Munching through Manhattan
Trip Start
Oct 04, 2007
1
10
11
Trip End
Oct 13, 2007
Manhattan, New York
Friday, October 12, 2007
I contend that the best Chinese restaurant in the world is the New Green Bo restaurant in Chinatown on Bayard street. As a kid, my family spent our vacations touring the U.S. by car, eventually covering most every state. A valued accomplishment with great memories. Memories influenced to some degree by my Dad's genetic make-up that required at least one plate of rice each day. Invariably, that meant we'd stop to survey the local Chinese restaurant in whatever backwater town we happened to be in at noon. I've experienced a spectrum of Chinese foods that included some mineral water won ton soup in Saratoga Springs, an 'appetizer' plate of foot-long eggrolls in Salt Lake City, and shao long bao in Shanghai. New Green Bo reigns supreme.
That said, my other contention is that the world's best pastrami sandwich can be found at Katz's on E. Houston St. It's a shrine that defines what a deli should be. Most others make the attempt to create the ambiance and flavors that ooze without effort from the walls of this place. The pastrami itself is juicy and thick with flavors that invade and overwhelm the senses. Your ears can taste this stuff. Accented by dark mustard, mayonnaise, tart pickles, and a light rye bread that doesn't shred or pull your teeth out, the inch thick layers of beef anchor the perfect sandwich. If you haven't been, go. Trust me, I never lie about food.
