Alex Stupak Goes Big with Empellon
Alex Stupak has gone somewhat off-script with the direction of his Empellon empire; expanding his Mexican lineup with an inventive (yet still homestyle) Cocina, a laid-back Taqueria, and the even quicker service Al Pastor, before debuting the brand-anchoring Empellon just this past month…
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Mission Chinese’s Fusion
After years of working late nights as a line cook, Bowien found that he and his colleagues were always searching for the perfect Asian junk food to eat after work. Hence, Mission Chinese was born.
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Miranda’s Latin-Italian
What happens when a Mexican chef falls in love with an Italian front of the house guy? Tuck into Miranda for dinner and you’ll get a pretty good idea. The love child of husband-and-wife culinary team, Sasha and Mauricio Miranda, this homey Williamsburg spot, furnished with brick walls, oak floors and reclaimed mirrors, makes you feel a lot like you’re dining in the couple’s kitchen at home. The menu fuses the vivacious cultures of Latin America and Italy, featuring dishes, like Arancini made not with ground veal and beef, but with Chorizo and a garlicky tomato fonduta. Instead of the typical Italian ragu, the Pappardelle at Miranda is made with a deliciously intense, Mole-Braised Lamb Ragu. It’s comfort food with a delicious twist. At brunch, the menu veers towards the Latin American influence with Huevos Con Mole and Pernil (slow-roasted...
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Flor De Mayo’s Chinese-Peruvian
With two locations on the Upper West Side, Flor De Mayo is beloved by its neighbors. Perennially busy and sparsely decorated, this Chino-Latino joint has been serving crowd-pleasing dishes for more than 30 years.
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La Caridad 78’s Chinese-Cuban
Another Chino-Latino fusion restaurant on the Upper West Side, La Caridad has been an institution since the sixties. Established by Chinese immigrants who lived in Cuba before the revolution, La Caridad specializes in working-class fare from both countries.
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Chinese Mirch’s Indian-Chinese
As spice is the common denominator between the regions, (mirch means “spicy” in Hindi ) everything on the menu at Chinese Mirch packs some heat, even a bowl of egg drop soup.
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Vermilion’s Indian-Latin American
The woman behind Vermilion, Rohini Dey, is a force to be reckoned with and what Time magazine dubs, “a culinary superstar.” Following stints as an economist for the World Bank and a consultant at a Chicago financial advising company, Dey, a New Delhi native, was inspired to leave her finance career behind and launch a very novel restaurant concept. Her idea was to celebrate the shared Arabic and Portuguese culinary influences in Latin and Indian regions and the result are dishes, like Duck Vindaloo Arepas and Artichoke Pakoras with Eggplant Coconut Sauce. The drink menu is just as international and unique, featuring a mix of lassis, aguas frescas, and “herb and spice” Latin cocktails. Not to mention that Vermilion’s an unusually sexy restaurant for such seriously ethnic cuisine: The bi-level space is sleekly outfitted with white woven chairs, glossy wood...
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Indochine’s French-Vietnamese
Another serendipitous result of colonial history, French-Vietnamese cuisine combines buttery Gallic extravagance with the fresh, peppery flavors of Vietnamese chilies, cilantro, and lemongrass. Indochine has been serving this sexy fusion of flavors for over twenty years. The room itself feels like a tropical vacation with palm trees, wicker chairs and twirling ceiling fans. Settle into the swanky digs and start with the Duck Confit Salad, a combination of chopped duck, Napa cabbage, carrots, pear tomatoes, orange, apple, coriander, anointed with a Vietnamese vinaigrette. There’s a Five Spice-Roasted Hen and Glazed Duck Breast on Bok Choy with Vidalia Onion Sauce. One of our favorites, a delicious take on the classic French stew, the Vietnamese Bouillabaisse is brimming with sea scallops, prawns, shrimp, baby squid, mussels, and cabbage in a lime leaf and galangal sauce (galangal is a peppery root used...
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