New York City: the concrete jungle where (food) dreams are made of 🎶. As I explored all that New York has to offer me, a foodie, I made sure JAY-Z and Alica Key's iconic pop hit was playing in the background. Follow me and my friends on our trip to NYC as I tried to find the best food New York has to offer.
Fresh off the train and where did I go first? Korean barbecue.
Baekjeong NYC
Baekjeong is hands down one of the best Korean barbecues I have ever had in the US. Their banchan was just what I needed to prepare for the variety of meats ahead. I still dream of the cold marinated tofu I had on the side of the perfectly grilled pork belly. We got the Hodong's Favorite Combo which includes beef and pork. If you are looking for some authentic and delicious Korean food, this is the place for you. Don't stop here though, there's more Korean food on this trip.
Post Korean barbecue I was extremely full, but if there's one thing I live by, it's that there is always room for dessert. With it being the final month of summer we had to get some Korean shaved ice.
Grace Street
After a very filling meal, this was just what I needed to end the night. We got the mango and strawberry shaved ice, and I can't even describe how good it was. It wasn't icy, but rather it was melt in your mouth goodness. If you love shaved ice, then you must check out Grace Street next time you're in New York.
On our first full day in New York there was only one way for us to start it: with some NYC bagels.
Brooklyn Bagel
Now, I've never been a huge bagel person, but I can see why this place is famous. Don't hate me but I am not a cream cheese fan, hence why I don't eat very many bagels. However, I have been craving the cannoli cream cheese filled bagel I got from Brooklyn Bagel ever since I left New York. Brooklyn Bagel has an infinite amount of bagel fillings that would make anyone happy. We all got the mini-size bagel and were super full ,so don't feel the need to get the regular size. If you are a bagel fan looking to try some fun new fillings, make sure to go here.
Chinatown
New York has one of the best Chinatowns and if you are looking for great food at a great price you must head on down to Chinatown. I love Chinese food and all the food we had while in Chinatown was exactly what I needed. We went to Wah Fung, and Shu Jiao Fu Zhou to get roast pork on rice (叉烧饭), steamed dumplings (水饺), and sesame noodles (麻酱面). The portions were so big, and we got all of that food for under $20. Highly recommend going to these spots for some quality Chinese food!
After exploring some beautiful NYC sites, we ended the day by walking over to one of the best Italian places in New York.
Gelso & Grand
We got such a good spread and tried one of their most popular dishes: pistachio pasta. The pistachio flavor wasn't overpowering, and it had a little kick which added to the flavor profile of the dish. We also got some of their popular bruschetta dishes that weren't my personal favorite since I am not a fan of eggplant, but they were given 5 stars by my friends. If we hadn't been so full from Chinatown, we would have ordered more. I will definitely have to go back again and try some of their other dishes.
On day two we only had half a day before traveling back to Boston but that doesn't mean we skimped on the food. We started off with some pastries from the cafe next to our hotel. Afterward, we walked over to a Korean restaurant that we had passed a few times during our short trip.
BCD Tofu House
While they normally have a huge line out the door, we showed up right at opening and were first in line, ready to eat. We ordered japchae, Korean short ribs, and seafood soon tofu. Everything was unbelievably good. We got a size small for the japchae, and it was plenty to feed us all so no need to get the large. Their banchan was also good but not as good as Baekjeong in my opinion.
After our delicious Korean lunch we walked around central park and Soho. We were craving shaved ice again and this time we went to Lazy Sundaes.
Lazy Sundaes
The line for this place looked hours long, but it surprisingly moves pretty fast. We got the strawberry, mango, and matcha bingsoo which were all so good! The mango bingsoo came with little mochi balls, and even though, I'm normally not a huge fan of mochi, they were the perfect chewy addition to this refreshing treat. Although the matcha bingsoo was good, the red beans weren't mashed at all making them a little hard to eat. I would personally choose the Grace Street shaved ice over this one, but both are great options.
After a busy trip and satisfied stomachs, my friends and I left New York wanting to go back. Don't think we left New York empty-handed though! As a foodie, I always have food for the road. We ended our trip with some classic Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts that were the perfect end to our trip. If you are going to New York and need some food recommendations my top two are Baekjeong and Grace Street. Now that you know where to eat, book your transportation, and curate your very own NYC playlist as you live out your foodie dreams in New York.