Hudson Yards is one of New York’s newest bright spots. This development on the West Side of Manhattan, in the 30’s, finished its first phase in 2019, and is directly next to the famous HIghline. It houses offices, residences, shops, and yes, many, many restaurants. I couldn’t wait to make a trip down there to see what type of food was offered there, and now, interrupted by Covid-19, I have been there several times. It’s a tempting, beautiful place, don’t bring too much money, because you will be shopping in no time.
Mercado Little Spain
How long did we wait for José Andres to open a restaurant in New York City? Possibly forever. Well, the wait is over, and he has a sprawling area on the first floor of Hudson Yards, reserved for shopping and dining. There are three different restaurants, and I chose Mar, even though the choice wasn’t easy, I wanted to go to all of them. I went with a friend for Restaurant Week, right before the country shut down for Covid.
While I tell you our picks from the menu, be aware that you will also have a Spanish lesson, everything is listed in Spanish (with a description of course), and I think it’s so awesome and authentic. Here it goes! Our appetizers were Croquetas de Calamares en su Tinta (Squid Ink Croquetas), and Empanada Gallega de Atún (White Tuna with tomato soffits, caramelized onions and green peppers). The main courses were Albóndigas con Sepia y Gambia Roja (Ibérico pork meatballs with cuttlefish and red Mediterranean shrimp stew), and Pixin a la Romana con Piquillos y Mahonesa (Fried egg battered Monkfish with piquillo peppers, mayonnaise and frisée). Yes, that was a mouthful. Was it good, you ask? Yes, yes and yes. You can never go wrong with any of José Andres’ restaurants. Not only is everything absolutely delicious, fresh and high quality, but it is also innovative, you’ll be hard stretched to find food like his, it’s always a bit of an adventure! I love it.
Wild Ink
Wild Ink is on the Top Floor of Hudson Yards, with a beautiful view of the Vessel. It’s a beautiful restaurant, period. The food is American/Asian, modern and delicious. I also visited this gorgeous place right before Covid threw a wrench into our plans, and we had to shut down the city for about a year. But everything is opening up, including this restaurant, and I hope you get a chance to try their amazing food. Both my daughter and I loved everything here.
We chose to share their Thai Chicken Wings, they had a little kick, absolutely perfect, and the Shrimp and Bacon Siu Mai, dainty, yet full of flavor. Our main course consisted of a Split Roasted Lemongrass Chicken, which was also drenched in flavor, the chicken tender and cooked just right. We also had the Japanese Risotto with mushrooms and yuzu (if you know me, you know I’ll order anything on the menu if there’s yuzu involved). This was my first time trying a Japanese risotto, and I’m so glad I did, it was one of the best things I ever ate.
Miznon
A couple of floors up, you will find Miznon. I was on the go, looking for a quick bite to eat with a couple of friends, and I came across this “fast food” restaurant. I don’t even know if we can call it fast food, it’s really nothing like most places that fall under that category. The food served here is Israeli, mostly vegetarian, and so unbelievably delicious. It is basically Israeli street food, served in pitas with Tahini sauce, and a whole array of tasty sauces.
My absolute favorite was the Folded Cheeseburger, which was served in a pita with pickles and tomatoes, topped of with Tahini sauce, and I can’t even tell you how good this was. As a food blogger, I tried a LOT of burgers, and this one ranks very, very high. It’s a must-try! The other dishes we tried that day were Wild Mushrooms (mushrooms, scallions, sour cream and spicy sauce in a pita), Lavan Cauli Flowers (cauliflower, tahini, tomato salsa and scallion in a pita), and their famous Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower. Each menu item was 100% exploding with flavor, you simply have to try this place, it is a true gem.
