On day three of the blizzard, we ventured downtown.

Downtown was one big gray wet slushy mess. The snow was sliding off cars, and roofs, and lions. Besides a few snowmen, pristine white beauty didn’t hold long. Maybe on the shoes up on the tree. Puddles at the intersections were mid calf deep.

But we kept the eye on the prize — Himalayan Sathi in Gramercy.

Our off peak timing worked. We walked into a basically empty place. In less than an hour, people were waiting by the door.

Vegetable samosas, lamb momos, chicken tikka masala, and amazing coconut naan. And back uptown kneading the slush on the way to our temporary blizzard home.

#food #outinnewyork #himalayanfood #nepalesefood #momos #curry #snowday #gramercy #newyorkrestaurant #diningout

On the second night in the snowy city, we stumbled upon the outpost of St. Marks’ Sichuan Mountain House in Hell’s Kitchen. Chinese Consulate is seriously pulling good restaurants into Midtown.

Right at the door:
— Kitchen is closing in 15 minutes.

The host managed to say this not in a rude or obnoxious way but quite friendly and light.

Honestly, we were grateful — it was the only place opened in the neighborhood in this blizzard.

Finally, after all the trips to various Sichuan restaurants, I got my favorite Chongqing chicken. I first tried it in Chengdu, made it a few times at home. But every time we go out here, my companions pick something else.

I know, I know — you’re not supposed to eat these peppers. But they are my favorite part: spicy, salty, crunchy, tasty after rubbing backs with chicken pieces in hot fat, numbing mixed up with Sichuan peppercorns. The best!

Nice garlicky eggplant, perfect wontons in chili oil. And tea, tea, tea! Amazing tea in a teapot to warm up the hands after a walk in the cold!

Our check arrived with two after dinner mints. So good they were, I asked for a couple of more and got a handful for the road. Nice! Thank you!

#food #diningout #outinnyc #newyorkrestaurant #hellskitchen #manhattan #blizzard #snowinnewyork #sichuanrestaurant #chinesefood

Ploughing through the streets on a snowy evening. Not much is open.

A lonely light of E.A.K. Izakaya on 46th drew us in. Barely anyone there — outside the snow is blowing full speed and only a few dog walkers are out.

Inside is warm, welcoming, and delicious.

A few bites of wasabi marinated raw octopus with nori, grilled edamame with garlic aioli and anchovy paste, chicken karaage with ponzu and spicy garlic, and butakaku, pork belly braised in a soy based sauce Yokohama style.

Matcha beer and a glass of Sapporo.

And a cherry on top. In the process of the dinner, our bartender introduced me to the best sake ever! — unfiltered cloudy nigori. Milky from the rice sediment it is so creamy, smooth, and lightly sweet.

Let it snow…

#food #eatingout #izakaya #japanesefood #sake #newyorkrestaurant #outinnyc #hellskitchen

And just like that — the Fire Horse is here. And we happen to be in the city. And of course dinner had to be Chinese. And if Chinese, it had to be Sichuan. And if Sichuan, it had to be Sky Pavilion. Easy.

Rarely we go to the same restaurant twice, especially a Chinese one. Not only Manhattan Chinatown but Flushing where we occasionally stay overnight offer quite a variety. This was our third dinner at Sky Pavilion. And a third time no regrets or disappointment.

Sky Pavilion is located especially conveniently for us — right across the side entrance to the Port Authority. This part of Hell’s Kitchen is now booming with outstanding Chinese food which many credit to the proximity of the Chinese Consulate.

As for the last night’s dinner, our ma la mutton was a perfection. So was the Sichuan pork belly. Garlicky and flavorful beans and eggplant — so good to have them combined as it is hard to choose one over the other when they are separate dishes. As always, I couldn’t go around the century egg seeing it on the menu — fantastic dressing! I poured it over the leftover rice to not miss a drop and have it at home for breakfast.

#food #sichuancuisine #newyorkrestaurant #hellskitchen #diningout #lunarnewyear #chinesefood

Spotted a new Georgian restaurant — Saperavi — on Upper West Side on Amsterdam and couldn’t hold it. I do miss this food and can have it any day.

What a gem!

Perfect pork mtzvadi, amazing selection of pkhali. Although I prefer lamb khinkali, their beef ones were so brothy, tasty, and just the perfect size — not too big to overwhelm, not too small to underserve — we inhaled them piping hot. And an excellent choice of pickles. They even had jonjoli, earthy, slightly bitter flower buds of a Georgian plant.

