All over Manhattan there are all these wonderful little bodegas/delis that carry all the essentials from groceries to cleaning products from baked goods to toiletries. All the things that you would need on a daily basis and these places are usually opened late or even like Kips Bay Deli open 24 hours.
What separates each of them is in the prepared food areas that they have that carry sandwiches, soups and entree platters usually at a very reasonable price to take out (some have delivery as well). This is where Kips Bay Deli really shines.
Almost all of their sandwiches run between $5.95 to $8.95 depending on whether you order the sandwich on a hero roll or on a regular role. When they make you a sandwich, it is a sandwich. The two times I have been there I have been very impressed by the quality and the size of each sandwich.
The first time I visited, I had an Italian Hero ($7.75) and it was just excellent. The sandwich was loaded with freshly cut cold cuts and fresh tomato and lettuce. The sandwich had salami, Italian ham, Bologna, Provolone Cheese and vinegar and oil to compliment the flavors. The hero roll was soft and chewy and the sandwich was accompanied by a dill pickle and a big handful of potato chips.
The second time I ate there I had the Chicken Parmesan sandwich ($7.75) which was loaded with several pieces of freshly fried breaded chicken breast with a couple of pieces of fresh mozzarella and topped with a spicy marinara sauce. The sandwich was very good but could have spent a few more minutes in the oven to melt the cheese.
The Chicken Parmesan is excellent here.
The service here is really nice and the cook who works late at night really takes a lot of pride in his work. He makes his own chicken and tuna salad fresh and told me that he makes his meatballs for the meatball hero fresh as well.
What is also nice is that the deli is open 24 hours and you can order these delicious sandwiches all day.
I love it when I can eat at a restaurant on its first week open and get to enjoy the excitement with the owner as they establish their dream. That is what myself and my best friend felt when we ate at AweSum Dim Sum the first time. The restaurant is on my Advantage Dining Program and was recommended. So I tried it for the first time and loved it and then I took her and she agreed.
The extensive menu of Dim Sum is posted outside the restaurant.
Everything on the menu was excellent. All the Dim Sum on the menu is fresh and cooked to order. When it arrives, it is sizzling hot and busting with flavor. The tough part is knowing what to order because everything on the menu is so good.
My first trip I devoured the Har Gow, small Shrimp dumplings with shrimp and bamboo shoots. Each bit had a small crunch of the pieces of shrimp inside the wrapping and the sweetness of the fish. Lightly set in the soy sauce and hot oil brought out the flavor of the dumpling. I had these a another trip to the restaurant and they are just excellent.
Har Gow are small shrimp dumplings
I also ordered the Spring Rolls, tiny vegetable rolls deep fried to perfection filled with carrots, water chestnuts, black agaric, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Each crackled with the flavor of the vegetables inside and the crisp fried wrapper on the outside.
The Spring Rolls crackle with flavor
Another standout that the restaurant put a new spin on was the Baked BBQ Pork Buns, which were baked into a sweet dough and it was if they were steamed in the end. The BBQ pork was sweet and tangy at the same time. They have a crisp sweet outside and chewy consistency.
The sweetness of the dough compliments the tangy pork
This is also the same for the White Custard Buns, which look very similar on the outside but are filled with a sweet yellowish-white baked custard on the inside. They are sweet and crispy on the outside and sugary and creamy on the inside.
On this trip, I tried the Crispy Shrimp Rolls, which had tiny shrimps studded inside a crispy wrapper that had been pan fried and had a light crunch to it. Dipped into the chili oil and then the soy sauce brought out the flavor of the shrimp and accented its wrapping.
Crispy Shrimp Roll
The one thing I have enjoyed on all three trips to the restaurant is the Pork Soup Dumplings. These are amazing. A small pork meatball is wrapped around by a light dumpling wrapper and so juicy that when you dip them into the soy sauce and bit into them, they burst in your mouth with an intense juiciness.
