Top dishes of national cuisines to try in New York

Dim sum in New York restaurant; Ahoerstemeier, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Chinese cuisine is very diverse, which is not really surprising when you remember that, in terms of ethnic makeup, “Chinese” is actually an umbrella term uniting 56 officially recognized ethnicities. Yet, Chinese cuisine is a real thing, and one of its staples are dim sum, steamed buns with various fillings.

The idea of wrapping dough around something and cooking it one way or another seems to be a universal one, since very many national cuisines have this or that variety of dumplings. In China, the dough is simple – wheat flour, water and starch as the basic recipe, – and the fillings are all kinds of meat, fish, and veggies. The word combination, “dim sum”, means “touch the heart”, since originally the small filled buns were served together with tea in Chinese teahouses.

Chinese restaurants in NYC offer mainstream varieties of dim sum, with typical fillings of pork, shrimp, and beans, plus the combinations thereof with spices and greens added for good measure. The good thing is, all of those Chinese restaurants of New York are flexible enough to deviate from the tradition and serve dim sums as a hearty main course and not just complements to the tea. Although, of course, if you want this kind of authentic experience, you can easily find it here. It’s New York, after all!

You may find that the name of this place, AweSum DimSum, has a bit of a cheesy ring to it. You are not alone; but it’s New York, you have to be creative here and even verge on cheesiness to stand out of the crowd.

On the other hand, with the quality of Chinese food this NYC restaurant offers, it could have taken any name at all, from the very bland “Chinese Restaurant and Takeaway” to the posh “Chinese Cuisine Wonders Deluxe”. So, never mind the name, just focus on the dim sums at AweSum DimSum, they really are good.

Mexican burrito in NYC restaurant; samuelfernandezrivera, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Much like the aforementioned dim sum that are a Chinese variation of dumplings, burrito is the Mexican take on the rolled flatbread with fillings, a dish the kind of which you may find in many cuisines of the world.

The origins of the Mexican burrito are hard to trace; there are several theories out there, but one of the most common (and sounding plausible) points to Juan Méndez, a street tacos vendor from the city of Ciudad Juárez. In the early 20th century, he employed a donkey, or a burro (hence the name), to tow the cart with the food he sold. To keep the merchandise warm, Juan wrapped it in large flour tortillas.

So Mexican burritos are quite new to the scene of national dishes, but that did not prevent them from climbing up the ratings to become one of the most recognizable Mexican foods ever. There may be something about the name – it does sound Mexican, you have to admit, – and there surely is much about the ingredients of burrito: the tortilla itself, then the meat, veggies and beans, plus guacamole and optional rice.

Served in tinfoil, the burritos at B'KLYN BURRO are delicious and fitting both as a street food to stay hunger with on the go and a destination dish you might want to take a purposeful trip to enjoy. The varieties are many and versatile, the result, according to the numerous reviews, is always a treat to remember.

Add great craft beer, all the other staples of Mexican cuisine (tacos, quesadillas, nachos, etc.), dine-in and takeaway service, and you have one of the best Mexican food spots in the entire NYC.

New York pizza; Lizard10979, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Pasta and pizza are the two trademark dishes of the Italian cuisine, which has won over millions of fans all over the world, and justly so. In NYC, with its fast rhythm and never-sleep attitude, it is pizza, the finger food, that claims leadership among the two.

Pizza is an invention of the not so distant past: its origins are verifiably traced to the region of Naples circa early 19th century. As many other dishes currently considered universal, i.e., good for a student party and a reception alike, pizza was invented to fill the need for a convenient, nourishing, and inexpensive dish that pretty much anyone could afford.

In the realm of food, New York pizza is a landmark of the same magnitude as the Empire State Building in the architectural domain. It is characteristically thin and crusty, cut into wide slices, generally topped with tomato sauce, dry mozzarella cheese and then a variety of optional extras. There are several explanations for the superior taste of the NYC pizza, the two most common crediting it to the city’s tap water and coal-fired ovens used for decades in a row. Whatever the real reason, the New York-style pizza does taste extraordinarily good.

Fourteen optional toppings, a variety of classics and special pizzas plus all the other staples of Italian cuisine, committed staff, and a cozy atmosphere welcoming both romantic dates and large parties – this is what a 32-word description of the NYC’s Juliana’s Pizza looks like. Oh, and don’t forget the wine, which the place serves by the glass or by the bottle. The selection here is rather refined and comprehensive: you can enjoy white and rosé, red and sparkling wines here of varying vintages and regions, Italy and the US included.

What’s more, Juliana’s Pizza offers par-baked pizza pies that you can bake at home and enjoy the delicious treat there, sharing it with your loved ones. Delivered to your doorstep, it’ll be ready for you after just 5 minutes in the oven.

New York restaurant - falafel; Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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What does “falafel” mean in Arabic? “Pepper”, simple as that. Although, pepper is not the main ingredient of these deep-fried (or baked) balls (or patties), crunchy on the outside yet tender within.

Falafel is a very old dish of Middle Eastern cuisine: the widely accepted theory puts its origins to somewhere in Egypt sometime a thousand years ago. Presumably, the recipe as we know it today has not changed much through the years: falafel are ground broad beans, chickpeas and/or fava beans mixed with herbs and spices and rolled into balls or formed into patties. Deep-fried or baked, served in a salad or a burger, wrapped or sandwiched, they are inevitably tasty.

If you are looking for the authentic, world-famous taste, go for the deep-fried variety; if counting calories is a habitual thing for you, opt for the baked falafel. Both options deliver plant-based protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but the former is also high in fat. The choice is yours.

Simple, Fresh, Authentic – these are the three words the place describes itself with on the homepage, as of this writing. So far, the words seem to form a spell that attracts hungry visitors and turns them full and satisfied: the Google Maps rating of this NYC restaurant is a staggering 4.8.

The place offers outdoor seating, which is a nice option considering its location on New York’s Rockaway Beach Boulevard; the locals love Kimo’s Kitchen as a spot to quickly get a bite of something delicious, and the tourists flock in following the totally justified recommendations they find online.

NYC restaurant - American burger; Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

picture courtesy of Wikimedia

While arguably not of American origin, burgers are the current staples of American cuisine. Do have one (or more) while in New York, this is the experience that lasts.

Burgers, or hamburgers, as the longer name suggests, presumably come from the German city of Hamburg, where two buns with a patty inbetween were sold as a food item for the first time. Currently, there is a very wide range of burger variations, and New York, of course, has a burger it can call its own, the features thereof being, in addition to the expected cheese, onions and sauce, smoky pastrami, and crunchy gherkin.

Not exactly a healthy food because of the frying, smoking, and calories, burgers are the perfect choice for a hungry business traveler or tourist. And children love them, too, so, at least in New York, burgers are a must regardless of the configuration of your visit here.

Five Napkin Burger, as the name suggests, is a burger restaurant you can find at 630, 9th Ave, New York (the Hell’s Kitchen). While you may want to automatically add “joint” to the “burger”, this is not the case here: 5 Napkin Burger is a fully-fledged restaurant with an extensive menu (from appetizers through salads to party platters), a considerable part of which is given to burgers. Alone or with a company of a reasonable size, you’re up to enjoy the best of American cuisine here, including a variety of soft and boozy shakes.

The place offers dine-in seating, takeaway and delivery, the first option adding the great atmosphere of an American restaurant to the experience. It is either full or almost full most of the time, so making a reservation is a good idea, especially if you need a larger table. There are also Party Packs available here, a catering service that lets you savor the trademark dishes of the place wherever you want.