Epoch Taste 6-5-2015

D1 June 5–11, 2015 This week’s #BestAsianNYC

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Top

Rosé

picks from Manos Angelakis

Catch Hemant Mathur at

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Taste Asia’s Asian Food Fest on June 26!

TasteAsia.org

EpochTaste.com

Chef Hemant Mathur takes on the cuisine of Kerala

Southern

Exposure

By Channaly Philipp | Epoch Times Staff

o you ever have an impulse to rename a restaurant? Sometimes you find the essence of it and you think, “That’s it. This is what this restaurant is really about.”

I found myself at Curry Hill’s Kokum last week. Kokum is fine and dandy.

It’s exotic—a bright red fruit in the same family as mangosteens. But I wanted to rename it “Coconuts.”

There’s perhaps too much of a tiki bar feel to the name, and for sure that’s not what the restaurant is.

But coconuts find their way into all sorts of incarnations—perfuming the heady coconut rice, thickening curries, made into dough to make hoppers (or appa), a kind of lacy crepe with lacy golden edges and a spongy center, in the shape of a bowl.

See Kokum on D10

Michelin-starred chef Hemant Mathur takes on regional cuisines of India with his restaurant group, Fine Indian Dining. He highlights the cuisine of Kerala at Kokum.

ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

The Eggplant Chennai Roast is smoky and spicy, crisp and soft all at once. It’s eggplant sorcery.

Thair Vada, a lentil dumpling in cold yogurt.

Eat Vote Win

Cast your votes in the Best Asian NYC Restaurants Contest! Winners will be announced at the Times Square Asian Food Fest, June 26 & 27.

Eat at the city’s top Asian restaurants participating in the Best Asian NYC Restaurants Contest. Discover hundreds of participating restaurants on www.BestAsian.nyc

Vote for your favorite Asian restaurants in dozens of categories, from the Best Tikka Masala or Best Sushi, to the Best Vietnamese or Best Drink Menu.

Win round trip business class tickets to Asia, an Apple Watch, dinner for 10 with Chef Anthony Ricco at Spice Market, and more! When you vote, you’re automatically entered to win.

See www.BestAsian.nyc for prize and contest details.

Vote Daily From June 1 to 20

Vote Online at BestAsian.nyc

IA PRES EN E AS ST TS TA Voter’s Choice

BEST

ASIAN NYC RESTAURANTS 2015

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Tag Photos #BestAsianNYC

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June 5–11, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com MANOS ANGELAKIS

Drinks, cocktails, the works

Which Pink to Drink?

By Manos Angelakis

Most of the best tasting pink wines are a peach to pale pink color, but there are a few darker rosés that I think are exceptional.

HARMONY Ancient principles of Greek cuisine combined with modern techniques, yield a harmonious balance of flavors in every dish, at Nerai.

55 East 54th Street New York (646)844-2275 www.nerai.nyc

blend is: grenache 50 percent, cinsault 30 percent, syrah 15 percent, cabernet sauvignon 5 percent.

One of the better young rosés that I recently had here in the United States was the 2014 Val d’Orbieu Château Ribaute, Cuvée Senhal d’Aric.

It is a blend of 85 percent syrah and 15 percent grenache. It is a delicate wine, aromatic with notes of red berries and apricot. It is fruity and elegant on the palate, a light pink color, and is well priced at a suggested retail of $18.

Another good rosé, a bit more salmon colored than the previous Château Ribaute but from the same production group was Château Notre Dame du Quatourze, a blend of 40 percent grenache, 30 percent syrah and 30 percent cinsault. It is an elegant wine, with floral aromas plus peach and raspberries on the nose. The palate is balanced and offers gravelly minerality.

From Spain I very recently tasted Freixenet Mía Rosado a very nice darker wine by Gloria Collell, the well known Barcelona winemaker.

The 2013 sample that I had is an easy-drinking and fruity wine made from Bobal, an indigenous Catalan grape. It is a floral tasting wine with a hint of strawberry and raspberry. It is excellent with fatty fish (salmon or mackerel) and spicy Thai dishes. Priced right at about $14.

Also from Spain, Barthomeus Rosé 2013, 100 percent cabernet sauvignon from Penedès. It has a lovely bright scarlet color with pale violet highlights. Lively red fruit aromas with forest berries and hibiscus stand out. The strawberry and hibiscus aromas are mirrored on the palate, which is massive and rather complex.

Good acidity and freshness on the finish. This rosé is perfectly suited for al fresco dining and lighter summer fare. It is very inexpensive and very good. Small production, just short of 7,000 bottles. I tasted it last year.

Aurelio Montes makes a lovely syrah-based rosé in Chile’s Colchagua Valley, at El Arcángel Marchigüe vineyards. Montes Cherub is an elegant dry wine, with an intense cherrypink color. The label is very playful; but don’t be deceived by it, it is a serious rosé wine. It shows distinct syrah characteristics, spiciness and hints of strawberry, rose and orange peel on the nose and palate. Priced between $ 14 and $16.

Both nonvintage rosé Champagne and rosé Cavas, seem to have more cache than their white counterparts and proof is the higher premium these rosé sparklers command.

Vintage Especial Rosé from Freixenet for example is a mix of trepat and garnacha, two Spanish grapes; it is a bright and fruity bubbly with fresh raspberry, cassis and peach aromas, and an appealing color. The toasty palate mixes strawberry and apricot jam and red currant to deliver a pleasant mouth feel, with a light, sweet finish. The price varies between $ 13 and $19

All prices given in this story, are retail exclusive of taxes.

Manos Angelakis is a wellknown wine and food critic based in the New York City area. He has been certified as a Tuscan wine master, by the Tuscan Wine Masters Academy, as well as being an expert on Greek, Chilean, and Catalan wines. He judges numerous wine competitions each year and is the senior food and wine writer for LuxuryWeb Magazine, LuxuryWeb.com

COURTESY OF DOMAINES OTT

Piper-Heidsieck makes the exceptional blended Rosé Sauvage ($52 a bottle).

COURTESY OF PIPERHEIDSIECK

For a long time rosé wines have been considered summer wines. They are traditionally fairly dry, and appeal to both white and red wine drinkers seeking something cool and refreshing and not too expensive, that will pair well with the lighter summer dishes. Most rosé drinkers are not looking for complexity or nuance; what they really want is deliciousness.

As a friend sommelier said, “These wines are elegant yet unpretentious.”

Nowadays, the producers in sunny Provence are creating surprisingly versatile rosés that can be drunk as an apéritif or they can go with an impressive array of dishes. The French believe that a rosé can go with any food, but in my opinion they are best with vegetable dishes, seafood—like lobster and grilled fish—and white/light meat dishes like pork or chicken.

Though Provence is widely acknowledged as the birthplace and the largest producer and exporter of rosé (pink) wines, these wines are now made almost everywhere. Worldwide, winemakers are crafting rosés from every conceivable red grape, including grenache, pinot noir, syrah, mourvèdre, cabernet sauvignon, carignan, tibouren, and touriga nacional among others. Many of the resulting wines turn out to be delicious, while a number of others are, unfortunately, also-rans. Some rosés improve with a year or two of bottle age, although most are at their best in their youth.

Most people think that rosé is a wine made one particular way; in reality there are several methods of producing it. In Provence, the preferred method is direct press. This means red grapes are pressed softly and briefly, to produce grape juice that’s often a very pale pink or peach color. The second method, called saignée (or bleeding), involves removing juice from a macerating red wine at the beginning of maceration (steeping grape skins and solids in wine after fermentation).

The juice that had limited contact with the skin of the grapes will become a rosé wine.

A third method calls for the blending of red and white wines. Though it isn’t permissible in Provence, such mixing occurs in other places including Champagne, Australia, and the United States.

Most of the best tasting pink wines are a peach to pale pink color, but there are a few darker rosés that I think are exceptional. A good example is the 2014 Mas Carlot, a rather rustic but very pleasurable wine from the Costières de Nîmes in France that I had with paella during my recent trip through le Sud. The 2014 Domaines Ott Château de Selle was a delicate and beautifully balanced wine that my Provençal friends acknowledged as the real thing, though they considered the average $US48 price tag very steep for a rosé. Vines are grown on both espalier and terraced vineyards in the Côtes de Provence. The wines are made from a blend of several varieties: cabernet sauvignon lends the wine complexity and elegance, grenache gives it full-bodied texture, cinsault adds a delicately rounded touch and syrah gives the blend its rich color. The actual

per bottle depending on state, and is an excellent, méthode champenoise sparkler that is a delight on a hot summer day.

