noodles

South of the Clouds

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Overview:

Casual Village eatery whose chef-owner Lihen Geng hails from the family behind Brooklyn’s Yun Nan Flavour Garden. Yunnan-style mixian rice noodles are the focus here, some served in a four-hour chicken broth, and others plated with minced pork and vegetables. There are a few excellent appetizers including ghost chicken, cucumber salad, and pigs on a stick with pork, cilantro, cumin, chili flakes. The main attraction is the signature crossing the bridge noodle served with 4-hour chicken broth, silkie chicken, beef, pork, fish, bok choy, bean sprouts, tofu skin, scallion, and cilantro. 

Information:

Address: 16 W 8th St, New York, NY 10011

Phone:  (212) 888-9653

Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

Price: $$-$$$

 

Carma East

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Overview:

Carma East is an East Village neighborhood spot which recently had it's first birthday. The atmosphere is modern and cozy; casual enough to frequent. The contemporary Chinese/Taiwanese menu mainly focuses on dim sum. You'll find the usual players- tons of dumplings, shu mai, crispy chicken and pork bao. The taiwanese style beef noodle soup is rich and loaded with chunks of meat. Dishes like general tso's chicken and crispy pork with cucumbers round out the menu. Full bar available. 

Information:

Address: : 507 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

Phone: (212) 228-9688

Neighborhood: East Village

Price: $$

 

Little Tong Noodle Shop

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Overview: 

Little Tong is a compact, corner eatery from a chef who cut her teeth cooking at WD-50,  Simone Tong. The narrow, wood lined space is casual with some seating outside that is perfect for people watching in the East Village. Chinese mixian rice noodles are the focus here and are accompanied by small plates such as ghost pepper chicken, beef tartare with scallion pancake and pork wontons. Mixian is a style of fermented rice noodle which comes from the Chinese province of Yunnan. There are 4 distinctive options with interesting toppings like the Mala Dan Dan Mixian topped with ground pork, ya cai, pickled celery and mustard seeds, chili oil & peanuts. Dishes are all under $15 and they serve beer & wine as well. 

Information:

Address: 177 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Phone: (929) 367-8664

Neighborhood: East Village

Price: $$-$$$

 

Mew Men

Overview: 

Mew Men is tucked away on quiet Cornelia street, just out of the chaos of the bustling West Village. The small no-frills space is simple - long communal tables, an open kitchen and a towering stereo system. The Japanese menu is short but it has the essentials. For small plates you'll find fried chicken, pork buns, and an excellent "spring tofu" with mushrooms in a sesame shoyu. The main focus is ramen and they offer 7 varieties with an arsenal of toppings. Dishes range from traditional noodles to something more interesting like the Tori Tantan noodles in a house made chili oil &  sesame paste broth. A menu of beer, sake and wine is available as well. 

Information:

Address: 7 Cornelia St, New York, NY 10014

Phone:     (212) 727-1050

Neighborhood: West Village

Price: $$

 

The Tang

Overview:

I really love Asian stuff and I really love The Tang. This hole in the wall East Village restaurant is great for a quick meal or delivery. The noodle bar serves noodles, wraps, and appetizers from various regions in China. Small plates include garlic pork dumplings, fried turnip cakes, chilled beef shanks and Sesame Tofu with salted mustard. The noodles are where it's at though - super chewy, huge portions, and in a slew of varieties. There are 8 variations including drunk noodles, dan dan, and sizzling noodles topped with a variety of proteins. 

Information:

Address: 120 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10009

Phone:  (646) 678-3092

Neighborhood: East Village

Price: $$

 

Bessou

Overview

You should know about Bessou. The restaurant is located on Bleeker with an unassuming storefront and a stylishly decorated interior. The space feels Japanese- clean, contemporary & devout of too much fuss. I love the food. Not in a "it was good maybe I'd go back" kind of way; every single dish is great. The menu is not strictly Japanese but influenced by the owner’s childhood in New York and filled with variety. You'll find modern takes on sake steamed clams, crispy rice topped with fish, and chili oil cucumbers. There is a generous section of noodle dishes and rice including a chirashi bowl heaping with fish. Even the fried chicken is excellent, dusted in moroccan spices and served with kewpie potato salad & shiso tzatziki. This is an experience you should really have, at a price that makes it accessible.

Information

Address:  5 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012

Phone : (212) 228-8502

Neighborhood: Noho

Website: https://bessou.nyc/

Price: $$$

 

Mokbar

Mokbar, how I love thee, let me count the ways. First, I get to delight in a stroll through Chelsea Market en route to my dinner. Buy some new jewelry at Artists & Fleas, meander into cheese & seafood shops, dodge a few tourists, and then I am in the alcove of the market where Mokbar resides. Oh, the Korean delicacies that await my mouth. There is a bustling counter space where patrons can sit and watch the team cook up all their meal, which I adore. The owner of the restaurant, Esther Choi, can always be found there. She is small in stature, but a powerhouse in the kitchen. Zagat named her a “Zagat 30 under 30” NYC Culinary Rockstar and she more than lives up to the name.

They specialize in traditional Korean soups with fresh Japanese ramen noodles.  You can choose from brothy or saucy noodles, but obviously I choose both #fatkidproblems. Most of the dishes contain gochujang. Never had it before? It’s a traditional Korean red chili paste made with dried chili peppers, fermented soybeans, & glutinous rice. I highly recommend you go pick some up if you’ve never tried cooking with this wonderfully complex ingredient. It’s definitely available at the market.

Everything that pours out of the tiny kitchen is complex & exciting. I’d like to say that it transports me back to Seoul but this is better than anything I ever ate there (sorry Seoul). Their ho’ cakes might be the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth (I’m talking to you too, ex boyfriends). They are crispy fried buns with heavenly pork belly filling, served with kimchi pear puree. The bulgogi sliders are crazy flavorful, the wings are meaty and sticky, and everywhere you look…more kimchi! I’ve been here 10 times and I’d go 10 more. Here’s what we had: 

RAMEN Mokbar Classic- pork broth. braised pork. triple seasonal vegetable   Kimchi - kimchi bacon broth. braised pork. stewed kimchi. scallion.   Vegan Miso -kombu shiitake doenjang broth. tofu. triple seasonal vegetable. crispy potato.  Marinated ribeye- Triple seasonal kimchi. Poached egg. Scallion. Spicy Tofu- pork and tofu sauce. spicy garlic paste. minced pork. poached egg. scallion

Halmoni Dumplings- ground pork, zucchini, cabbage, tofu, kimchi, garlic chive relish

Kochi Sticks- Crispy rice cakes. Scallion. Sesame. Mokbar spicy sauce.

Mok Wings - Crispy cornflake fried wings w/ choice of spicy housemade gochujang sauce or mild bulgogi sauce

Bulgogi Sliders- Mini marinated ribeye, mozzarella cheese, ssamjang mayo, cucumber kimchi, brioche bun

 

Address: 75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Phone:(646) 964-5963

mokbar.com