Tasteblazer

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory

Most restaurants and take-outs in New York barely live through their first year.  Consider, then, the strength of an ice cream shop that has survived 26. 

Philip Seid and his four brothers opened the shop on Bayard St. in 1978, and to this day, members of his family still man the counters.  On a given day, the new generation of Seids scoop scoops for neighborhood residents and tourists alike.  Despite the tiny narrow storefront, all the ice cream is made on premise, using fresh fruits and ingredients.

Sure, there are stand-bys like vanilla, chocolate, and mint chip, but the real draws are exotic flavors such as  lychee, sesame, and taro.  Ice cream and sorbets can be bought by the gallon.  And should you want a birthday cake made with green tea, lychee, and red bean ice cream, this is the place.

P.S. If you're lucky, sometimes they whip up a batch of durian ice cream.  Bet they won't start serving that at Baskin' Robbins anytime soon.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St.
212-608-4170

Dumpling Man

If you live north of Houston, sometimes Chinatown is a little too far to walk when the dumpling craving hits.  Lucas Lin opened Dumpling Man in the East Village after a year of researching the wrapper technique and training with masters in Chinatown.  At his shop, women clad in white robes and caps work behind plexiglass in assembly-line form, rolling the dough and shaping the dumplings with the intense concentration of lab technicians.  There is a lot of science behind that cheap little morsel you plop in your mouth.

These are dumplings gone high-brow.  Lin offers four varieties (chicken, pork, shrimp, veggie), all listed on the menu with descriptions like those on a chef's tasting menu.  He infuses the fillings with herbal juice for flavor and softness.  He adds boiling water to his flour instead of eggs and butter, for a thinner wrap.  The dumplings are either steamed or "seared," otherwise known as fried. 

Novelty doesn't come cheap.  Six dumplings will costs you $4 to $5, compared with five for $1 at most Chinatown places.  But Lin's creations are good, especially the pork and veggie.  And where else can you eat your dumpling to the blaring sounds of Sleater-Kinney?  Eschew the soy sauce for fiery Red Monster or Marco Polo basilica sauce?  Buy a t-shirt, tank top, or thong with the Dumpling Man logo?  Get a fluffy snow ice for dessert, hand cranked from a vintage ice machine? 

All the dumplings are made to order, so waiting times can be up to ten minutes.  But all the more time to contemplate whether you really want that thong.

Dumpling Man
100 St. Mark's Pl. (btwn 1st Ave. & Ave. A)
212-505-2121
Dumplings:  $4-$6 for 6, $6-$8 for 10

Tsampa

Woe to would-be Buddhists who think that you must become vegetarian to reach a higher spiritual plane.  Tibet, home of the Dalai, relies on its pastures and farms as much as the next unindustrialized area.  That means a culture that uses meat, and uses meat proudly.  Take that, Richard Gere.

At Tsampa in the East Village, you won't find yak or mutton, but chicken and fish are New York resources that are great substitutes.  The momos, or Tibetan dumplings, can be ordered with chicken or vegetables, are musts.  Other appetizers include chilled spicy potatoes on fresh greens and shiitake pancakes. 

The menu proudly states that all the chicken used is organic.  The Tibetan chicken, a curry dish, is marinated in herbs and served with potatoes and rice.  The sauce was thick and bland, with none of the subtle pokes of flavor found in Indian or Thai curries.  A better option for the lay-person (to Tibetan cuisine) are the noodle dishes.  The Tse Gyathuk Ngopa is a baked noodle dish (but more reminiscent of pan-fried noodles than lasagne) that came with a heaping amount of vegetables.  The noodles were cooked to the desired crispness, never soggy, and the texture was just right for soaking up the garlic-ginger sauce.  Desserts include basmati rice with yogurt and raisins, Tibetan ground barley with yogurt and honey, and green tea ice cream. 

A cup of traditional butter and salt tea is a good way to end the night, as you relax to the prayer-like music on continuous play.  The two low-lit dining rooms are minimalist, with images of the Dalai hanging all over.  Sip your tea and thank him for this state of transcendence you're in as you digest. 

Tsampa
212 9th St. (btwn 2nd & 3rd)
212-614-3226
Appetizers: $3-$5, Entrees: $9-$16

Jewel Bako Makimono

Nobu has Next Door Nobu, Masa has Bar Masa, and Jewel Bako in the East Village has Jewel Bako Makimono.  When speaking of sushi, cheapness is relative, so Jewel Bako Makimono is a bargain compared to the mothership. 

Tucked into a tiny space on Second Ave., the oblong restaurant's size and shape is reminiscent of an East Village railroad apartment, but decorated with minimalist elegance.  A large paper lantern hanging from the ceiling never stops swaying, powered by either air vents or by Zen.  The 20-seat front dining room is separated from the back sushi bar by beaded curtains.  There is no more than two feet from one table to the next, but the dining room never felt crowded, even during the height of evening rush.

The appetizer menu carefully pared down, with standards such as hijiki salad with tuna sashimi and quail egg, trio of blue fin, salmon, and yellowtail tartares, and white miso soup with dumpling.  Sushi rolls, like the simple unagi with scallions and the fancier scallops with avocado and chive oil, were good, but not outstanding.  What the restaurant is known for is the freshness of the sashimi, and one bite of the otoro will make you a confirmed believer.  Other sashimi selections include tai (Japanese red snapper), snow crab, Spanish mackerel, Jack mackerel, hamachi, kanpachi, and basically, whatever's fresh that the waiter recommends.  This is a restaurant that knows its fish.

Omakase options begin at $30, which is almost unheard of.  Better bargains can be found elsewhere for fresh sushi, but for high quality eating with atmosphere to boot, Jewel Bako Makimono is a great option.  Unless your wallet is desperate to rid itself of Lincolns. 

Jewel Bako Makimono
101 2nd Ave. (btwn 5th & 6th)
212-253-7848
Appetizers- $4-$18, Sushi a la carte- $4-$12, Rolls- $5-$16,