Codorníu, located in Catalonia’s Penedés region, is the largest selling Cava brand in Spain—although Freixenet, with its Cordon Negro, is the largest in the U.S.A. Codorníu is the world’s largest producer of sparkling wines fermented in the bottle—selling about 60 million bottles annually, twice that of Moët et Chandon, Champagne’s largest producer. Its Anna de Codorníu NV Brut Rosé is made from 70 percent pinot noir and 30 percent chardonnay; it is quite dry with a pretty medium pink color, creamy texture and pronounced pinot noir flavors. It is priced at $12 to $14 per bottle.

Piper-Heidsieck Cordon Negro makes the exceptional blended Rosé Sauvage as a generous pink nonvintage Champagne. It is a brut (dry) well structured rosé, full-bodied, with a hint of blackberry, pink grapefruit, and blood orange fruits on the palate and mixed mostly from pinot noir wines with some pinot meunier. Current average price is $52 per bottle.

G.H. Mumm Le Rosé is pale pink, crispy, slightly fruity nonvintage bubbly that is splendid at $70 per bottle.

Managing Editor:

Channaly Philipp

Creative Director:

Rob Counts

Director of Marketing:

Jan Jekielek

Director of Audience Development:

Seth Holehouse

Editor: Social Media Editor:

Orysia McCabe Rowena Tsai

Senior Designer:

Luba Pishchik

Photographers:

Samira Bouaou Benjamin Chasteen

Web Designer: Advertising Director:

Luís Fernando Novaes Jimmy Xie

Talk to us: EpochTaste@EpochTimes.com Advertising Inquiries: AdvertiseNow@EpochTimes.com

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#BestAsianNYC Photo Contest Top picks from our Instagram and Twitter campaign to discover the best Asian restaurants in Manhattan (www.BestAsian.nyc)

@TAM_LE | Spot Dessert Bar

@SMALLSIZEME | PhoWheeLs

@TASTESBETTERHERE | Mokbar

This week’s

@FOODIETOOTIE | Well Being Sushi

Winner

@LETTUCEDINE Mokbar

@HOLEHOUSE | Jing Fong

@FOOD.DRUNK | Tito Rad’s

Get social with us!

Men of Epoch Taste Rob Counts and Seth Holehouse took their Jing Fong Peking duck cravings to instagram #BestAsianNYC

#BestAsianNYC Take a photo of you eating Asian food Tweet or Instagram your photo Hashtag #BestAsianNYC Follow @TasteAsiaNYC

WIN $100 worth of dim sum at Jing Fong in Chinatown

Vote on www.BestAsian.nyc for your favorite Asian restaurants in the city from June 1 to 20 and share a photo of you eating Asian food. We’re giving away another $100 gift card for Jing Fong next Friday. Erin from @foodbabynyc will be picking the winner. To enter the contest, you MUST hashtag #BestAsianNYC in your Asian food photo and follow us @TasteAsiaNYC

Natural

@LETTUCEDINE | Dumpling Galaxy @FOODIETOOTIE | Ramen Takumi

has a new flavor

@FOODBABYNYC | The Kunjip

OFFICIAL SOY SAUCE OF

stuff to eat and drink around town JUSTINE DUNGO

COURTESY OF HUNG HUYNH

Our sauces are handcrafted and brewed in Hudson Valley NY. We use water sourced from the pristine Catskill Mountain range for flavor you won’t find elsewhere.

Wan Ja Shan offers a variety of preservative-free, gluten-free, 100 percent naturally brewed, flavorful organic sauces.

“Best Organic Soy Sauce” -Food and Wine Magazine

Chef Leah Cohen.

Chef Hung Huynh.

TOP ALUM CHEFS LEAH COHEN AND HUNG HUYNG HOST JOINT POP-UP Despite what they say about too many cooks in kitchen, sometimes you want to see what happens when you throw chefs together. “Top Chefs” alums Leah Cohen and Hung Huynh are set to collaborate on a pop-up called A Vietnam Voyage.

The five-course dinner goes deeper than commonly known dishes such as pho and highlights the cuisines of five different Vietnamese cities, with each chef presenting two courses and collaborating on dessert.

Expect to see scallops, grilled in the Phu Quoc style, or grilled in the shell, with scallion oil and peanuts; Banh Nam (steamed rice cake with pork

and shrimp); Cha ca Sizzling Cod with dill, turmeric, rice noodles, herbs, and peanuts; Caramel Pork Belly; and the finale: Vietnamese Banana Cake, with coconut ice cream and salted peanut brittle.

Cohen has just returned from a trip from Vietnam, while Vietnamese-American chef Huynh Hung has been hosting pop-up dinners themed on travels. At a recent pop-up at Petaluma, he featured dishes based on the offerings from Marco Polo, like a delicious Pork Belly Porchetta, and Khan Scallion Pancakes with a delicious trio of sides: caramelized cauliflower, miso eggplant, and “silken olive oil”—an impossibly smooth blend of tofu! (to our surprise) and olive oil that we couldn’t get enough of.

Tuesday, June 9. Various dinner seatings, Pig and Khao, 68 Clinton St. Tickets $65 per person plus beverages (specialty cocktails for purchase). Available at tinyurl.com/khatr9u

Find us at Whole Foods and other fine grocery stores.

www.wanjashan.com

A proud sponsor of Simply Ming.

Chef Ming Tsai’s TV series.

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June 5–11, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com COURTESY OF BIG APPLE BBQ

EGG ROLLS & EGG CREAMS FESTIVAL—PLUS EMPANADAS The Lower East Side’s annual block party celebrates Jewish and Chinese culture. This year, it expands to feature the food, music, and folk arts of Puerto Rico.

Enjoy Chinese opera, klezmer, and salsa and plena music; Yiddish, Mandarin, and Spanish lessons; and, of course, egg rolls, egg creams, and empanadas!

stuff to eat and drink around town

Sunday, June 7, noon–4 p.m. Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St. Free event.

EldridgeStreet.org

COURTESY OF BIG APPLE BBQ

KATE MILFORD

TIME FOR THE BIG APPLE BARBECUE BLOCK PARTY Kick off summer with the 13th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, a celebration of the craftsmanship of barbecue, represented by the most talented pitmasters in the country. Each one will bring his signature approach to the tradition of ‘cue. Think of Chris Lilly’s pulled pork sandwich, Mike Mill’s Baby Back Ribs, or Scott Roberts’s Beef Brisket. Representing our hometown ‘cue: Bill Durney (Hometown Bar-B-Que), Jean-Paul Bourgeois (Blue Smoke), Charles Grund Jr. (Hill Country), and John Stage (Dinosaur Bar-B-Que).

Saturday & Sunday, June 13–14, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Madison Square Park. Free admission.

BigAppleBBQ.org COURTESY OF BIG APPLE BBQ

Peking opera performance.

KATE MILFORD

Last year’s Egg Rolls & Egg Creams Festival.

There are the restaurants you go to, and

The Restaurant You Go Back to.

I

n 1944, Pasquale Scognamillo, known to all as Patsy, began serving the food-loving public earthy, authentic Neapolitan cuisine. Today his son Joe, and grandsons Sal and Frank continue the tradition for their regular long-time local guests, out-of-towners and the many

celebrities who consider Patsy’s Italian Restaurant their Manhattan dining room.

Open seven days for lunch and dinner. Also available: pre-fixe luncheon menu noon-3:00pm ($35) and pre-theatre menu 3:00pm-7:00pm ($59).

Patsy’s Italian Restaurant @PatsysItalRest @PatsysItalianRestaurant

236 West 56th Street Our Only (212) 247-3491 Location! www.patsys.com

HART MEDIA

CHEFTOPIA: THE 30TH ANNUAL CHEFS’ TRIBUTE TO CITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS Cheftopia: The 30th Annual Chefs’ Tribute to Citymealson-Wheels honors the founding chefs of Citymeals-onWheels: Larry Forgione and Jonathan Waxman. This year, chefs will create dishes inspired by tomorrow’s food trends. Participating chefs Scott Conant, Bobby Flay, Barbara Lynch, Bill Telepan, Jacques Torres, will be joined by many more.

Monday, June 8, 7.30 p.m, Rockefeller Center.

Tickets $600.

CityMeals.org

Chefs participating in the Chefs’ Tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels.

Umami Seafood Cocktail.

HART MEDIA

LOCAL, SEASONAL, MARKET FRESH FARE

WE WELCOME YOU TO RESTAURANT You will love our warm atmosphere and our expertly prepared menu. We pay the utmost attention to every detail of your visit.

