New York City 2023 Travel Log: Day 3 — A Little Midtown International Food Crawl

The best thing to do with a free afternoon in NYC when you just like eating? A little international food crawl across midtown:

Chicken tikka masala naan wrap from Mysttik Masaala at Bryant Park Winter Village
Adobada corn tortilla tacos from Los Tacos No. 1
Chicken and beef gyro platter from The Halal Guys
Kaya butter toast from Kopifellas at Urban Hawker

Everything was incredible, but especially those adobada tacos from Los Tacos No. 1, which are easily my new favourite tacos of all time. If the long line-up out the door on a super-cold November day is any indication, it's everyone else's favourite tacos, too. And speaking of international, I just gotta mention how crazy huge The Halal Guys have gotten. The first time I ever ate there was when I was visiting my brother in 2008. He was working at BlackRock at the time (which used to be located at Park Avenue Plaza), and he was like, "I'll take you to my favourite lunch spot." So we walked a few blocks to this little cart with a giant line-up and I was like, "Really?" And he just said, "Trust me." Indeed, the chicken and rice was one of the most tasty, satisfying, and cheap (it was $5 back then) meals I'd ever had. I went back a few more times on that trip. And since then, I have trusted my brother on all his food picks.

Mystiik Masaala

Winter Village at Bryant Park

W 41st St. and 6th Ave.

New York, NY 10018

(917) 438-5166

Los Tacos No. 1

Times Square

229 W 43rd St.

New York, NY 10036

(212) 574-4696

The Halal Guys

W 53rd St. and 6th Ave.

New York, NY 10019

(347) 527-1505

Kopifellas

Urban Hawker

135 W 50th St.

New York, NY 10020

(917) 769-5513

Cooking at Home: Tikka-Style Lamb Burgers with Potato Wedges and Curry Mayo

Tikka-style lamb burgers with potato wedges and curry mayo
Today, I felt the extreme craving for a burger and thus, for dinner: Tikka-style lamb burgers with potato wedges and curry mayo. Literally everything about this burger was delicious, almost as delicious as the other lamb burger I made last December. I don't think I've ever had Indian-inspired burgers, but the tikka in the patties, the Indian spice mix in the fries, and the curry mayo all worked beautifully together in an otherwise very stereotypically American dish. I had said before that pairing feta might be the only way to eat a lamb burger, but I'm glad I've proven myself wrong.

Photolog 2021: Day 294 of 365

Chicken korma curry with basmati rice and naan

My first ever attempt at making Indian food with tonight's Hello Fresh dinner kit: Chicken korma curry with basmati rice and naan. Korma is actually my favourite kind of Indian curry and even though this recipe was not particularly authentic, it was delicious and if I actually knew what was in "Indian spice blend," I would totally make this again. Also, I can never get mad at a meal that has two types of carbs.

Photolog 2020: Day 290 of 366

Went to Walmart with my mom to do some grocery shopping and randomly decided to check out this local "fast food" Indian restaurant called Plates & Bowls 'cause they had a 2 Can Dine for $25.99 deal. It came with our choice of protein, so we decided on butter chicken, plus chapali kabob on Greek salad, plus our choice of two salads (the guy working there was extra nice and gave us three choices 'cause they were nearing closing time, so we got beet salad, pasta salad, and apple coleslaw), plus basmati rice, and two drinks. It didn't look like a lot once he packed it all up, but holy shit, there was enough food to feed three. (Lunch for me tomorrow!) I was honestly surprised by how good everything was. Like, amazing flavours, a perfect amount of spice, good textures. I'm usually wary of fast food Indian restaurants, like the ones you find in malls, 'cause they're usually not fresh and definitely not worth the money. But this place is family run and not a chain, and they make everything fresh. I really didn't expect to find such a gem in a strip mall, but I will 100% return when I'm craving Indian food.

Photolog 2018: Day 18 of 365

One of my colleagues, Priya, came into work just to drop off a massive platter of samosas that she had made for us. I ate like, five of them and then took another six home with me. They're so good, I swear she could start a business. So, yeah. She's basically my favourite person right now.

