Restaurant Tag

New York is a culinary paradise for a foodie; Radha's tag got me thinking about five restaurants to recommend- tough task! So I tried to select a range that would reflect the city's ethnic and culinary diversity. Here's the restaurant roll:

1) Sea - Thai food is about balance: basil and chilli, sweet and sour, coconut milk and galaghal and Sea is the perfect place to indulge in a bowl of steaming drunk man noodles or emerald vegetable dumplings. It's rather colorful interiors center around a larger-than-life Buddha statue in the middle of a square-shaped pond. Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the place can be a bit of a trek so if you're craving yummy Pad Thai sans the fishy smell, head over any one of its branches- Peep or Spice- in Manhattan. The food is mouth-watering and the green tea ice-cream worth lining up for!

2) Cafe Habana - Cuban food, good Cuban food for vegetarians is hard to find. This tiny place in East Village is trendy and overcrowded with unrelenting waitresses, but my trick is to focus on the grilled corn-on-the-cob with chili spice, cheese and butter. Yummmy. Another fav. is the Tlacoyo Con Tres Maria, a handmade corn cake stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes, with a delicious side of beans and rice.

3) Mamoun's - Perfect for a quick bite before or after a night of bar-hopping, Mamouns is one of those secret places tourist guides often miss out on. A night in Greenwich Village is incomplete without a stop at Momoun's Falafel, the best place for quick, tasty falafel/ chicken sandwich oozing with hummus. More of a shanty than a restaurant, there are exactly two tables and a couple of benches, which makes eating neatly a bit of challenge. And that's part of the fun:)

4) Grey Dog Cafe - Goat cheese sandwiches, tofu salads, iced tea, nice wine, broccoli cheddar soup and the biggest cookies ever! This quaint cafe in the heart of West Village is my fav. `think' place. Cosy, warm with great food and music, this little cafe also serves a mean brunch with lots of character.

5) Tsampa - Who knew Tibetan food could be so tasty! Tsampa's momos and tofu with mixed greens and brown rice are fresh and tasty. The peaceful, calm restaurant is a great place to kick back and relax with a glass of their exceptional plum wine.

Continuing the good food work I tag: Suramya (Delhi), Ashu (Paris), Moi (Florida), Aditya (Bombay) and Wanda (CA).