomWahTea
Hours: 10:30 am to 9:00 pm
Date visited: 12 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Established in 1920, Nom Wah Tea Parlour is the oldest dim sum joint in New York City. It is located on Doyers Street, one of the tiny backstreets that was the cradle of New York City's Chinatown.
Nom Wah is located at the notorious "Bloody Angle" of Doyers Street where in the heydays of the Chinatown triads, rival tongs 黨 (gangs) ambushed each other at the blind corner around the bend. Nom Wah, the only original Doyers Street establishment that survived till today, was witness to the storied street's much more colourful but violent past.
Inside Nom Wah, it was quite small for a dim sum hall. It was bright and clean, and wasn't too crowded at lunch on a cold, raining January Monday. On weekends, lines form outside the restaurant.
There were still reminders of Nom Wah's pedigree and heritage including the original patterned mosaic flooring, yellowed by age.
There were no dim sum trolleys and customers check off their choices on a menu slip.
There was a row of booths like a diner. The walls were decked with framed photographs of celebrities that visited Nom Wah.
There was a row of bar stools.
There were also window seats at the corners for those who like to watch the goings on on Doyers Street while they dine.
I ordered a small selection for tasting.
The rice rolls with shrimp at USD4.50.
The rice rolls were clean tasting, smooth but a little thick. The shrimps were fresh and had a nice soft spring. The rice rolls were doused with a mildly savoury brown sauce that tasted a little flat as it lacked layers.
The shrimp dumplings at USD4.50.
Fresh shrimp and fish paste wrapped in a snowy rice shell. Same fresh, slightly springy shrimps while the tender rice shells were thick and a little stiff.
I was wowed by Nom Wah's "Original Egg Roll" at USD7.00.
The egg rolls had very interesting textures.
The golden hued, light and brittle crispy outer shell wrapped a soft egg roll which was stuffed with warm, mushy soft, juicy fillings. The textures were a joy to bite. I also like it that the egg roll was not greasy at all.
The egg roll was a blend of egginess, very mild savouriness from the chicken, preserved vegetable and marinade, and sweetness from the braised turnips.
Nom Wah's Original Egg Roll is a Must Try.
Each table had a dolly of condiments.
The oyster sauce tasted flat. Probably commercially bottled.
The "duck sauce" had a delicate tart and sweet flavour and it went well with Nom Wah's Original Egg Rolls.
Even though Nom Wah is a tourist trap, I still recommend a visit for it's history and also because the dim sum is among the better ones in New York City's Chinatown. The service is pleasant and friendly too.
(If you like to experience dim sum in Manhattan Chinatown closer to what it is like in Asia with giant dining halls, crushing crowds, loud noisy banter, steaming dim sum squeezing between tables on hand pushed trolleys and rushed, frenetic,
Read more about the legendary Doyers Street here. The short bendy backstreet has lots of amazing twists and surprising turns in it's long colourful history.
Restaurant name: Nom Wah Tea Parlour
Address: 13 Doyers Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/NomWahTea
Hours: 10:30 am to 9:00 pm
Date visited: 12 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Doyers Street · History & Walking Tour Down the Cradle of Chinatown in Manhattan, NYC New York
Doyers Street in New York City's Manhattan Chinatown has a truly fascinating history.
Together with Bowery and Pell Streets at both ends, Doyers is part of the neighbourhood that forms the cradle of Chinese history in New York City.
The first Chinese immigrants arriving in New York City in the mid 1800s, settled on Doyers Street.
Together with Bowery and Pell Streets at both ends, Doyers is part of the neighbourhood that forms the cradle of Chinese history in New York City.
The first Chinese immigrants arriving in New York City in the mid 1800s, settled on Doyers Street.
5-Combinations Restaurants in NYC New York - Cheap & Good Authentic Chinese Home Cooked Dishes
In Singapore and Malaysia, there is a class of eateries that serve home
cooked style dishes described as "economic rice" 經濟飯. "Economic rice"
is popular among working people because it is comfort food, a balanced affordable meal
and it provides energy for a day at work.
There are also eateries in New York City that run along the same lines as Singapore and Malaysia's "economic rice" shops/ stalls.
There are also eateries in New York City that run along the same lines as Singapore and Malaysia's "economic rice" shops/ stalls.