NYC — Spring 2016: Nirvana

So, I'm back from New York, and as per tradition, I will be posting about all the food adventures I had. I did not bring my camera with me on this trip because I felt like it would be too much to carry around with me and also an inconvenience to have to take photos with both my phone and my camera, so all the photos in these upcoming food posts were taken with my iPhone 6.

Lamb korma, saag paneer, and chicken xacuti
A little bit of everything with basmati rice and garlic naan
We arrived in NYC late Wednesday afternoon, so by the time we took a cab from JFK in the middle of rush hour, checked into our hotel in the Financial District, and settled into our room, we already had to meet my brother for dinner. My brother wanted to take us somewhere we hadn't been before, so he took us to his favourite Indian restaurant, Nirvana. It's considered to be a more upscale Indian restaurant, which means they serve authentic Indian food in a nicely decorated modern space with dimmed lighting (some might say too dim), and proper tablecloths and glassware on the tables. We decided on three dishes to share: lamb korma (creamy cashew and almond curry with aromatic spices — my personal favourite and go-to at Indian restaurants), chicken xacuti (Goan curry made with coconut and roasted aromatic spices), and saag paneer (Indian cheese cubes simmered in a purée of fresh spinach), plus regular naan, garlic naan, and basmati rice to accompany them. The food was fantastic — creamy, rich, flavourful — with generous portions of tender meat in the curries, and the naan was fresh and fluffy (the garlic naan was aromatic and especially delicious).
It's an Indian restaurant that is meant to impress, whether it's for a group outing or a romantic date. At an average of $20 per dish, it's pretty reasonably priced, especially for a midtown Manhattan restaurant. The only annoying thing was our server continually tried to up-sell everything. Like, even after saying that we wanted regular tap water, he still tried to push the bottle of sparkling water that sits at every table (they want you to open it so they can charge you the $8 without realizing that it's not free). Even after ordering two types of naan, he still tried to push for us to order the other ones as well (they have six types of naan). Even after my brother ordered his second glass of wine and knowing that my mom and I weren't drinking, he still tried to push a bottle. Like, chill the fuck out. Either than that, the service was pleasant enough, though a tad slow (to be fair, it was pretty busy for a Wednesday evening). But if you're looking for delicious, authentic Indian food in a modern, spacious atmosphere (or in Midtown), it's worth a visit.

Nirvana 346 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10016 (212) 983-0000

Instagram: Winter 2014/2015 — Food Edition

I haven't put up any food posts recently, so I thought I'd share some photos of the awesome noms that I've had the pleasure of eating and posted on Instagram over the past couple months. I don't always bring my camera with me when I go out to eat but I tend to Instagram all those meals that I don't blog about here. For those who do follow me on Instagram, I apologize for the re-post here... but, hey, you can never get enough of food porn.

