Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal


Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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If you’re a fan of mushrooms, pumpkin, and curry, this is the perfect recipe for you! Adapted from this New York Times Recipe, this is the ultimate winter comfort dish. It’s savoury, hearty, filling, and packed with flavour! This curry is fully vegetarian & vegan, but for my carnivorous readers, you could easily add in some shredded roasted chicken at the end to amp up the protein, but this robust curry stands well on its own and is guaranteed to be filling.

This recipe is easy and keeps well in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time or meal prep for the week!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1.2kg pumpkin or butternut squash (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
  • 1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
  • 40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
  • 2 tsps of kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
  • 1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
  • 750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
  • Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
  • Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.

Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.

In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften.

Then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.

Add curry leaves mustard seeds, cumin seeds
Let it sizzle
Add minced garlic and spices
Add chilis

Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the 1 can of coconut milk and roasted pumpkin (from step 2). Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes).

Add mushrooms
Add zucchini
Cook until mushrooms soften
Add pumpkin
Add coconut milk
Simmer until all the veg are all cooked

Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!

Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

Summarized Recipe:

Hearty Mushroom & Pumpkin Curry – the Perfect Winter Meal

Date Published: Nov 13th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: vegetarian, mains, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1.2kg pumpkin (roughly 1/4 of a pumpkin), peeled and diced into 3cm cubes
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 6 medium shallots (or 1 medium onion), diced
  • 1 tsp (4g) black mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp (3g) cumin seeds
  • 40-50 (10g) fresh curry leaves (feel free to chop it into into halves or thirds if you prefer to eat smaller leaves in the curry)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsps (4g) ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (3g) ground turmeric
  • 2 tsps of kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
  • 1 long green chilli (jalapeño or serrano), diced and deseeded (keep the seeds in if you want it spicier) (optional)
  • 750g mix of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (use mushrooms that will hold its shape well well when cooking – I used a mix of Brown Beech, Baby Bellas, and Oyster mushrooms. Avoid enokis – they will get stringy and too soft in this recipe.)
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 1 can (403ml) unsweetened coconut milk
  • Optional: splash of fish sauce instead of salt at the end for extra flavour
  • Serve with: cooked basmati rice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F.
  2. Place the diced pumpkin onto a baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly cooked (soft enough to pierce with a fork but still with some resistance). Set aside until ready to use.
  3. In a pot or a deep pan on MED-HIGH heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced shallots. Cook for 2 minutes until it starts to soften then add in 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds then add in the minced garlic, 2 tsps ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsps salt, 1/2 tsp ground cayenne (if using), and diced green chiles (if using). Cook for another 30 seconds.
  4. Next, add in the mushrooms and zucchini and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften, then add in the roasted pumpkin (from step 2) and 1 can of coconut milk. Simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked (5-10 minutes). Taste and season wth salt (or fish sauce) to your liking. Done! Serve immediately with white rice or let the flavours infuse overnight and serve the next day. Enjoy!
  5. Optional step: Pick out the curry leaves at the end if you’re bothered by the fibrous texture.

AbbyLeave a comment

Babička’s Makovec (Czech Poppy Seed Roll)


Date Published: Nov 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 11th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: breads, Czech, dessert, pastry, snacks, vegetarian
Makes: 3 loaves (enough for a party or one Toby 😂) | Prep time: 1.5 hours | Cook time: 1 hour

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This is Toby’s all time favourite food that his babička (grandmother) makes when he visits her in Czech (next to Svíčková, of course!). We’ve been trying to learn this recipe for years, but true to OG-style grandma cooking, she measures nothing and everything is done by eyeballing it. I can usually get away by guessing the amounts she puts in when it comes to savoury cooking but baking requires precise measurements, so finally during our visit this past summer, we bought her some measuring spoons (which was surprisingly quite difficult to find to Czech) and whipped out the kitchen scale. Thanks to Toby’s translating and our diligent watchful eye on her every step (this lady moves fast in the kitchen!), I’m happy to report that we FINALLY learned her secrets and I’m very excited to add her recipe to my collection and share it with you all! 😊

Toby & a fresh tray of makovec that babi has just made for him ❤️

What is Makovec?

Makovec (pronounced: Mah-ko-vets) is a traditional Czech poppy seed roll pastry. It’s made of a light and fluffy bread-like pastry that’s rolled around a sweet filling made of freshly ground poppy seeds.

(Note: Some people use the term Makovec to describe a square poppy seed cake rather than the roll. According to Toby and babi, they’ve always referred to makovec as the roll.)

What makes this recipe so special from the others?

There are many variations of makovec around. Some people make it with raisins in the mixture, others put a lemon icing overtop. The neighbouring countries of Poland call it makowiec and Slovakia calls it maková štrúdla. This recipe is specifically Toby’s grandmother’s version. Call it nostalgic bias, but Toby and I have travelled quite a bit and he always gets super excited when he sees someone selling poppy seed cake, but no matter how many farmers markets and European bakeries we visit, nothing compares to babi’s version. Her version is made with strawberry jam mixed in the poppy seed filling for that extra strawberry flavour, and she finishes it off with a streusel crumb topping (which I’ve never seen anyone else do!). The ratio of bread to filling is also on point 👌 – too many times we find that there’s too much bread and not enough filling – poppy seed is not a robust flavour on its own so if there’s too much bread it drowns out the filling.

Toby & his babička making makovec (May 2025)

Grinding Poppy Seeds – Is it necessary?

Yes! Poppy seeds are the star of this dessert and it is imperative to grind down the seeds for a few reasons:

  1. Flavour: Grinding the seeds releases their natural rich oils and flavours. Eating unground poppy seed on its own is quite flavourless.
  2. Forming a paste: Ground seeds absorb moisture and is essential to form a paste when we’re cooking down the filling. You won’t get the texture we’re looking for unless the seeds are ground.
  3. Texture: Ground seeds are less gritty and provides a smoother texture when eating.

How to Grind Poppy Seeds

The best way to grind down poppy seeds is to use a dedicated poppy seed grinder. It’s usually about $40-$50 and is worth the investment if you’re into poppy seed desserts. We use this one from Tescoma: https://a.co/d/iUgRhGq. We found it to be reasonably priced with good reliability.

If you don’t have a poppy seed grinder, you can use a clean coffee grinder, spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or a food processor.

If you’re lucky and live near a European grocer, check if they have pre-ground poppy seeds for sale. I see it everywhere sold in Czech grocery stores due to the sheer popularity of poppy seed food items, but rarely outside of central Europe. Pre-ground poppy seeds can spoil quickly so sometimes it’s sold out of the refrigerated section.

Toby grinding poppy seeds

Some Myths and Truths About Poppy Seeds

Poppy seeds have the notorious reputation of causing people to test falsely positive for opiates on urine drug tests (remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine tested positive after eating a poppy seed bagel?). I always thought that you needed to ingest very large amounts of it to test positive, but on an episode of Mythbusters, Adam tested positive within half an hour of eating a large slice of poppy seed cake and Jamie tested positive 2 hours after eating 3 poppy seed bagels! So if you’re in a situation where they do routine urine testing, you might want to hold off on making this or ask for a blood test instead. 😅

Despite possibly testing false positive for opiates, you won’t actually feel any opiate-related effects or “highs” from eating poppy seeds. Toby has eaten TRAYS of makovec (which is a LOT Of poppy seeds) and seen no ill effects.

How does this happen, you ask? Poppy seeds themselves have no opium content, however the milky white fluid that comes from the seed pod of the poppy called the “latex” is what contains the opium content. There is a possibility of contamination of the latex onto the seeds during the harvesting process, but don’t worry, poppy seeds sold for general use/foods are all washed prior to sale. In fact, there are actually legalities around buying unwashed poppy seeds. In the United States, at least 12 deaths have been reported in association with the use of tea made from unwashed poppy seeds causing lethal opiate overdose! (Here’s a pdf from the DEA if you want to learn more about poppy seeds: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/unwashed_poppy_seed.pdf)

Anyways, if you’re a fan of poppy seed pastries, give this recipe a try! It looks like a long recipe, but it’s not all that difficult, just very wordy to describe.

I’ve had to tweak her recipe a little due to difficulty of obtaining certain ingredients outside of Europe (I’m looking at you, coarse flour 😒), but after multiple taste tests, Toby gave the stamp of approval that it’s just like babi’s! The photos in this post are a mix of photos from when she taught us how to make this dish in Czech and me re-making them in our apartment back in Brooklyn.

Note: To make the most accurate version of this recipe, I would recommend using the grams/mls measurements as this was what I used to measure her recipes, however I’ve also included a cup conversion as well.

I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

*I recommend to use the metric measurements (grams/mls) for accuracy of the ingredients to have it as close to babička’s version as possible.