From the hand crafted cocktails and specialty wine list, to our thoughtfully planned, market fresh and in-season dishes.

Every dish, every cocktail is prepared from scratch and every detail is carefully thought out. We are always happy to customize any of your dining requests.

NEW! Chef ’s Seasonal Tasting Menu

JAZZ AGE LAWN PARTY The grandest Jazz Age Lawn Party to date includes a selection of New York’s most talented and picnic-perfect chefs and gourmet food trucks. Golden Age elixirs, like the signature St-Germain Cocktail, will be served along with a variety of elegant daytime tipples.

Sunday, June 13, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Governors Island. Tickets $35–$900.

JazzAgeLawnParty.com

34 East 20th Street Located in Flatiron New York City

CountyNyc.com

(btwn Park and Broadway)

212.677.7771

Compiled by Daksha Devnani Epoch Times Staff

NEW YORK COFFEE WEEK Coffee enthusiasts: here comes the best of New York’s coffee scene. New York Coffee Week is a week of tastings and events at participating coffee shops, roasters, and cafes. This year’s coffee week ends with CoffeeOne, a symposium bringing together world-class vendors and coffee lovers, with coffee, beer, food vendors, music, and a latte art competition. Vendors include Blue Bottle Coffee, Toby’s Estate, and Joe Coffee Company.

Saturday, June 6, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Industry City, 241 37th St., Brooklyn (between Second & Third avenues).

CoffeeWeek.NYC

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June 5–11, 2015 www.EpochTaste.com

El Celler de Can Roca in Spain Named World’s Top Restaurant

By J.M. Hirsch The battle to be the world’s No. 1 restaurant once again felt like a tussle between Spain and Denmark, with Italy caught in the middle.

El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain, got the top spot on the annual The World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced Monday in London, beating Noma, Rene Redzepi’s daringly innovative Danish restaurant, which fell from first to third place. Wedged between them at No. 2 was Modena, Italy’s Osteria Francescana, which had held third place for the past two years.

El Celler, which has been run by brothers Joan (head chef), Jordi (pastry chef) and Josep (sommelier) Roca since 1986, was ranked No. 2 in 2011 and 2012, years when Noma held the No. 1 spot. In 2013, El Celler bested Noma to take first place, but last year the restaurants traded places when Noma retook the top honor.

El Celler—which has three Michelin stars—is known for blending traditional ingredients and innovative cooking techniques.

In addition to El Celler, Spain had six other restaurants on the top 50 list, including Mugaritz in San Sebastián (No. 6), Asador Etxebarri in Atxondo (No. 13), Arzak in San Sebastián (No. 17), Azurmendi in Larrabetzu (No. 19), Quique Dacosta in Denia (No. 39), and

Albert Adria’s Tickets in Barcelona (No. 42).

Noma—which has offered an almost obsessively Nordic menu of locally foraged ingredients since opening on Copenhagen’s waterfront in 2004—holds two Michelin stars and has been credited with igniting a rethinking and resurgence of Scandinavian cuisine. The 45-seat restaurant opened in 2004 and gets thousands of reservation requests a day.

Also on the list from Denmark was Relae in Copenhagen (No. 45). The small, laid-back eatery opened in 2010 by Noma alumni Christian Puglisi and Kim Rossen offers big, bracing flavors packaged in unconventional ingredients, such as a rich risotto made from sunflower seeds.

Osteria Francescana, which has three Michelin stars, has placed in the ranking’s top 10 restaurants since 2010.

Six U.S. restaurants made the list, but only one in the top 10—Daniel Humm’s Eleven Madison Park in New York at No. 5, down from fourth place last year. Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin placed at No. 18, up from 21st; Grant Achatz’s ultra-modernist Alinea in Chicago fell from No. 9 to 26; Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York continued to slide, falling from 30th to 40th (in 2013 it was 11th), and his Yountville, California, restaurant The French Laundry went from No. 44 to No. 50. Dan Bar-

In addition to El Celler, Spain had six other restaurants on the top 50 list.

ber’s farm-based Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, New York, jumped onto the list at No. 49.

Falling off the list was Daniel Boulud’s Daniel in New York, which slid from 40th to 80th on the group’s secondary list (in 2013 it was 29th).

The Top 10 1.

El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain

2.

Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy

3.

Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark

4.

Central in Lima, Peru

5.

Eleven Madison Park in New York City

6.

Mugaritz in San Sebastián, Spain

7.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London

8.

Narisawa in Tokyo

9.

D.O.M. in São Paulo

10. Gaggan in Bangkok The complete list can be found at the website of the ranking’s sponsor, S. Pellegrino: TheWorlds50Best.com From The Associated Press JENS DRESLING/POLFOTO VIA AP, FILE

Openings around town EVAN SUNG

Wine Disciples Opens Wine lovers, this is for you. The Wine Disciples Shop offers about 800 wine selections across different styles and regions, and for every budget.

Next to the shop, Wine Disciples Enoteca offers Italian-inspired cuisine to spotlight wine pairings.

On the menu: small plates like fish crudo and crostini, and heartier fare, including pastas and wood-fired pizzas. The wine list includes 200 bottles, including a rotating 20 by the glass.

Enoteca opened on Tuesday, and the shop will follow soon.

Rock ’n’ Roll on the Upper East Side

Noma, Rene Redzepi’s innovative Danish restaurant, fell from first to third place.

Wine Disciples

129 W. 29th St. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues) Enoteca: 212-239-4199 WineDisciplesEnoteca.com Shop: 212-239-4100 WineDisciples.com

LIZ CLAYMAN

Small plates at Wine Disciples Enoteca.

The sounds of classic American rock come to the Upper East Side with this week’s opening of Wild Horse Tavern, named after the Rolling Stones song.

On the menu you’ll find housemade pastrami in the Reubano sandwich, as well as Spiced Lamb Ribs, a Vietnamese Dip sandwich; and Beer Mussels with double smoked bacon, grain mustard, fine herbs & a Hot Pretzel.

The executive chef is Max Renny (formerly of Fatty Cue and Fatty Crab).

Twelve beers on tap and handcrafted cocktails round out the beverage program.

Wild Horse Tavern

Dining room for Wild Horse Tavern

In the Hamptons: Cocktails, Bocce, and Music at Harbor COURTESY OF HARBOR

Dock your boat (or drive over) and hop on land for a game of bocce or a PingPong match with a cocktail in hand at the newly opened Harbor in Montauk.

To owner and longtime surfer James “Jamo” Willis, Montauk reminded him of his native Australia. He sought to recreate the beachside bars he remembered, and Harbor was born.

“The spirit of Montauk lies in embracing the sea, and we wanted to celebrate that with Harbor fresh local ingredients and fun atmosphere, to be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, any time of day or night. Even dogs are welcome,” Willis said in a press release.

Weekends here mean grill-outs, beach parties, movie screenings, and volleyball games.

On the menu: fresh-caught fish, Shrimp Wood-Fired Pizza, lobster rolls, and craft cocktails.

1629 Second Ave. (between E. 84th and E. 85th streets) 212-300-4132 WildHorseTavern.com

Spring 3-Course Prix-Fixe Dinner Monday - Thursday, 4pm - close, $39

Harbor

440 W. Lake Drive Montauk, NY 11954 631-668-8260 Harbormtk.com

Harbor's Frosty Fruit Cocktail (vodka, raspberries, brown sugar, lemon juice, lavender, and mint).

37 Barrow Street, New York, (212) 255 5416 DuetNy.com

D6 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

The Best Asian NYC Restaurants Contest

Often called a “Turkish bagel,” Simit are softer and lighter on the inside and crunchier on the outside.

Better

Than Bagels We also serve

Salads, Sandwiches, Turkish Tea and Coffee

124 W. 72nd St, New York 111 Worth St, New York 11 Waverly Place, New York 1400 Broadway, New York

4 Convenient Locations!

What are your favorite Asian restaurants in NYC? You can vote online, once a day in each category.

And once you register to vote, you are automatically signed up to win tons of amazing prizes, from round-trip business class plane tickets to Asia to an Apple Watch. The following pages list the restaurants participating in the contest. Vote Today at www.BestAsian.NYC

, 212-496-6605 , 212-374-1224 , 212-784-0657

JAPANESE UPPER EAST SIDE

, 212-398-0098

SIMITANDSMITH.com

Naruto Ramen 1596 3rd Ave. (btw. 89th & 90th streets) 212-289-7803 narutoramenex.com

Restaurant Nippon 155 E. 52nd St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) 212-688-5941 restaurantnippon.com/nippon/index.htm

Mon & Tues 4-8 pm

2 for1

BUILD YOUR OWN BURGER

At Joy Burger Bar, we are all about customizing your burger experience. With 3 burger sizes to choose from and 9 sauces to complement your toppings, you will always get what you want.

