Tushar and I are big foodies so we do mini food tours on the weekend. We plan to try one popular dish at about 6-7 different restaurants as we walk around the city. The key is to walk to each place to burn off what you just ate. I recently started to eat fish on occasions but mostly stick a vegetarian diet. Tushar is both vegetarian and gluten free because he has a severe wheat allergy. The places below I would say are suitable to these type of diets. This is part 2 of the best vegetarian restaurants so be sure to check out part 1 as well.
Best Asian-Inspired Manhattan Restaurants
- Thai Diner: This place has the most interesting menu that blends Thai influence with other cultures. We had the pad thai that had the perfect peanut taste that I love. The restaurant decor feels like you stepped back in time and provides for a very unique atmosphere. Thai Diner is extremely busy so you might have to wait to sit down. We ordered it to go and ate in the car to avoid the afternoon lunch crowd.
- Thep Thai: This neighborhood restaurant has traditional thai dishes with exceptional flavor. We have tried the basil fried rice with vegetarian duck, tea leaves salad, pad thai, crab fried rice, pad see eiw, and red curry. All dishes taste very fresh with exceptional ingredients. We would say this is in line with Thai Villa food which is another one of our favorites. The restaurant also has a waitlist you can join for Yelp. Sometimes it is deceiving and the line is actually a lot faster than what is stated on Yelp. The decor inside is also really beautiful.
- Planta: PLANTA opened in 2016 to expand the accessibility and acceptability of plant based dining. Their mission is to make an impact by celebrating the power of plants. We went for my birthday and were pleasantly surprised by the plant based sushi! We honestly couldn’t believe how flavorful and delicious it was. I didn’t particularly enjoy the main courses as some had a strong coconut flavor. I would 100% recommend going just for the sushi and trying out a couple of the other dishes. We loved the unagi eggplant nigiri, mushroom bacon inari, crispy rice, torched and pressed, and baked crab roll. It is also a very popular place so make a reservation!
- Yubu: This is a hole in the wall takeout restaurant in East Village. This place offers rice filled tofu pockets with your choice of topping. We tried the crab meat and spicy mushroom that packed in so much flavor. The portion isn’t large so if you are getting as a snack two is the perfect amount. For a meal, I would get 5-6 pieces.
- Dokodemo: In the mood for a quick meal? Dokodemo is a Japanese street food restaurant that specializes in 4 different dishes: takoyaki, yakisoba, fried rice, and ramen rice. This place is truly no frills style with good prices considering the portion. We got the fried rice with tofu that I would 100% recommend. I will definitely be going back to try the other menu items. Some reviews on Yelp say that food is very salty but we didn’t note that with the fried rice.
- Spicy Moon: Spicy Moon in my personal opinion is more flavorful than Han Dynasty with fresher ingredients. We have tried the dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, string beans, cumin style tofu, and szechuan style friend rice. The restaurant is on the pricy side for around $80-100 for two people. You can make reservations online for both locations which I would highly recommend doing. The restaurant is 100% vegetarian and is a true gem to find Szechuan-style cuisine without meat.
- Tonchin: Tonchin originated in Tokyo, Japan in 1992. Brothers Katsuhiro and Motohiro Sugeno, had a simple goal, to bring people together and provide excellent food. This amazing ramen restaurant has plenty of unique dishes on the menu. I tried the potato with snow crab salad and miso ginger ramen with seasoned bamboo shoots, soft boiled egg, and scallions. The ramen is super rich in flavor and very filling. Although vegetarian, they really packed in a lot of flavor into the broth. Definitely one of my top ramen places in the city. Unfortunately they didn’t tell us their kitchen closed so we didn’t get to try their shaved ice for dessert. We will definitely get that next time!
Breakfast, Tea and Dessert
Modern Bread & Bagel: This restaurant is entirely gluten free so it was super fun for us to check out. We got The Big Show Bagel on an everything bagel. They don’t allow any substitutions or additions on bagels which was slightly unfortunate. The bagel itself was actually very soft on the inside and a bit of a crunch on the outside. The bagel itself was chewy in the best way so we were pleasantly surprised. Because of the flour they use, the bagels themselves are expensive! The place is also closed on Saturdays so keep that in mind. If you have a wheat allergy or have Celiac’s disease I think this is a great option.
Kolkata Chai: I am a huge chai critic as i have mastered my favorite flavors at home. The chai here actually tastes were authentic. The chai blend consists of black tea, black pepper, cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves. In addition, they sell the blend in packets so you can make at home! At the cafe they also have filter coffee, kesar chai, and snacks. If you want to make chai at home you can look at a post I made a while ago!
Ray’s Candy Store: This has to be the biggest gem in east village. They have every unhealthy treat you could want including fried oreos, icecream, Belgian fries, beignets, and sundaes. The menu is scattered on the walls, so if you don’t see the treat you want just ask! Ray happened to be working in the evening when we were there with a couple of college kids. He was so sweet and is an extremely hard worker. It is open 24/7 and has been open for over 45 years.
We have tried numerous places that haven’t quite met the mark. Again, these our my opinions so if you like the restaurant perhaps I just tried the wrong thing! We had our anniversary dinner at Katsuya in Hudson Yards. I tried numerous sushi options including the crispy rice and was extremely disappointed. The sushi didn’t taste fresh at all and the portions were extremely small. The sushi rice was also falling apart when we were eating. I think the outside area is absolutely stunning but perhaps just go for drinks.