  • Poppy seed filling:
    • 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
    • 250g (1.75 cups) poppy seeds, ground
    • 120g (1.25 cups) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    • 175g (1/2 cup) strawberry jam (or more to taste)
    • 4g (1/2 Tbsp) ground cinnamon
    • 28g (2 Tbsps) cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dough:
    • Yeast prep:
      • 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
      • 7g (1 packet) of active dry yeast
      • 1 tsp granulated sugar
    • 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
    • 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
    • 1 large egg, divided into yolk and egg white
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 350g (2.75 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted (+ more for dusting and rolling)
    • 175ml (3/4 cup) + 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
  • Streusel:
    • 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
    • 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
    • 70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

Directions:

A) Make the poppy seed filling:

In a wide-based pan on MED heat, add in 500ml of milk. When the milk boils, add in 250g ground poppy seeds and mix together. It will thicken as you mix. Once the mixture boils again, turn down the heat to LOW and continue to stir until you get a dry crumbly mixture without any liquid left (see photo) – this can take up to 20 minutes.

Boil the milk
Add in poppy seeds
Simmer on LOW heat and continue mixing
Mix until you get a dry paste

Pro-tips:

  • You can use any type of pan or pot, but a wide-based pan will increase your surface area and quicken the process.
  • Make sure you don’t have any liquid left in your mixture or else your filling will be too wet.

When you get a dry mixture, turn the heat OFF and take the pan off of the heat. Add in 120g of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir until combined. Set aside to cool completely.

Add in the sugar and salt
Mix it all together and set aside to cool

While you’re waiting for the filling to cool, you can start making the dough in the next section.

Once the mixture fully cools, add in 175g strawberry jam, 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsps cocoa powder, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.

B) Make the dough while the poppy seed filling cools:

Activate the yeast:

In a small bowl, add in 1/4 cup of milk and microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s warmed (make sure it’s not too hot or it will cook the yeast). Add in 7g (1 packet) active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix until well-combined, cover and set aside. The yeast is activated once it gets frothy (5-10mins).

Warm up 1/4 cup of milk
Add in the yeast
Add in the sugar
Mix well so there are no clumps
Wait for the mixture to get frothy as seen in the photo

In a separate mixing bowl, add in 50g sugar, 50g softened butter, and 1 large egg yolk. Mix on HIGH speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well-combined and a little fluffy.

A little fluffy

To the sugar/butter mixture, add in 1 tsp salt, and the frothed yeast mixture (from step 1).

Mix well then alternate adding in 1/3 amount at a time the 350g sifted flour and the 175ml room temperature milk. Once the mixture gets too thick for the mixer, either use a dough hook attachment (if you’re using an electric mixer) or knead by hand. The dough is complete when you get a formed but sticky dough (see photo below) – this took about 5-7 minutes on an electric mixer.

Add 1/3 of the flour at a time
Alternate adding 1/3 of the milk at a time
Once the dough gets too thick, switch to a dough hook attachment or knead by hand
Switched to a dough hook
Dough is ready when it’s semi-formed but still sticky

Once the dough forms, scrape it all together, add a dusting of flour on top then cover with a tea towel and let it rest in a warm place until doubled in size (~45 mins – 1 hour).

Dust with flour
Let it rise

If you don’t have a warm place, use my fail-proof oven proofing method here.

Before proofing
Before proofing
After proofing, doubled in size
After proofing, doubled in size

You can finish off the poppy seed filling (if cooled) while you wait and make the streusel in the next step.

C) Make the streusel:

In a small bowl, add in 50g of sugar, 50g of butter, and 70g of flour.

Mix/pinch/squish it by hand for 2-3 minutes until you get a crumbly mixture (see photo). Set aside.

Add together flour, sugar, and flour
Mix by hand
Mix until you get a crumbly texture, make sure it’s not too fine

D) Roll out the dough & assemble:

Prepare a greased or lined 9×13” baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F.

Once the dough has risen, scrape out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times to remove the bubbles. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly into 3 portions.

Dump the dough out onto a floured surface
Knead a few times to release the bubbles
Weigh and evenly divide into 3 portions
Work with one ball at a time and keep the other 2 covered

Take one dough ball (keep the other two covered with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out) and roll it out onto a floured surface. Flip the dough and roll it out a couple times on the floured surface until you get a rectangle shape about 0.5cm thick (see photo) and roughly the length of your baking tray. Evenly spread 1/3 of the finished poppy seed/jam mixture onto the rolled dough, leaving 1-2cm from the edge of the dough. 

Roll out one dough dough ball
Flip and roll out a couple times on a floured surface
~0.5cm thick
Evenly spread out 1/3 of the poppy seed filling

To form the roll: Grab the bottom edge and fold the dough up by 1/4, then roll up by 1/4 again, then fold the upper 1/4 edge down over the roll and pinch the edges to seal in the poppy seed mixture (see photos). Gently pick up the roll and place this onto the prepared baking tray. Don’t worry if you have some areas of thinner dough or where some poppy seed filling sticks out.

Repeat steps 4-6 with the other two dough balls. Leave about a 2cm space between each roll on the baking tray so they don’t stick together when they bake.

Grab the bottom edge
Fold up the dough by 1/4
Fold up again by another 1/4
Fold down the last 1/4 onto the roll
Pinch or fold the edges closed to keep in the filling
Repeat with the remainder 2 balls, leave 1-2cm space between them

E) Make the egg wash and add the streusel:

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg white with 1/2 Tbsp of milk and brush this mixture over the top and sides of each roll.

This step creates a moist sticky surface for the streusel to stick better. Babicka actually uses rum but to limit the number of ingredients and to use up the egg white, I’ve elected to use the egg wash method. There is no difference in taste if you use rum or an egg/milk mixture.

Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel on top of each roll. Gently push it into the dough if it seems to be rolling off.

Babi’s
Mine

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (~25-30 minutes), turning the pan halfway through the cook time to bake evenly. DONE! Let it cool slightly before slicing then serve immediately.

Before baking
After baking
This one’s mine (I doubled the recipe)
Slice when cooled

Storage:

  • Store in an air-tight container and eat within 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
  • To freeze: slice the makovec and freeze in an air-tight container – mine’s still in the freezer from 3 months ago and still going strong! To reheat: microwave from frozen for 30 seconds at a time until warmed.
  • Note: once you refrigerate or freeze it, the bread firms up slightly.
Happy times around makovec ❤️

Summarized Recipe:

Babička’s Makovec (Czech Poppy Seed Roll)

Date Published: Nov 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Nov 11th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: breads, Czech, dessert, pastry, snacks, vegetarian
Makes: 3 loaves (enough for a party or one Toby 😂) | Prep time: 1.5 hours | Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients: I recommend to use the metric measurements (grams/mls) for accuracy of the ingredients to have it as close to babička’s version as possible.

  • Poppy seed filling:
    • 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
    • 250g (1.75 cups) poppy seeds, ground
    • 120g (1.25 cups) granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    • 175g (1/2 cup) strawberry jam (or more to taste)
    • 4g (1/2 Tbsp) ground cinnamon
    • 28g (2 Tbsps) cocoa powder
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Dough:
    • Yeast prep:
      • 60ml (1/4 cup) milk
      • 7g (1 packet) of active dry yeast
      • 1 tsp granulated sugar
    • 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
    • 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
    • 1 large egg, divided into yolk and egg white
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • 350g (2.75 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted (+ more for dusting and rolling)
    • 175ml (3/4 cup) + 1/2 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
  • Streusel:
    • 50g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
    • 50g (3.5 Tbsps) butter, softened
    • 70g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour

Directions:

