I just got back from a partially work-sponsored trip to the Big Apple. Too bad the first day I was there was also the COLDEST DAY OF THE YEAR. Yes, dear friends, it was actually -7 degrees as I walked the streets, doing my silly little tourist thing. I'm not sure I have ever been that cold in my life. But I persevered so that I could see the amazing city and taste some of the cuisine that everyone boasts is the best. I do have to warn you that I was poorer than dirt, so no, I did not eat at Nobu or Babbo.There are two things, I have been told, that you absolutely must eat when visiting New York City. The first is a slice of pizza. The second is a hot dog with sauerkraut. My first evening I gave into the temptation for the pizza slice. We found a little pizzeria near Rockefeller Plaza that was still open at ten pm when we finally realized we hadn't had dinner. I believe it was called Pronto Pizza. I don't think I've ever had such an amazing piece of pizza in my life, but that opinion is probably slightly biased by the fact that I was so cold and tired that anything would have tasted like heaven. I chose the sausage pizza, but unlike Texas pizzas, the sausage was not crumbled, but sliced on the diagonal. The casing had crisped in the oven, and the interior was chewy delicious. The crust of the pizza was crisp and the cheese gooey. I was completely converted, especially since it only cost about $2.50. I am now a NY-style pizza lover.
On my next foray into the big city, I stopped in Chinatown for dinner. It was still freezing outside, so I ducked into a small mom-and-pop type place for some congee. I chose the roast duck congee, and when it arrived, I couldn't have been more pleased. The congee was hot and fresh, with just the right amount of salt. A large portion of roast duck had been stirred into the porridge, giving it a slightly richer flavor. Amazing food for the $4.50 I paid.
The following day I decided to hit Chinatown one more time, since I just couldn't resist all the delicious smells coming out of the shops as I walked by. This time I pick a dim sum restaurant called Jing Fong. I was seated at a round communal table with a man, his wife, and his mother. The mother spent the entire meal chattering on in Chinese while the man and his wife studiously ignored her. I was sorely tempted to photograph my lunch (they serve dim sum until around 3 pm), but I thought my dining companions might object. As the carts circled around I picked beef meatballs that were tender and juicy, barbecue pork buns, shrimp har gao, and nor mai gai. The food was delicious, and it came with the added bonus that I was one of the only non-Asian people in the room. This lunch only set me back by $10. I strolled around a bit longer before stopping into a little Asian bakery, coming away with a small slice of layered chocolate mousse cake. It was exactly as I expected: low in sugar, but still hit the spot. I think this cake was only $1.
That night, before I trudged down Broadway to see Beauty and the Beast, I decided to try eating in Koreatown. I found the designated area, but most of the restaurants were quite highly priced, in contrast to the relatively affordable prices in Chinatown. I finally picked a restaurant that claimed to be the oldest Korean restaurant in New York City called New York Kom Tang Soot Bul Kalbi. I ordered some bibimbap in a hot stone bowl. They brought a parade of side dishes for me, including kimchi, water kimchi, apple and mayonnaise salad, squid and cucumber in hot pepper sauce, mung bean sprouts, and blanched mushrooms and broccoli. (I think I like eating at Korean restaurants just to see what kind of side dishes I'll get.) The bibimbap came with the traditional carrot, lettuce, and sliced beef, and I was pleased to see they weren't afraid to crack the raw egg over the top. I have had some trouble getting the raw egg here in Texas - they seem to like frying it first. I think the bibimbap was about $11.
When I was on my way home from Broadway, I happened to see a hot dog place my friend from work had recommended, named Gray's Papaya. Since I'm not really interested in getting food from a rolling hot dog stand (apparently those streetcorner hot dogs are called "dirty water dogs", blech!), I decided this was a much better option. I got a hot, fresh hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut for $1. It was worth at least three dollars. The bun was even toasted! And the sour kraut wasn't too sour. Two thumbs up for cheap food.
The next morning I decided that I needed a good breakfast to hold me through the getting-to-the-airport-from-midtown-Manhattan fiasco, so I walked down to a little deli/cafe on the corner of 71st Street and Broadway called Cafe 71. I got the banana pancakes and some hot chocolate. The hot chocolate I had purchased the previous morning, and it was passable. They used powdered cocoa mix, but frothed it with the cappuccino machine. The banana pancakes were a strange yellow-orange color, but they tasted delicious, so I tried not to think about what they had added to give them the radioactive tone. The sliced bananas on the bottoms of each pancake were slightly carmelized, so I was very happy with my selection. Three large pancakes with syrup and a hot chocolate cost a whole $6.