Momofuku Noodle Bar Ramen in NYC New York
Tasting the famed Momofuku ramen by Celebrity Chef David Chang is on the to-do list of many foodies.
I chose a weekday, off peak hour to visit Momofuku Noodle Bar and still there was a good size crowd inside.
I chose a weekday, off peak hour to visit Momofuku Noodle Bar and still there was a good size crowd inside.
Momofuku Pork Belly Bun in NYC New York
I wanted to try the famed Momofuku's famous ramen. I walked pass it, in search of Momofuku Noodle Bar on 1st Avenue without noticing it.
Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 1st Ave, NYC (between 10th & 11th Streets)
Uniquely Strangely, there was no signboard at all at Momofuku Noodle Bar :-(
So, I stopped and asked a helpful passerby where is Momofuku. Fortunately, Momofuku is famous enough that the first person I asked pointed me right to a Momofuku.
Momofuku Ssam Bar, 202 2nd Ave (between 12th and 13th Streets)
I ended up at Momofuku Ssam Bar which also had no signboard ;-D
Inside Momofuku Ssam Bar, the decor was minimalist chic with lots of rich dark wood. Informal and casual, yet classy.
Ramen was not on the menu at Momofuku Ssam Bar, so I opted for their legendary Pork Bun.
Coming from Singapore, I've eaten a lot of pork buns in my life and had always wondered what the hype about Momofuku pork buns was all about.
These two steamed pork buns for USD10 (before tax and tip).
They lookedordinary enough pale and anaemic.
Two slices of belly pork with sliced cucumber and scallion with brown sauce between familiar looking Chinese buns.
How did it taste?
The snowy "bao" 包 bun had a bit of fluffiness but was otherwise generic and unremarkable.
But, when I bit through the soft bun into the pork, oh my...., it was stunning.
The belly pork wasutterly buttery soft and naturally sweet savoury in a delightful way. The fat to lean meat ratio leaned on more fat, and it was the fat that held the delicate alluring flavours.
The warm savoury sweet juice was dripping and running down my fingers. There was a lot of fat - so calorie and cholesterol watching people may be wary of this. To me, this belly pork fat was calories and cholesterol very well spent ;-D
The brown sauce though generic commercially bottled Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce, added an additional savoury layer to the dish.
The chopped raw scallions and thin slices of quick pickled cucumbers added crunch and balance to the savoury grease.
Each table had a small squeeze bottle of Sriracha chili which was spicy hot, vinegary and slightly sweet.
I didn't used any Sriracha on my belly pork buns which are best eaten neat, in my opinion.
I've eaten countless pork buns in my life but this one still amazes me.
After Momofuku Ssam Bar, I hopped over to 1st Avenue for their famous Ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar 👈 click
Don't leave New York City without tasting Momofuku's pork buns by David Chang.
Restaurant name: Momofuku Ssam Bar
Address: 207, 2nd Avenue, NYC New York (between 12th & 13th Street)
Map: http://bit.ly/MoMofuku
Hours: 12:00 – 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 1:00 am
Date visited: 9 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 1st Ave, NYC (between 10th & 11th Streets)
So, I stopped and asked a helpful passerby where is Momofuku. Fortunately, Momofuku is famous enough that the first person I asked pointed me right to a Momofuku.
Momofuku Ssam Bar, 202 2nd Ave (between 12th and 13th Streets)
I ended up at Momofuku Ssam Bar which also had no signboard ;-D
Inside Momofuku Ssam Bar, the decor was minimalist chic with lots of rich dark wood. Informal and casual, yet classy.
Ramen was not on the menu at Momofuku Ssam Bar, so I opted for their legendary Pork Bun.
Coming from Singapore, I've eaten a lot of pork buns in my life and had always wondered what the hype about Momofuku pork buns was all about.
These two steamed pork buns for USD10 (before tax and tip).
They looked
Two slices of belly pork with sliced cucumber and scallion with brown sauce between familiar looking Chinese buns.
How did it taste?
The snowy "bao" 包 bun had a bit of fluffiness but was otherwise generic and unremarkable.
But, when I bit through the soft bun into the pork, oh my...., it was stunning.
The belly pork was
The warm savoury sweet juice was dripping and running down my fingers. There was a lot of fat - so calorie and cholesterol watching people may be wary of this. To me, this belly pork fat was calories and cholesterol very well spent ;-D
The brown sauce though generic commercially bottled Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce, added an additional savoury layer to the dish.
