Eating In Translation
@davemcook.bsky.social
Eating In Translation examines interesting, usually inexpensive food in and around New York, and occasionally farther afield.
An exceptional nam khao with pickled pork — exceptional, even after I'd chowed down on grilled sai oua — at the Lao pop-up Heunkuoa, in the backyard of the Greenpoint, Brooklyn bar Troost, 1011 Manhattan Ave. The pop-up returns today, October 3, 4:30 till sold out.
www.instagram.com/heunkuoa/
www.instagram.com/heunkuoa/
October 3, 2026 at 12:42 PM
An exceptional nam khao with pickled pork — exceptional, even after I'd chowed down on grilled sai oua — at the Lao pop-up Heunkuoa, in the backyard of the Greenpoint, Brooklyn bar Troost, 1011 Manhattan Ave. The pop-up returns today, October 3, 4:30 till sold out.
www.instagram.com/heunkuoa/
www.instagram.com/heunkuoa/
Make room for an overstuffed weekend of New York-area food events: Chinese, Creole, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, German, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, pan-Latin American, Native American, Nigerian, Romanian, Slavonic, Ukrainian, and more bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
October 1, 2026 at 6:12 PM
Make room for an overstuffed weekend of New York-area food events: Chinese, Creole, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, German, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, pan-Latin American, Native American, Nigerian, Romanian, Slavonic, Ukrainian, and more bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
A root beer freeze — though not nearly as colorful as the hand-drawn menu board, it hits the spot during the last gasp of summery weather — at The Screen Door, 4819 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
September 30, 2026 at 12:56 PM
A root beer freeze — though not nearly as colorful as the hand-drawn menu board, it hits the spot during the last gasp of summery weather — at The Screen Door, 4819 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside, Queens
The most notable herb in this bún chả Hà Nội isn't heaped on the plate. Xương sông, wrapped around minced-pork patties, adds peppery and somewhat astringent notes when herb and pork are chargrilled together. It's hard to source in New York; Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, on Second Ave., grows its own.
September 29, 2026 at 2:05 PM
The most notable herb in this bún chả Hà Nội isn't heaped on the plate. Xương sông, wrapped around minced-pork patties, adds peppery and somewhat astringent notes when herb and pork are chargrilled together. It's hard to source in New York; Ngon Vietnamese Kitchen, on Second Ave., grows its own.
Cold sesame noodles from Pán Dà (previously known as Panda, with the usual iconography), Catherine St., Manhattan. Weighty and lush, they'll provide two meals for any reasonable appetite. Indulge in late-night noodles, available till 2:00 a.m., and enjoy leftovers when you wake!
September 28, 2026 at 1:41 PM
Cold sesame noodles from Pán Dà (previously known as Panda, with the usual iconography), Catherine St., Manhattan. Weighty and lush, they'll provide two meals for any reasonable appetite. Indulge in late-night noodles, available till 2:00 a.m., and enjoy leftovers when you wake!
Seen in passing, on a much nicer day: Shad Crossing (2004), glass mosaics designed by Ming Fay and fabricated by Franz Meyer of Munich, in the Delancey St.-Essex St. station, Manhattan
September 26, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Seen in passing, on a much nicer day: Shad Crossing (2004), glass mosaics designed by Ming Fay and fabricated by Franz Meyer of Munich, in the Delancey St.-Essex St. station, Manhattan
Cheesesteak kinfolk? A pirata de carne asada, in which a flour tortilla is wedded to yellow cheese before being heaped with strip steak (and onions, at your pleasure), Tacos Domingo, First Ave., Manhattan. Several options at the salsa bar; Whiz is not one of them.
September 25, 2026 at 4:47 PM
Cheesesteak kinfolk? A pirata de carne asada, in which a flour tortilla is wedded to yellow cheese before being heaped with strip steak (and onions, at your pleasure), Tacos Domingo, First Ave., Manhattan. Several options at the salsa bar; Whiz is not one of them.
