Ben Hon

I’ve always had a soft spot for a good buffet. There’s something about walking in hungry, grabbing a plate, and having an entire spread in front of you that still makes me ridiculously happy.

Growing up in New Jersey, some of my favorite food memories were trips to the local buffet, so walking into @goodtimebuffet brought back a wave of nostalgia.

From the same team behind Kisa and C as in Charlie, Good Time Country Buffet was inspired by the old-school country buffets they grew up eating at in Atlanta. At $26.99, it’s also an incredible deal, especially in NYC.

The space itself is part of the experience. The interior was designed by the incredibly talented Junho, who brought so much personality to the restaurant and really captured the spirit of an old-school country buffet.

I really love what these guys are doing. It’s fun, affordable, and brought back a lot of great memories for me. Go hungry, grab a plate, and enjoy the buffet!

Swipe through for a look at everything I tried.

#goodtimecountrybuffet #buffet #ilovebuffets #eastvillagenyc Less

Such a special collaboration at @lysee.nyc this weekend with visiting chef @colltom, Executive Pastry Chef of the iconic Jumeirah Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

Together with Chef Eunji Lee, Chef Tom created an eight-course tasting menu inspired by French gastronomy and shaped by their respective backgrounds and techniques.

The entire experience was thoughtful, beautiful, creative, and most importantly, delicious. From the savory courses to the plated desserts, it was exciting to see how two incredibly talented pastry chefs brought their individual perspectives together for one menu.

A big thank you to Chefs @eunji.leeee, @colltom, and the entire @lysee.nyc team for having me. It was such a pleasure getting to experience this collaboration.

Swipe through for a look at the fantastic tasting menu.

#lysee #chefeunjilee #cheftomcoll

Croissant - heirloom tomato, pesto rosso

Sujungwa latte

Champignon - sourdough, various mushrooms, yolk

Rose blend tea

Citron - lemon herb sorbet, herb pesto, yogurt

Vacherin - yellow and white peaches, lemon verbena, meringue

Chef Tom Coll

Riz Au Lait - puffed rice, almond milk rice pudding, berries, sakura

Jangsu omijaju

Pomme Tatin - apple, smoked tea, maple puff pastry, coconut

Chefs Tom & Eunji

Vanilla beans

Vanille - roasted vanilla, caramel, gavotte

Chocolate

Tablette au chocolate hazelnut and puffed rice

Mini tarte au citron

Chefs Tom Coll & Eunji Lee

Special to-go pastries from Chef Tom & Eunji Less

There’s something really special about watching a friend open a restaurant of their own.

@legionrestaurantnyc is a new neighborhood restaurant in the West Village from Chef Truman Parsons. Truman has spent years cooking in some of New York’s best kitchens, including Per Se, Le Bernardin, and Joomak, and Legion is his opportunity to bring all of that experience together into a restaurant of his own. The menu draws inspiration from the American South as well as New York, with both à la carte and tasting menu options available.

As talented as Truman is in the kitchen, he’s also genuinely a great guy. He cares deeply about what he does, and you can see that same passion in the incredible team he’s assembled both in the kitchen and front of house.

Opening a restaurant in New York takes an enormous amount of work, and I couldn’t be happier to see Truman finally open the doors to Legion. He and his team deserve all the success in the world.

So if you’re looking for somewhere new to eat in the West Village, go pay @legionrestaurantnyc a visit. Come for a few dishes à la carte or settle in for the tasting menu, and most importantly, go support a really great chef and an even better person.

Congratulations, Truman and the entire Legion team!

Swipe through for a look at all the fantastic dishes we tried.

📍 140 Charles St, NYC

#legionnyc #westvillage #legionrestaurant #trumanparsons

Anson mills grit tuile, cured royal red shrimp, cultured butter, caviar, scallion.

Angel Biscuit

Caramelized fennel butter

Chef @trumanparsons88

Red Crab - green tomato, benne seed vinaigrette

Sourdough

Grilled Sea Scallops - country ham xo, preserved ramps, sweet corn sabayon

Soy-Braised Boneless Chicken Wings - Carolina Gold rice porridge, roasted king trumpet mushrooms, brown butter barbecue

Smoked Iberico and Foie Gras Sausage - pomme puree, braised torpedo shallot, black truffle, gumbo

Chef @eicerra

Peach sundae - peach cognac ice cream. Blackstrap molasses beignets, peach tea gelee, popcorn curd

Legion dining room Less

There’s something special about finally sharing a meal with a friend you’ve been meaning to get together with for years.

