What's New In New York

The ever-growing city has always caught Monika Patel by fancy. Here she discovers all that's new in the neighbourhoods

Text: Monika Patel

As an undergrad student in the US, I lived in Massachusetts but it wasn't Boston that caught our fancy. It was and has always been New York City. Those were the days the city was still deemed unsafe. Sex, drugs, mugging and crime rates were sky-high. New York was tottering until concerned citizens set afoot revitalisation plans. New York was revived and is a different metropolis from the 80s. However, along with revival came another problem: gentrification. Many native New Yorkers I meet complain ceaselessly about loss of identity. According to popular New York chef, Danny Meyer, "It is sad that the more 'successful' a neighbourhood becomes, the more it gradually takes on a recognisable, common look, as the same banks, drugstore chains and national brands move in." This is the reality today and the chef should know. Since the age of 27, he has been running some of New York's most famous eateries, starting with Union Square Café in 1985. His conglomerate includes Gramercy Tavern, The Modern, Jazz Standard, Manhatta and the hot dog cart that stormed New York, Shake Shack.

The latest neighbourhood to succumb is Hudson Yards. Since spring, there has been an influx of visitors, vying to be entertained at The Shed or climb the five miles of stairways of the Vessel. The mall has high-end stores, uppity restaurants but after all that walking, there is no place to set down your weary backside. I have already placed my name as part of a growing wait-list for The Edge, slated to open in 2020, with the best observation deck in the Western Hemisphere! There are many restaurants, but book in advance. Chef Michael Lomonaco's, Hudsons Yard Grill offers comfort American cuisine. The food is good but not phenomenal. We tried the Grilled Pizza, which was a bit chewy. My Buttermilk Fried Chicken was tasty though I won't rush back for more. Ditto for the French 'Dip' Roast Beef. But it is easier on the wallet than eating at the fancier restaurants at Mercado Little Spain. Hanging out at the Queensyard bar is fun. The best part of my gin and Prosecco cocktail, enhanced with sprigs of lavender, was the copper stemware. I felt like royalty. The British-inspired café, restaurant and bar, is part of the D & D London group from the UK that also owns Bluebird London at Columbus Circle. Incredible views of the Vessel, The Shed and the harbour as well as friendly bar staff, had us glued to our high stools from afternoon until the setting sun began casting its shadows.

Locals complain about losing the local mom-and-pop stores and cute little eateries, but I am torn. I live in a high-rise that has taken away working class homes, dine at these upscale restaurants and enjoy shopping in the franchises mushrooming across the city. Having said that, after a night spent haunting these locations, there's nothing like a slice from Joe's Pizza to soak up all that alcohol. Nothing and no one will replace these reliable pizza chains offering solace to New Yorkers at all hours of the day or night. They are no-frills, no-nonsense and pure heaven. No-nonsense was the approach taken by Malala Yousufzai. She was hosted by Brooklyn Academy of Music, at a sold-out session, promoting her newest book, Unbound. The one characteristic that stands out is her humility. She is passionate about her desire to educate girls but has a great sense of humour to break up the intensity of her conversation; like thinking of tweeting Trump to read her book and change his attitude towards immigrants and refugees.
NYC novelist Karin Slaughter is spot on with her comment, "Even if you live in a big city, everybody lives in a small town. We identify ourselves by our neighborhoods - 'I live in the Village, or in Chelsea." As a Brooklyn girl, my hood is Fort Greene though I enjoy exploring other hoods. Like West Village. Many weekends I make plans to meet friends at some of its incredible restaurants, such as Rahi, serving its brand of fusion Indian. For two years this place has been quietly making a mark. The décor is trendy and quirky though it's time for a bit of reupholstering and furniture rearrangement. Our waitress won us over with her friendly manner and spot on suggestions. For starters, she recommended the combination of fried artichoke, crunchy edamame and sweet pomegranate as well as the melt-in-your-mouth tender Lasooni Chicken. The Chili Cheese Toast served with Shishito peppers sounds tempting especially since the key ingredient is Amul cheese, a throwback to childhood. However the homemade bread is a tad thick. The cod is served with a slurpilicious mango sauce while the Lentil and Uttapam Waffle is an interesting combination of a dosa topped with spicy Kerala fried chicken. The hands down winner is Rahi's twist on khichdi with wild mushroom and truffle topped with crushed papad. Slurpworthy.

Another great West Village find is Emily, an ode to owners Emily and Matt's love for pizza and their romantic journey from university. Their first restaurant was in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The West Village branch is new where they were lucky to inherit one of New York's oldest ovens. With tenderness kneaded into the pizza dough and Mozzarella, the heart signs all around and a wait staff that cares, it is obvious the restaurant is run with love. The Eggplant Parm appetiser is served with Burrata and we had to stop ourselves fighting over the last bite. Who can resist fries? The miso fries with jalapeno are pale in comparison to the rest of the menu and is the only dish we did not finish. It's a large serving too! The fresh spring beets reminded us, summer is around the corner. Straight out of the wood burning oven and into our mouths, the piping hot pizzas are not round but square with choices of whites, reds, pinks or greens. We picked the house special red known as Colony with pepperoni, pickled chilli and honey toppings. Divine and with just the right kind of spicy. Chicken, Korean wing sauce, scallions, buttermilk blue and radish are not your usual pizza toppings but they work well in For The Nguyen, a popular white selection. And when you catch a glimpse of the dishy Jake Gyllenhaal walking past, you just know you're at the right spot.