Craft Beer 2 Wine 2 Fresh Salads 2 Hand Cut Fries Catch the game on our 40” TVs 1567 Lexington Ave, New York (212) 289-6222 JoyBurgerBar.com

Cherry Restaurant 355 W. 16th St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-929-5800 cherrynyc.com

Iron Sushi 355 E. 78th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-772-7680 ironsushiny.com

Shochu and Tapas - AYA The city’s largest shochu selection meets the best Japanese-Italian fusion tapas.

With a cozy setting, you will find us a great hideaway in the city.

247 E. 50th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-715-0770 aya-nyc.com

Fuji Yama 1466 1st Ave. (btw. 76th & 77th streets) 212-249-2722 | fujiyamanyc.com

UPPER WEST SIDE

Colin Hagendorf, a New York native, sampled every slice of pizza in Manhattan for his blog.

All 375 of them.

Jin Ramen 462 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 82nd & 83rd streets) 646-657-0755 jinramen.com

Yama 308 E. 49th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-355-3370 yamamidtowneast.com

GRAMERCY/ FLATIRON/UNION SQUARE

AS SEEN ON: The Wall Street Journal, Good Day New York, and Daily News.

Izakaya NoMad 13 W. 26th St. (btw. Broadway & 5th Ave.) 212-213-6258 izakayanomad.com

Come and try for yourself.

We are just beside Madison Square Garden. Since 1964.

Pizza Suprema 413 8th Ave,

(off SW corner of 31st St)

New York, NY 10001 (212)594-8939

Awarded

One of the 10

BEST PIZZAS IN NYC

*Slice Harvester 2011, selected for the plain slice.

Follow us

WE MAKE GREAT PIZZA YOU’LL MAKE GREAT FRIENDS We are the most social pizza place around, come hang out with us, we are open every day until 5 am!

FOR MORE THAN 18 YEARS, East Village Pizza & Kebab has been serving the best Italian pizza, fine Italian dishes, remarkable kebabs and falafels in the East Village.

We make 40 different kind of pizza pies, you have to try them all!

145 First Avenue (Corner of east 9th street) New York, NY 10003 DINE IN OR TAKE OUT, WE MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU TO ORDER. Order online at: www.EastVillagePizza.net or call us at 212-529-4545.

Delivery is Fast & Free.

Raku—It’s Japanese II With a serene atmosphere in our restaurant, not only do we provide fresh fish and excellent customer service, we provide a sense of comfort while you dine.

Featured Dishes: Sushi and sashimis, Brussels sprouts 57 W. 76th St. (btw. Central Park West & Columbus Ave.) 212-873-1220 rakuupperwest.com

Morimoto 88 10th Ave. (btw. 15th & 16th streets) 212-989-8883 morimotonyc.com Blue Ginger 106 8th Ave. (btw. 15th & 16th streets) 212-352-0911

WEST VILLAGE

Aburiya Kinnosuke 213 E. 45th St, (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-867-5454 aburiyakinnosuke.com

Pizza Suprema was voted the best. *

CHELSEA

Yakiniku Futago 37 W. 17th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues)

Mei-Jin Ramen 1574 2nd Ave. (btw. 81st & 82nd streets) 212-327-2800

Kouzan 685 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 93rd & 94th streets) 212-280-8099 kouzanny.com

Amber Kips Bay 381 3rd Ave. (btw. 27th & 28th streets) 212-686-6388 ambergroupnyc.com

Asuka Sushi 300 W. 23rd St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-727-0888 asukasushinyc.com

Amura 1567 2nd Ave (btw. 81st & 82nd streets) 212-772-1688 amurasushi.com

HAPPY HOUR

Beer or Wine

212-355-2974 hinataramen.com

Mihoko’s 21 Grams 16 W. 22nd St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-741-0021 mihokos21grams.com Ootoya 8 W. 18th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-255-0018 ootoya.us

HELL’S KITCHEN

Haru Sushi 220 Park Ave. South (btw. 17th & 18th streets) 646-428-0998 harushushi.com

Bamboo 52 Sushi Bar & Lounge 344 W. 52nd St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-315-2777 bamboo52nyc.com

15 East 15 E. 15th St. (btw. S. Union Square & 5th Ave.) 212-647-0015 15eastrestaurant.com

Shimizu Sushi & Shochu Bar Washington Jefferson Hotel 318 W. 51st St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-581-1581 shimizusushiny.com

KIP’S BAY

Mikado Bistro Quality food and great service in a casual setting.

Our lunch specials are quick and very tasty.

525 6th Ave. (btw. 13th & 14th streets) 212-255-9981 mikadonyc.com Saikai Dining Bar 24 Greenwich Ave. (btw. Charles St. & 10th St.) 646-838-5599 saikainyc.com SushiSamba 87 7th Ave. S. (btw. Grove St. & S. 7 Ave.) 212-691-7885 | sushisamba.com Sushi Nakazawa 23 Commerce St. (btw. S. 7th Ave. & Bedford St.) 212-924-2212 | sushinakazawa.com EN Japanese Brasserie 435 Hudson St. (btw. Leroy St. & St. Lukes Pl.) 212-647-9196 | enjb.com

GREENWICH VILLAGE Neta 61 W 8th St. (btw. Avenue of the Americas & Greenwich Ave.) 212-505-2610 netanyc.com

NOHO

MIDTOWN WEST

BondSt 6 Bond St. (btw. Great Jones Alley & Lafayette St.) 212-777-2500 bondstrestaurant.com

Nippori New York 245 W. 51st St. (btw. Broadway & 8th Ave.) 646-964-5332 nipporinewyork.com

EAST VILLAGE

Koi Bryant Park Bryant Park Hotel 40 W. 40th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-921-3330 koirestaurant.com Izakaya MEW 53 W. 35th St., Basement (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 646-368-9384 mewnyc.com

MIDTOWN EAST Hinata 159 E. 55th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues)

Momokawa From Tokyo to New York, recall the taste of authentic Japanese cuisine and hospitality at Momokawa. Nabes (one-pot dishes) are offered alongside kinpira (braised burdock roots and carrots in a soy sauce broth), and homemade sesame tofu.

Featured Dishes: Kaiseki menu, beef sukiyaki, fried chicken 157 E. 28th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) 212-684-7830 momokawanyc.com

Yuba 105 E. 9th St. (btw. Wanamaker Place & 4th Ave.) 212-777-8188 | yubany.com Otafuku 220 E. 9th St. (btw. Stuyvesant St. & 3rd Ave.) 646-998-3438 | otafukuny.com Sobaya 229 E. 9th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-533-6966 | sobaya-nyc.com Cha An Japanese Tea House 230 E. 9th St., 2nd Fl. (btw. Stuyvesant St. & 3rd Ave.) 212-228-8030 chaanteahouse.com

D7 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org Sake Bar Decibel 240 E. 9th St. (btw. Stuyvesant St. & 2nd Ave.) 212-979-2733 | sakebardecibel.com

Luscious Thai 1099 1st Ave. (btw. 60th & 61st streets) 347-774-4198 | lusciousthainyc.com

Cagen 414 E. 9th St. (btw. East 9th St. & Avenue A) 212-358-8800 | www.cagenrestaurant.com

UPPER WEST SIDE Sookk 2686 Broadway (btw. 102nd & 103rd streets) | 212-870-0253

BROOKLYN

MIDTOWN EAST

GREENWICH VILLAGE

Chai Thai 124 N. 6th St. (btw. Bedford Ave. & Berry St.) 718-599-5889 | chai-restaurant.com

Tulsi 211 E 46th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 212-888-0820 tulsinyc.com

Soho Tiffin Junction 42 East 8th St. (btw. Greene St. & University Pl.) 917-514-8409 sohotiffin.com

QUEENS

FLATIRON Minar 5 W. 31st St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-967-2727 minarnyc.com

Senn Thai 452 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 81st & 82nd streets) 212-501-7755 | sennthaicomfortfood.com Lime Leaf 128 W. 72nd St. (btw. Columbus & Amsterdam avenues) 212-501-7800 | limeleafnyc.com SenYa SenYa is your next destination for amazingly fresh and flavorful Japanese fusion cuisine.

