1. Gyu-Kaku (Multiple Locations)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
It is a Japanese barbecue restaurant. I have tried a few Korean barbeque places, Gyu-Kaku is the best Asian barbecue. For anyone not familiar with the concept, you sit at a table with a grill in the middle. The servers will bring raw meat to your table and you cook your meat on the grill. If you have a large party, the Meat Lover combo for 6 people at $220 is the best deal. The meats at Gyu-Kaku are perfectly marinated. I also recommend the chicken garlic noodle as a side and the mochi ice cream for dessert.
2. Carmine’s (Multiple Locations)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.carminesnyc.com/
Carmine’s is a family style Italian restaurant. I have only been to the one in Times Square. Dinner can be a long wait as it is a popular dining spot for the Broadway theater crowd. However, you can definitely beat the crowd if you get there early around 5 PM for dinner or go for lunch. My favorite appetizer is the stuffed mushrooms with Italian sausage and hot pepper filling. Carmine’s definitely has the best stuffed mushrooms I have tasted anywhere. For entrees, I love the penne ala vodka and chicken scaloppine with lemon and butter.
3. Ichi Umi (6 East 32nd ST, New York, NY)
Yelp Rating: 3 ½ Stars
Website: http://www.ichiumi.com/
When I have a sushi craving, I hit up Ichi Umi as they have over 20 types of sushi. Besides the sushi, it also has a ramen and udon noodle bar, dumplings, a grill, and hot food. For dinner, it also has a crepes station and ice cream that includes green tea, mango, and red bean. I went to dinner early the last time I went and it had half lobsters included for dinner. It is also reasonably price at $24.95 for lunch and $34.95 for dinner.
4. Pio Pio (Multiple Locations)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.piopio.com/
I have been to the Pio Pio locations in Murray Hill, Manhattan and Jackson Heights, Queens. The Matador combo is the best deal at $36. It includes s rotisserie chicken served with rice, beans, tostones, salchipapa & avocado salad. The chicken is the best entrée at Pio Pio. The avocado salad is excellent and salchipapa is French fries and hot dogs. The portions are large and they more than fed my two friends and me. Pio Pio has an amazing green sauce. I love the green sauce at Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine but Pio Pio’s sauce is better.
5. Ariana Afghan Kebab Restaurant (787 9th Ave New York, NY 10019)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.ariananyc.com/
Ariana has the best chicken and rice dish and it is not even close in my opinion. I have yet to try another entrée here. If it is not broke, do not fix it. Make sure you have a bottle of its delicious white sauce before you start eating.
6. Momofuku Ssam Bar (207 2nd Ave New York, NY 10003)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://momofuku.com/new-york/ssam-bar/
I tried this restaurant as part of a team dinner at work. Everything was very good. The Momofuku Bo Ssam Lacquered Pork in Lettuce Leaves dish is something I still drool over when I think about it. The pork is so tender that you do not need a knife to cut it. You just take tongs and pull pieces of it off to put in lettuce leaves. They have multiple sauces you can put on it. The ginger sauce is amazing and my favorite.
7. L&B Spumoni Gardens (2725 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11223)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.spumonigardens.com/
I have almost lived in Brooklyn for two years now. L&B is my favorite restaurant in the borough. It is broken up into 4 areas: the main restaurant, takeout window with seating outside, spumoni and Italian ices, and pizza. The penne alla vodka, chicken entrees, and sandwiches are excellent. However, the best part of L&B is the spumonis and Italian ices. They are the best I have tried anywhere. It is a great place to bring your family.
8. Spice Market (West Village, Meatpacking District)
Yelp Rating: 3 ½ Stars
Website: http://spicemarketnewyork.com/
It is an Asian Fusion/ Thai restaurant. I tried this restaurant during Restaurant Week. I loved it so much that I went back three days later. Its pork dishes are out of this world good. The pork belly steamed buns appetizer and pork vindaloo are dishes you dream about in your sleep. I tried the skate wing entrée my second time at Spice Market. While it was good, I was thinking about the pork I could have been eating.
9. Café Mogador (101 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: www.cafemogador.com/
This café is great for Moroccan and Mediterranean food. I brought a group of my friends here and everyone enjoyed their food. For appetizers, the hummus and falafel are great. My lamb entrée was excellent. You can choose different sauces for the entree and the apricot sauce I chose was great.
10. Katz’s Delicatessen (205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002)
Yelp: 3 ½ Stars
Website: katzsdelicatessen.com/
It is the best spot in New York for pastrami. The corned beef hash is also very good. You get a ticket on the way in, get stamps on the ticket for food you order, and present your ticket to the cashier on the way out to pay. However, it is cash only. Moreover, it is a popular deli so you may run into a large crowd or a tourist group.
11. Hill Country Barbecue Market (30 W 26th St New York, NY 10010)
Yelp: 3 ½ Stars
Website: http://www.hillcountryny.com/
Hill Country is an excellent barbecue restaurant in New York. It is not a standard restaurant. Similar to Katz’s Deli, you get a card when you enter and pay on your way out. There are stations with different food and you will get stamps on your card for the food you get from each station. The moist brisket is the featured item and it is definitely amazing. I have only been disappointed by the brisket once and I attribute it to a bad night. The Kreuz sausage is also exceptional. In addition, the sides are very good. My favorite side is the green bean casserole with durkee onions. As for dessert, the pecan pie is out of this world so make sure to save room for it at the end.
12. Bon Chon (Multiple Locations)
Yelp Rating: 3 ½ Stars
Website: http://www.bonchon.com/
Bon Chon features Korean fried chicken. The wings are among the best I have ever had. I get the Soy Garlic sauce on them. The other sauce is hot.
13. Empanada Mama (763 9th Ave, Manhattan, NY 10019)
Yelp Rating: 4 Stars
Website: http://www.empmamanyc.com/
It has a lot of different empanadas and all the ones I have tried are great. I really enjoy all of their breakfast empanadas with eggs. The shredded beef and other meat empanadas are also very good. If you like your empanadas fried, get the corn flour ones. You can also finish your meal with dessert empanadas.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.