  1. Make the poppy seed filling:
    1. In a wide-based pan on MED heat, add in 500ml of milk. When the milk boils, add in 250g ground poppy seeds and mix together. It will thicken as you mix. Once the mixture boils again, turn down the heat to LOW and continue to stir until you get a dry crumbly mixture without any liquid left (see photo) – this can take up to 20 minutes.
      • Pro-tips:
        • You can use any type of pan or pot, but a wide-based pan will increase your surface area and quicken the process.
        • Make sure you don’t have any liquid left in your mixture or else your filling will be too wet.
    2. When you get a dry mixture, turn the heat OFF and take the pan off of the heat. Add in 120g of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir until combined. Set aside to cool completely.
      • You can skip ahead and make the dough in this time while you wait for it to cool.
    3. Once the mixture fully cools, add in 175g strawberry jam, 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon, 2 Tbsps cocoa powder, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside.
  2. Make the dough while the poppy seed filling cools:
    1. Activate the yeast:
      • In a small bowl, add in 1/4 cup of milk and microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s warmed (make sure it’s not too hot or it will cook the yeast).
      • Add in 7g (1 packet) active dry yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix until well-combined, cover and set aside. The yeast is activated once it gets frothy (5-10mins).
    2. In a separate mixing bowl, add in 50g sugar, 50g softened butter, and 1 large egg yolk. Mix on HIGH speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well-combined and a little fluffy.
    3. To the sugar/butter mixture, add in 1 tsp salt, and the frothed yeast mixture (from step 1). Mix well then alternate adding in 1/3 amount at a time the 350g sifted flour and the 175ml room temperature milk. Once the mixture gets too thick for the stand mixer, either use a dough hook attachment (if you’re using an electric mixer) or knead by hand. The dough is complete when you get a formed but sticky dough (see photo above) – this took about 5-7 minutes on an electric mixer.
    4. Once the dough forms, scrape it all together, add a dusting of flour on top then cover and let it rest in a warm place until doubled in size (~45 mins – 1 hour).
      • If you don’t have a warm place, use my fail-proof oven proofing method here.
      • You can finish off the poppy seed filling (if cooled) while you wait and make the streusel in the next step.
  3. Make the streusel:
    1. In a small bowl, add in 50g of sugar, 50g of butter, and 70g of flour.
    2. Mix/pinch/squish it by hand for 2-3 minutes until you get a crumbly mixture (see photo). Set aside.
  4. Roll out the dough & assemble:
    1. Prepare a greased or lined 9×13” baking tray.
    2. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F.
    3. Once the dough has risen, scrape out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few times to remove the bubbles. Weigh the dough and divide it evenly into 3 portions.
    4. Take one dough ball (keep the other two covered with a tea towel to prevent it from drying out) and roll it out onto a floured surface. Flip the dough and roll it out a couple times on the floured surface until you get a rectangle shape about 0.5cm thick (see photo) and roughly the length of your baking tray.
    5. Evenly spread 1/3 of the finished poppy seed/jam mixture onto the rolled dough, leaving 1-2cm from the edge of the dough. 
    6. To form the roll: Grab the bottom edge and fold the dough up by 1/4, then roll up by 1/4 again, then fold the upper 1/4 edge down over the roll and pinch the edges to seal in the poppy seed mixture (see photos). Gently pick up the roll and place this onto the prepared baking tray.
    7. Repeat steps 4-6 with the other two dough balls. Leave about a 2cm space between each roll on the baking tray so they don’t stick together when they bake.
  5. Make the egg wash and add the streusel:
    1. In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg white with 1/2 Tbsp of milk and brush this mixture over the top and sides of each roll.
      • This step creates a moist sticky surface for the streusel to stick better. Babicka actually uses rum but to limit the number of ingredients and to use up the egg white, I’ve elected to use the egg wash method. There is no difference in taste if you use rum or egg/milk mixture.
    2. Evenly sprinkle 1/3 of the streusel on top of each roll. Gently push it into the dough if it seems to be rolling off.
    3. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown (~25-30 minutes), turning the pan halfway through the cook time to bake evenly. DONE! Let it cool slightly before slicing then serve immediately.

AbbyLeave a comment

Quick and Easy Shrimp & Egg Tofu Bites


Date Published: Sept 24th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 24th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: appetizer, snacks, asian, <30 mins, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 1 plate as an appetizer | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Jump to recipe |

This shrimp and egg tofu bites dish is a super easy Asian appetizer/snack that cooks up quickly and looks impressive. If you’re in a pinch for a dinner party or just feeling snacky, this is the recipe for you! It’s made of homemade shrimp paste and soft egg tofu, finished off with a simple savoury sauce.

A note on egg tofu:

If you’re unfamiliar with egg tofu, it is a soft tofu (not quite silken) that has a yellow-tinge in colour and is often packaged in a plastic tube, like the picture on the right. You can find it in the tofu section of most Asian supermarkets.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Equipment you’ll need:

  • Food processor (optional but it will make your life easier)
  • Large steaming basket or a metal trivet in a wok with a lid

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Shrimp mixture:
    • 6 large (140g) raw shrimp, deshelled and deveined
    • 1 Tbsp (13g) ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
    • 2 green onions (white and green parts separated)
    • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
    • 1/2 tsp corn starch
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 package egg tofu
  • Sauce:
    • 1/3 cup water
    • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp oyster sauce
    • 1/4 tsp sesame oil
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp corn starch

Directions:

Slice the egg tofu into 2.5cm thick rounds and place on a heat-proof plate.

In a food processor, add in your shrimp mixture: raw shrimp, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 green onions (white part only), 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend until you get a smooth paste.

Carefully spoon a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture onto each egg tofu round. Place the plate in a steaming basket and steam for 10 minutes until the shrimp is set and cooked all the way through. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you can add a few centimetres of hot water into a wok and place the plate of shrimp tofu on an elevated plate or tray in the centre and add the lid over (as pictured).

Make the sauce: While the shrimp and tofu steams, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients (1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch). Whisk until there are no lumps, then heat the sauce in a small pan on MED heat until it simmers and thickens (3-5 minutes) then turn off the heat.

When the shrimp/tofu finishes steaming, remove the lid and use a papertowel to remove any collected water on the plate. Pour the sauce (from step 4) onto the plate around the shrimp/tofu and garnish with chopped green part of the green onions on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Quick and Easy Shrimp & Egg Tofu Bites

Date Published: Sept 24th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 24th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: appetizer, snacks, asian, <30 mins, easy, healthy, low-cal
Serves: 1 plate as an appetizer | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

  • Shrimp mixture:
    • 6 large (140g) raw shrimp, deshelled and deveined
    • 1 Tbsp (13g) ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
    • 2 green onions (white and green parts separated)
    • 1 tsp Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
    • 1/2 tsp corn starch
    • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 package egg tofu
  • Sauce:
    • 1/3 cup water
    • 1/2 tsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp oyster sauce
    • 1/4 tsp sesame oil
    • 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
    • 1/8 tsp granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp corn starch

Directions:

  1. Slice the egg tofu into 2.5cm thick rounds and place on a heat-proof plate.
  2. In a food processor, add in your shrimp mixture: raw shrimp, 1 Tbsp ginger, 2 green onions (white part only), 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend until you get a smooth paste.
  3. Carefully spoon a tablespoon of the shrimp mixture onto each egg tofu round. Place the plate in a steaming basket and steam for 10 minutes until the shrimp is set and cooked all the way through. If you don’t have a steaming basket, you can add a few centimetres of hot water into a wok and place the plate of shrimp tofu on an elevated plate or tray in the centre and add the lid over (as pictured).
  4. Make the sauce: While the shrimp and tofu steams, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients (1/3 cup water, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 1/8 tsp white pepper, 1/8 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp corn starch). Whisk until there are no lumps, then heat the sauce in a small pan on MED heat until it simmers and thickens (3-5 minutes) then turn off the heat.
  5. When the shrimp/tofu finishes steaming, remove the lid and use a papertowel to remove any collected water on the plate. Pour the sauce (from step 4) onto the plate around the shrimp/tofu and garnish with chopped green part of the green onions on top. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Green Curry Mussels


Date Published: Sept 21st, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 21st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Asian, <15mins, <30 mins, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

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This Green Curry Mussel recipe has been on the back burner since I started this website during COVID. I’m glad to finally be able to publish it! Back during the lockdown pandemic era (seems like so long ago now!), like many, I was really into experimenting in the kitchen and I had just recently discovered how to make my own Thai Green Curry Paste from scratch! From that recipe, I became more and more adventurous in ways I could use up that curry paste. Toby’s favourite recipe from that adventure is the fried prawn toasts (see the posts below). Mine is this recipe. I would have never thought to pair green curry and mussels together until I saw it on the menu at the mussel stand in Queen Victoria Market one day and it was mind-blowingly delicious!

This is my take on green curry mussels. This recipe uses the bold and rich flavours of a traditional Thai Green Curry paste, cooked together in coconut milk, then tossed together with fresh mussels to give an aromatic and creamy mussel dish. I hope you enjoy!

Thai Green Curry Paste


Brace yourself. There are a BUTTLOAD of ingredients that go into this Thai green curry paste (17 to be exact) but it’s packed with flavour and beautiful aromas. It does…

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Green Curry Prawn Toast


These prawn toasts are so easy to make! You can serve it as an appetizer or a snack for a party. They make good use of the homemade Thai green…

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Green Curry Fish Soup


This healthy green curry soup uses soy milk and fresh green curry paste for maximum flavour and minimum calories and fat. It’s so quick and easy to whip this up…

Keep reading
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This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Directions:

Heat a large pan or wok on MED heat and sauté the green curry paste in a drizzle of oil until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown (2-3 minutes). Add in the can of coconut milk and mix it all together. Let the sauce simmer until you get a thickened sauce.

Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam for 4-5 minutes until they all open up. Turn off the heat and serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Green Curry Mussels

Date Published: Sept 21st, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 21st, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Asian, <15mins, <30 mins, easy
Serves: 2 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Heat a large pan or wok on MED heat and sauté the green curry paste in a drizzle of oil until the paste dries out a bit and turns slightly brown (2-3 minutes).
  2. Add in the can of coconut milk and mix it all together. Let the sauce simmer until you get a thickened sauce.
  3. Add in the mussels and stir. Put the lid on and let the mussels steam for 4-5 minutes until they all open up. Turn off the heat and serve!

AbbyLeave a comment

Miso Fish Chowder


Date Published: Sept 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 18th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: soup, mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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This Miso Fish Chowder tastes just like a clam chowder, but is thinner, more brothy, made with fish instead of clams and not as heavy. It’s made with white miso for an umami punch and packs in a ton of flavour.