109 1st Ave. (btw. 7th & 6th streets) 212-995-5278 | SenYa-hub.com Sushi Dojo 110 1st Ave. (btw. 6th & 7th streets) 646-692-9398 | sushidojonyc.com Souen 326 E. 6th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-388-1155 | souen.net

HELL’S KITCHEN/ MIDTOWN WEST Chai Thai 930 8th Ave. (btw. 55th & 56th streets) 212-707-8778 chaithaikitchen.com

Noodies Thai

Izakaya 326 E. 6th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 917-475-1284 Jewel Bako 239 E. 5th St. (btw. Cooper Sq. & 2nd Ave.) 212-979-1012 | jewelbakosushi.com

Sakamai 157 Ludlow St. (btw. Stanton & Rivington streets) 646-590-0684 | sakamai.com Yopparai 151 Rivington St., 1st Fl. (btw. Clinton & Suffolk streets) 212-777-7253 | yopparainyc.com

Noodies We specialize in contemporary Thai street food. We invite you to experience the art of home-style Thai cooking with a mouthwatering range of surprising ingredients and flavor.

830 9th Ave. (btw. 54th & 55th streets) 646-669-7828 noodiesnyc.com Kare Thai 752 10th Ave. (51st & 52nd streets) 212-765-7800 karethaionten.com

Azasu 49 Clinton St. (btw. Stanton & Rivington streets) 212-777-7069 | azasunyc.com

Jaiya 1553 2nd Ave. (btw. 80th & 81st streets) 212-717-8877 | jaiya.com

Vi{v} Bar & Restaurant Serving Central and Northern Thai cuisine in modern atmosphere.

Featured Dishes: Kanom jean nam ngeow, CM sausage 717 9th Ave. (btw. 48th & 49th streets) 212-581-5999 vivnyc.com

Erawan Thai Cuisine 4231 Bell Blvd. (btw. 42nd & 43rd avenues) Bayside 718-428-2112 | erawanthaibayside.com

TAO Downtown 92 9th Ave. (btw. 16th & 17th streets) 212-888-2724 taodowntown.com

INDIAN UPPER EAST SIDE

ChaamLex 34 Lexington Ave. (btw. 23rd & 24th streets) 212-882-1859 | chaamlexnyc.com Kati Thai Cuisine, Gramercy 347 E. 14th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-533-2046 | katithai.com Asiam Thai Cuisine 259 1st Ave. (btw. W. Stuyvesant Loop & 14th St.) 929-226-1034 | asiamny.com

Anjappar Chettinad 116 Lexington Ave. (btw. 27th & 28th streets) 212-265-3663 www.anjapparusa-hub.com Kailash Parbat 99 Lexington Ave. (btw. 27th & 28th streets) 212-679-4238 kailashparbatny.com

Bombay Duck 190 Bleecker St. (btw. Avenue of the Americas & Downing St.) 212-529-2900 bombayducknyc.com

EAST VILLAGE Spice Cove 326 E. 6th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-674-8884 spicecoveny.com Brick Lane 99 2nd Ave. (btw. 5th & 6th streets) 212-979-2900

Papadam 1448 1st Ave. (btw. 75th & 76th streets) 212-879-6000 | papadaminnyc.com Andaz 1378 1st Ave. (btw. 73rd & 74th streets) 212-288-0288 | andazny.com

UPPER WEST SIDE Hampton Chutney Co. 464 Amsterdam Ave. (btw. 82nd & 83rd streets) | 212-362-5050 hamptonchutney.com

Junoon Junoon, which means “passion,” is a contemporary Indian restaurant serving classic cuisine elevated with a deft touch of modernity.

Featured Dishes: Masaledar lamb chops 27 W. 24th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-490-2100 junoonnyc.com

MEATPACKING DISTRICT

Tue Thai Food 3 Greenwich Ave. (btw. 10th St. & Christopher St.) 212-929-9888 tuethainyc.com

EAST VILLAGE Thai Terminal 349 E. 12th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-614-0155 thaiterminalnyc.com

Siri Thai 641 10th Ave. (btw. 45th & 46th streets) 212-245-4601 sirithainyc.com

Klong 7 St Marks Pl. (btw. Cooper Square & Astor Pl.) 212-505-9955 klongthainyc.com

MIDTOWN EAST

Thailand Cafe 95 2nd Ave. (btw. 5th & 6th streets) 212-477-1872 thailandcafeny.com

TAO Uptown 42 E. 58th St. (btw. Madison & Park avenues) 212-888-2288 taorestaurant.com

The Nuaa Serving in modern style but traditional in taste, Chef Pitipong Bowornneeranart brings his vast experience and heritage from Bangkok to New York.

Featured dish: Purple blossom dumpling, short ribs massaman curry 1122 1st Ave. (btw. 61st & 62nd streets) 212-888-2899 | thenuaa.com

Rin Thai Cuisine 265 W. 23rd St. (btw. 7th & 8th avenues) 212-675-2988 orderrinthainyc.com

Kin Shop 469 6th Ave. (btw. 11th & 12th streets) 212-675-4295 kinshopnyc.com

BROOKLYN

Andaman Thai Bistro 1843 1st Ave. (btw. East 95th & 96th streets) 212-722-5671 | andamanbistro.com

Songkran 330 8th Ave. (btw. 26th & 27th streets) 212-239-8792 songkrankitchennyc.com

Leng Thai Always fresh, always authentic ingredients sourced directly from Thailand. Try our spicy challenge!

33-09 Broadway Astoria | 718-956-7117 | lengthai.com

Bombay Sandwich Co. 48 W. 27th St. (btw. 6th Ave. & Broadway) 646-781-9756 bombaysandwichco.com

Mirch Masala 95 Macdougal St. (Bleecker St. & Minetta Lane) 212-777-2888 masalamac.com

WEST VILLAGE

Brushstroke 30 Hudson St. (btw. Duane & Reade streets) 212-791-3771 davidbouley.com/brushstroke-main

THAI UPPER EAST SIDE

Chennai Garden by Tiffin Wallah 127 E. 28th St. (btw. S. Park & Lexington avenues) 212-685-7301 tiffindelivery.us

Bangkok Bar NYC 52 Gansevoort St. (btw. Greenwich & Washington streets) 917-244-7158 | bangkokbarnyc.com

TRIBECA

Cherry Izakaya 138 N. 8th St., Williamsburg 347-889-6300 | cherryizakaya.com

CHELSEA

GRAMERCY/FLATIRON/ UNION SQUARE

Sobakoh 309 E. 5th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-254-2244 | sobakoh-nyc.com

LOWER EAST SIDE

Ruay Thai Restaurant Ruay Thai is well-known in Midtown for offering delicious and authentic Thai food for lunch and dinner.

Featured Dishes: Pad thai and pad see yew 625 2nd Ave. (btw. 34th & 35th streets) 212-545-7829 ruaythai.com

Thelewala 112 Macdougal St. (btw. 3rd & Bleecker streets) 212-614-9100 thelewalany.com

Over

50 Authentic

Spanish Tapas Endless combinations of flavors to share, or indulge on your own.

Come in and Pick Your Favorites Tonight!

Purple Ginger 507 E. 6th St. (btw. Avenue B & Avenue A) 212-228-9688 purplegingernyc.com

Sachi Asian Bistro Sachi is a completely new kind of Asian bistro, offering fun and inventive interpretations of authentic Asian cuisine with a menu created by Pichet Ong and Andy Yang.

