The Best Asian Noodle Soups in Manhattan

Now that the weather is cooling off and Winter Is Coming, I find myself craving a huge, bowl of steaming hot noodle soup. As a lover of all Asian foods, more often than not, when I want soup I go for one of the many Asian varieties. Whether it’s hand-pulled, knife cut, needle noodles, ramen, pho, soba, udon, wonton, or something else there’s a huge variety of flavors and textures you can have when it comes to Asian noodles soups. The following is a list of the places I’d go if it’s feeling dreary outside and I’m in the mood for a comforting bowl of Asian noodle soup.

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Read more about the article Savory & Sweet Japanese Crepes at Eight Turn Crêpe in NYC
Eight Turn Crêpe Review

Savory & Sweet Japanese Crepes at Eight Turn Crêpe in NYC

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If you’re in SoHo, perhaps shopping, where do you stop for a quick, easy lunch? There’s plenty of trendy, pricey sit-down cafes in the neighborhood, but you have to look a little harder to find something fast, casual, and actually good. I had heard about a great new Harajuku style Japanese crêperie in the area and knew I had to check it out. Do I sense a Harajuku mini-trend happening in NYC?

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Hidden Dollar Bill Covered Chinatown at 69 Bayard Restaurant

*Editor’s Note 2/25/16: I’m sad to report that 69 Bayard has permanently closed.

In Chinatown, you’ll find a ton of restaurants serving a wide array of mostly Asian cuisine. Right in the chaos of it all, on Bayard Street, you’ll find a strange, tiny place called 69 Bayard. I must have walked by this place a million times without considering to stop in to check out their food. Maybe it’s because they don’t offer a lunch special. Maybe it’s because I’d never heard anything one way or the other about it. Probably it’s because of the decor, which I suppose could be viewed as either a plus or a minus to some.

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Read more about the article Upscale Cocktails & Small Plates at the Greenwich Project in NYC
Greenwich Project Review

Upscale Cocktails & Small Plates at the Greenwich Project in NYC

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Let’s talk about the weird strip of 8th Street between 6th Ave and Broadway. It’s pretty easy to access but still doesn’t get the same kind of foot traffic as other areas in the Village like St. Marks and MacDougal. It’s been in a constant state of transition over the past few years and is really turning into a formidable restaurant row. There’s a variety of bars, cafes, massage parlors, health food shops, and upscale date-night spots that run the four block span.

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Late Night Street Meat from New York’s The Famous Halal Guys

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A friend from college recently moved from Philly to NYC. His apartment is in the East Village on 10th Street between 1st and A, which I consider to be a great area for food and drinks. I know a ton of great, cheap eats in the neighborhood since I used to live nearby, but we were still struggling to decide what to get. In a stroke of genius, I remembered that the Famous 53rd and 6th Halal Guys were opening up a brick-and-mortar location on the north edge of the East Village as well as a cart that had already launched. On this Saturday night, we wanted something quick, cheap, and tasty to prime us for the night of drinking ahead and this sounded like the perfect option.

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Read more about the article Huge, Cheap Burgers & Fries at Joy Burger Bar in NYC
Joy Burger Bar Review

Huge, Cheap Burgers & Fries at Joy Burger Bar in NYC

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So here’s the scenario: A weeknight on my own, no responsibilities, and no idea what I feel like doing with the night. I’m not really in the mood for anything in particular and not quite hungry yet so I head home from work to sort out my gameplan. I have an interesting idea about how to choose my evening’s activity. I flip on the TV, tune it to The Food Network and let whatever is on guide my dinner decision. Guy Fieri’s Dinner, Drive-ins, and Dives happens to be on and they are in Narragansett, Rhode Island at Crazy Burger Cafe & Juice Bar. The owner Michael Maxon is a real character making insane burgers while also making insane gibberishy sounds effects. Burger. Done. I pull up Foursquare Explore and type in “burger” and let it guide the rest of my decision. Up comes Joy Burger Bar, a place I’ve never been to that I saved to my todo list that’s only a few blocks away. Joy Burger it is.

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Little Italy’s Annual Street Fair: The Feast of San Gennaro 2013

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One week a year (well really 10 days but who’s counting), Mulberry street transforms into a perpetual street fair to celebrate Italian culture and cuisine at The Feast of San Gennaro. I usually stumble my way over there to check out the madness and this year is no different. With a number of coworkers in tow, I head over on a leisurely Thursday, lunchtime stroll. The fair runs the entire seven block span from Canal Street to Houston Street up Mulberry. The usually vehicle-friendly street is turned into a pedestrian-only walkway with most of the restaurants installing al fresco dining areas in the street in front of their shops.

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Read more about the article Amazing Cocktails & Asian Inspired Barbecue at Fatty ‘Cue in NYC
Amazing Cocktails & Asian Inspired Barbecue at Fatty ‘Cue

Amazing Cocktails & Asian Inspired Barbecue at Fatty ‘Cue in NYC

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*Editor’s Note: I’m sad to report that this restaurant is not longer open.

The scenario: a random Tuesday, impromptu date night, day-of, no reservations. Sure, you could wrack your brain and come up with a place, but I chose to use ScoutMob to do the work for me. For those, unfamiliar, ScoutMob is a mobile app and newsletter that provides deals at carefully hand-picked venues without having to pay anything upfront. It alleviates the risk of coupon purchasing that is often associated with Groupon and its competitors. After scrolling through the Android app, my girlfriend and I spotted Zak Pelaccio’s Fatty ‘Cue, a place we had already talked about wanting to check out. It’s settled, we walk the four blocks from our apartment over to the restaurant and are seated promptly.

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How to Have an Epic Asian, Cheap Eats Food Crawl in Flushing, Queens

Flushing, Queens is one of my favorite places to eat really well for really cheap. There’s such a great variety of authentic, spicy, filling Asian food you can choose from. But I won’t lie, it’s a little overwhelming. That’s were this guide comes in. I’m providing a map of some of my favorite eats in Flushing which includes some of my favorite food anywhere in the world. Most of it is very cheap although I’ve included some worthy splurges. Enjoy and eat well!

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Read more about the article Modern American Charm at Market Table in the Heart of the West Village
Market Table Review

Modern American Charm at Market Table in the Heart of the West Village

When your parents are in town and you are tasked with choosing a spot for dinner that can handle a Saturday night table of 4 in NYC on short notice, your options are often pretty limited. Because restaurants have such restricted space and have enormous competition for popular tables on weekends, you need may need to dig deep to find something suitable. Fortunately on this occasion, my girlfriend Amy had an idea, Market Table, a place that has somehow slid under my restaurant radar until now. They did in fact have a day-of four-top table reservation available on a Saturday night.

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