New York-area food events, September 24-30: When it's windy, it helps to have food with a handle! bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
September 24, 2026 at 1:41 PM
New York-area food events, September 24-30: When it's windy, it helps to have food with a handle! bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
Rice with seafood redux: arroz chaufa de mariscos, fried Chinese-style with octopus, mussels, shrimp, squid, and perhaps clams, too, at Simple Peruvian, Ridgewood, Queens
September 23, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Rice with seafood redux: arroz chaufa de mariscos, fried Chinese-style with octopus, mussels, shrimp, squid, and perhaps clams, too, at Simple Peruvian, Ridgewood, Queens
Thiebou djeun (white; prepared with snapper), Mado, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Manhattan. Uncommon: a cup of tamarind sauce on the side, for customizing tartness. Typical: trios of men, at other tables, digging into communal portions of this Senegalese dish, each with his own tablespoon.
September 22, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Thiebou djeun (white; prepared with snapper), Mado, Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Manhattan. Uncommon: a cup of tamarind sauce on the side, for customizing tartness. Typical: trios of men, at other tables, digging into communal portions of this Senegalese dish, each with his own tablespoon.
Rough-and-tumble salt-baked soft-shell crabs, and the Chinese greens of the day, at Great N.Y. Noodletown, Bowery, Manhattan. Also shown: the storefront by night, years back.
September 21, 2026 at 11:23 AM
Rough-and-tumble salt-baked soft-shell crabs, and the Chinese greens of the day, at Great N.Y. Noodletown, Bowery, Manhattan. Also shown: the storefront by night, years back.
Armenian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, German, Greek, Guatemalan, Himalayan, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican, more: bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
September 17, 2026 at 7:33 PM
Armenian, Egyptian, Ethiopian, German, Greek, Guatemalan, Himalayan, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican, more: bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
Pe ywet thoke, blanched pea leaf and peanut salad, and nga hin, fish curry (both comped), at Burmese Bites, recently transplanted to a sunny corner of Astoria, Queens. Looking forward to exploring the greatly expanded menu!
September 16, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Pe ywet thoke, blanched pea leaf and peanut salad, and nga hin, fish curry (both comped), at Burmese Bites, recently transplanted to a sunny corner of Astoria, Queens. Looking forward to exploring the greatly expanded menu!
Hot and sour soup, and a lunch-special baby eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, at Szechuan Gourmet, which just completed its move from West 39th to West 105th, in Manhattan Valley, on the site of the old Szechuan Garden
September 15, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Hot and sour soup, and a lunch-special baby eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, at Szechuan Gourmet, which just completed its move from West 39th to West 105th, in Manhattan Valley, on the site of the old Szechuan Garden
A heapin' helpin' of esquites Fritos, and the makings thereof, by Frutilandia Gaby of Passaic, New Jersey, at Sunday's Festival México Herencia Hispana, East 116th St., Manhattan
September 14, 2026 at 2:21 PM
A heapin' helpin' of esquites Fritos, and the makings thereof, by Frutilandia Gaby of Passaic, New Jersey, at Sunday's Festival México Herencia Hispana, East 116th St., Manhattan
Cheesecake, decorated with caramel and chocolate, from the Metamorfosis stand, raising money for senior care in Acapa, Municipio de Tlahuiltepa, Hidalgo, at Sunday's Festival México Herencia Hispana, East 116th St., Manhattan
September 14, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Cheesecake, decorated with caramel and chocolate, from the Metamorfosis stand, raising money for senior care in Acapa, Municipio de Tlahuiltepa, Hidalgo, at Sunday's Festival México Herencia Hispana, East 116th St., Manhattan
Armenian, Central American, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Greek, Himalayan, Indonesian — New York-area food events, September 10-16 — Italian, Korean, Macedonian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Norwegian, Polish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
September 10, 2026 at 2:24 AM
Armenian, Central American, Egyptian, Ethiopian, Filipino, Greek, Himalayan, Indonesian — New York-area food events, September 10-16 — Italian, Korean, Macedonian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Norwegian, Polish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
Poppy seed cheesecake, East Village Meat Market, Second Ave., Manhattan
September 8, 2026 at 1:40 PM
Poppy seed cheesecake, East Village Meat Market, Second Ave., Manhattan
Since dim sum is best shared, I watched this cart wheel on by — and several others, too, each with its own temptations — asking only for a photo. My consolation on this first visit to Wu's Dynasty, newly opened on West 70th St., Manhattan: crispy pan-fried noodles with seafood.