Dinner with Cynthia at Shiso Tree Cafe: Potato cream soup, shrimp okonomiyaki spaghetti, wagu seafood spaghetti, and mango mousse cake
Dim sum (part 1) with Viv and Dan at Casa Victoria: Pan-fried turnip patties, steamed pork dumplings (siu mai), deep-fried octopus tentacles, and shrimp steamed rice rolls
Dim sum (part 2) with Viv and Dan at Casa Victoria: Steamed scallop dumplings, deep-fried taro dumplings, milk custard tarts, and steamed shrimp dumplings (har gow)
Korean BBQ with Viv, Suzie, Helen, and Thax at Chako Barbeque Izakaya
Dinner with Liz at Annona: Crab cakes with avocado salsa and aged balsamic reduction
Dinner with Liz at Annona: "Surf & Turf" — Grilled beef medallion, shrimp and scallop, peppercorn jus, red pepper beurre blanc, lobster mash, and spring vegetables
Dinner with Liz at Annona: Strawberry gateau rhubarb basque with vanilla ice cream, spiced strawberry syrup, and strawberry rhubarb compote
Dinner with Cynthia at Tikka Tikka Indian Delight: Samosas and pakoras, coriander and tamarind sauces, butter chicken and lamb korma, and butter naan
Brunch with Viv at Cora's: "Raspberry 4 Lucie" — Crêpe filled with raspberries and cream cheese with raspberry coulis, honey, and English cream
Shabu shabu with Viv and Dan at Rolling Pot
Dinner with Hannan at The Pickle Barrel: P. B. House Burger
Dinner with Ronsee and Viv at Planeta Mexico: Guacamole, beef chimichanga, chicken gorditas, and steak enchiladas
Brunch with my brother at Cora's: "Breakfast poutine" — Roasted potatoes, cheese curds, frankfurters, bacon, caramelized onions and red peppers, topped with an egg and hollandaise sauce
Dinner with my brother at The Keg: Mushrooms Neptune
Dinner with my brother at The Keg: New York striploin steak with garlic mash
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Assorted maki rolls
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Toro sashimi
Christmas pot luck dinner with the fam: Assorted sashimi and sushi (including uni!)
Dinner with my brother and my mom at JOEY Markville: Pesto shrimp flatbread, ahi tuna burger, herb crush salmon, and rotisserie chicken
Dinner with Viv, Suzie, Helen, and Thax at Touro Churrascaria: Cheese popovers, yucca fries, and deep-fried plantains; "salad" plate; all-you-can-eat meat!; and grilled cinnamon pineapple
Dinner with Viv and Dan at Asian Legend: Steamed pork soup dumplings, Peking duck (!), green onion pancake rolled with sliced beef, and shredded duck lettuce wraps
Dinner with Austin at Milestones: Pesto chicken penne asiago
I've been avoiding the scale.

Nawab Fusion Grill

Knowing that I've been craving Indian food recently, Edward took me for dinner this evening at Nawab Fusion Grill. I guess I wasn't really paying attention to where we were walking to, because the first thing I noticed when I walked into the place was that the layout of the restaurant looked really familiar. And as I sat there contemplating this, I finally realized that it was the same space as Bombay Bhel and they had closed down. Until now, Bombay Bhel had been my favourite Indian restaurant, so I was kinda sad because thus far, I have not been able to find a place where the lamb korma or butter chicken is better (don't get me wrong, I wasn't exactly looking very hard, but theirs was reliably delicious and never disappointing). But I had to let that go and accept that it was gone, and instead focused on this new "Indian gastropub" that took its place. 
Shrimp Pakora
We decided to share the shrimp "poppers" (or pakora) to start. I've only ever had the classic chickpea pakora, so this was a whole new experience for me. Pakora, if you've ever had the pleasure of having one, is basically an incredibly addictive deep-fried fritter of utmost delight. Dipped the accompanying creamy coriander sauce (which I prefer over the spicier tamarind sauce), and it's pretty much the best damn deep-fried shrimp, ever. Each shrimp was coated in just the right amount of batter that had a nice spicy kick to it, and a beautiful golden exterior that provided the right amount of crunch. I could easily have eaten all of them myself and then ordered a second one because I'm a glutton like that, but that'd be really selfish of me because sharing is caring, and I care, people. I care. 
Saffron Chicken
While Edward opted for the much spicier Bombay Chicken, I prefer a milder taste and decided on the Saffron Chicken. Big chunks of perfectly moist, tender chicken breast is immersed in a rich, creamy, saffron-infused curry and topped with a flurry of sliced almonds. This dish was totally up my alley; it has that nuttiness of korma and the creaminess of butter chicken, so basically it's perfection. But whereas butter chicken uses tomato puree and korma has more of a coconut base, this has a fresher, sweeter aroma from the saffron. Definitely a must-have for fans of mild curries. If I hadn't been so damn full, I would've ordered a second naan to sop up the rest of the sauce... but I knew if I had eaten any more, my arteries would've started yelling at me. 
What I do appreciate about Nawab's replacing Bombay Bhel is that they've really polished up the space — re-painted, re-tiled, changed all the light fixtures, etc. — so that it's much more modern and sleek and clean while still keeping in with the Indian theme through artwork. Definitely working the whole modern fusion Indian thing. The service was also really good; even though there were only two people working the whole restaurant, they were really nice, efficient, and attentive. I'd definitely come here again — there's just too many things on the menu that I have to try including, but not limited to, tandoori lamb chops, pulled lamb sliders, fusion coconut curry, and Amritsari fish and chips. It's not strictly classic Indian food, but I've discovered that I really quite enjoy Indian gastropub fare.