In the neighbourhood of the Brooklyn waterfront is an utterly charming and delectably unassuming restaurant, Vinegar Hill House. Whether you sit under the cherry tree, in the back patio or huddle up in the cozy restaurant during inclement conditions or hang at the bar with friends, there is a place for every mood. The restaurant's boast of using the choicest and freshest ingredients is tangible. Like the Arctic Char served over baba ganoush and cauliflower. Unusual textures that work well together. The shallots and sherry vinegar complement the Cast Iron Chicken. While the main courses surpass expectations, the surprise factor are the sides of tricolour carrots and beets. And to start with try the buttery, Chicken Liver Mousse with pistachios for the crunch. The restaurant's extensive wine list represents countries from all over Europe and New York.

Not too far, perched right on Atlantic Avenue, Colonie is another Brooklyn restaurant supporting local farms. Their Jewish Canadian chef is a graduate of the famed Culinary Institute of America and has a passion for Italian cuisine. The exposed brick walls and long, unfinished wooden tables imbue the space with comfort and a desire for extended meal times. Tall mirrors bring depth to the area. We chose Mushroom Paté and Burrata as starters. The nuttiness of mushroom is a perfect base for a vegetarian p‚té and we licked off the dish. The Burrata came with charred bread, pickled celery and opal basil. As a 'Burrataholic', this is up there with the best. The Rosemary Fries had us reaching out for more though the burger could have upped the truffle quotient. Serving pasta with blue crab and Burrata is an unusual combination but the hint of chilli raised the dish from bland to tasty with sorrels providing a zing. Shrimp and herbs accessorised the skate belly perfectly while the Bone in Pork Chop with greens and apricot left our tummies groaning from being overstuffed. But dessert is needed to balance out the meal so we managed to discover room for a Sticky Date Cake served with a salted creme fraÓche gelato.

Tucked away in an Upper East Brownstone is another landmark restaurant, East Pole. The farm to table restaurant is popular in this hood. We even spotted the notorious 54th Governor of New York, Eliot Spritzer, brunching with a friend. The entire upstairs area comes as a surprise making the restaurant larger than expected, from first impressions. The spicy Maria, grilled jalapeno-infused tequila with tomato juice, sets a Saturday afternoon vibe while East Pole's special banana bread is perfect for sharing. To be honest, I ate it for the creamy butter. The restaurant serves a complete English breakfast. The Huevos Rancheros are another popular choice. I enjoyed the Duck Hash with poached eggs and kale. Every New Yorker's favourite health option finds a place on the menu too, Avocado on Toast with a house made hot sauce. The table next to ours was drinking a Turmeric Latte and a Cold Pressed Ginger Shot but we stuck to our alcoholic beverages.

In the heart of New York's garment district, lies Nomad's hidden gem. Native New Yorker and hospitality guru, Charles Seichhas teamed up with Executive Chef Greg Proechel to conceptualise Ferris, the restaurant at the cozy Made Hotel. The intimate restaurant seats only 40 and includes a chef's table and open plan kitchen. When I walked into the basement restaurant, I did not expect to eat one of my tastiest meals in the city. The stool-style seats means there is no place to hang coats or bags. But a coat-rack at the entrance keeps jackets off the laps. Our Australian waiter was extremely helpful in guiding us with meal choices. The best way to sample the menu is to share plates. After considering all allergies in our group, we settled on Iberico Katsu Sando, basically a ham sandwich sliced fine and with such an unusual flavour, I kept a small piece aside to end with! The foam settled on the pink pieces of Arctic Char Crudo bubbled and twinkled, inviting us to dare break the beautiful presentation. After much oohing and aahing, I finally poked my fork into the dish and died. I wanted to lick the plate at the end. I didn't. The blood sausage sounded much better than it tasted but I am a sausage lover so no complaints there. In an attempt to eat some veggies we got the Charred Broccolini and loved it. The timur yoghurt and cashew makes it tangy and crunchy but the grapes render a delicious sweetness to the dish. For our mains, we decided to go the whole hog and get the Cote de Bouef with 'all the fixings'. I was in such food heaven, I didn't even pay attention to the accompaniments. I just heard wasabi mash, puréed kale, balsamic vinaigrette jus and my taste buds were dripping. They were further tested as we gorged on dessert. No matter how full, the tummy always manages to sneak in room for the sweetness of chocolate mousse and a Yoghurt Surprise.
According to Virginia Woolf, "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." Suffice to say I think and sleep well in New York. Now to find love.