The two of us skipped khachapuri — for any of the Georgian cheese breads bigger company is better. The bread fills you up quickly and there’s so much on the menu to try.

People serving were easy and genial — as if we were in one of the warm green gardens of Mtskheta and not in Manhattan at Arctic temperatures. Hope this won’t change.

#food #georgianfood #outinnewyork #diningout #upperwestside #mtzvadi #khinkali #pkhali #jonjoli #newyorkrestaurant

Another trip to the city and couldn’t resist another stop at Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish — now in Midtown.

Shrimp dry pot and a bowl of sliced fish in hot and sour soup.

No, this is not your starched up hot and sour soup from an everyday takeout. This dish is closer to the tangy hot Sichuan beef in golden broth tinted with pumpkin and Hainan yellow lantern pepper. Only it is much more sour.

On the day when New York is colder than Alaska, these two heat you up inside and outside.

Am I becoming addicted to this place?

#food #eatingout #outinnewyork #chinesefood #sauerkrautfish #naibrother #midtown #manhattan #newyorkrestaurant #hotpot

Snowapocalypse 2026.

Late night Thai-Lao dinner at Wondee Siam in Hells Kitchen, a walk in Central Park — yes, we did some sleight riding in the dark when no one could see us 🛷🤭🫣.

And my favorite view.

#nyc #snowapocalypse #outinnewyork #thailao #centralpark #hellskitchen #newyorkrestaurant #diningout #snow #timessquare

It was a family movie night out but dinner first.

Chama Mama on Upper West Side in Manhattan.

Like everything that has a strong connection to childhood, Georgian food will forever hold a particular place in my mind and always draw me in. Especially now, at this strange moment in my life — when there’s everything everywhere all at once and mixed up.

But there’s Georgian food and, then, there’s Georgian food.

Food is an experience.

Georgian food can be a hearty chill out under the warm wing of Georgian friends and family in Tbilisi. It can be an apathetic cold stop in Moscow or we’re-hotter-than-you reminder in Brooklyn.

With an indifferent Soviet cold shoulder service — like a naphthalene vapor this one is hard to exterminate, with good Georgian food, and solid UWS prices, Chama Mama made me feel comfortably back at home, simultaneously keeping things in present.

— Very good pkhali selection.

— Nice variation on Adjaruli.

— Solid pork mtzvadi.

— Not too brothy but nevertheless tasty khinkali.

— Fine adjika trio but some versions leaning towards Chinese crisps.

— And a traditional all-Union popular Medovik cake slapped on the table with a traditional all-Union attitude: Here, we’re done.

The movie though! Don’t miss this slow mellow but stirring collection of three family stories written by Jim Jarmusch. Makes you think about your own, the one you’re writing.

#food #diningout #georgianfood #adjaruli #khinkali #mtzvadi #newyorkrestaurant #upperwestside #movienight #fathermothersisterbrother

And just as I thought I was done with noodles, my paranasal sinuses got clogged up. Big time.

We were walking to the bus home, my eardrums were about to burst and all around me was being covered with dark fog. Across the street from Port Authority Bus Terminal, there’s Sky Pavilion, a Sichuan restaurant once pinpointed by Ruth Reichl.

What if ma and la and hot — preferably in liquid form — can get things in my head moving? Worth a shot.

While I was undergoing treatment with sliced beef and noodles in spicy broth depleting restaurant’s napkin supply, my companion was munching on smoked ribs patiently waiting for the medicine to kick in.

Did it work? Yes. Reasonably unclogged, I made it to the bus and to my medicine cabinet at home still conscious and breathing.

#food #noodles #mala #chinesefood #foodasmedicine #cure #diningout #nyc #newyorkrestaurant #skypavillion #sichuanfood #hotandnumbing

At Peruvian Pio Pio on UWS on the way to KrymovFest.

Anticuchos — heart beef skewers, fried potato, salsa de huancaína.

That famous Peruvian chicken.

Empanadas stuffed with Juanita’s chicken. Pictures do not do the justice here.

And steamed vegetables. Lame, lame, lame! I know. But how else would you clean up these insanely tasty sauces. I’d lick but my date gets uncomfortable. Broccoli mops work best.

#peruvianfood #eatingoutny #diningout #nycrestaurant #newyorkrestaurant #food #newyorkcity #outinnewyork #nycdining #piopio