The original recipe is from NYT Cooking but I’ve made a few changes with addition of ingredients and also doubled the batch because this soup is just so damn good that it always disappears too quickly. My recipe will make enough to serve 8, but feel free to halve the recipe if you like, but this soup freezes incredibly well and is perfect for meal-prep days.

Although this recipe doesn’t have actual clams in it, it does use clam juice as one of its main ingredients. Clam juice is the broth that comes from steaming clams. While it doesn’t sound the most appetizing, it is important in this recipe to get that seafood/clam/umami flavour infused into the soup. There are a couple brands out there, but one of the most popular ones is by Bar Harbor. I found these bad boys at my local Whole Foods near the seafood section for about $4 per bottle.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1kg (2 lbs) skinless white fish fillets (cod or barramundi work well), sliced to 3cm pieces
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 slices of bacon, diced
  • 3 Tbsps unsalted butter
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
  • Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup (200g) white/shiro miso
  • 1.2kg (2.5 lbs) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • 960ml (4x 8oz bottles) clam juice
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 1 can of whole sweet corn kernels, drained
  • Serve: oyster crackers or crusty bread

Directions:

Add a pinch of salt to both sides of the fish pieces and set aside until ready to use.

Salt the fish on both sides

In a large soup pot on MED heat, add in the diced bacon and sauté until crispy (~5 minutes) then set aside onto a paper towel-lined plate.

In the same pot, using the residual bacon grease, add in 3 Tbsps butter and stir until melted. Add in the celery, leeks, pinch of salt and pinch of black pepper. Sauté until the celery has softened (~8 minutes).

Add butter to the bacon grease
Add celery and leeks
Add salt and pepper
Cook until celery is tender

Next add in the white miso paste and mix well until there are no clumps and sauté for 3 minutes to slightly caramelize the miso.

Add miso
Sauté until slightly caramelized

Add in the potatoes, clam juice, 4 cups water, and 2 sprigs thyme. Mix well, turn the heat on to HIGH to let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to break with a spoon (15 minutes).

Add potatoes
Add clam juice
Add water and thyme
Simmer until potatoes are soft

Add in the 1 cup heavy cream and the white part of the sliced scallions. Let the soup come to a simmer then add in the fish pieces (from step 1). Continue to simmer until the fish is flakey and cooked (~5 minutes).

Add cream and white part of scallions
Add fish

Stir in the corn kernels until heated through, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Add corn
Heat through – done!

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle on the cooked crispy bacon (from step 2) and the green part of the sliced scallions to garnish. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Miso Fish Chowder

Date Published: Sept 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 18th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: soup, mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1kg (2lbs) skinless white fish fillets (cod or barramundi work well), sliced to 3cm pieces
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 slices of bacon, diced
  • 3 Tbsps unsalted butter
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
  • Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup (200g) white/shiro miso
  • 1.2kg (2.5 lbs) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • 960ml (4x 8oz bottles) clam juice
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 5 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
  • 1 can of whole sweet corn kernels, drained
  • Serve: oyster crackers or crusty bread

Directions:

  1. Add a pinch of salt to both sides of the fish pieces and set aside until ready to use.
  2. In a large soup pot on MED heat, add in the diced bacon and sauté until crispy (~5 minutes) then set aside onto a paper towel-lined plate.
  3. In the same pot, using the residual bacon grease, add in 3 Tbsps butter and stir until melted. Add in the celery, leeks, pinch of salt and pinch of black pepper. Sauté until the celery has softened (~8 minutes).
  4. Next add in the white miso paste and mix well until there are no clumps and sauté for 3 minutes to slightly caramelize the miso.
  5. Add in the potatoes, clam juice, 4 cups water, and 2 sprigs thyme. Mix well, turn the heat on to HIGH to let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to break with a spoon (15 minutes).
  6. Add in the 1 cup heavy cream and the white part of the sliced scallions. Let the soup come to a simmer then add in the fish pieces (from step 1). Continue to simmer until the fish is flakey and cooked (~5 minutes).
  7. Stir in the corn kernels until heated through, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  8. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle on the cooked crispy bacon (from step 2) and the green part of the sliced scallions to garnish. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Copycat KFC Coleslaw


Date Published: Sept 14th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 14th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian, easy, salads
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Marinate time: 12 hours (overnight)

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I’ve never been a huge fan of KFC coleslaw, but my mom always loved it. Back home in Canada they used to do “Toonie Tuesdays” where you can get a KFC deal of 2 pieces of chicken with a small fries for $2 (our $2 coins are called Toonies, if you didn’t know) and you bet mom always ordered a side of coleslaw with it, so this one’s for you, mom!

This recipe is an adaptation from this copy cat KFC coleslaw recipe at TopSecretRecipes.com. I’ve changed the proportions a little and doubled up on the sauce to make it extra flavourful. Toby and I actually went out of our way to KFC to buy coleslaw and compare the two and hands down this one was the winner (I don’t know what they’re doing in Brooklyn KFC)!

Pair it with this super easy pulled pork recipe.:

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork


Get ready for the most ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe that’s ready in 75 minutes! You will need an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for this along with your favourite BBQ sauce.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice, let it sit for 10 mins until it thickens)
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (get the best quality you can)
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice
    • 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
    • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 a small head (~4 cups) cabbage, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot (~1/2 cup), shredded
  • 1/4 small onion (~1.5 Tbsps), finely minced

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sugar, 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice, 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper.

Add the dressing to the chopped cabbage, carrot, and onion and mix well.

Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Don’t taste it until it has marinated overnight – the cabbage will release its juices and the flavours will come together better the next day. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Date Published: Sept 14th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 14th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: sides, vegetarian, easy, salads
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Marinate time: 12 hours (overnight)

Ingredients:

  • Dressing:
    • 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp lemon juice, let it sit for 10 mins until it thickens)
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (get the best quality you can)
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice
    • 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
    • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 a small head (~4 cups) cabbage, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot (~1/2 cup), shredded
  • 1/4 small onion (~1.5 Tbsps), finely minced

Directions:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sugar, 2.5 Tbsps lemon juice, 1.5 Tbsps white vinegar, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper.
  2. Add the dressing to the chopped cabbage, carrot, and onion and mix well. Cover and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving. Don’t taste it until it has marinated overnight – the cabbage will release its juices and the flavours will come together better the next day. Done!

AbbyLeave a comment

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork


Date Published: Sept 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time | Cook time: 75 minutes

Jump to recipe |

Get ready for the most ridiculously easy pulled pork recipe that’s ready in 75 minutes! You will need an Instant Pot or any pressure cooker for this along with your favourite BBQ sauce.

Why I love this recipe!

  • Quick and easy – I never knew you could make pulled pork in such little time and without a slow cooker or cooking for hours! It takes 5 minutes to prep the pork and rest is just setting the Instant Pot and forgetting it. No need to watch it constantly as it cooks.
  • Easily makes a large batch – a 2kg/4 pound pork shoulder fits well into an Instant Pot and serves up to 6 people at once as a main, or even more if you’re using the pork as a side or inside another dish such as pulled pork tacos or sliders. I use this one recipe as meal prep for lunches for the rest of the week. This pulled pork also keeps well in the fridge or freezer so you can also do multiple batches for a large party the day before.
  • Budget-friendly! Cheap to feed and easy to impress a lot of people – After learning this recipe, I think this will be my new go-to dish for potluck events. Pork shoulder is relatively inexpensive and you should be able to find 2kg/4lbs of it for less than $30 to feed a party small. Just be sure to pick a good BBQ sauce!
  • Versatility – As you will notice, unlike many pulled pork recipes, this one does not cook the pork in the BBQ sauce. The pork comes out perfectly cooked, but a little on the blander side. This is intentional so it doesn’t overpower the flavours of your chosen BBQ sauce and also gives you more versatility in how you want to use the shredded pork. You can easily store this pulled pork in batches in the freezer and use it on so many things (keep scrolling to see the different dishes you could use this in!).

How much pork to feed a party?

As a rough guide, multiply the number of guests by 0.3 to get the amount of raw pork you’ll need to cook in kilos. To calculate it in pounds, multiply it by 0.6. This calculation is the amount of raw pork you need to serve each person as a main dish. Use less if you’re using this as a side dish or within a recipe.

For example: 10 guests x 0.3 = 3kg of raw pork to cook.

What to do with leftover pulled pork?

Pork shoulder is often on sale at our local Costco and as a result I regularly find myself with 7kg of pork shoulder for $30 and scrambling to find recipes – I just can’t pass up a good deal! Here are a list of dishes you can use with pulled pork before adding on BBQ sauce:

  • Mixed with BBQ sauce and served in sliders with coleslaw
  • Pulled pork tacos
  • Toasted sandwiches
  • Burritos
  • Toppings on okonomiyaki
  • Mixed with any kind of red pasta sauce for a quick pasta dish
  • Quick added protein to any soups
  • Pierogi or dumpling filling
  • Mixed with a fried rice
  • Quesadilla
  • Pulled pork nachos

Pair this recipe with a copycat KFC coleslaw!

Copycat KFC Coleslaw


This is a copycat recipe of the famous KFC Coleslaw. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and delicious!

