Alright, this is the final post on New York! To sum up the trip, I had a fabulous time and ate like a queen, even when eating cheaply!
One afternoon, before a solo trip to the Met, I stopped in at Gray’s Papaya and ordered their Recession Special ($3.50): two hotdogs, one with sauerkraut, one with onions, and a papaya drink. Yummy! I do love a good hot dog and these beefy ones really hit the spot that day. The papaya drink was only so-so but that’s probably just me (I recently also tried some papaya juice and I didn’t like it. I prefer to just eat the fruit.).
Another morning, we headed for East Houston and ended up at Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery. As a first-time knish eater, the man there recommended a spinach knish ($3.00) and heated one up for me (Mirna had the same). He handed over our knishes in small white paper bags – it must have weighed at least half a pound and was the size of both of my fists combined!
For other knish newbies, a knish is a ball of seasoned mashed potatoes wrapped in a layer of pastry and baked. It’s heavy and starchy and carby and delicious, especially with lots of mustard!
Later that same day, we were in Chinatown and I searched for one of the cheap dumpling joints I’d heard so much about. We found Tasty Dumpling where 5 pork and chive dumplings can be had for only $1.25. I poured on some black vinegar and some spicy chili vinegar and then took them, along with a bottle of fresh soya bean milk, to the park opposite, where lots of Chinese men play chess!
The skins may have been a little thick but they were pleasantly chewy and the filling was tasty. Cheap dumplings can’t be beat!
The last notable eat was General Tso’s Chicken eaten at a cheap Chinese restaurant connected to our hotel. It was a combination plate with pork fried rice and an egg roll all for under $7.
Gosh, have you ever seen fried rice that’s that yellow?! The accompanying rice and egg roll were nothing to shout about but General Tso, what lovely chicken you make! Deep fried battered chicken tossed in a sweet and sour and spicy sauce – delicious and oh so not good for us! General Tso’s chicken is available at just about any Chinese restaurant in the States so I won’t provide the address of this one!
I had such fun in New York – I’m definitely going to plan a trip back in the future! To see all my New York photos (including the non-food ones!), c’mon over to my New York Flickr photoset.
Gray’s Papaya
402 Sixth Avenue at 8th Street
New York, NY
(there are two other locations)
Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery
137 East Houston Street
Between 1st & 2nd The Lower East Side
New York, NY
Tasty Dumpling
54 Mulberry St
New York, NY
Sun, 5 Oct, 2008 at 23:44
enjoying all of your NYC foodie adventures
Mon, 6 Oct, 2008 at 18:39
Looking at your blog is really not doing my self-control any good, I just want to eat all this stuff
But, no, I must be good – especially on a Monday night 
Mon, 6 Oct, 2008 at 21:32
This makes me miss Manhattan so much! When I lived there, I used to go to Gray’s Papaya (once in a while) and the first time I had a knish, I thought wow! I never had the greatest Chinese food there though.
Wed, 8 Oct, 2008 at 09:16
That all looks amazing!
Fri, 10 Oct, 2008 at 10:08
kat: Thanks! But it’s back to London eating now…
Jonny:
But now it’s the weekend…
Helen: I wanna bake knishes now!
Shame about the Chinese food…but there’s some tasty Chinese-American food to be had!
catering equipment: Thanks! It was all delicious!
Fri, 10 Oct, 2008 at 14:09
I love Grey’s Papaya!
Gord that takes me back… and there was a great bar just across the street… ah memories
Fri, 10 Oct, 2008 at 14:24
Hi Su-Lin, I never liked the drinks at Gray’s papaya, either. It was always too watery.
I also remember that just ten years ago that you got two dogs and a drink for $1.50. I realize it’s sad that I keep reminiscing like this. I sound like my grandmother.
Sun, 12 Oct, 2008 at 20:05
dug: was there? didn’t see that! I too miss good, cheap hot dogs!
American in London:
Don’t worry about it. A buck fifty, huh? That’s something worth reminiscing about!
Mon, 13 Oct, 2008 at 19:28
Indeed, and I did pretty well on the food front this weekend – went to http://www.tayyabs.co.uk to celebrate my birthday with friends – food was excellent!
Wed, 15 Oct, 2008 at 21:26
Jonny: Happy belated birthday! I’ve never been to Tayyabs yet just because it’s on the other side of town. I guess I’m happy to stay here and eat in Southall!
Sun, 15 Aug, 2010 at 21:28
[...] and it was to be found at No. 10, a Chinese restaurant in Earl’s Court. My first and only taste of it was at a cheap Chinese restaurant in Manhattan a couple years ago but I remembered how even [...]