Nawab Fusion Grill 5009 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M2N 5P1 (416) 221-4255

China Cottage

Jack took us to China Cottage for some Indian Chinese food this evening:

Chef's Special Shrimp

Manchurian Chicken

Okay, you see that shrimp up there? It is ridiculous. I could easily have eaten the entire plate by myself, but you know how considerate I am (and 'sharing is caring' and whatever). Perfectly plump shrimp, lightly battered and deep-fried until crispy and golden, and then tossed with lots of garlic, chili peppers, and green onions. So goddamn addictive. I would eat this any day over whatever shrimp dishes they offer at Red Lobster. The chicken was tender and juicy, coated in a garlicky brown sauce that was just spicy enough and perfect to mix in with fluffy white rice. I'm not sure what makes it Manchurian, but it is positively delightful. And the restaurant is surprisingly clean with modern decor — definitely one of the nicest Hakka restaurants I've been to. The service is fast and efficient, polite and informative. Next time I go there (and, trust me, there will be a next time), I'm going to bring like, four more people just so we can order more dishes. China Cottage will definitely be my go-to Hakka restaurant from now on.


China Cottage
80 Ellesmere Road, Unit 11
Scarborough, ON M1R 4C2
(416) 445-6721

Tikka Tikka Indian Delight

I was craving Indian food today, so Shawn and I went to Tikka Tikka and ordered our favourite Indian dishes:

Vegetable and beef samosas

Vegetable samosa with tamarind sauce (innards)

Beef samosa with spicy coriander sauce

Naan (!)

Butter chicken

Lamb korma

The food is excellent across the board. The samosas are stuffed to the brim with well-seasoned fillings, and have perfectly crispy wraps that aren't too thick or thin (think spring rolls rather than egg rolls) — not as cheap or fresh as Samosa King, but better than most Indian restaurants I've been to, including Bombay Bhel. The vegetable samosas stand out more to me than the meat ones, though, with generous amounts of potato, peas, and onions. The butter chicken is creamy and flavourful with tons of massive chicken pieces, and the lamb korma is just spicy enough with tons of tender lamb chunks. I would say the butter chicken is on par with Bombay Bhel, but the lamb korma is better executed at Tikka Tikka. And the naan is huge, fluffy, and substantial enough to sop up any curry. The service is on the slow side and could be more attentive, mostly because they are understaffed and they receive a ton of take-out orders, but they're pleasant and polite. And the prices are on par with most dine-in Indian restaurants. I would definitely come here again.

Tikka Tikka Indian Delight

6001 14th Avenue

Markham, ON L3P 3J3

(905) 201-6767

Samosa King

Shawn and I decided to get some take-out from Samosa King for late lunch/early dinner:

Vegetable samosas with spicy coriander chutney and sweet tamarind sauce

Vegetable samosas (innards)

Butter chicken and naan

You can be damn sure that if an Indian restaurant is called Samosa King, their samosas are the main draw. And these are easily the best samosas I've ever had in the city, and like none I've had at any other Indian restaurant. Apparently, people travel from all over the city for these deep-fried delights, ordering 50 or more at a time, so they always churn out fresh batches. They are packed with well-seasoned potatoes, peas, and onions, and the outer shell is crispy and substantial (think egg roll shells, rather than spring roll shells). And they are only 5 for $1! I ordered 15 for myself because they still taste phenomenal when they're microwaved, so you know, midnight snacks. Apparently, there is usually quite a line-up at Samosa King (for take-out; there is also a dine-in restaurant next door), especially on Tuesdays and Fridays for the $2 specials, but we went around 5:00, and there were maybe five or six other people there.

The butter chicken was pretty good, but not fantastic; the chicken was moist and tender, but the sauce didn't have the same spices as the butter chicken I've had at other places, so it was more like chicken in gravy to me. Which is good, but just not as... butter chicken-y as I had hoped. (As Shawn pointed out, though, it's called Samosa King, not Butter Chicken King.) Their curries are pre-made and sitting in heating plates, so I'm not sure how fresh it was at 5:00 in the afternoon, though. But the naan was phenomenal, and might just be my favourite naan I've had so far. Each piece is thick, fluffy, flavourful, and baked to order. I will definitely be going again and again for the samosas and naan, and will try one of the other curries next time. And the rotti. And the desserts. Oh, god, too much deliciousness...