How to store leftover pulled pork:

To store: Use the leftover liquid from the Instant Pot and submerge the shredded pulled pork into this liquid and keep refrigerated for a few days or freeze. When ready to eat again, reheat with the liquid and strain the pork out before mixing with BBQ sauce.

You can also freeze it flat in a freezer bag with the pork rolled out in a thin layer, then when you need to use it in a pinch, just break off what you need.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

This recipe was adapted from TatestBetterFromScratch.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Rub:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
    • 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
    • 2 tsps smoked paprika
    • 2 tsps garlic powder
    • 2 tsps onion powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1.5 tsps kosher salt
    • 1.5 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
    • This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
  • 1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of regular Coca-cola (not diet, not zero, not flavoured)
  • Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.

Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.

Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork.

Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.

Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.

Mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Insanely Easy Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Date Published: Sept 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: easy, mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 15 minutes + marinating time | Cook time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Rub:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
    • 1 Tbsp gochugaru/Korean chilli powder (or substitute for 1/2 Tbsp cayenne) – optional
    • 2 tsps smoked paprika
    • 2 tsps garlic powder
    • 2 tsps onion powder
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1.5 tsps kosher salt
    • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 2kg/4 pounds of pork shoulder/butt, or pork loin roast, cut into 4 large even pieces
    • This will allow more even cooking rather than one large roast which can get tough in the middle.
  • 1 can/355ml/12 fl. oz of Coca-cola
  • Your favourite bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the rub together: 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp gochugaru, 2 tsps smoked paprika, 2 tsps garlic powder, 2 tsps onion powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1.5 tsps salt, 1 tsp black pepper.
  2. Massage the rub mixture into the pork pieces and marinate for at least 1 hour or better if overnight.
  3. Place the marinated pork into the Instant Pot and pour a can of Coca-cola around the pork. Close the instant pot lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 75 minutes then let it natural release for 15 minutes before carefully venting it.
  4. Remove the cooked pork from the juices into a glass bowl or pot and use 2 forks to shred the pork. It should be perfectly cooked and very easy to shred. If you’re finding it tough, then cook for a bit longer. Remember, the flavours are meant to be subtle to not overpower your choice of BBQ sauce. Don’t adjust any seasoning the seasoning until after you’ver added your sauce.
  5. Once shredded, mix with your favourite BBQ sauce poured over top. Done!

To store: Use the leftover liquid from the Instant Pot and submerge the shredded pulled pork into this liquid and keep refrigerated for a few days or freeze. When ready to eat again, reheat with the liquid and strain the pork out before mixing with BBQ sauce.

AbbyLeave a comment

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes


Date Published: Sept 9th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 9th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: breads, dessert, snack, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 pancakes | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 5-7 minutes per pancake

Jump to recipe |

The Honey Butter Pancakes at Golden Diner in NYC has been the latest viral craze. My friend back home in Canada was the first to show me the TikTok and since seeing the video, I’ve been hearing about this place non-stop. Although I’m not a huge fan of pancakes, I am however OBSESSED with the honey butter chips that this dish was inspired from. If you’ve never had the chips, you should definitely try it before going – it’s sweet, it’s savoury, it’s umami, it’s everything!

After getting off two trains and waiting 2 hours for a table on a weekday, we were finally seated. I’m glad to report that their Honey Butter Pancakes were indeed worth it. The honey butter syrup really does taste just like the chips and the thick but light and fluffy pancakes were the perfect texture to carry the heavy syrup. It comes in a single or double serving. I’d recommend the single – it’s quite heavy and after a while it can be a bit much if you don’t have a sweet tooth. You can read the rest of my review on the diner and some other local Manhattan Chinatown eats here.

Honey Butter Pancakes at Golden Diner

The Ultimate Guide to a Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl – bring cash!


Manhattan Chinatown is full of amazing authentic Asian food but in a neighbourhood full of Chinese signage and shop keepers that barely speak English, it can be daunting to find the best food spots amongst the literal hundreds of restaurants in this neighbourhood. This food guide highlights some of my favourite places to eat in Chinatown…

Since visiting Golden Diner, I added the Honey Butter pancakes on my list of things to try and recreate, but lucky for me, chef and owner Sam Yoo already shared his recipe through NYT Cooking. After following his recipe to the tee, I made a few adjustments to streamline the cooking process and also dissected out the ingredients list for more clarity. I’ve shared them in this recipe below.

A Breakdown of the Golden Diner Pancakes:

There are 4 components to the pancakes at Golden Diner:

  1. The pancakes, of course – these are beautifully light and fluffy pancakes that perfectly soaks up the honey butter syrup. The batter goes through a fermentation phase (called the preferment) that gives it an extra depth of flavour and also a better rise.
  2. The Honey Butter Syrup – this is the star of the show. The genius combination of maple syrup, honey, and soy sauce makes the perfect blend of sweet, umami, and savoury.
  3. Maple Honey Butter (optional) – this topping is made using similar ingredients as the honey butter syrup, minus the soy sauce. It’s easy to make, but honestly, the honey butter syrup is already so flavourful with the same flavour profile that it masks the taste of this maple honey butter. Unless I’m eating this butter alone, I can barely notice it. I’ve included it in this recipe anyway to keep it true to how they serve it at Golden Diner, but regular butter would suffice in my opinion, so I’ve noted this as an “optional” component in the dish.
  4. Berry Compote (optional) – this is an optional add-on at Golden Diner for an extra $4. We didn’t have it originally but after making it at home it was a good choice to omit it. Although the Berry Compote is delicious, I found that the bold berry flavours completely masks the flavours of the honey butter syrup, which is the whole point of this dish. If you’re going to add the Berry Compote, you might as well just use regular maple syrup on the dish.

In summary, although there are 4 components of this dish, I find that the only essential two are the fluffy pancakes and the honey butter syrup. I tend to skip making the maple honey butter and just use regular butter instead and if I’m making the berry compote (which is Toby’s favourite part), I’ll pair it with regular maple syrup.

With the syrup and maple honey butter
With the berry compote

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Equipment you’ll need:

  • One or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter)
    • Two will make your life easier and cook the pancakes faster, but one is enough if you don’t care about speed.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Pancake Batter:
    • Pre-Ferment:
      • 2.25 tsps (7g or one 1/4 oz packet) active dry yeast (instant yeast is fine too)
      • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
      • 1.25 cups (300g) buttermilk (or mix 1.25cups whole milk + 1.25 Tbsps lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it lightly thickens)
      • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
    • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) granulated sugar
    • 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup (60g) neutral-tasting oil (ie. canola, vegetable…etc.)
  • Maple Honey Syrup:
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup (100g) honey
    • 1.5 Tbsps (22g) maple syrup
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps water
  • Maple Honey Butter (optional):
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 3 Tbsps (57g) honey
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) pure maple syrup
    • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • Berry Compote (optional):
    • 14oz (400g) mixed berries (ie. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), cut to the same size as the small berries
    • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
    • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • Zest of 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:

A) Make the Pancake Batter:

Pre-Ferment the batter (this step helps the pancakes have better rise, with deeper flavour by a fermentation process):

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the 1.25 cups buttermilk with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until lukewarm (~38-40˚C/100-104˚F). (If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, mix 1.25 cups of whole milk with 1.25 Tbsps of lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly thickens/clumps.)

If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 1.25cups whole milk with 1.25Tbsp lemon juice.
Heat the buttermilk with water until lukewarm

You can also do this in a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat and heat until it becomes lukewarm.

2. Whisk the 2.25 tsp yeast and 1 cup (130g) flour into the warmed buttermilk/water mixture until smooth.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.

Cover and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

You can make the maple honey syrup, butter, and berry compote in this time.

Finishing off the batter:

4. After 1 hour check on the batter and give it a stir. It will have risen a little and formed clumps.

After 1 hour it will have risen a little and formed clumps.

5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients for the batter: 1 cup (130g) of flour, 2 Tbsps (28g) sugar, 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

Dry ingredients for the rest of the batter

6. In another larger mixing bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1/4 cup neutral oil until smooth. Add in the pre-ferment batter into the egg/oil mixture, then slowly add in the combined dry ingredients prepared in the previous step (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt). Gently stir with the whisk until the dry ingredients are incorporated, it’s okay if the batter is lumpy.

2 eggs + 1/4 cup neutral oil
Whisk until smooth
Add in the preferment batter
Add in the dry ingredients
Gently whisk until smooth
Batter is ready for cooking!

B) Make the Maple Honey Syrup:

In a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in the 1/2 cup (113g) butter, 1/3 cup (100g) honey, 1.5 Tbsps (24g) maple syrup, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Whisk until the butter melts completely.

Add 1.5 Tbsps water and continue whisking until emulsified then reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm until ready to use.

Melt butter with honey, soy, maple syrup, and salt
Add water while whisking
Whisk until emulsified

C) Make the Maple Honey Butter (optional):

In a bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter, 3 Tbsps (57g) honey, 2 Tbsps (28g) maple syrup, and 3/4 tsps salt. Keep at room temperature if using within a few hours, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Pro-tip for storing leftover butter: spoon out the butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a log then refrigerate. Once the butter firms up, you can slice it and use as needed!

