The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week

The amount of excellent food available in New York City is dizzying — even during a pandemic — yet mediocre meals somehow keep worming their way into our lives. With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we do come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back weekly for the best things we ate this week — so you can, too.

February 28

Lasagna for two at Don Angie

Right next to Carbone’s spicy rigatoni, the lasagna at Don Angie has earned a spot in the Instagram hall of fame as one of the most-photographed Italian dishes in the city. Seeing it online, I had questions — $68 for a ceramic tub of lasagna? — but IRL, the hype was easier to grasp. Italian sausage and tomato sauce are swirled together in little lasagna galaxies, then decorated with pools of whipped cow’s milk cheese. I could only eat one pasta spiral on account of everything else we ordered (the rest came home in a takeout box), but the couple to my left played it better, ordering an appetizer to share and just this dish. 103 Greenwich Avenue, at West 12th Street, West Village — Luke Fortney, reporter

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Serabi at Kopi Kopi

Kopi Kopi (“coffee coffee”) started as a full-blown restaurant and coffee house in Greenwich Village, turned into more of a coffee bar in the Flatiron, then ended up as a food stall in the Urbanspace Lex food court. Despite miniaturizing its original food menu, it still provides a beautiful thumbnail of Indonesian cuisine, with the classic rijsttafel (“rice table”) turned into a fast-casual bowl format. My favorite dish on a recent visit was the serabi, green coconut pancakes flavored with pandan, a pungent and herbaceous tropical plant with the unlovely English moniker of screwpine ($7.50). Another name for the pancakes is pannenkoek, suggesting a Dutch connection to the dish. 570 Lexington Avenue, at 51st Street, Midtown East — Robert Sietsema, senior critic

Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Chorizo breakfast burrito at Ceremonia Bakeshop

Last February, after publishing Eater NY’s first breakfast burrito map, I realized there was at least one other breakfast burrito that I’d need to scout for our next update. Ceremonia Bakeshop’s version has been all over my TikTok feed for the past year, and a cold winter Sunday seemed as good a day as any to check it out if it was any good. The bakery’s burrito is $16.95, which makes it more expensive than most on our map, but I was pleased to find that the portion is huge, stuffed with so much chorizo and egg. Is it the city’s best ever? No, but I would definitely have this one again and recommend anyone who prefers a breakfast burrito that’s lighter on potatoes (like me). 743 Driggs Avenue, near South Second Street, Williamsburg — Emma Orlow, reporter

Stephanie Wu/Eater NY

Loaded tots at Little Kirin

We had just decided on breakfast burritos from Electric Burrito this weekend when our plans were briefly waylaid after discovering Little Kirin was open right next door. Though the menu — Vietnamese meatball sandwich, crispy chicken bowl — was tempting, we managed to only stray slightly by supplementing with an order of loaded tots ($10). It was everything I could have wanted on a Sunday morning: hot, crispy, greasy, sweet, and savory, with a hit of acid, thanks to aioli, scallions, and pickled red onions. My biggest gripe with loaded tots is that they tend to go soggy way too quickly, but Little Kirin’s version held up on the walk home and also reheated fantastically when we couldn’t finish them in one meal. Next time, I’m trying it with crispy chicken on top. 81 St. Marks Place at First Avenue, East Village — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief

Tinga tlayudas at Los Tres Chilitos

Doing some advance research for Robert’s survey of the Mexican food scene in Jersey City Heights, I visited this family restaurant around the corner from my house and can’t stop thinking about its Oaxacan tlayudas ($15), giant corn tortillas with lettuce, black refried beans, Oaxacan cheese, avocado, and pico de gallo. Like a giant nacho, really. 456 Central Avenue, Paterson Street, Jersey City Heights — Melissa McCart, editor

February 21

SEC at Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe

Call it a revelation, but last weekend I woke up needing a sausage, egg, and cheese — the sort of craving that wills you out of bed even though you were awake in another borough six hours earlier. Had my bacon, egg, and cheese era come to an end? It would all come down to the bagel. I found a promising contender at Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe, a small deli in Prospect Heights that draws a crowd on weekends. They were all sold out of sesame when I arrived — it was 3 p.m. — and I ordered an egg bagel that came pleasantly stacked with sausage, scrambled egg, and American cheese. Let me just say the meat was superior in all ways to bacon: slightly sweet, evenly distributed, and above all else, didn’t pull out in a single strand on the first bite. Era over. 645 Vanderbilt Avenue, at Prospect Place, Prospect Heights — Luke Fortney, reporter

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Shrimp Aguachile at Bobby’s Night Out

