The October Hit List: Alma Negra, Bangkok Supper Club, Don Don and More

The vibes here might feel low-key, but the cooking here is most definitely not. Chef Fermín Teco, the longtime chef over at Amaranto in Bushwick, devised a menu with all the hits — aguachile with center-cut loin tuna; crisp fish tacos; and carne asada with a luscious mole rojo del Istmo — and some unique standouts — huatape, or shrimp stew, with calamari, mussels, epazote, corn, and dried chiles, and a quesadilla with jumbo lump crab, to name a few. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on the tamal negro, made with epazote and ha’ sikil park, or Mayan pepita dip; Teco’s tamales over at Amaranto were always highly prized.

This elegant restaurant from the same team behind the much-loved Fish Cheeks, highlights late-night Thai street food. But it’s truly unlike any hawker fare you’ve likely tasted before on the roads of Bangkok. That’s because chef Max Wittawat wants to give us New Yorkers new perspectives on what constitutes Thai cooking, and Thai comfort food. That means juicy charcoal-fired chicken paired with khao jee, or grilled sticky rice patties coated in eggs; ultra-comforting savory oyster jok (rice porridge) with oysters, sun-dried scallops, and shrimp with a smoked fumet; and a technical marvel of yum khai do, or fried egg salad, with fried duck eggs topped with trout roe and grated cured egg yolks that get dehydrated over the calmed ashes from the charcoal grill.

After putting his own fine dining spin on Korean skewers with Kochi and Korean handrolls over at Mari, Michelin-starred chef Sungchul Shim finds himself focused on classic Korean barbecue with his latest, Don Don. This time, however, the vibe is decidedly much more casual than either of his first two projects — but just as (or maybe even more) fun. Don Don serves up a variety of dry-aged pork cuts ideal for grilling at your table, alongside a menu of hearty soups and noodles, including a guksu (noodle soup) not to be missed.

Walk-ins only.

With a powerhouse duo behind it, this new Fort Greene spot promises to be a most welcome addition to a neighborhood that’s already home to many great restaurants. Sailor marks the New York City return of chef April Bloomfield (The Breslin) and the Brooklyn debut of prolific restaurateur Gabriel Stulman (, , , ). Sailor has a seafood-centric menu packed with soon-to-be hits and Bloomfield’s signature straightforward cooking style written all over it: housemade brandade with fines herbs; mussels toast with roasted fennel aioli; and steamed red snapper with mushrooms and celeriac with vadouvan spices. 

New York’s oldest restaurant, at age 187, is back, and it’s only gotten better with age. Chef Edward Hong has added a few modern updates to these continental standards — see the gochujang in the sauce served with the chilled jumbo prawns, the passionfruit mignonette that accompanies the dressed oysters, or the option for a vegan version of chicken a la Keene (nee king)— but he knows not to mess with the classics, especially the steaks. Sure, you might be able to dine on dishes like chicken a la king, lobster Newburg, and a wedge salad elsewhere in the city, but where else can you have these dishes within the very walls where they were invented? Now that’s a flex.

For the second year in a row, Om Wok was crowned the winner of the annual Momo Crawl in Jackson Heights, wowing momo crawlers with their impeccably juicy beef dumplings yet again. But there’s so much more to Om Wok than just momos, too; the restaurant also specializes in Indian, Thai, and Chinese dishes, too, as well as traditional Tibetan fare. So, if you go, do consider getting some chicken lollipops, paneer tikka masala, spicy Chinese-style chile shrimp, gyuma (Tibetan blood sausage), and thenthuk (Tibetan hand-pulled noodle soup) to go with your requisite momos.

Walk-ins only.

Now that Gem Wine has moved into the space once occupied by Gem, there’s more of a chance for you to grab a seat at this relaxed and charming wine bar from chef Flynn McGarry. (It also helps that Gem Wine 2.0 takes reservations.) This new iteration of Gem Wine is just as cozy and quirky as before, with a now-expanded menu of natural-leaning wines and ideal dishes for pairing with them: everything from sourdough bread and marmite butter and kombu-cured fluke to beef tongue tonnato and lion’s mane schnitzel. If you like what you see on your cherry wood table (including the table itself), be sure to give your compliments to the chef; McGarry built all the furniture for the restaurant, too.

Beautifully crafted Peruvian cuisine is what you’ll find at this restaurant that opened last fall, from chef Rodrigo Fernandini, a native of Peru. Classics take up the majority of the menu — ceviche, anticucho, lomo saltdao, ajj de gallina — but they’re prepared in such a way by Fernandini that they seem fresh and new, without ever losing their ties to the original. Better yet, there’s also an entire section of the menu devoted to vegan and vegetarian options, from a maitake steak to a vegan ceviche of asparagus, avocado, creminis, carrots, chulpi, choclo, and cauliflower. Don’t sleep on the range of pisco, too.

It’s not everyday that you’ll find a sushi omakase counter inside what used to be a pizzeria, but that’s exactly the setup over at Sushi Oku, which opened recently inside the old Scarr’s Pizza space on Orchard Street. The decór inside is more or less the same as before — like a ’70s-era pizza shop — though you’ll likely notice some of the artwork surrounding the stark white eight-seat sushi counter has changed to sports and music memorabilia from Japan. While discerning omakase goers might feel inclined to dismiss these trappings as a bit of contrivance, they really shouldn’t; executive chef Kei Yoshino takes his craft seriously, and it shows throughout the 17-course omakase. If you’re so inclined, do splurge on the sake and wine pairing; you won’t regret it.

Likewise, it’s not very often that you’ll find a fine dining chef’s tasting counter inside the bowels of a New York City subway station, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at the corner of 32nd Street and Broadway. Speakeasy vibes aside, Nōksu promises to be one of the city’s most exciting new additions to the fine dining scene: Chef Dae Kim honed his skills at spots like Per Se and Silver Apricot, and his food leans heavily into Korean cooking traditions, as well as influences from Japan, Mexico, and even Chinatown. Some examples from the 15-course meal include gizzard shad fish served with Korean radish, tomato, and gamtae (seaweed) and smoked quail with barbecue sauce, soondae (Korean blood sausage), and puffed duck feet. Pro tip: There are only 13 seats at the counter, so you’ll have to be quick in making that Resy.

Note: Nōksu is slated to open on Oct. 6.

This month, the original flagship of Emily, purveyor of the Emmy burger (dry-aged beef, caramelized onions, Grafton cheddar, and a pretzel bun) and the Colony pizza (red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, pickled chile, and honey), is raising money for The Breasties, a nonprofit organization that creates community for survivors and all those impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers. (October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.) It’s a cause that’s very near and dear to the team: Founder and co-owner Emily Hyland lost her mother, Rona, to breast cancer, and both Hyland and Emily’s longtime restaurant manager, Meg Farrell, are undergoing preventative mastectomies because of BRCA gene positivity.

To raise funds, Emily has a special fundraising menu with gifts that correspond to different donation categories (e.g. a $15 to $20 donation gets you a Pizza Loves Emily tote, and a donation of $35 or more nets a Pizza Loves Emily hat). A total of 25% of proceeds generated from the sale of a specialty cocktail on the menu will also be donated to The Breasties. And all donations of up to $500 will be matched by the restaurant.

Note: This fundraising campaign is only taking place at the original location of Emily in Clinton Hill.