The chopped raw scallions and thin slices of quick pickled cucumbers added crunch and balance to the savoury grease.
Each table had a small squeeze bottle of Sriracha chili which was spicy hot, vinegary and slightly sweet.
I didn't used any Sriracha on my belly pork buns which are best eaten neat, in my opinion.
I've eaten countless pork buns in my life but this one still amazes me.
After Momofuku Ssam Bar, I hopped over to 1st Avenue for their famous Ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar 👈 click
Don't leave New York City without tasting Momofuku's pork buns by David Chang.
Restaurant name: Momofuku Ssam Bar
Address: 207, 2nd Avenue, NYC New York (between 12th & 13th Street)
Map: http://bit.ly/MoMofuku
Hours: 12:00 – 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm – 1:00 am
Date visited: 9 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Spicy Village Spicy Big Tray Chicken and Pancakes in NYC New York
I was back at Spicy Village two days in a row as after trying their hand-pulled noodles, I wanted to try their popular Spicy Big Tray Chicken and Pork Pancakes.
Spicy Village's famed Spicy Big Tray Chicken at USD12.95 and a serving of hand-pulled noodles at an additional USD1.25.
Inside the big tray or mini wok, there were many large roughly chopped chunks of fried chicken leg with bone and skin on. The chicken chunks were half submerged in a fiery looking, hot spicy broth.
The chicken chunks were well marinated, lightly battered and then deep fried before further cooking in the spicy broth. The fried chicken chunks were savoury, slightly crispy outside, tender inside and tasted spicy from the chili broth clinging to the fried chicken.
There were several pieces of these cubed potatoes which were deep fried to crisp the outside before they were thrown into the boiling spicy broth to cook.
The spicy chicken were eaten with hand-pulled noodles which were roughly torn ribbons of hand kneaded wheat dough.
Soft and slightly chewy hand-pulled ribbon noodles coated with spicy broth.
The broth was light bodied, slightly watery. Inside the watery broth was a suspension of many different spices like cardamom, anise, cumin, peppercorn and dried chili. Nice aroma and tastes of tongue numbing spices. The spicy broth was slightly more salty than my taste. I like it that the broth was not overly greasy.
I requested the friendly waitress to pack what I could not finish eating and ordered a pork pancake to try ;-D
Spicy Village's Pancake with Pork for USD2.50.
Spicy Village's pork pancake was really good ;-D
Savoury sweet juicy pork mash spread between a flat pan fried hinged bun which was crispy outside and nicely chewy inside. A few cilantro leaves (Chinese coriander) added a refreshing delicate grassy minty crunch.
These pork (and also the beef) pancakes are highly recommended Must Try treats at Spicy Village.
Restaurant name: Spicy Village
Address: 68 Forsyth Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/SpicyVillage
Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm (Closed on Sunday)
Date visited: 8 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Spicy Village's famed Spicy Big Tray Chicken at USD12.95 and a serving of hand-pulled noodles at an additional USD1.25.
Inside the big tray or mini wok, there were many large roughly chopped chunks of fried chicken leg with bone and skin on. The chicken chunks were half submerged in a fiery looking, hot spicy broth.
The chicken chunks were well marinated, lightly battered and then deep fried before further cooking in the spicy broth. The fried chicken chunks were savoury, slightly crispy outside, tender inside and tasted spicy from the chili broth clinging to the fried chicken.
There were several pieces of these cubed potatoes which were deep fried to crisp the outside before they were thrown into the boiling spicy broth to cook.
The spicy chicken were eaten with hand-pulled noodles which were roughly torn ribbons of hand kneaded wheat dough.
Soft and slightly chewy hand-pulled ribbon noodles coated with spicy broth.
The broth was light bodied, slightly watery. Inside the watery broth was a suspension of many different spices like cardamom, anise, cumin, peppercorn and dried chili. Nice aroma and tastes of tongue numbing spices. The spicy broth was slightly more salty than my taste. I like it that the broth was not overly greasy.
I requested the friendly waitress to pack what I could not finish eating and ordered a pork pancake to try ;-D
Spicy Village's Pancake with Pork for USD2.50.