I recently had the chance to visit the newly opened @savernenyc in Hudson Yards with my dear friend @sharibayer. Shari is a true legend in the hospitality world and someone who has done so much for the industry over the years, so I’m really happy we finally made this dinner happen.

Saverne is a modern wood-fired brasserie from two Michelin-starred @chefgabrielkreuther, where French cooking and traditional techniques meet live fire. The wood-fired cooking runs throughout the menu, bringing another layer of flavor to everything from seafood and vegetables to meats.

It was a great introduction to Saverne, but even better to finally share a table with Shari after talking about it for so long.

📍 531 W 34th Street, Hudson Yards

Swipe through for a look at what we enjoyed.

#saverne #savernenyc #hudsonyards #chefgabrielkreuther #frenchbrasserie

Aged blue fin crude - black garlic anchoïade, radishes, scallion

Spicy beef tartar - tonnato coulis, house made herbed lavash crisps

House-made morcilla croquettes - horseradish potato espuma

Escargots à l’Alsacienne - garlic butter, bread soldiers

Welcome drink

Wood-Fired Tartes Flambée - Classic: onions, bacon, cheese

Half Roast Sasso Chicken - pomme purée, salinovas, charred scallion salsa, natural jus

Portuguese Pulpo - warm Alsatian potato salad, tarragon, jalapeno coulis

Roasted Maitake Mushrooms w/ garlic oil

Kitchen

Grandmere’s Chocolate Mousse - chocolate fudge sauce

Île Flottante - vanilla crème anglaise, caramel sauce

Front dining room Less

A new chapter for my good friend Derek Wu. ❤️

After opening Wu’s Wonton King and becoming such an important part of NYC’s Cantonese dining scene, Derek has branched out on his own. His latest chapter is Wu’s Dynasty, a beautiful new restaurant that just opened on the Upper West Side.

They’re keeping things classic with traditional dim sum served from push carts, alongside Cantonese favorites like Alaskan king crab prepared three ways, Peking duck, and plenty more.

I’ve known Derek for years, so it’s really special to see him take this next step and create something of his own. Opening a restaurant in New York is never easy, and I couldn’t be happier for him and the entire team.

Congratulations on the grand opening of Wu’s Dynasty! Wishing you so much success with this new chapter.

Swipe through for a look at the new space and everything we tried.

📍 210 W 70th St, New York, NY

#wudynasty #chinesefood #dimsum #upperwestside #cantonesefood Less

If you’re planning a trip to Baltimore, @pendrybaltimore is a great place to call home while you’re in the city.

Set right on the waterfront in Fells Point, the hotel is beautiful, but what really stood out was incredible hospitality from the entire team. There’s also live music throughout the day, with great singers adding to the atmosphere around the hotel.

You also don’t have to leave the hotel to eat well. @recpierchophouse was a highlight of my stay, and an afternoon by the pool with drinks and bites from the Pool Bar is a great way to spend a summer day in Baltimore.

A huge thank you to the @pendrybaltimore team for taking such wonderful care of me.

Swipe through for a look at my stay.

@visitbmore #visitbaltimore #pendrybaltimore #pendryhotels #fellspoint Less

First stop on my Baltimore trip is at the legendary @ekibenbaltimore. 🫶🏻

Stevie Chu and Ephrem Abebe met as students at UMBC and started Ekiben in 2014 with a hot dog cart at the Fells Point Farmers Market, slinging chicken meatballs and bao buns to a city that had never seen anything like it. That scrappy cart turned into a brick and mortar in 2016, then more locations across Baltimore and beyond.

Stevie and Ephrem are two of the kindest guys in this industry, and their Taiwanese and Ethiopian roots show up in every dish. Every bite is packed with flavor, and it’s the kind of cooking that makes you understand why this city loves them so much.