D) Make the Berry Compote (optional):

In a bowl, add in the mixed berries, 1/3 cup (67g) sugar, and 1.5 tsps cornstarch. Gently mix until the berries are evenly coated.

Heat a deep pan on HIGH heat. Splash a drop of water onto the pan and if it sizzles right away, then the pan is ready. Add the berry mixture from the previous step and cook until the blueberries are soft and easy to squish (~3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

E) Cook the Pancakes:

Heat one or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter) on MED heat.

Once the pan has heated up, pour in 1 ladle of batter into the pan, which should fill up about 1/3 of the depth of the pan.

Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are cooked (see photo), then gently loosen the pancake from underneath and flip it over. Turn the heat down to LOW and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the center is cooked (the internal temp will by 31-32˚C/88-90˚F).

Note the cooked edges will separate from the edge of the pan
Flip when golden brown underneath

Pro-tip: It can be tricky to flip a pancake when it’s in a small pan, so here are a few cheat ways to make it easier:

Method 1: If you have two of the same size pans, you can loosen the pancake first, then place the other skillet over top and directly flip it into the other pan and continue cooking.

Method 1: Use two small pans and flip onto each other (make sure to loosen the pancake first!)

Method 2: You could alternatively flip it into a large base non-stick pan and continue to cook since the pancake should hold its shape from the first pan. Tuck in any loose batter into the pancake.

Method 2: Flip the pancake onto a larger heated pan

Method 3: If your small pans are oven/broil-safe, you can just pop the pan under the broiler on LOW until it cooks through without having to actually flip it. I haven’t tried this method before, but this was how I saw them do it at Golden Diner for a perfectly shaped pancake each time.

Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes, ensuring you heat up the pan each time between pancakes.

F) To Serve:

Place 1 or 2 pancakes onto a plate and evenly drench the maple honey syrup over top right away. Spoon the berry compote on top (if using) then a dollop of the maple honey butter (if using) over the berries. Sprinkle some fresh lemon zest over top and serve immediately! Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes

Date Published: Sept 9th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 9th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: breads, dessert, snack, easy, vegetarian
Serves: 4 pancakes | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: 5-7 minutes per pancake

Equipment you’ll need:

  • One or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter)
    • Two will make your life easier and cook the pancakes faster, but one is enough if you don’t care about speed.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Pancake Batter:
    • Pre-Ferment:
      • 2.25 tsps (7g or one 1/4 oz packet) active dry yeast (instant yeast is fine too)
      • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
      • 1.25 cups (300g) buttermilk (or mix 1.25cups whole milk + 1.25 Tbsps lemon juice, let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it lightly thickens)
      • 1/4 cup (60ml) water
    • 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) granulated sugar
    • 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1/4 cup (60g) neutral-tasting oil (ie. canola, vegetable…etc.)
  • Maple Honey Syrup:
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup (100g) honey
    • 1.5 Tbsps (22g) maple syrup
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1/2 tsp fine salt
    • 1.5 Tbsps water
  • Maple Honey Butter (optional):
    • 1/2 cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
    • 3 Tbsps (57g) honey
    • 2 Tbsps (28g) pure maple syrup
    • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • Berry Compote (optional):
    • 14oz (400g) mixed berries (ie. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), cut to the same size as the small berries
    • 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
    • 1.5 tsps cornstarch
  • Zest of 1 lemon for garnish

Directions:

A) Make the Pancake Batter:

  • Pre-Ferment the batter (this step helps the pancakes have better rise, with deeper flavour by a fermentation process):
    • 1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add in the 1.25 cups buttermilk with 1/4 cup water. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until lukewarm (~38-40˚C/100-104˚F).
      • (If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, mix 1.25 cups of whole milk with 1.25 Tbsps of lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it slightly thickens/clumps.)
      • You can also do this in a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat and heat until it becomes lukewarm.
    • 2. Whisk the 2.25 tsp yeast and 1 cup (130g) flour into the warmed buttermilk/water mixture until smooth.
    • 3. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
      • You can make the maple honey syrup, butter, and berry compote in this time.
  • Finishing off the batter:
    • 4. After 1 hour check on the batter and give it a stir. It will have risen a little and formed clumps.
    • 5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients for the batter: 1 cup (130g) of flour, 2 Tbsps (28g) sugar, 3/4 tsps (5g) baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.
    • 6. In another larger mixing bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 1/4 cup neutral oil until smooth. Add in the pre-ferment batter into the egg/oil mixture, then slowly add in the combined dry ingredients prepared in the previous step (flour, sugar, baking soda, salt). Gently stir with the whisk until the dry ingredients are incorporated, it’s okay if the batter is lumpy.

B) Make the Maple Honey Syrup:

  1. In a small saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add in the 1/2 cup (113g) butter, 1/3 cup (100g) honey, 1.5 Tbsps (24g) maple syrup, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Whisk until the butter melts completely.
  2. Add 1.5 Tbsps water and continue whisking until emulsified then reduce the heat to the lowest setting to keep warm until ready to use.

C) Make the Maple Honey Butter (optional):

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup (113g) softened butter, 3 Tbsps (57g) honey, 2 Tbsps (28g) maple syrup, and 3/4 tsps salt. Keep at room temperature if using within a few hours, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
    • Pro-tip for storing leftover butter: spoon out the butter onto plastic wrap and roll into a log then refrigerate. Once the butter firms up, you can slice it and use as needed!

D) Make the Berry Compote (optional):

  1. In a bowl, add in the mixed berries, 1/3 cup (67g) sugar, and 1.5 tsps cornstarch. Gently mix until the berries are evenly coated.
  2. Heat a deep pan on HIGH heat. Splash a drop of water onto the pan and if it sizzles right away, then the pan is ready. Add the berry mixture from the previous step and cook until the blueberries are soft and easy to squish (~3-5 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

E) Cook the Pancakes:

  1. Heat one or two small non-stick pans (16cm/6.5-7 inch diameter) on MED heat.
  2. Once the pan has heated up, pour in 1 ladle of batter into the pan, which should fill up about 1/3 of the depth of the pan.
  3. Let the batter cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges are cooked (see photo), then gently loosen the pancake from underneath and flip it over. Turn the heat down to LOW and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the center is cooked (the internal temp will by 31-32˚C/88-90˚F).
    • Pro-tip: It can be tricky to flip a pancake when it’s in a small pan, so here are a few cheat ways to make it easier:
      • Method 1: If you have two of the same size pans, you can loosen the pancake first, then place the other skillet over top and directly flip it into the other pan and continue cooking.
      • Method 2: You could alternatively flip it into a large base non-stick pan and continue to cook since the pancake should hold its shape from the first pan. Tuck in any loose batter into the pancake.
      • Method 3: If your small pans are oven/broil-safe, you can just pop the pan under the broiler on LOW until it cooks through without having to actually flip it. I haven’t tried this method before, but this was how I saw them do it at Golden Diner for a perfectly shaped pancake each time.
  4. Repeat this process for the remaining pancakes, ensuring you heat up the pan each time between pancakes.

F) To Serve:

Place 1 or 2 pancakes onto a plate and evenly drench the maple honey syrup over top right away. Spoon the berry compote on top (if using) then a dollop of the maple honey butter (if using) over the berries. Sprinkle some fresh lemon zest over top and serve immediately!

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Best Places for Crab Cakes in Maryland: A Complete Guide to Local Favourites


Date Published: Sept 6th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 6th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: Travel, USA

Contents:

  1. First things first: Why Maryland?
  2. What is a Crab Cake?
  3. What Makes a Good Crab Cake?
  4. Without further ado… here are some of the top places to grab a crab cake in Maryland!
  5. In Summary

First things first: Why Maryland?

If you were to pick one food ingredient that perfectly encapsulates Maryland cuisine, it would be blue swimmer crabs (with Old Bay Seasoning as a close second). Due to the abundance of these crabs in the Chesapeake Bay that runs right through the Eastern half of the state, the crabbing industry in Maryland has been an important part of the Maryland economy and culture dating back centuries! You can find all sorts of crab dishes in Maryland, including steamed crab, crab soup, crab dip, crab egg rolls, and of course the famous crab cake.

The peak crab season each year is between April to December, with the largest crabs on offer in the fall season between September to mid-November.

What is a Crab Cake?

A crab cake is a delicious savoury type of fishcake that is made up of crab meat and a variety of fillers traditionally bread crumbs, eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, and a variety of seasonings. It’s either baked, fried, or pan-cooked. You can find crab cakes around the world, but a Maryland crab cake hits different. Maryland crab cakes are seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning and the best cakes use jumbo lump crab meat.