Spicy Village's pork pancake was really good ;-D
Savoury sweet juicy pork mash spread between a flat pan fried hinged bun which was crispy outside and nicely chewy inside. A few cilantro leaves (Chinese coriander) added a refreshing delicate grassy minty crunch.
These pork (and also the beef) pancakes are highly recommended Must Try treats at Spicy Village.
Restaurant name: Spicy Village
Address: 68 Forsyth Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/SpicyVillage
Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm (Closed on Sunday)
Date visited: 8 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
Spicy Village in Chinatown NYC Manhattan New York
The arrival of Chinese immigrants from northern China to New York City has brought with them new flavours and aromas to Manhattan's Chinatown. The food shops of first generation immigrants are usually tiny, bare bones hole-in-the-wall joints serving authentic hometown comfort food at very affordable prices.
These restaurants are popular with kin folk from the same Chinese region and some have gone mainstream in a City that welcomes and embraces new experiences.
Spicy Village opened only in 2010 and is already well known to NYC foodies.
Spicy Village is a quintessential hole-in-the-wall shop serving food from Henan province in China's north. Inside, it was narrow with just a few seats arranged in a single roll. The tiny shop was normally packed, so I deliberately come here during off hours.
My large bowl of hand-pulled noodles with lamb innards in soup for USD6 nett. I like it that the noodles were served in a melamine bowl whereas in almost all other such budget food shops, they are served in disposable plastic bowls.
Spicy Village is known for their hand-pulled noodles among many other dishes.
I opted for the wide hand-pulled noodles which looked like roughly torn ribbons. It was soft, slightly bouncy, slurpy smooth and a little thick.
This broth was the best among the hand-pulled noodles soups that I have tried so far. It was medium bodied, well balanced savoury sweet and had the gamey flavour and aroma of lamb.
Not sure what part of lamb this was. It had the texture of chicken gizzard, dense, bouncy chew, gentle gamey lamb flavour. Fun to eat.
The narrow strips of lamb stomach were nicely gamey and had a softly chewy texture like spongy seaweed. Fun to eat along with the noodles.
The home made chili oil and sauce added much to my enjoyment of the noodles. Only mildly spicy with a nice peppery fragrance (but don't take my word for it about spiciness. Coming from Southeast Asia, we eat chili with our food since we were 2 years old.)
Next time, Spicy Village's pork and beef pancakes, and Spicy Big Tray Chicken.
Restaurant name: Spicy Village
Address: 68 Forsyth Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/SpicyVillage
Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm (Closed on Sunday)
Date visited: 7 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
These restaurants are popular with kin folk from the same Chinese region and some have gone mainstream in a City that welcomes and embraces new experiences.
Spicy Village opened only in 2010 and is already well known to NYC foodies.
Spicy Village is a quintessential hole-in-the-wall shop serving food from Henan province in China's north. Inside, it was narrow with just a few seats arranged in a single roll. The tiny shop was normally packed, so I deliberately come here during off hours.
My large bowl of hand-pulled noodles with lamb innards in soup for USD6 nett. I like it that the noodles were served in a melamine bowl whereas in almost all other such budget food shops, they are served in disposable plastic bowls.
Spicy Village is known for their hand-pulled noodles among many other dishes.
I opted for the wide hand-pulled noodles which looked like roughly torn ribbons. It was soft, slightly bouncy, slurpy smooth and a little thick.
This broth was the best among the hand-pulled noodles soups that I have tried so far. It was medium bodied, well balanced savoury sweet and had the gamey flavour and aroma of lamb.
Not sure what part of lamb this was. It had the texture of chicken gizzard, dense, bouncy chew, gentle gamey lamb flavour. Fun to eat.
The narrow strips of lamb stomach were nicely gamey and had a softly chewy texture like spongy seaweed. Fun to eat along with the noodles.
The home made chili oil and sauce added much to my enjoyment of the noodles. Only mildly spicy with a nice peppery fragrance (but don't take my word for it about spiciness. Coming from Southeast Asia, we eat chili with our food since we were 2 years old.)
Next time, Spicy Village's pork and beef pancakes, and Spicy Big Tray Chicken.
Restaurant name: Spicy Village
Address: 68 Forsyth Street, NYC New York
Map: http://bit.ly/SpicyVillage
Hours: 10:00 am – 11:00 pm (Closed on Sunday)
Date visited: 7 Jan 2015
Return to Johor Kaki homepage.
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