Bombay Bhel

New Year's Day dinner at Bombay Bhel with Shawn and his family:

Vegetable and beef samosas with tamarind sauce

Lamb korma, butter chicken, and naan (!)

Bombay Bhel is still my favourite Indian restaurant so far (at least, for dinner — their lunch buffet has gotten mixed reviews, though I've never been). While I've definitely had better samosas and more flavourful and fluffier naan, their lamb korma and butter chicken are still the best, in my opinion. Their butter chicken just has the most rich, flavourful sauce and a very generous amount of moist, tender chicken chunks. Likewise, their lamb korma has the most perfect, creamy consistency and flavour (unlike this one, which had oil floating everywhere). I usually get lamb with korma because I feel like the flavours work well together, but I reckon it would be just as tasty with chicken or beef. Since Shawn's mom and sister are both pescetarian, they had separate dishes from us, but they both loved the fish tikka and baingan bhurtha (and I tried one of their vegetable pakoras, which were very tasty; crispy and packed with flavour). At first glance, the portions don't seem very big, but we could barely finish our dinner near the end. And the service was good; polite, efficient, and attentive. If I lived closer to a Bombay Bhel, you can be damn sure I'd be eating there at least once a week.

On another note, my New Year's Eve was mellow but fun with close friends. Seven of us went over to Edward's house and had a makeshift BBQ in his car port. Yes, ghetto fabulous. But they made all sorts of yummy food: Avocado and cucumber salad, Japanese potato salad, fresh garlic bread with cheese, chicken skewers, and beef ribs. Who cares about the cold when you have such deliciousness awaiting? Of course, the drinking ensued (which I do not take part of, and thusly makes me a great dealer for drinking card games), post-countdown cheers all around, Sharpie drawings on a passed out Vito shortly after that, and the night (or morning, I should say) ended in watching Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. A splendid way to ring in 2012, for sure. Hope all of you had a fantastic New Year's!

Everest

Shawn and I decided to spend the afternoon on Queen Street West today, and I am ashamed to admit that I hadn't been down there in over a year. Possibly more. I suppose living so far into the suburbs now, I rarely have a reason to go downtown, unless it's school (which I'm not in anymore). A lot has changed, but there are still a few places that have stayed, including the restaurant we had lunch at, Everest. I've been there once before, many years ago, and we went there today because we were super hungry and also because it's the first place we saw.

Vegetable samosas

Vegetable samosa innards

Butter chicken with naan

I wasn't sure what to order there because I don't really know what they're known for. I assumed it was Tibetan food, because of the name of the restaurant, but they serve just the same amount of Indian and Asian foods, as well as pizzas and pastas. I asked our waitress what she recommended, and she said the butter chicken was really good, so that's what I ordered, along with an order of samosas to share. The samosas were actually really good, better than some that I've had at actual Indian or Pakistani restaurants. They were a good size, stuffed with lots of tender well-seasoned vegetables, and the outer shell was perfectly crisp and substantial. It was rather overpriced at three pieces for $7.99, but such is the nature of eating downtown.

My butter chicken was also surprisingly good, though whether or not it was authentic is another question (the butter chicken I've had is usually red or orange in colour, and this one was more yellow). The way I see it is that the chicken was tender and moist, and the curry was creamy and flavourful. And it was pretty damn delicious. The naan wasn't the best, not being quite as fluffy or flavourful as I'd like, but it was tasty and substantial enough to hold all the curry I was piling on it, which is good enough for me. And butter chicken is always deceptively filling. It doesn't look like that much on the plate, but once it's finished, you're pretty damn full. Regardless of whether it's really butter chicken, I would order it again just because it was so good. (I wonder if Indian people look at us eating this butter chicken the way I look at non-Chinese people eat deep-fried chicken balls. Whatever. Good food is good food.)