What is jumbo lump/colossal crab meat you ask? Jumbo lump crab meat is the most prized and highest grade of crab meat that comes from the swimming fins of the crab – unsurprisingly, it’s also the most expensive. This piece of meat should be unbroken and come in large chunks compared to regular lump crab meat which are in smaller pieces and extracted from smaller swimming muscles of the crab. The best Maryland crab cakes (and the most expensive) are the ones made with jumbo lumb crab meat which results in large chunks of crab in every bite rather than smaller broken and stringy pieces of crab you see in regular crab cakes. It’s certainly an experience, especially for my fellow crab lovers!

For the visual learners like me, I’ve included a photo and diagram of the different types of crab meat:

Comparison of where Jumbo Lump Crab meat is from and how it compares to other parts of the crab.
Image from: https://www.seacoreseafood.com/product/Blue_Crab
Packed containers of jumbo lump crab meat – one of these containers can run you $60-70!

Accompaniments: Crab cakes are almost always served with a small packet of saltine crackers. This is to add texture to the overall softness of the crab cake. Toby prefers not adding it at all, but I like to crumble mine over the crab cake for a bit of extra crunch with every bite. Many people will also order a side of tartar or cocktail sauce to go with their crab cake for an extra kick.

What Makes a Good Crab Cake?

Fillers: The one and only golden rule of a good crab cake is that is should be maximum crab and minimal filler. I’m talking about 85-90% of the crab cake should be just crab meat and the filler should only really be there as a binder to hold the shape and for seasoning (read: Old Bay). No chopped veggies, no fancy herbs – maybe parsley.

Seasoning: Old Bay is a must for Maryland crab cakes and you’ll often taste celery salt as well. It is because of the simplicity of the Maryland crab cake that you’ll find most of them pretty similar in flavour. Some cakes are more heavily seasoned than others but this will be due to personal preference. I prefer mine on the less-seasoned side to not over power the delicate flavour of the crab and most places in Maryland will have a spice shaker of Old Bay so you can add extra seasoning if you like.

Without further ado… here are some of the top places to grab a crab cake in Maryland!

Much like my unexpectedly popular post on The Ultimate Guide to Philly Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, this post is my personal take on these popular spots. I know there will be a lot of differing opinions and I’ve seen heated debates on who has the best crab cakes, and at the end of the day the answer will depend on individual preference. There’s no one right answer – it’s like asking a New Yorker who has the best pizza. Everyone will have their own favourite and this post highlights some of my favourites and thoughts on these popular joints. The places that we tried were all due to research from locals but this is in no way a comprehensive list. Let me know in the comments if you think I’ve missed a popular spot!

In this post, I’ve reviewed Pappa’s, Faidley’s, Koco’s, G&M, and Jimmy’s.

* Please note that the cost of crab cakes are often seasonal and can change regularly depending on market price. The prices I’ve listed below are from our trip in July of 2025.

1) Pappas: Pappas Seafood Co. & Pappas Restaurant and Sports Bar

Pappas Seafood Co. (carry out only):
Address: 8801 Belair Rd, Nottingham, MD 21236
Hours: 11am-8pm daily
Cost per crab cake: $27.50+tax (market price) for 11oz large jumbo lump crab cake, $25 for Imperial
Website: http://www.pappascrabcakes.com/

Pappas Restaurant and Sports Bar (sit down dining):
Address: multiple locations around Maryland (we went to 6713 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061)
Hours: hours vary by location, usually 11am-9:30pm daily (check the website for more details)
Cost per crab cake: $28.99 for 8oz jumbo lump crab (extra $2 for a platter with 2 sides)
Website: http://www.pappascrabcakes.com/

Pros:

  • Great crab cakes with minimal filler, tons of crab meat, lightly seasoned
  • Good prices at the distribution centre (better than their restaurant)
  • Multiple option of sizes of crab cakes including a large 11oz cake!

Cons:

  • Distribution center located farther out from Baltimore
  • Cream of crab soup is way too salty (at the restaurant location anyway)
  • Lightly seasoned crab cakes which is what I prefer to pair with a tartar sauce, but some may find it bland

Pappas was recommended time and time again throughout my internet research, but everyone always just called it “Pappas”, rather than the full name, so when we typed in “Pappas” on Google maps, it directed me to “Pappas Seafood Co.”. When we arrived, it was a big warehouse-like building that only had carryout options and nowhere to sit. We thought it was strange that so many people would recommend a carryout place until we spoke to the cashier who told us that they have multiple restaurants that have dine-in options but the location we came to was their distribution center. Ahh. We were super hungry at the time and didn’t want to make the further trek to their restaurant after driving 3 hours from NYC so we just ordered carryout. Luckily they had pretty much a full menu and there was one picnic table out back so we didn’t have to eat in the hot car.

For those of you who are like us and never seen a “carryout” before, it’s a type of food service where you park your car in a designated number spot in the parking lot, go inside to order, and they’ll bring out the food to your car. Neither Toby and I had encountered a ‘carryout’ service before coming in Maryland – we thought it just meant takeaway. When we arrived, we thought the numbered lots were for reserved parking so we chose a spot without a number (which ended up being for employee parking – we thought it was strange why we had to park so far away from the main door 😂). When they asked us what our car spot number was, we just told them which car it was 😅.

There was an option of the size of crab cake you want: small, medium, or large. We of course got the large because we were so hungry. It was a whole 11oz and very filling. It was delicious from the very first bite! There was no skimping on the crab meat and minimal filler. It was lightly seasoned – just the way I like it and it was even better paired with their tartar sauce.

We also ordered the Imperial Crab cake that is made with their imperial sauce. The Imperial was more moist with more seasoning and eggy in flavour. It’s a gluten free option without a binder so it was also more sloppy looking. I thought it was good but not as good as the regular jumbo lump crab cake but Toby LOVED it way more.

This crab cake was the one to beat but just incase we were biased because we were starving when we tried it, we tried it again at one of their restaurants on our way back home from DC. The restaurant looked like any other sports/family restaurant (we went to the location in Glen Burnie). We sat at the bar and we ordered both the jumbo lump and the imperial crab cake again. I can confirm that this was still our top pick for favourite crab cake after trying 4 other places. (Side note: I also ordered the recommended cream of crab soup and it was super salty – would not recommend. Stick to the crab cakes.)

2) Faidley’s Seafood

Address: 119 N Paca St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (inside Lexington Market, level 1)
Hours: 10am-5pm most days, closed Sun
Cost per crab cake: $25 + tax (market price) for 6.5oz jumbo lump crab cake
Website: http://faidleyscrabcakes.com/

Pros:

  • Best location within Baltimore downtown, although a bit of a walk from the waterfront
  • Great oven-roasted browning flavour

Cons:

  • More expensive for the smallest crab cake on this list (standard size for most places is 8oz, theirs is 6.5oz)
  • More filling compared to the other crab cakes with less crab
  • Food-court order style
  • Standing room and some picnic tables outside

Faidley’s is an institution in the Baltimore area. Open since 1886, they have the reputation as being one of the oldest seafood purveyors in the Chesapeake Bay region. It also has the best location for tourists (right in downtown Baltimore!) compared to all the other places in this post. It’s roughly a 15 minute walk from Oriole Park baseball stadium or a 30 minute walk from the Baltimore waterfront. Located in Lexington Market, Faidley’s has food-court style service where you go up to order and they put your food on a tray. They also have a separate area for a raw bar and takeaway raw seafood/meat (including raccoon and muskrat meat!).

There’s standing room only here at the high tops or there’s a few picnic benches on the patio outside. The first time we went it was on a Monday afternoon in March during game day. It was pretty busy but not crazy. The second time was in July which was a lot less busy but the food was still consistent.

There’s only one size of crab cake here, which is a 6.5 oz for $25 (market price), smaller than the standard 8oz size at other restaurants. The food was served very quickly (almost immediately!) and on first impressions, it had a lot more browning compared to other cakes but also had more filler. Despite this, it was well-season and the roasted browned flavour gave the crab cake more depth that the other cakes didn’t offer. It was like having thanksgiving stuffing out of the oven, crab-cake style! If this crab cake was larger with less filler, it would’ve easily taken the number one spot for best crab cake for me!

We also got a “Coddie” which is a fried cod and potato ball (not bad), the crab dip (amazing!), and the cream of crab soup (I thought it was okay, but Toby liked it).

You can actually watch them make the crab cakes while you wait for your food. I saw celery salt, Old Bay, and crushed crackers go into the mix!

3) Koco’s Pub

Address: 4301 Harford Rd, Baltimore, MD 21214
Hours: 11am-9pm on most days, closed Sun & Mon, evening only Tues (check their website for up to date hours)
Cost per crab cake: $39+ tax (market price) for an 11oz crab cake
Website: http://www.kocospub.com/

Pros:

  • Great ambience with lovely decor
  • Koconut shrimp was delicious
  • Good service

Cons:

  • 15 minute drive from Baltimore (can be tricky to get here if you don’t have a car)
  • Texture of the crab cakes were too soft for my liking compared to others
  • Not a fan of the cream of crab soup
  • Much more expensive crab cake compared to others ($39 for an 11oz – Pappa’s takeaway was $27.50)

Of all the crab cake joints we’ve visited in Maryland, Koco’s pub had the most character with great vibes. It’s situated at the end of a quiet street – you can’t miss it, it’s the bright yellow house! Although a little farther out from Baltimore (15 minute drive), Koco’s reputation of great crab cakes seem to fill the place again and again. When we arrived without a reservation, there was only seating at the bar available (which was a bit uncomfortable since the table top doesn’t extend out as much as it should and we had to lean in to eat – you can probably notice it in one of the photos below). The interior of the restaurant made you feel like you were in a tropical family restaurant/pub with more brightly coloured walls and decor.

