NYC Tastes

2017 was a very strange year in the world of food.  It started out incredibly boring, with fast casual restaurants and big Japanese chains taking over the city.  And has ended unsteady and downright disturbing, with allegations of sexual harassment exploding in what seems to be every facet of the food industry and country as a whole.  I honestly feel more uncertain as a person than I ever have before.  Which is probably why I've leaned towards comfort food this year with big bowls of ramen, spicy chili oil wontons and other hearty, homey dishes dominating much of my time dining out. Union Square Cafe reopened at the end of 2016 and has been my go-to place for spicy, carrot studded Candele Pasta while their sister cafe Daily Provisions actually took the spot for best new restaurant of 2017. This may seem like an odd choice but it had everything I needed this year; incredible crullers for breakfast, inventive sandwiches for lunch and a quiet, relaxing environment...

Now that summer is officially winding down its time to tuck back into big warm bowls of ramen from the Iron Chef himself Morimoto!  Momosan's Tonkotsu ramen is one of Mr. T's favorite bowl of noodles; studded with thick cuts of pork, soft poached egg and a spicy garlic broth. When I'm having a noodle craving I want Momosan's Tantan;  a creamy blend of coconut curry, ground pork, red miso, aji tama and pork chasu.  It's got all that rich meaty goodness of a regular ramen but with a spicy, nutty kick that I absolutely adore. I'm already planning to enjoy the first snow fall of the season slurping down these noodles at their front window. Of course there's no reason to wait that long for a meal at Momosan.  Soft Shell Crab Baos are currently on the menu and those certainly won't last until the winter months. Momosan Ramen 342 Lexington Avenue between 39th & 40th Street New York, NY 10016

Iron Chef Morimoto opened a ramen bar in midtown and because it's the incredible Morimoto this place is much more than just a noodle joint.  There's rich chunks of house made Peking Duck inside a crisp goyza shell with cucumber, hoisin and a sweet apricot chili sauce. There's a satisfying Braised Pork Belly Bao served with a wedge of lettuce and a smear of mustard mayo... ...and one of the most incredible poke bowls I've had in NYC to date.  Thick cubes of soy marinated tuna tossed with nori and scallion atop a bed of fluffy white rice.  I seriously have dreams about this bowl. And then of course there's Ramen available in small or large size with four different variations including spicy curry coconut and steamed Tokyo Chicken.  We got the standard Tonkotsu with thick strips of pork, mushroom and soft boiled egg all inside a silky, creamy broth.   Everything about Momosan was fantastic.  I really enjoyed the fun decor, the service was great and...