The Pork Soup Dumplings are so juicy
One unique dish I have not tried is the AweSum sampler, which is a Sticky Rice Wrap, a BBQ Pork Bun, a Crispy Shrimp Roll and Chicken Shu Mai, which gives you a full taste of all the treats that the restaurant carries.
The AweSum Sampler
Another great item is the Pan Fried Pork Buns. They are light and pillowy on the outside and a nice combination of ground pork and cabbage filling that is nicely spiced. These are lightly pan fried and have a crisp exterior in each bite.
In my recent trip with my best friend, we went through about half the menu ordering the Har Gow, the Scallion Pancakes, the Baked Pork Buns, the Chicken Shu Mai, the White Custard Buns and the Fried Dumplings.
On another visit when finishing walking the Kips Bay neighborhood for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”, I revisited the restaurant again for a late lunch. I just wanted a quick snack and ordered the Baked Pork Buns again and tried the Fried Rice Dumplings. The Fried Rice Dumplings were made with a rice dough surrounding minced pork and what looked like chopped mushrooms and were heaven in every bite.
On another recent trip to Awesum Dim Sum, I tried some newer items to the menu. I had the pricer Shrimp Wrapped with Bacon ($7.00) which was really good. Ground Shrimp which was seasoned and wrapped with bacon had a smokey and savory flavor to it.
The Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
The Roast Pork Pastries ($5.95) were little puff pastries filled with rich and sweet sliced pork and had a sweet and savory flavor to them as well. The Shu Mai, which are the shrimp and pork open-faced dumplings were delicious in the soy sauce provided. For dessert, I had the tiny egg custards which had a custardy consistency in flaky puff pastry.
The Shu Mai is excellent
On another trip, I returned to the Har Gow and Roast Pork Puffs again and they are just excellent but this time but I added the Pan Fried Juicy Buns, which are two large buns filled with ground pork, shrimp and spices. They were pan fried to perfection and the inside and out. They were delicious.
The new Eighth Avenue store is similar to the East 23rd Street store
The store just opened a new branch by the Port Authority and the food is also excellent here and the prices are still the same and very fair for everything you get for your meal.
My dinner at the new Eighth Avenue Restaurant
The Pan-Fried Pork buns were excellent
The Baked Pork Buns were sweet on the outside and filled with sweet roast pork
The Vegetable Spring Rolls were crisp and delicious
The best part is that the prices don’t break the bank as each Dim Sum is between $4.00-$6.00 and the drinks here will run between $1.50 for hot tea, $3.00 for soft drinks and $5.00 for a beer.
The service could not be nicer as things come out quickly the owner and his son are always so friendly especially when it is busy.
The restaurant has a cool contemporary feel to it with light colors and pale woods. It has a nice modern twist to it.
The East 23rd Street store
There is lots of inside counter space to sit at and there are tables outside on a nice day to dine at with friends and family. I have noticed that since its opening the place has gotten busier and busier with the local college students. It is also nice that they have a new branch on near the Port Authority on the way home. It offers something new to an area they could use some nice restaurants.
The whole experience is a nice way to spend the afternoon and I will be back!
Previti Pizza has replaced Pizza Halal and has been fully renovated. It now has different owners and employees. The food is still excellent but more expensive.
I recently came across Pizza and Pita pizzeria when I was walking the borders of Murray Hill for my blog, “MywalkinManhattan.com”. The pizzeria was closed for seating but there was take out available. It is not the fanciest place to eat what it lacks in decor it makes up in the quality and portion size of the food and friendly service.
The selection of pizzas in the case at Previti Pizza.
I needed a snack and saw that they had just taken a fresh pie out of the oven for display and it looked really good. I got a slice and it was delicious. The sauce is really well spiced and you can taste the tomatoes when biting into it. They loaded on the mozzarella cheese and it was a nice combination of stringy and cheesy goodness as you bit into it. At $3.00 a slice and the size of the slice, it is really a bargain.
