The noodle-wrapped meatballs at LES Thai spot Wayla are a must-order, editor says
The “runaway-hit dish” at Wayla, a new Thai spot with an outdoor garden on the Lower East Side, is a noodle-wrapped meatball, writes New Yorker editor Shauna Lyon. The moo sarong is described as follows: “a garlicky dollop of pork is wrapped, by hand, in a single long wheat noodle, then fried, to resemble a crispy little ball of string with a juicy center.” There are other standouts, too, such as the “addictive” plum-sauced chicken wings, fried rice with “fresh” lump crab, and a “juicy” fried chicken served on the bone.
Historic Chinatown tofu shops opens for the weekend only, and more openings and closings
Fong On, the historic tofu shop reopening in Chinatown, will be open this weekend noon to 6 p.m. But it’ll be closed as of Monday “until we figure out some logistics,” Paul Eng tells Eater. The store hopes to open permanently in August. Meanwhile, Hell’s Kitchen Thai favorite Pure Thai is reopening for dinner today following issues with its walk-in refrigerator due to the recent power outages.
New Amsterdam Burger Bar is now open on the Upper West Side at 680 Columbus Ave., near 93rd Street. The kosher restaurant used to operate under a similar name at 654 Amsterdam Ave. but has now relocated to a larger space with outdoor seating. But kosher ramen restaurant Boru Boru is closing at 774 Amsterdam Ave., at 97th Street. Over in the East Village, Craft + Carry is now selling craft brews at 116 St. Marks Place, between Avenue A and First Avenue.
Katie Holmes spotted at beachy Long Island restaurant and bar
Actress Katie Holmes was spotted at Coastal Kitchen & Daiquiri Bar in Bay Shore, Long Island. Holmes was reportedly catching the Fire Island ferry that sits nearby.
New York duck farmers are worried about the proposed foie gras ban
A potential citywide foie gras ban has New York duck farmers worried: There are only three farms that raise foie gras in the U.S., and two of them are located in a rural community in the Catskills, according to the New Food Economy. They employ 400 people. Izzy Yanay of Hudson Valley Foie Gras has invited city council members to visit his farm before voting on the legislation, saying he’d lose about $12 million, a third of his annual sales, if the band were passed. Yet so far, no council member has toured the farm, New Food Economy reports.
Cantonese clay pot restaurant highlighted in Hungry Critic column
Writer Mahira Rivers highlights East Village Cantonese restaurant Clay Pot in the Times’ Hungry City column this week — where the main dish is bo zai fan, a comfort food dish made with crispy rice. Named after the vessel the dish is served in, Clay Pot zeroes in on a rice meal traditionally eaten throughout Hong Kong, in which rice is made crispy at the bottom of a clay pot and served with toppings like scallions, shrimp, and “succulent” chicken. “Alone, the rice is modestly flavored; potent cured meats are traditionally used to season each bite,” she writes.
Three women attacked and tried to rob a woman inside a Midtown deli
Three women tried to rob a woman inside a Midtown deli at Madison Avenue and East 54th Street last week, but thanks to staff, the trio left empty-handed. The robbery began outside the deli at around 6 p.m. on June 16, when the three women allegedly hit the victim on the head with an umbrella to try and steal her phone and bag. The victim was followed into the deli, when store workers intervened the attempted robbery.