September 5, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Since dim sum is best shared, I watched this cart wheel on by — and several others, too, each with its own temptations — asking only for a photo. My consolation on this first visit to Wu's Dynasty, newly opened on West 70th St., Manhattan: crispy pan-fried noodles with seafood.
Seen in passing: Shafique's Sweet Betel Paan and the even more compact Paan by Bondu, two tiny corner shops making a living for their proprietors on Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, Queens
September 4, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Seen in passing: Shafique's Sweet Betel Paan and the even more compact Paan by Bondu, two tiny corner shops making a living for their proprietors on Diversity Plaza, Jackson Heights, Queens
A Brazilian street fair in Astoria highlights my roundup of New York-area food events for Labor Day Weekend bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
September 3, 2026 at 2:22 PM
A Brazilian street fair in Astoria highlights my roundup of New York-area food events for Labor Day Weekend bit.ly/nyfoodevents...
Herb-laced, leaf-wrapped, grilled Kachin chicken from the bountiful table of Ma Jar Bu, at the recent street festival organized by National Humanitarian Fundraising for Myanmar (NHFMM) in Elmhurst, Queens. More photos from past years: bit.ly/NHFMM-photos...
September 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Herb-laced, leaf-wrapped, grilled Kachin chicken from the bountiful table of Ma Jar Bu, at the recent street festival organized by National Humanitarian Fundraising for Myanmar (NHFMM) in Elmhurst, Queens. More photos from past years: bit.ly/NHFMM-photos...
An excellent lamb "burger," replete with off-cuts as well as muscle meat, at Mongolian Momo King, which has staked out a small storefront at 327 East 12th St., Manhattan. Also shown, take-one milk candies at the counter — caramel, also camel.
September 1, 2026 at 1:06 PM
An excellent lamb "burger," replete with off-cuts as well as muscle meat, at Mongolian Momo King, which has staked out a small storefront at 327 East 12th St., Manhattan. Also shown, take-one milk candies at the counter — caramel, also camel.
From late spring: my last "lady's cake" (a.k.a. wife cake, sweetheart cake, lao po bing) from Ka Wah Bakery, Eldridge St., Manhattan. Several months ago Ka Wah quietly went dark, and the shop front (shown a baker's dozen summers ago) is now shuttered and signless. I miss it.
August 31, 2026 at 12:05 PM
From late spring: my last "lady's cake" (a.k.a. wife cake, sweetheart cake, lao po bing) from Ka Wah Bakery, Eldridge St., Manhattan. Several months ago Ka Wah quietly went dark, and the shop front (shown a baker's dozen summers ago) is now shuttered and signless. I miss it.
A fatty lamb liver skewer, and noodles with grilled lamb (too bad the tea-scented chicken rice was 86'ed this afternoon!), at Qazaq Halal BBQ, which recently settled down in a storefront at 5513 Metropolitan Ave., Maspeth, Queens
August 29, 2026 at 1:40 PM
A fatty lamb liver skewer, and noodles with grilled lamb (too bad the tea-scented chicken rice was 86'ed this afternoon!), at Qazaq Halal BBQ, which recently settled down in a storefront at 5513 Metropolitan Ave., Maspeth, Queens