If you’re in Baltimore, Ekiben needs to be on your list. I’ll be sharing more from this incredible city all this week! 🧡

#visitbaltimore #ekibenbaltimore
🤝 @visitbmore

Neighborhood bird - Taiwanese curry fried chicken thigh top with spicy sambal mayo, pickles, and fresh herbs

Ramen broccoli - crispy broccoli that taste like Shin Ramen and hot Cheetos had a baby

The Crispy Shrimp Bowl - crispy shrimp season with Cantonese dry rub, topped with fresh herbs and roasted aromatics and red onion. Served over steamed jasmine rice with sesame sauce and Housemade pickled vegetables

Red beans and rice - jasmine rice topped with spicy Ethiopian lentils and tomato salad

Tofu nuggets - crispy tofu nuggets topped with spicy peanut sauce, roasted aromatic, herbs, and onions

Spicy walnut shrimp - crispy shrimp tossed in shichimi tagarashi and spicy walnut shrimp sauce

Garlic chili oil noodles - knife cut noodles, garlic chili oil, herb slaw, pickles, and ancho chili pork Less

There’s something reassuring about returning to a restaurant and finding it every bit as good as you remembered.

Dinner at @icavallinibk was another reminder of why I enjoy coming here. The food is consistently delicious, beautifully prepared, and executed with so much love. It’s the kind of place where every visit leaves me looking forward to the next.

Thank you, Chef @nickcurtola, for another wonderful dinner and for the warm hospitality. It was great to be back, and I can’t wait to return.

Swipe through for a look at what we enjoyed.

#icavallini #williamsburgbrooklyn #italianfood

Sawara with champagne grapes and pickled coriander

Sea bream carpaccio with heirloom tomato and oregano

Nervetti with onions and chive blossom vinegar

Japanese sardine with datterini tomatoes and cultured butter

Japanese sardine with datterini tomatoes and cultured butter

Squid (compliments from the kitchen)

Spicy bluefin tuna crostini with date butter

Grilled tripe w/ salmoriglio, fried potatoes and maionese

Fried squash blossoms with basil and green onion honey

Sungold tomato risotto with ricotta salata

Malloreddus with royal red shrimp, corn, uni butter

Farfallone with Calabrian chili butter and smoked pancetta

Roasted heritage chicken with slow cooked garlic

Tilefish with zucchini, cerignola olives, and tomato brodo

Snap peas with fennel, mint, and sarvecchio

Grilled Berkshire pork chop with preserved cherry glaze

Apricot kernel gelato with biscotti zabaglione

Salted milk gelato with chestnut flower honey Less

Last night’s KJUN GUKJIP dinner brought together two top chefs to explore the intersection of Korean and Chinese cuisine.

Gukjip translates to “Chinese house,” and for one evening, @kjunnyc became exactly that. Chef @meilin21 created dishes with her own Korean interpretation of Chinese cuisine, while Chef @chefjaejung approached the menu from the opposite direction, giving her dishes a Chinese interpretation.

It was a really fun dinner and a great opportunity to see two talented chefs explore the same idea from different perspectives.

Swipe through for a look at what we had!

#kjun #gukjip #chefjaejung #chefmeilin Less

I’ve known @Lucas.Sin for almost a decade, and it’s been really special watching his journey over the years.

From cooking at a fast casual spot in Greenwich Village to introducing Cantonese cuisine to a much wider audience on YouTube, it’s been exciting to watch him continue to grow while staying true to the food and stories that inspire him. His latest project, @lokkee.nyc .nyc, is a Cha Chaan Teng pop-up currently taking over M Star in Manhattan’s Chinatown.

For anyone unfamiliar, Cha Chaan Tengs are Hong Kong-style cafés that blend Chinese and Western influences into comforting, everyday dishes. There’s something nostalgic about the experience, and it was a fun way to spend an evening in Chinatown.

Congratulations, Lucas, on another exciting chapter. If you’re curious about Hong Kong café culture, Lokkee is running as a limited-time pop-up in Chinatown.

Swipe through for a look at everything we tried.

📍 19 Division St, NYC

#lokkee #chachaanteng #chinesediner #chinatownmanhattan lucassin

M Star Cheung Fun

Borscht & barley soup

Wood ear salad

Shrimp stuffed chicken

Typhoon shelter crab fat noodle

Salt and pepper trio

Yin Yang fried rice

White curry pork chop

Water spinach and coconut

Almond tofu

Horlicks French Toast

Lucas Sin

M Star Care

Be respectful Less