The Cheese pizza is really good but a bit pricey.
The Cheese pizza has a delicious sauce as a base and plenty of cheese.
I was so impressed by the pizza that I went back later that evening for dinner. I really was in the mood for a Chicken Parmesan hero and that is what I ordered. I watched how they put the whole sandwich together.
They got a fresh hoagie roll, sliced it and toasted it. While they were doing that, they fried out two large freshly breaded chicken cutlets and deep fried them and then they came out drained them and sliced them placing them on the bread. They topped it with a lot of their delicious sauce and lots of shredded mozzarella cheese. Then the whole sandwich was baked again for a toasted bubbly top to the sandwich.
Every bite was delicious and it was a very nice sized sandwich. At $8.95, it was a very fair price considering the size of the sandwich. It could have easily fed two people.
The service was very nice too. The counter guy was happy when I told him how much I liked his pizza. He seemed even happier when I came back for dinner and said I was so impressed by the pizza that I wanted to try one of their sandwiches as well.
I was recently back in Murray Hill to finish my walk of the neighborhood and I just wanted a snack. I got two of their Garlic Knots with a side of marinara sauce which was just $1.50. That was some deal because these large, doughy and chewy knots were loaded with garlic and spices. The marinara sauce if full of flavor and has a nice tomato flavor. It was an enjoy enjoyable snack.
The food case at Previti Pizza is filled with all sorts of rolls, patties and knots.
The Garlic Knots at the old restaurant.
The guys were really nice and seemed please that I was so happy with the food.
On my travels to the Turtle Bay neighborhood, I came across a little gem of a restaurant tucked into the office buildings that line the border of Turtle Bay and Midtown East. Hop Won Chinese Noodle Shop is located in a series of small mom and pop restaurants in what is left of the brownstone section of the neighborhood. The rest of the street had been leveled for new office towers and this small strip of restaurants is what remains.
Hop Won appears small from the outside but the restaurant is rather large in the back with lots of nice seating to enjoy your meal. The front section of the restaurant is where you do your ordering and during the lunch rush most entrees are prepared ahead of time and ready for office workers to dash in and out. If you have the time, try to eat in the back of the restaurant and sit in one of the cushioned chairs. On a hot day, the air conditioning works so nicely, and the restaurant is such a pleasure to dine in.
The inside of Hop Won Chinese Noodle Soup
The food is terrific. I had lunch here a couple of times and the restaurant is less Cantonese ‘take-out’ food and concentrates more on barbecued meats, noodle soups and dishes accompanied with rice. It is more of a Chinatown restaurant in the middle of Midtown. The smells of the roasted meats make them mouthwatering, and you really want to concentrate on them when you first visit the restaurant.
The Roasted Duck and Roast Pork at Hop Won are delicious
The Roasted Meat combination platter makes a good lunch/dinner combination.
My first trip to the restaurant, I had the Boneless Roast Pork Combination platter with Fried Rice and an egg roll ($10.75) with a Coke. The roast pork was delicious with a smoky flavor due to the red soy marinade and a finishing of honey. Each piece was perfectly roasted and had a nice, lacquered color to it.
The Boneless Roast Pork is so succulent here.
I had to admit that they were very generous with the portion size as well and it must have been about a half pound of meat on the plate. The Vegetarian Fried Rice was perfectly cooked with slivers or small pieces of vegetables studded in the dish. The egg roll was pretty standard but still good.
The egg rolls are delicious.
On my second trip to the restaurant, I concentrated on the roasted meats again and had the Roast Pork and Roast Duck combination platter with White Rice ($10.00) with a Coke and a side of Wonton Soup ($3.00). Again the roasted meats were perfect marinated and lacquered.
The roast pork had a succulent red color to it, and you could taste the salty soy sauce in it. The roasted duck had that lacquered crisp skin on the outside and moist sweet duck meat on the inside. It was a nice contrast in flavors with the white rice. Again the portion sizes were very fair and filling. It was so good that I had it a second time on a recent visit.