Featured Dish: Oink Oink Oink Fried Rice 713 2nd Ave. (btw. 38th & 39th streets) | 929-256-5167 | sachinyc.com

Meson Sevilla Restaurant

344 WEST 46TH ST. (BET 8TH & 9TH AVE.) • MESONSEVILLA.COM • 212-262-5890

D8 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

LOWER EAST SIDE The Masalawala 179 Essex St. (btw. Houston St. & Avenue A) 212-358-9300 | themasalawala.com

TRIBECA Tamarind Tribeca 99 Hudson St. (btw. Franklin & Leonard streets) 212-775-9000 tamarindrestaurantsnyc.com

Shanghai Pavilion 1378 3rd Ave. (btw. 78th & 79th streets) 212-585-3388 | shanghaipavillion.com Pig Heaven 1420 3rd Ave. (btw. 80th & 81st streets) 212-744-4333 | pigheavennyc.com

HARLEM

The Handpulled Noodle 3600 Broadway (btw. 148th & 149th streets) facebook.com/thehandpullednoodle

MIDTOWN WEST

Tandoor Palace 88 Fulton St. (btw. Gold & William streets) 212-349-7643 | tandoorpalacetogo.com

Joe’s Shanghai 24 W. 56th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-333-3868 joeshanghairestaurants.com

Diwanekhaas 53 Nassau St. (btw. John St. & Maiden Lane) 212-571-7676 | diwanekhaas.com Bombay’s Indian Restaurant 60 Pearl St. (at Coenties Slip) 212-742-2222 | bombaysnyc.com

QUEENS Jackson Diner 37-47 74th St. (btw. Roosevelt & 37th avenues) Flushing | 718-672-1232

CHINESE UPPER EAST SIDE

TAO Downtown 92 9th Ave. (btw. 16th & 17th streets) 212-888-2724 | taodowntown.com Legend Bar and Restaurant 88 7th Ave. (btw. 15th & 16th streets) 212-929-1778 | legendbarrestaurant.com Buddakan 75 9th Ave. (btw. W. 15th & W. 16th streets) 212-989-6699 | buddakannyc.com

WEST VILLAGE

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Ruchi 120 Cedar St. (btw. Greenwich St. & Trinity Pl.) 212-227-8454 | ruchiindiancuisine.com

CHELSEA

Taste of Northern China 88 E. Broadway, Suite 106 (btw. East Broadway & Forsyth St.) 917-302-8831

21 Shanghai House 21 Division St. (btw. Catherine & Market streets) 917-882-6266 21shanghaihouse.com

Tea and Milk 32-02 34th Ave. Astoria 917-498-0618

KOREAN

MIDTOWN EAST

Korilla Food Truck korillabbq.com

Hunan Manor 339 Lexington Ave. (btw. 39th & 40th streets) 212-682-2883 | hunanmanorny.com Cafe China 13 E. 37th St. (btw. 5th & Madison avenues) 212-213-2810 cafechinanyc.com

Niu Noodle House High quality dim sum is much closer than you think. Located in the heart of the West Village, Niu Noodle House offers authentic dim sum without the hassle of traveling all the way down to Chinatown.

Featured Dish: Pork soup dumplings 15 Greenwich Ave. (btw. 10th & Christopher streets) 212-488-9888 | niunoodleny.com

GREENWICH VILLAGE

HELL’S KITCHEN/ MIDTOWN WEST Danji 346 W. 52nd St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-586-2880 danjinyc.com Bann Restaurant 350 W. 50th St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-582-4446 bannrestaurant.com Goggan 364 W. 46th St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-315-2969 gogganrestaurant.com Cho Dang Gol 55 W. 35th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-695-8222 cdgnyc.com

Cafe Evergreen Specializing in Cantonese style Chinese food and Dim Sum. Dim Sum brunch 11am – 3pm Sat. & Sun. Corporate catering welcome. | 1367 1st Ave. (btw. 73rd & 74th streets) 212-744-3266 | cafeevergreenchinese.com

by residents and businesses in lower east manhattan

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Remedy Diner Open 24 Hours 245 East Houston Street New York (212) 677-5110 RemedyDinerNyc.com

$10 Beer & Burger Monday to Friday Special 3-7pm.

CASTILIAN SPANISH CUISINE at el Pote

Hearty, Wholesome Food from Old Spain

Chef’s Favorites Sweet Sangria

Uncle Ted’s Experience dining in our beautiful, contemporary Chinese restaurant. Owner Ted Chang offers a modern approach to the rich traditions of Chinese cooking. Uncle Ted’s cooks with authentic seasonings and flavorful, natural ingredients.

163 Bleecker St. (btw. Thompson & Sullivan streets) 212-777-1395 uncletedsnyc.com

EAST VILLAGE Han Dynasty 90 3rd Ave. (btw. 12th & 13th streets) 212-390-8685 handynasty.net The Bao 13 St. Marks Pl. (btw. Cooper Square & Astor Pl.) 212-388-9238 Thirstea 280 E. 10th St. (btw. 1st Ave. & Avenue A) 212-260-0436 facebook.com/thirsteacafenyc

BROOKLYN

MEATPACKING DISTRICT Mokbar Chelsea Market 75 9th Ave. (btw. 15th & 16th streets) 646-964-5963 mokbar.com

EAST VILLAGE Prime & Beyond NY 90 E. 10th St. (at 3rd Ave.) 212-505-0033 primeandbeyond.com K’ook 324 E. 6th St. (btw. 1st & 2nd avenues) 212-254-0300 kooknyc.com

Arang 161-16 Northern Blvd.

Flushing 718-463-3900 arangnyc.com

Hell’s Chicken Hell’s Chicken serves up addictive Korean fried chicken in Hell’s Kitchen at a sleek, industrial setting.

Featured Dishes: Korean fried chicken 641 10th Ave. (btw. 45th & 46th streets) 212-757-1120 hellschickennyc.com

MIDTOWN EAST Hangawi 12 E. 32nd St. (btw. 5th & Madison avenues) 212-213-0077 hangawinyc.com Take31 15 E. 31st St., 1st Fl. (btw. 5th Ave. & Broadway) 646-398-9990 mytake31.com

LOWER EAST SIDE

Fresh Lobster Bisque

Congee Village 100 Allen St. (btw. Delancey and Broome streets) 212-941-1818 congeevillagerestaurants.com

GRAMERCY/FLATIRON/ UNION SQUARE

TRIBECA

Hanjan 36 W. 26th St. (btw. 6th Ave. & Broadway) 212-206-7226 hanjan26.com

Macao Trading Company 311 Church St. (btw. Walker & Lispenard streets) 212-431-8642 macaonyc.com

KOREATOWN

718 2nd Ave @ 38th St. www.elPote.com 212.889.6680

Laut At Laut, we’ll navigate your palates through an adventurous journey of flavors. Our menu ranges from local favorites, street foods, different curries, spicy & sour broths, satays, noodles, bread (roti), and rice dishes.

15 E. 17th St. (btw. W. Union Sq. & Broadway) 212-206-8989 | lautnyc.com

Pasar Malam Pasar Malam, the restaurant, which means “night market� in Malaysian, serves traditional Malaysian and other Southeast Asian specialties in an open and vibrant space on Grand Street.

Featured Dishes: Malaysian food and roti station 208 Grand St. (btw. Bedford & Driggs avenues) Williamsburg 929-267-4404 | pasarmalamny.com

QUEENS

Rich Paella Valenciana

Juicy Lamb Chops

Soju Haus Soju Haus serves real Korean food that works well with soju and any traditional Korean liquor. Soju Haus would like to spread Korean culture in New York City, which is by far the most influential trendsetter in the food/culture industry.

315 5th Ave., 2nd Fl. (btw. 31st & 32nd streets) 212-213-2177 sojuhaus.com

Korilla 23 3rd Ave. (btw. Stuyvesant & Great Jones streets) 646-823-9423 korillabbq.com

We are proud to have been voted

BEST DINER IN NYC

UNION SQUARE

Jing Fong 20 Elizabeth St. (btw. Canal & Bayard streets) 212-964-5256 jingfongny.com

QUEENS

Szechuan Gourmet 21 W 39th St. (btw. 5th & 6th avenues) 212-921-0233 szechuan-gourmet.com

TAO Uptown 42 E. 58th St. (btw. Madison & Park avenues) 212-888-2288 | taorestaurant.com

Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong 1 E. 32nd St. (btw. 5th & Madison avenues) 212-966-9839 baekjeongnyc.com

CHINATOWN

The Kunjip 32 W. 32nd St. (btw. Broadway & 5th Ave.) 212-216-9487 kunjip.net

Joe’s Shanghai 9 Pell St. (off Bowery) 212-233-8888 joeshanghairestaurants.com

BCD Tofu House 5 W. 32nd St. (btw. Broadway & 5th Ave.) 212-967-1900 bcdtofu.com

VIETNAMESE UPPER WEST SIDE

MALAYSIAN

BONMi 150 W. 62nd St. (btw. Amsterdam & Columbus avenues) 646-346-5142 | eatbonmi.com

WEST VILLAGE

MIDTOWN WEST

Fatty Crab 643 Hudson St. (btw. Gansevoort & Horatio streets) 212-352-3592 fattycrabnyc.com

Obao 647 9th Ave. (btw. 45th & 46th streets) 212-245-8880 | obaony.com

MIDTOWN EAST

EAST VILLAGE Love Mamak 174 2nd Ave. (btw. 11th & 12th streets) 212-254-5370 lovemamak.com

LITTLE ITALY Nyonya 199 Grand St. (btw. Mulberry & Mott streets) 212-334-3669 ilovenyonya.com

BATTERY PARK

Le Colonial French Vietnamese Colonial fresh culinary delight.

