Following on from yesterdays post about my recent trip to New York, I thought I would share with you some of the restaurants I dined at, as well as some of the delightful cafe's I called in for a quick coffee...
Her Name Is Han
Located on at 17 East 31st between 5th and Madison, I came across this Korean restaurant by complete chance. A stroll down the block and I encountered several people waiting outside this restaurant, so thinking this must be the place to eat I checked it out. Unless you book in advance, expect around a 45 minute wait for a table. Thankfully the weather was mild for November, so a wait outside was not too bad. Once seated, there was plenty to choose from on the extensive menu. A mix of both small plates and large plates, I opted for the Pork Dumplings($7) and Sautéed Pork($16) - rice comes complimentary. Both dishes were equally delicious and service was super fast, I can't have waited any more than 10 minutes for my food to arrive. I also tried the signature 'Thank You Berry Much' cocktail. All in all, a very enjoyable dining experience and it is also worth mentioning that the waiters were incredibly efficient.
Khe-Yo
Down in TriBeCa at 157 Duane Street, Khe-Yo is a Southeast Asian restaurant. The cool industrial style décor was the perfect backdrop for what turned out to be one of the best meals I think I have ever had. I opted for the Coconut Curry Red Snapper with Scallops taken from the specials menu. All I can say is WOW! I also had incredible sticky rice with signature Bang-Bang sauce. This was a seriously good dining experience, made even better with the accompaniment of the strongest Whisky cocktail I have ever had. If you love Asian cuisine, then I can't recommend this place more highly.
Levain Bakery, Cafe Grumpy, Besfren
Levain Bakery - When Taylor Swift says the best place in New York for cookies is the Levain Bakery on West 74th Street, naturally you make a special trip to the Upper West Side at 10.30am on a Sunday to see if she is correct. Turns out Taylor is correct! After a 30 minutes wait in a line down the block I finally got into the bakery. This super small bakery has become something a hit with locals looking for their fix a delicious baked goods. After my wait I couldn't just purchase 1 cookie, so I went for 3 instead...developing the attitude 'Why not I'm in New York!' Opting for the Chocolate Chip Walnut, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip and a Raspberry Bomboloncini. I strolled over to Central Park with my bag of baked goods (which smelt like heaven!) and tucked into my first cookie. Could a Sunday morning be anymore perfect?
Café Grumpy - Taking a quick coffee break in-between my work meetings, I relaxed in Café Grumpy at 200West 39th Street (between 7th and 8th Ave). With 4 locations in Manhattan and 2 in Brooklyn, this is a coffee shop for coffee connoisseurs. I went for the 'Las Flores' blend from Honduras - an ideal midday pick me up. I also have to mention the awesome logo!
BESFREN - Located at 315 5th Ave, Besfren creates hand-crafted Gluten-free pastries...which all look too good to eat! You can't go to New York and not indulge in cheesecake, so that is exactly what I did with a iced latte as well.
The Breslin
This gastropub is located inside the ACE Hotel at 16West 29th Street. The ACE is a luxury boutique 4* hotel(check out pics on their website of the interior...seriously stylish) and the Breslin is the equally stylish restaurant and bar. I chose the 'Milk Braised Berkshire Shoulder' which was served with milk curds and Swiss chard. My cocktail of choice was a Brooklyn Bramble...any excuse for a splash of Gin. I love this style of gastro dining so I felt right at home at the Breslin.
I hope this post has given you some food for thought (no pun intended), if you are heading to NYC and are on the lookout for some memorable dining experiences - all of the above wiLL cut the mustard(...again no pun intended)
Phillippa x
Twitter - @Phillippa22
Pinterest - phillippadesign
Instagram - PhillippaDesign22