The Boneless Roast Pork with Pork Fried Rice and an Egg Roll
My most recent trip for dinner, I had the Boneless Roast Pork with Pork Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. The portion size was extremely generous and the roast pork had a nice rich flavor to it accompanied by more chopped roast pork both in the egg roll and in the fried rice.
The Wonton Soup is rich but a bit salty. It has a deep meat flavor as you can taste the boiled and long simmering chicken in the broth. You got two Wontons in the small portion, and they were very generous in size and had a nice filling of ground pork.
They have a wonderful Wonton Soup.
On my most recent trip while walking the Avenues of Midtown East, I had the Sweet & Sour Shrimp Combination lunch with a Coke ($11.00). The Shrimp was very fresh, and they gave me about eight pieces of these lightly tempura battered shrimp in a pungent sauce that was not sweet. Their fried rice is very good, and the egg rolls here are pretty standard. The one thing I like about their combination lunches is the generous portions at a fair price.
The Sweet & Sour Shrimp with Pork Fried Rice
I wanted to try something different on my recent trip to the restaurant and was disappointed by the Chicken and String Beans combination platter ($11.00). It just looked off. The chicken was cooked in a black bean sauce which explained the weird color of the dish and the strange dark things in the food. The string beans were so over-cooked that they were dead. They were so mushy. The fried rice was listless. It tasted okay but this is not the quality I had had on previous trips. I know a restaurant can have an off day, but this was strange.
On another trip months later, I ordered the same dish, and it was delicious. The chicken was so tender and juicy and there was a lot of it in the dish. The string beans were perfectly cooked and snapped when you bit into them. It was served with a brown rice with small pieces of egg and vegetables. The egg roll that was part of the combination plate for lunch ($10.00) was fried crisp and filled with shredded vegetables. I thought any restaurant can have a bad day and this trip made up for the other.
The Chicken and String beans was good
They made up for it on a recent trip I made to the restaurant when walking Central Park South my main blog, MywalkinManhattan.com. I had the Beef and Broccoli with Fried Rice and an egg roll combination platter ($10.00). It was wonderful.
On a cold day, the dish came out steaming hot and loaded with pieces of tender beef and chunks of well-cooked broccoli in a combination of Soy and Hunan sauce. It had a nice pinch to it. The egg rolls this time was a little better than the last few trips in. It had some pork in it.
The tender Beef and Broccoli with an egg roll.
The prices have gone up in late 2022 and the combination platters for lunch and dinner have gone up to $11.00 (in 2024 to $12.00) and the soups have gone up a dollar. On a cool November night, I had the Cantonese Wonton Soup with Noodles, Wontons and Roast Pork with an egg roll on the side and a Coke. Talk about delicious.
The Cantonese Soups are a meal onto themselves
The Chicken broth was rich and flavorful and was loaded with ingredients. The large bowl of the Cantonese soup was loaded with chopped Roast Pork, thin egg noodles and five large wontons that looked freshly made. It really warmed me up and helped me get over a cold. At $15.00 is was a bit more with the add ons but was well worth it.
I recently had to make a quick trip into the City and stopped by the restaurant for a quick lunch/dinner and the food is always great. I had the Beef and String beans with an egg roll and it was delicious. Thin slices of beef with lots of freshly cooked string beans with a side of fried rice makes the perfect meal on a cool day. The combination of the black bean sauce with the soy sauce made for a good combination.
The Beef and String beans were delicious and hit the spot.
The service here is very quick especially at lunch where they seem to have it down as a science to get customers in and out. The family still eyes you as a new customer and I can tell they are trying to figure out if you are going to be a repeat customer. Still, they have been very pleasant on my trips to eat here.
The egg rolls here are really good.
The prices have gone up again to $12.00 for the combination plates in 2024. It still is a good bargain and the portion sizes are generous.
Dining on a Shoestring in the New York City area and beyond. 