With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back for the best things we ate this week.
Lately, I’ve been craving malatang, the individual hot pot restaurant concept with roots in Sichuan, and have thus tried almost every version in the city recently. Growl Growl (which also has a location in Boston) is my favorite so far. The inclusions here are pretty straightforward, but I liked the accouterments the most. The broth options are varied, including “global inspirations” like Japanese sukiyaki broth and Thai tom yum broth. The generous choose-your-own inclusions bar is very clean, organized, and clearly chilled. And the surroundings are stylish and vibey, despite the food being on par with more no-nonsense competitors price-wise, at $17.99 per pound. For me, the Sichuan sesame dry mix sauce — with a topping of garlic and cilantro — was the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and fresh. Plus, there’s an ice jelly station for a palate cleanser after it all. 11 West 36th Street, near Fifth Avenue, Midtown — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter
My love of onigiri is well-documented, and I’ve been slowly making my way through New York’s Japanese rice snacks. For a very late-night dinner, I stopped by Japanese grocery shop Katagiri, which includes a location of Japanese onigiri spot, Omusubi Gonbei. I got an assortment of three: the umeboshi was beautifully tart ($2.50); the mentaiko ($2.90) was briny and had a touch of wasabi heat; and the spicy tuna ($2.60) was very fiery. I love how packed and sturdily wrapped in the nori sheets. 370 Lexington Avenue, on 41st Street between Park and Lexington avenues, Midtown — Nadia Chaudhury, deputy editor, Northeast
Almost instantly after beginning to unravel Sunday C&C’s orange cardamom bun ($8) — and even before taking a bite — you’re hit with the unmistakable scent of fresh orange, the kind that can only come from newly squeezed juice. Sure enough, there’s fresh orange juice in the batter, along with microscopic flecks of orange zest studding the dough. Cardamom and almond play supporting roles, but it’s the orange that delivers the pastry’s winning brightness. As my husband pointed out, it’s no mistake that, at the reopened bakery, you’re also sitting inside a space defined by countless touches of the same citrusy hue. This is a pillowy bun that can withstand being dunked into a cup of the panelacano, a house specialty: an Americano sweetened with panela.189 Wilson Avebye, between DeKalb and Stockholm streets, Bushwick — Patty Diez, associate director, brand development