Featured Dish: Ca hap—steamed snapper 149 E. 57th St. (btw. Lexington & 3rd avenues) 212-752-0808 lecolonialnyc.com

Malaysian Kitchen USA Authentic, exotic, and tasty.

Featured Dish: Hainanese chicken 21 South End Ave. (btw. W. Thames St. and the Esplanade) | 212-786-1888 www.MalaysiaKitchenUSA.com

D9 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

GREENWICH VILLAGE

LOWER EAST SIDE

QUEENS

Saigon Shack 114 Macdougal St. (btw. Bleecker St. & 3rd St.) 212-228-0588 | saigonshack.squarespace.com

Kottu House 250 Broome St. (btw. Orchard & Ludlow streets) 646-781-9222 kottuhouse.com

Tea and Milk 32-02 34th Ave. Astoria 917-498-0618

EAST VILLAGE

QUEENS

V-Nam Cafe 20 1st Ave. (btw. 1st and 2nd streets) 212-780-6020 | vnamcafe.com

Spicy Lanka 159-23 Hillside Ave. Jamaica 718-487-4499

Spicy Lanka 159-23 Hillside Ave. Jamaica 718-487-4499

LOWER EAST SIDE

STATEN ISLAND

An Choi 85 Orchard St. (btw. Grand & Broome streets) 212-226-3700 | anchoinyc.com

San Rasa 19 Corson Ave. 718-420-0027 sanrasa.com

BROOKLYN

New Asha Sri Lanka Restaurant 322 Victory Blvd.

718-420-0649

UNION SQUARE

Ceylon Curry 324 Victory Blvd.

347-466-5338 ceyloncurry.net

Beyond Sushi 229 E. 14th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 646-861-2889 beyondsushi.com

Lakruwana 668 Bay St. 347-857-6619 lakruwana.com

WEST VILLAGE

Hanco’s 134 Smith St. (btw. Dean & Bergen streets) Boerum Hill | 718-858-6818 | hancosny.com

QUEENS Tea and Milk, Astoria 32-02 34th Ave. Astoria | 917-498-0618

ASIAN FUSION MEATPACKING DISTRICT Mokbar Chelsea Market 75 9th Ave. (btw. 15th & 16th streets) 646-964-5963 mokbar.com

SOUTHEAST ASIAN GREENWICH VILLAGE

SRI LANKAN CHELSEA

Rasa 25 W. 8th St. (btw. 5th Ave. & MacDougal St.) 212-254-1888 rasanyc.com Saigon Shack 114 Macdougal St. (btw. Bleecker St. & 3rd St.) 212-228-0588 saigonshack.squarespace.com

Banana Leaf From the moment a guest enters Banana Leaf, an atmosphere rich in Sri Lankan style and hospitality welcomes.

227 W. 28th St. (btw. 7th & 8th avenues) 212-494-0000 | bananaleafnewyork.com

EAST VILLAGE

Sigiri Sigiri We are one of the oldest and most authentic Sri Lankan restaurants in New York City. At Sigiri, you can taste a vast selection of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, the way it’s meant to be cooked with a variety of herbs and spices unique to Sri Lanka.

91 1st Ave. (btw. E. 5th & E. 6th streets) 212-614-9333 | sigirinyc.com

C Bao Asian Buns Asian fusion, baos, Taiwanese food, Chinese food Favorite Dishes: Braised pork rice, pork belly bao 108 W. 14th St. (btw. 6th & 7th avenues) 212-206-8388 cbaoasianbuns.com

TOSHIO SUZUKI, SUSHI ZEN

108 West 44th Street, New York | (212) 302-0707

Love Mamak 174 2nd Ave. (btw. 11th & 12th streets) 212-254-5370 | lovemamak.com

TRIBECA Macao Trading Company 311 Church St. (btw. Walker & Lispenard streets) 212-431-8642 | macaonyc.com

LITTLE ITALY Nyonya 199 Grand St. (btw. Mulberry & Mott streets) 212-334-3669 ilovenyonya.com Aux Epices 121 Baxter St. (btw. Canal & Hester streets) 212-274-8585 | auxepices.com

FINANCIAL DISTRICT Reserve Cut 40 Broad St., 2nd Fl. (btw. Beaver St. & Exchange Pl.) 212-747-0300 reservecut.com

Cup & Cup 15 E. 31st St. (btw. 5th & Madison avenues) 646-398-9990

CHELSEA Cherry Restaurant 355 W. 16th St. (btw. 8th & 9th avenues) 212-929-5800 cherrynyc.com

UNION SQUARE Beyond Sushi 229 E. 14th St. (btw. 2nd & 3rd avenues) 646-861-2889 | beyondsushi.com

WEST VILLAGE Perry Street 176 Perry St. (btw. West & Washington streets) 212-352-1900 | perrystrestaurant.com

EAST VILLAGE Thirstea 280 E. 10th St. (btw. 1st Ave. & Avenue A) 212-260-0436 facebook.com/thirsteacafenyc

SOHO Rouge et Blanc 48 Macdougal St. (btw. W. Houston & Prince streets) 212-260-5757 | rougeetblancnyc.com

LITTLE ITALY Aux Epices 121 Baxter St. (btw. Canal & Hester streets) 212-274-8585 | auxepices.com

SMORGASBURG Bamboo Bites Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 5 805-699-6531 | bamboobites.com

BROOKLYN Cherry Izakaya 138 N. 8th St., Williamsburg 347-889-6300 | cherryizakaya.com

Bep Simple Cafe 346 Bedford Ave. Williamsburg 718-218-7067 beprestaurant.blogspot.com

THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF QUALITY, AND DISCIPLINE TO TRADITION

EAST VILLAGE

ASIAN INSPIRED MIDTOWN EAST

BROOKLYN

Burma Noodle Bar Burma’s culinary culture is vibrant, complex and soulful. Burma Noodle Bar brings Burmese food to you through our weekly pop-ups, catering, and our brick and mortar shop.

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SushiSamba 87 7th Ave. S. (btw. Grove St. & S. 7 Ave.) 212-691-7885 sushisamba.com

Spice Market With each new dish, patrons are transported to JeanGeorges Vongerichten’s piquant elevations of the Southeast Asia’s street cuisine served in a casual, sexy environment.

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D10 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

(Clockwise from L) Eggplant Chennai Roast, Kochi Goat Curry, Chicken Kottumali, Keerai Masiyal (spinach, lentils, and coconut), and Kerala Parotta.

Southern Miyazaki Super Prime Wagyu Beef $120.00

Authentic Japanese food served with a touch of class

W

hen you taste the Japanese food at Momokawa you will know it is the real thing. Each single ingredient and each tiny detail ensures the most authentic experience. Momakawa—A genuine taste of Japan!

Small Course

(service for two or more) eti er kin s of ashimi hoi e of ukiyaki or ha u ha u aut meals ooke at the ta le $45/per person

Awabi Shabu-shabu

tra itional a anese a eti ers kin s of ashimi rille ish an a simmere ish essert $60/per person

Sake and Wine

Momokawa serves some of the finest quality sake and wine, paired especially for the dishes. Try our seasonal sake (draft), premium sake, all season sake (hot or cold) as well as

Chef Hemant Mathur takes on the cuisine of Kerala Kokum continued from D1

Momokawa Prix Fixe Menu

essert

Exposure

Ask about our sake tastings.

white or red wines.

Momokawa 157 East 28th Street | (212) 684-7830 momokawanyc.com — ALSO AVAIL ABLE: DAILY LUNCH SPECIALS (12 P.M.-4 P.M.) —

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Kokum offers dishes from both the north and south of India, but if the walls are a hint, the festive depictions of the boats that ply the backwaters of Kerala, at the southwestern tip of India would suggest letting your tastebuds take a turn south.

The executive chef is Michelin-starred Hemant Mathur, who for about half a year now has been at the helm of several restaurants in the Fine Indian Dining restaurant groups: Chola, Dhaba, Haldi, Malai Marke, Chote Nawab, and Kokum. One by one he is revamping the menus at each of them.

I had eaten at Haldi, a few doors down, and was thoroughly impressed with Mathur’s work on the Calcutta dishes, adding, taking away dishes, or reworking and fine tuning them until he struck just the right balance.