When I heard that Bobby’s Night Out, which recently moved into the old Esperanto space on Avenue C, would be serving at least a partly New Mexican menu, I was there in a flash. It’s one of those bars that offer brunch seven days a week, so all the better. But when I ordered one of the skillets that promised a beguiling mixture of eggs, bacon, and refried beans, with green chiles, there seemed to be no green chiles in the house. Color me green with disappointment. However, I’d also ordered a shrimp aguachile ($15), and that turned out to be ideal in every regard: the shrimp was scintillatingly fresh, swimming with chopped onions and cubes of ripe avocado in a tomato juice with enough chiles to make my lips tremble. 145 Avenue C, at East 9th Street, Alphabet City — Robert Sietsema, senior critic

Stephanie Wu/Eater NY

Sizzling shrimp at Claud

Much has been made of the incredible devil’s food cake at this East Village restaurant (and rightfully so), but the star of a recent visit was a deceptively simple shrimp dish with garlic oil ($27). Served in a tiny skillet, the shrimp arrived at just the right doneness, dancing slightly in a pool of olive oil and confit garlic. The starter is served with sourdough — and yes, you’ll want to dip the bread in and spread some of the soft garlic over the top for a bite that immediately transports you to Spain. 90 E. 10th Street, between Third and Fourth avenues, East Village — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief

Char cheddar burger at Emmett’s

Is New York City currently head-over-heels for a certain Windy City classic? Seems like it. Am I one of the indoctrinated? Without a doubt. These days, it seems like more and more Chicago dogs are popping up on menus across our city, so it’s only natural someone would try to riff those flavors into, or onto, something else. Inspired by the legendary Weiner’s Circle chardog, Emmett’s has had this particular riff on the menu for a couple of years now, predating our city’s enthrallment with being “dragged through the garden.” The burger ($23) comes with all the usual suspects, plus sharp cheddar cheese sauce, caramelized onions, fries, and a mound of dill pickle chips on the side for acid fiends such as myself to apply at will. 50 MacDougal Street, near King Street, Soho — Nat Belkov, design director

Melissa McCart/Eater NY

Chicken karaage at Trad Room

Trad Room in Bed-Stuy has such a handsomely worn room it looks like diners have stepped into a sepia print, with its wood-framed interiors, cozy tables, and ochre lighting. Yes, this is an izakaya, but should you wish to divert from the seafood offerings, this small-plate karaage fried chicken that’s crisp and juice is a nice start ($10) with a side of gochujang aioli and a wedge of lemon. 266 Malcolm X Boulevard, near Halsey Street, Bed-Stuy — Melissa McCart, editor

Yuba at Porcelain

Porcelain initially opened as an Austrian cafe, but by April 2021, Kate Telfeyan, formerly of Mission Chinese in Bushwick, transitioned the Ridgewood corner spot into one that serves dishes like kimchi-brined fried chicken, pork jowl, sour fish soup, and cherry mushrooms. Now under her direction, Porcelain still feels casual, but unlike anything else around it. I went with my boyfriend recently, and we both agreed that the yuba, a tofu skin entree prepared with leeks, fresh and dried chiles, and chile oil ($22), stole the show. The chewy, spongey version at Porcelain is one of the most exciting renditions I’ve seen at a contemporary spot recently. Be sure to get the garlic butter rice to help mellow out the numbing heat. 880 Woodward Avenue, at Catalpa Avenue, Ridgewood — Emma Orlow, reporter

February 13

Braised pomfret at Olle

The city’s modern Korean dining scene is expanding faster than I can keep up with, but recent meals at newcomers like Sam Sunny, in Manhattan’s Murray Hill, and Olle, on the edge of Koreatown, are an encouragement to keep trying. I found myself seated in the downstairs dining room of the latter restaurant last Monday, needing a place to meet with new friends over soju, grilled meats, and warm noodles to complement the weather. On a table crowded with cold noodles and elegant banchan (seriously, hard-boiled egg and rice cakes?), the braised fish (center) stood out. I scooped out the saline eyeballs for me and a pal (caviar bump, I knew thee well), before shaving off the meat, enough for each person in our group of four to get a few good bites ($23). Pro tip: Sides of purple rice are free and perfect for soaking up whatever’s left of that red broth. 11 E. 30th Street, between Madison and Fifth avenues, Koreatown — Luke Fortney, reporter

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Sandas de pernil at Eira Mercearia

Tucked around the corner on a side street facing the old city hall, Eira Mercearia is a small and delightful Portuguese cafe, serving breakfast, lunch, and brunch with a limited menu of Portuguese classics (and pastries, too). Sandas de pernil ($15) is a sandwich on a tapered roll featuring pulled pork shoulder, caramelized onions for sweetness, and queijo Serra da Estrela, ewe’s milk cheese made in the mountainous region of the same name. Its creaminess and melting properties are key to the appeal of this hot sandwich, the second half of which tasted great cold hours later. 24 Mercer Street, near Grove Street, Jersey City — Robert Sietsema, senior critic

