Welcome to EAT THIS CITY, your tour of the best restaurants in one of our favorite cities, as chosen by a world-class chef, celebrity, or local hero.
This week we’re East Coasting over to Manhattan’s West Village, where we’ll meet our guide, Chef Teerawong “Yo” Nanthavatsiri. Chef Yo owns Pinto Garden — specializing in refined Thai food. Here’s what our food editor, Steve Bramucci, had to say about his recent experience:
Pinto Garden feels like a casual meal in someone’s home, but the food is far more refined than that. Dishes like the manila clams or the koi neur (Thai-style steak tartare) are so clean and un-muddled that they seem to share hardly any DNA with the Thai food you’re probably used to. The curries have surprising depth with smart bold choices adding an element of surprise to each dish. The duck breast with pineapple red curry is bliss.
The restaurant specializes in family-style meals created with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, and a deep appreciation of authenticity and tradition. This is food you can’t get anywhere else in the Big Apple.
Ready to eat at Chef Yo’s picks for the best restaurants in the West Village? Let’s go!
PIZZA
Very close to Pinto Garden is Bleecker Street Pizza. It’s my go-to pizzeria in Manhattan and they have a good selection of beer.
TACOS/MEXICAN
My favorite Mexican place is Chef Alex Stupak’s Empellon on West Fourth Street. His creative dishes made with fresh ingredients never disappoint.
ASIAN
There are many kinds of Asian food but my favorite Asian cuisine to enjoy while dining out is Japanese. I love Takashi in West Village. It’s Japanese-style Korean Barbecue. They use very high quality meat and the atmosphere in the dining room is great.
STREET FOOD
Halal food next to my home in Chelsea. When I’m hanging out at home or finish work late, there is this Halal food cart that I always get food from. The Combination Chicken and Lamb Over Rice will push me right into a good night’s sleep.
SWEET FOOD
Bouchon Bakery at Columbus Circle. There are so many bakeries and dessert places in NYC, but I would say Bouchon is my favorite.
FINE DINING
Of Course, Per Se. This is classic fine dining that sets a standard for every new generation chef.
CASUAL DINING
I like Balthazar, which is a classic French brasserie in Soho. There aren’t many places quite like it in NYC. It’s a very comfortable place and I’d recommend even going just for breakfast.
VEGETARIAN
NIX is a new place opened close to my restaurant Pinto Garden. Chef John Fraser is very talented and I totally forget that I’m eating all vegetables and no meat. The food is very flavorful and fun.
BRUNCH
Café Cluny – a charming West Village spot for brunch. Nice crowd, nice drinks and they know how to cook eggs.
ICONIC FOOD OF THE CITY
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Murray’s Bagels. To me, the bagel represents what New York is. I always have one for breakfast. Every time I see a bagel, especially from Murray’s, it reminds me of New York.
ODD CULINARY EXPERIENCE
At Saikai, a contemporary Japanese restaurant next to Pinto Garden in the West Village, the chef uses black truffles with mushrooms and rice in a stone pot. It was very pleasantly surprising to see those the truffles with rice and combined with such finesse.
GUILTY PLEASURE
Shake Shack. Double Cheese Burger with bacon, cheese fries and a milk shake. Always happy while eating it, but mentally suffer after that, ha.
HANGOVER FOOD
Korean Hot Soup From Koreatown
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Korean hot soup in Manhattan’s Koreatown. I get “Gal-Bi-Tang”, a beef clear soup found in K-Town eateries, whenever I’m feeling hungover.
DATE NIGHT
Waverly Inn, located in a charming West Village townhouse with little garden in the back. I love the space with all candles and the food is amazing.
RESTAURANT RUN BY A FRIEND
I always go to Room Service on Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. It’s a very casual Thai Restaurant with good drinks and very charming bartenders. My friends have run this restaurant for a while.
Thank you, Chef Nanthavatsiri, for taking us on a culinary tour of Manhattan!
Stay tuned for more EAT THIS CITY — where each week we’ll feature a premier chef in a different city sharing their insider eating tips! Missed a week? Check out Return to Miami, Return to Las Vegas, Manhattan, Oakland, Paris, Portland, Tampa, Durham, Toronto, Baltimore, Monterey, Vail, Lexington, Bentonville, San Antonio, Warsaw, Kansas City, NYC, Washington DC, New Orleans, Cleveland, Miami, Seattle, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sydney, Portland, Chicago, Austin, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, New Orleans,Providence, Memphis, Orange County, Boston, and Detroit.
See you next week!
