Dumpling Deep Cuts
Plus: My favorite Thai restaurant + Tribeca's best people watching
I had a friend in from out of town last week who requested some “deep cuts” in terms of food. That means different things to different people, so I asked him to get more specific.
Dumplings, but not necessarily Chinese dumplings.
That was something I could run with.
On his first night in town, we headed to Kashkar Cafe in Brighton Beach. It’s one of a handful of Uyghur spots in the five boroughs, and the dumplings are especially good. My order here always starts with achichuk salad, a tomato and onion situation that’s best during the summer months; a warm, sesame-coated loaf of non, and an assortment of kebabs. This was a good background for the lamb-filled manti and khonoom, which are delicate little potato parcels topped with mild tomato sauce and sliced onions. It was my first time ordering khonoom and they quickly entered “new favorite” territory.
Afterwards we went to the Carvel on Coney Island Avenue, a real if you know you know spot because they always have pistachio soft serve on tap.
We spent the next day at Jacob Riis, which meant picking up Bagel Pub for breakfast and chicken cutlet sandwiches from Jimmy’s Famous Heroes for lunch. It was such a nice day that we spent way too long at the beach and everyone got sunburned despite reapplying SPF 75 every 45 minutes.
Our visiting friend had noticed our stationary hoard and wanted to go shopping for a special pen, so we left the Rockaways and headed to Greenpoint. We ended up driving from the southern tip of Brooklyn all the way to its northern edge, which was a fun side quest. In lieu of proper lunch we stopped at Gelateria Gentile, which is a little touristy but honestly very good. My go-to order there is crema antica with chinotto sorbet. It never disappoints.
Loaf on Paper—the larger, cafe-enhanced outpost of cat-themed stationary emporium Nico Neko Zakkaya—was across the street, so we made that our first stop. I instantly fell in love with the blonde wood, natural light, happy plants, and cute ceramics that filled the space. The selection of stamps, stickers, and little cat themed things you don’t need is unparalleled, and I found some unique notebook options. I exercised restraint and didn’t buy anything, but my husband got some new stamps and ink pads. We got a few drinks on the way out (cold brew, raspberry iced tea, yuzu matcha lemonade). None of them impressed me, but I’ll try again when the weather cools down and it’s less busy.
We took a long walk over to Yoseka, which is my current favorite stationary store. My friend fell in love with a laser orange Lamy Pico that almost made me want to become a ballpoint person (I’m very loyal to my Kaweco Sport fountain pens). By dinnertime we wanted something vegetable-forward, so I suggested Jajaja. It’s not a special restaurant by any means, and I find the atmosphere loud and kind of annoying—but I have loved their vegan nachos and tacos since they opened their original East Broadway location in 2017. Eight years later, it’s still a solid choice.
Other notable chomps:
I’ve been obsessing over the Thai tea latte at Hom Cafe & Wine, and I finally tried some food last week. The salted egg yolk danish is as good as it sounds, and I love that there are actual chunks of salted yolk in the custard.
I went to a dinner at ABC Cocina hosted by Campo Grande, the Ibérico brand that has ruined me. I don’t really cook other pork at home, and I was delighted to learn that a few of the dishes we had are actually on the menu at ABC, like the Ibérico rib chop with árbol tomatillo salsa, cauliflower and lime—but the textbook-perfect churros stole the show.
Back in 2013, Somtum Der was a hard table to get in the East Village. Their take on Isan Thai was buzzy and refreshing, and it was a place I was happy to spend my hard-won waitressing tips in my early 20s. I stopped in for dinner after a recovery session at Kove Studio (you can get an hour-long sauna/cold plunge/Normatec boot situation for $35, which is possibly the best wellness deal in the city) and am happy to report that it’s still one of my favorite Thai restaurants. The best part? You can just walk in there and eat, no lines, no reservations.
The Rigor Hill Market breakfast sandwich experienced a brief viral moment a year or two ago, and it’s something I’ll always go out of my way for if I’m in the neighborhood before noon. The big, fluffy square of egg with tomato jam and cheddar on well-toasted pan de mie is a textural masterpiece, and the people-watching is second to none. It was the perfect place to hang out with a notebook and do some wealthy Gen Z character studies.