Sietsema's Best Dishes of 2024
A mini sandwich, a scallion pancake mashup, and more amazing eats of the year
Here are my best dishes of this past year, a ritual I particularly enjoy. While my worst dishes that I’ll post later today requires a disclaimer that a “worst dish” doesn’t mean the restaurant overall is bad, this list requires no such qualification: I would visit these places again and again. They are listed in no particular order, so don’t draw any conclusions based on their position on the list. All are pure bliss, and not too expensive, either.
Blue corn bhakri at Passerine
This Maharashtrian flatbread has been transformed via blue cornmeal — not so big a stretch since cornmeal is a part of the diet of nearby Gujarat. The cornmeal gives it a denser and spongier feel than the usual flour of quinoa or whole wheat, and if that weren’t delicious enough it is served with plenty of whipped butter topped with fried and crumbled basil, $8. 36 E. 20th Street, Union Square
Poblano, egg, and cheese sandwich at La Cantine
Nearly everyone admires NYC’s famous BEC sandwich, but what if a roasted poblano pepper were added. It makes a sandwich that’s not much to look at, but supremely tasty and satisfying, $13. 60 St. Nicholas Avenue, Bushwick
Crispy shrimp mini sandwich at Octo
Riffing on a dim sum classic, Korean Chinese Octo deploys tiny slices of bread, overstuffs them with mashed shrimp, then batters lightly and deep fries them, resulting in wonderful small sandwiches, crunchy and squishy at the same time and tasting of the sea, $21. 1 E. 33rd Street, Koreatown
Foul at Laila
One of my most memorable meals of the year was at Bay Ridge newcomer Laila, one of the city’s best Syrian restaurants. There was course after course of admirable dishes – a paste of raw beef, onions, and bulgur called kibbeh nayeh; freshly stuffed grape leaves; and a lamb, yogurt, and eggplant casserole – but best of all was a humble dish of garlicky fava beans sluiced with fruity olive oil and served with pitas hot from the oven, $10. 8530 Third Avenue, Bay Ridge
Goong karee at Chalong
Regional Thai food continues to evolve, and one of its most interesting categories are the unique dishes of Bangkok’s Chinatown. This yellow curry features bouncy shrimp in a light egg curry, making the most mellow meal imaginable. We’ve seen the curry before at Soothr, but here the dish is smoother, to good effect, $26. 749 Ninth Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen
Pastrami short rib scallion pancake sando at Win Son Bakery pop up
The long-running pop up in the mornings and afternoons at Vallata near Union Square featured an amazing collaboration between Win Son and Pineapple Express Barbecue: a rolled sandwich with a perfect scallion pancake, Swiss cheese, the tart and spicy Haitian condiment piklis, and silky smoky pastrami. Partly inspired by the Reuben, it blew its predecessor out of the water, $18. 47 E. 19th Street, Flatiron
Egg bara at Lakeside NYC
Lakeside is a new restaurant named after a resort town in Central Nepal that presents many dishes unique in New York, including those of a people known as the Newari. Egg bara is reminiscent of Sri Lankan hoppers — a flatbread of fermented lentils in which well-cooked eggs are embedded, served with a chunky chile sauce, $7.99. 77-05 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights
A2 at Longjiang Pork Feet Rice
When this place that specialized in braised pig parts appeared in Chinatown not long ago, I was astonished; which of the many combinations to choose? I went with the braised pig feet, a winning bowl of soy-braised meat, rubbery flavorful skin rich in emollients, along with rice to soak up the juices and pickled mustard greens, $11.99. What a great meal! 121 Mott Street, Chinatown; 133-35 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing
Iraqi kebab at Al-Mazaq Bakery
In an obscure industrial park in Paterson, New Jersey, this Iraqi bakery bases its breakfasts and lunches on fresh pitas that sail constantly from its ovens. Bedded on a warm pita, this foursome of kebabs features ground lamb grilled over charcoal, grilled onions, raw onions, and a plum tomato or two, dusted with sumac, which has an effect something like Sichuan peppercorns. Served with a bowl of pickled vegetables, $19. 46 E. Railway Avenue, Paterson
Tofu pudding at Sky Pavilion
This last year Sky Pavilion — oddly located across the street from the Port Authority – distinguished itself from a large field of contenders as the city’s best Sichuan restaurant. This bubbling casserole of freshly made tofu is one of many reasons. Crunchy with peanuts and loaded with chiles and peppercorns, it slides down the gullet easily and warms the heart as surely as a compliment from a close friend, $22.95. 325 W. 42nd Street, Times Square
Sky Pavilion quickly became my favorite Sichuan restaurant for its fish maw stir fried with chives dish. The texture of the maw is akin to cartilage, giving it a nice soft crunch, and the accompanying garlic and chili peppers amp up the flavor so well. It’s addictive—I went back thrice in a month to have it!