Guides & Lists
The maps are the data. These are the notes: long-form city guides, shortlists of where I'm eating right now, and best-of lists by category.
City Guides
Shortlists
Lists
New York
The pizza places I actually go back to in New York, from old-school classics like Lucali and Di Fara to the new wave.
My favorite bagels in New York, including the new viral wave (Apollo, Utopia, Popup) and the under-the-radar classic I grew up on.
The bakeries I keep coming back to in New York, from laminated-pastry destinations to neighborhood necessities started during COVID.
Where to eat sandwiches and old-school deli food in New York, from Katz's to Defonte's, Brennan & Carr, and Casa Della Mozzarella.
Higher-end burgers with great vibes (Minetta Tavern, 4 Charles, Red Hook Tavern, Rolo's) and the smash burger picks worth knowing.
Modern handmade-pasta, classic neighborhood Italian, and the spin from the Four Horsemen team. My NYC Italian shortlist.
Where to eat Japanese food in New York, from two- and three-star tasting menus to neighborhood ramen and soba counters.
Modern Korean tasting menus, Korean steakhouse, and the Michelin-starred royal-court skewer counter that's still a sleeper hit.
From Cosme's chef-driven Flatiron flagship to Birria-Landia's consommé tacos and Oaxacan home cooking out in Corona.
Real-deal Chinese food across Flushing, Sunset Park, and Chinatown — Sichuan, Cantonese rice rolls, and upscale Tribeca.
Little Thailand in Elmhurst Queens has the best Thai food in the country within a few blocks: Zaab Zaab, Saranrom, Khao Kang, Ayada, and Hug Esan.
Where to eat Vietnamese food in New York — Ba Xuyên in Sunset Park, plus newer East Village additions that nailed it.
Three-Michelin-star tasting menus, two-star contenders, and the upstate farm-table experience worth the trip.
Tokyo
The Tokyo ramen shops I keep going back to, from artisanal counters to dipping ramen and beyond.
From world-renowned omakase counters to affordable standing sushi bars and Toyosu Market favorites.
Where to eat the best fried-pork cutlet in Tokyo.
Handmade buckwheat noodles in Tokyo, from neighborhood counters to refined kaiseki-style spots.
Where to eat grilled freshwater eel done well in Tokyo.
Tokyo's drinking-and-eating spots: tiny bars, smoked-everything counters, and late-night staples.
Italian, French, Chinese, and other non-Japanese standouts in Tokyo.