Melissa McCart/Eater NY

Wakame udon at Raku

This past weekend, I planned dinner with a friend without a reservation in the East Village. Surprisingly, waits at places like Uluh (one of my favorite East Village Chinese spots) were only 45 minutes at 7:30 p.m., which I think is no big deal. Even so, we jockeyed around to figure out where to eat, ending up at an old standby: the East Village location for Raku, which is still cash only. As we waited, we leaned against the building gabbing for nearly an hour, finally snagging an outdoor seat in the toasty shed, at which point green tea and a steaming bowl of noodles sounded just about perfect. We started with the agedashi tofu ($9) with deep-fried tofu, scallion, and waving fingers of bonito flakes. I followed up with a super umami bowl of wakame udon ($15), a green-hued abyss of seaweed and tororo konbu layered among a deep bowl of noodles. There aren’t many New York restaurants left where you can get table service and a filling dinner for under $30 a person, but Raku is one of them. 342 E. 6th Street, near First Avenue, East Village — Melissa McCart, editor

Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Laab gai sap at Mao Mao

Melissa recently asked us: What even is a fun restaurant anymore? It certainly means something different for everyone, but I have a feeling that a lot of people would agree Mao Mao fits the bill. The restaurant is a lot of things: A place where you can sit in converted movie theater seating, hunched over a suitcase acting as a table, eating laab gai sap ($15) on a paper plate while various Thai movies play on screen. It’s not a movie theater, per se, in that tables don’t all face towards the screen like at Nitehawk, and the sound was off on a recent visit, but the Thai cinema theme makes the atmosphere unlike any other spot I’ve been to. I would recommend the Thai food here more for a light snack with a beer, rather than a full-blown dinner. 1000 Broadway, at Willoughby Avenue, Bushwick — Emma Orlow, reporter

February 6

Luke Fortney/Eater NY

Kale salad sandwich at R&D Foods

I’ve lived down the street from R&D Foods for the last three years, mostly steering clear because of the handwritten signs out front advertising $18 quarts of soup and other expensive prepared foods. This past weekend, a friend showed me the light. She ordered the popular kale salad sandwich ($14), which is served hot with mozzarella and balsamic vinegar but allows for add-ons like salami, egg, and anchovy. (We opted for those first two at $1.50 each). As I took a bite, it occurred to me that this was probably the first time I actually enjoyed eating kale. The tough green leaves overflowed from the sides of the ciabatta, trapping the mozzarella as it melted in the oven and crisping up a little for a kale chip nachos kind of vibe. No notes here. Just the best sandwich I’ve had all year. 602 Vanderbilt Avenue, near Saint Marks Place, Prospect Heights — Luke Fortney, reporter

Robert Sietsema/Eater NY

Shrimp dumplings at Lin & Daughters

Sure, there’s good Taiwanese beef noodle soup at this new Greenwich Village dumpling and noodle shop run by Becky Lin, but the real gems of the menu are the dumplings. When I visited, someone was making them at a counter in the dining room — thin-skinned, generously filled, and memorable in other ways, too. My favorite shrimp dumplings ($12) each had a big crustacean inside and swam in a tangy sauce of lime juice, cilantro, and green chiles, the last ingredient applied sparingly, more flavor than heat. The dumplings were perfect in themselves, but the sauce gave them what felt like a Southeast Asian spin. 181 W. Fourth Street, near Jones Street, Greenwich Village — Robert Sietsema, senior critic

Spaghetti alla Chittara at Corner Bar

I often visit Corner Bar with people visiting from out of town: It’s one of those restaurants people want to go to because the menu is predictable and good, and, perhaps more important, you can still get a reservation, even though it's new. Such was the case when I found myself at the bar last week on one of the colder days of the season so far. I’m not one to seek out pasta at a restaurant (more on that another week), but I was into the spaghetti alla chittara. It was restrained yet satisfying, a twirl of black pasta with saffron dressed with thin garlic and the super umami of grated bottarga ($28). I could eat this every week. 60 Canal Street, near Allen Street, Lower East Side — Melissa McCart, editor

Emma Orlow/Eater NY

Curry laksa mee at Hainan Chicken House

On the coldest day of the year so far, I headed to Sunset Park to be restored by chicken. As the name suggests, Hainan chicken is the heart of the menu — variations are offered all over New York City, but the House version is Malaysian-style with rice balls, which is rarer here — but don’t sleep on the curry laksa mee ($12.95). The bowl of spicy, hot soup has egg noodles, shrimp, chicken, puffed tofu cubes, boiled egg, bean sprouts, and fried shallots, which helped bring my frozen fingers and toes back to life. It’s located just down the street from one of my favorite dumpling spots, Kai Feng Fu, if you need a take-home snack. 4807 Eighth Avenue, near 48th Street, Sunset Park — Emma Orlow, reporter