At Kokum, he devotes part of the menu to the cuisine of Kerala—which, I found out later, means “land of coconut trees.” No wonder.

The state produced 4,886 million coconuts in 2014–2015, according to a survey by the Indian Coconut Development Board.

If coconuts evoke only cloyingly sweet macaroons for you, you’re in for a surprise at Kokum. The flavors touched by coconut

Kokum

106 Lexington Ave. (between 27th and 28th streets) 212-684-6842 KokumNYC.com Hours Monday–Friday noon–11 p.m.

Saturday & Sunday noon–10 p.m.

!

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Chef Hemant Mathur.

are nothing like that.

And there are also fresh curry leaves, characteristic of the cuisine of Kerala. These are not related to curry powder despite the name.

They’re never the main note in a dish, but their aroma, released after being tempered in oil, is something citrusy, something pungent and an essential supporting player in the dishes.

In Indian cuisine, the magic happens twice.

Once in the initial blending of the spices (which are often heated to release flavors first), and then toward the end, when spices are once again heated in hot oil to release their fragrance and flavor, and added to the dish for not only a layer of complexity but sometimes to also bring forward—like a stronger echo—of some of the spices that were used earlier.

What to Eat To start, try the Shrimp Kokum ($12.95). The shrimp is marinated in kokum juice, sautéed, and then covered in fried slivers of shallots and ginger, which made it all the more difficult to practice self-restraint. It packed a nice amount of spiciness too.

On a completely different flavor spectrum, and if you’re looking for something much milder, try the Thair Vada, a lentil dumpling basically dunked in a cold yogurt soup, with curry leaves ($6.95). There’s an at once comforting and refreshing quality to it—a touch of tangy, a touch of sweet, and overall mushy (in a good way). I was convinced it had the qualities of comfort food for someone from Kerala. If you’re looking for bold flavors, there are plenty other dishes to order.

Aesthetically a number of dishes have a roundness to them: there’s the bowl-like hopper I mentioned earlier, meant to be broken into pieces to sop up curries.

But also string hoppers, or idiyappam. Made of rice strands, these little disks are also round in shape, and meant to be eaten with either a vegetable or chicken stew ($11.95). I had the chicken stew—as simple as it sounds, with bits of chicken, carrots, and potatoes, being carried in a light green coconut milk broth, it was delicious.

There’s of course dosas, those large, round thin crepes made of a fermented rice and lentil flours, formed in a round shape and filled with all manners of savory fillings like spicy potato masala, and served with different chutneys.

And then I also noticed some round Kerala Parotta, basically a delicious flat bread with the dough made of spiraling layers.

Some of the flavors were completely new to me and revelatory: Chicken Kottumali for example, a curry made of coconut and fresh coriander, which gave the dish a fresh, herbal quality—though its alchemy with the coconut

D11 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org The Madurai Podi Masala Dosa, with a filling of spiced potatoes.

Contemporary Thai street food

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The addictive Shrimp Kokum, shrimp marinated in kokum juice, topped with fried shallots and ginger.

INTRODUCING

Lotus THE

ROOM

Welcome to the new Lotus Room at Tamarind TriBeCa, a celebration of India’s national flower, prized for its serene, natural beauty and colorful, fragrant petals.

Tamarind’s award-winning chef team has created a new menu featuring several dishes that contains delicate lotus root.

Come in to enjoy lunch and tea served daily from 11:30 AM until 5 PM.

TA M A R I N DR E STAU R A N TSN YC .C OM 99 HUDSON STR EET @ FR A NK LIN T EL . 212 - 775 -90 0 0

and other spices tasted nothing like a coriander leaf ($14.95).

When I say curry, of course, that’s a loose, imprecise term for anything vaguely soupy or stewy.

The Keera Masiyal ($13.95), made with fresh spinach with lentils, was delightful—a combination that I’d never expect but that I’d get again.

The Fish Polichattu, tilapia roasted in a plantain leaf, was at once spicy, with a hint of bitter pungency, and was addictive ($16.95–$17.95).

The Eggplant Chennai Roast is sautéed masterfully: somehow the skin is crispy, smoke, while the inside flesh is soft ($14.95). All the while it makes the tastebuds tingle with heat.

Coconuts, or rather, Kokum, I mean, provides delicious fare from lush, tropical Kerala. Mathur’s low-key restaurant is definitely worth checking out.

If coconuts evoke only cloyingly sweet macaroons for you, you’re in for a surprise at Kokum.

Katsu & Sake

Signature dishes you won’t find in other Japanese restaurants

Discover the Hidden Gem in K-Town The most special dish, reserved for special occasions across Japan. Try this amazing Pork Katsu at HanaMichi. Our unique preparation not only highlights pork, but also chicken, beef and vegetables! A dish worth gathering for!

Pork Katsu

Tonkatsu Ramen

“This is one of my favorite spots in K-town” – Zagat28 W 32nd Street, New York, NY 10001

212.736.5393 24 Hours Open www.hanamichinyc.com

Kochi Goat Curry, curried goat on the bone with curry leaves.

D12 June 5–11, 2015 www.TasteAsia.org

thai

ALL PHOTOS BY SAMIRA BOUAOU/EPOCH TIMES

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Kirby Tan, owner of Malaysia Kitchen USA (L), shows CiCi how to make satay.

Sate Your Hunger With a Grilling Recipe for Satay

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By CiCi Li

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鍔銗文人墨厢的 čŠŠćƒ…é›…ć„? ( äşŒć¨“ )

In New York City, there are many Muslim street food carts that sell halal cuisine. At the same time, across the globe in Southeast Asia, a variety of Muslim street food carts also cater to the hungry with halal dishes. And one of the most popular of these is satay.

Satay is a skewered and grilled meat dish.

It may consist of a variety of meats—sliced chicken, turkey, goat, lamb, mutton, beef, for example. It’s colorful, too. Turmeric is an absolute must in a satay marinade, giving the dish its characteristic yellow hue.

Recently, Kirby Tan, the owner of Malaysia Kitchen USA, invited me to his kitchen and to try his chicken satay. “One must enjoy what one does and I love this,� said Tan when I asked why he opened a Malaysian restaurant in New York City.

Malaysia Kitchen USA is as ideally located as its food is splendid—the restaurant over-

looks the Hudson River as the Statue of Liberty gazes on. Look far and wide but you won’t find a more romantic place to dine Malaysian—or any other cuisines for that matter—in New York.

As for the recipe, Tan marinates the chicken for two hours, which makes it very tasty. Just one small bite and you’ll get a party in your mouth—full of flavors from ginger, garlic, and onion. Dip into the peanut sauce for more sweetness.

Tan has got a winner with this recipe. I think it very well may be a new favorite for both the halal and non-halal foodie, It could just be your new favorite dish. Fire up your grill and let me know how it goes for you.

Happy cooking and eating!

CiCi Li is the host of “CiCi’s Food Paradise� on NTD Television. She’s also a food columnist and chef in training. Join her on her adventure and discover the endless wonders of “Food Paradise� at CiCiLi.tv

ĺ“ ĺ‘łćœ?鎎王ćœ?çš„ 瞎味佳餚(三樓)

Experience Firsthand the Romantic Life of Korean Dynasty South Korea’s top chef, Sunkyu Lee, cooks authentic Korean Royal Court Cuisine Totally different and distinctive cuisines and interior designs on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors.

RECIPE KIRBY TAN’S CHARRED CHICKEN SATAY Preparation Time: 90 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Serves: 4

• 1 tablespoon lime juice

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CHICKEN MARINADE

• 24 bamboo skewers • 2 chicken breasts, about 1 pound, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

DIRECTIONS FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 teaspoon minced ginger • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 2 teaspoons minced onion • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

10 W 32 St, New York, NY 10001 www.misskoreabbq.com Open 24 Hours

• 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce

Whisk together ginger, garlic, onion, curry powder, turmeric powder, salt, sugar, and oil. Marinate the chicken for about 2 hours.

INGREDIENTS

212-594-4963

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

Mix peanut butter, coconut milk, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, and lime juice in a small pan. Whisk until smooth (about 2 minutes) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let cool, cover and chill.

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

COOKING THE CHICKEN

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoon peanut butter

Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the marinade.

Place 4 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.

Lightly oil grill grates. Put the skewers on the grill and cook 3 minutes on each side until the chicken is cooked through and no longer has a pink hue. Serve with sauce.

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Adapted from the original recipe

• 1 teaspoon sugar • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Peanut Sauce