From the reviews, apart from their crab cakes, others have recommended the Koconut shrimp and the cream of crab soup, so we ordered all 3!

  • Crab cake: Although their standard crab cake size is the same 11oz as Pappa’s large, it seemed much smaller when it arrived (there are also larger and smaller options available that’s not on the menu). The crab cake was overall good, however we felt that it was a bit heavy on the Old Bay seasoning and the crab meat was more shredded in the crab cake rather than large chunks of crab meat which made it a softer texture that I didn’t prefer.
  • Koconut Shrimp: This was our favourite. It’s shrimp covered in koconut shavings and deep fried, served with a jalapeño raspberry sauce. The sauce sounded weird but interesting and it was delicious!
  • Cream of Crab Soup: Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of it. It was too thick and floury with minimal to no crab flavour. It if weren’t for the clumps of crab meat in the soup, I wouldn’t have known it was crab soup.

Overall, although the ambience of the place was fantastic and there was lovely service, the food fell a little short for us (except the Koconut shrimp) and we found it expensive compared to the others.

4) G & M Restaurant

Address: 804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090
Hours: 11am-9pm daily
Cost per crab cake: $29+ tax for an 8oz crab cake + 1 side, or $58+tax for two 8oz crab cakes + 2 sides
Website: https://gandmcrabcakes.com/

Pros:

  • Delicious crab soup
  • Comparable prices of crab cake to the others

Cons:

  • 15 minute drive from Baltimore (can be tricky to get here if you don’t have a car)
  • Crab cake didn’t taste as fresh as some of the other places

G & M Restaurant is about a 15 minute drive south of Baltimore and is a very large restaurant tucked away in a quiet plaza just off the freeway. The outside of the restaurant feels like you’re about to walk into a warehouse, but the ambience of the place inside I would describe as old school grand – a bit outdated with a dash of fancy. There’s wooden floors, wooden chairs, folded fabric napkins, and tall ceilings. When we arrived on a Tuesday afternoon around 3pm, the restaurant was pretty empty so we sat at the bar.

They had a decent sized menu and also a Ballpark Special menu. We ordered the crab cake, cream of crab soup, and the pretzel crab dip.

  • Crab Cake: The standard crab crake size here is only 8oz (for $29 with one side, or two crab cakes for $58 with two sides). There’s also an a la cart 4oz crab cake option for $19. The crab cake was good and lightly seasoned, not too heavy on the Old Bay with good chunks of crab meat in the crab cake without too much filler. However, although it ticks the boxes on a good crab cake for me, the overall taste of the crab didn’t seem as fresh as some of the others.
  • Cream of Crab Soup: This was the BEST cream of crab soup we’ve had on our trip – I was starting to lose hope after being disappointed again and again. Unlike most cream of crab soups, the flavour of the crab actually penetrates into the soup with good chunks of crab meat. You can also tell they use wine in the recipe which gives it great flavour. I started off with a cup of soup, but it was so good that I ordered a bowl to go at the end of our meal (it was indeed still delicious the next day)!
  • Pretzel Crab Dip: This was a game day special that I couldn’t resist because I love pretzels. It was a huge portion with lots of crab and the dip was great. Toby especially liked it because it was similar to the Imperial Crab Cakes at Pappa’s.

Overall, the food was great. The crab cake is smaller and a little more expensive than Pappa’s, but it comes with a side, so I guess it evens out. Had the crab cake tasted fresher, it would’ve taken the #3 spot over Koco’s for me. The cream of crab soup is definitely a must-try here and that alone I feel is worth the drive out from Baltimore.

5) Jimmy’s Famous Seafood

Address: 6526 Holabird Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224
Hours: 11am-2am, daily
Cost per crab cake: $34+tax for 8oz
Website: http://www.jimmysfamousseafood.com/

Pros:

  • Big menu
  • Open late
  • Modern look

Cons:

  • Mandatory 21% gratuity on all dine-in cheques! (18% gratuity + extra $3% “labor of love” service charge) – wtf
  • 15-20 minute drive from Baltimore (can be tricky to get here if you don’t have a car)
  • Slow service despite the bar being near-empty
  • Douchey vibes
  • May not be real Maryland crabs!

Jimmy’s Famous Seafood is a HUGE restaurant outside of Baltimore that has a restaurant section and a bar/lounge section. We weren’t sure which area to go in, so we went into the first door closest from the parking lot and was in the bar section. It seemed like a pretty modern venue with nightclub vibes (they are after all open until 2am daily). We arrived on a Friday afternoon around 3pm and the were only 2 other tables seated around the bar. Eventhough it wasn’t busy, service was very slow. Someone gave us menus and seated us right away, but no one came back to acknowledge us after 10 minutes of waiting so we went up and ordered at the counter. While we were waiting, I scrolled through some Google reviews of this place and realized that many poor ratings were due to a mandatory 21% gratuity! Low and behold, as I scanned the menu more closely, right at the bottom in small print it states “Jimmy’s reserves the right to add an 18% gratuity because we love our employees”…”We add a 3% labor of love service charge to all checks at Jimmy’s Famous Seafood.” Wuuuuut? Pardon my language, but fuck that. Coming from NYC, we’re used to tipping a lot more, but a restaurant that has mandatory tipping just didn’t sit well with me. It screams cheapskate owners that don’t want to pay the employees a decent wage so they take that expense out on the customers. No way were we being forced to pay 21% gratuity just for sitting down (and at the bar!) without being told about it beforehand, especially with no service and we had to order at the counter. Toby went back to the counter and told them that we’re going to take away our food to avoid that mandatory tip – they still charged us the 3% labor of love fee 😒. Super shady. If you’re going to add on a charge, at least inform your customers beforehand instead of letting them find out on their own.

Tipping frustration aside, they had a huge menu with plenty of choices that sounded delicious, but unfortunately at this point of the day we were getting pretty full so we only ordered a crab cake and also the crab egg roll that was highly rated from the reviews.

It was another 15 minutes before our food was ready, but it seemed much longer. We were seated infront of a TV screen that had a non-stop video loop of the owner/chef doing things in different poses. It was as if he made a commercial of himself, rather than the business. This, on top of the mandatory tipping gave me douchey vibes.

Overall the crab cake was decent and well-made but it didn’t stand out from the other crab cakes. It did come with 3 different sauces though which was nice. I wasn’t a fan of the egg roll but Toby liked it. Overall the food was okay, but the mandatory tipping and the douchey vibes with poor service tainted the whole experience for us.

Even after leaving the restaurant, I was still raging about the shadiness of this place, so I did some googling and I’m gonna leave this here: https://www.reddit.com/r/maryland/comments/1luywvj/in_a_move_that_surprises_no_one_jimmys_seafood_is/

In Summary:

  • Pappa’s takes #1 for us for the best crab cake. It just ticks all the boxes and is also the best-priced!
  • Faidley’s has the best location with more depth of flavour of their crab cakes, however it was also the smallest and most expensive for the size.
  • G&M’s has the best cream of crab soup.
  • Koco’s has the best atmosphere for a restaurant.

I hope you enjoyed reading my take on the best Maryland crab cakes! Leave a message in the comments if you feel that I’ve missed a restaurant that should be on this list!

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The Ultimate Guide to a Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl – bring cash!


Manhattan Chinatown is full of amazing authentic Asian food but in a neighbourhood full of Chinese signage and shop keepers that barely speak English, it can be daunting to find the best food spots amongst the literal hundreds of restaurants in this neighbourhood. This food guide highlights some of my favourite places to eat in Chinatown…

The Ultimate Guide to Top Philly Cheesesteak Spots


This is my ultimate guide to Philly Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia! I’ve made it my personal mission to try as many popular cheesesteak spots as I can find through online research, word of mouth, and local reviews. This post is my personal take on these popular spots!

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The Ultimate Guide to a Manhattan Chinatown Food Crawl – bring cash!


Date Published: Sept 2nd, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 11th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: Travel, USA

Manhattan Chinatown is full of amazing authentic Asian food but in a neighbourhood full of Chinese signage and shop keepers that barely speak English, it can be daunting to find the best food spots amongst the literal hundreds of restaurants in this neighbourhood. This food guide highlights some of my favourite places to eat in Chinatown including local must-have items! Many of these places are known for only 1 or 2 items on their menu, so we often like to jump from restaurant to restaurant, ordering only a couple things at each place to sample our way through Chinatown. Come hungry as you journey through this food crawl with me!

Contents:

  1. Before you head to Chinatown, here are a few tips to follow to ensure a good time
  2. Where is Manhattan Chinatown?
  3. My favourite Manhattan Chinatown eateries:
Manhattan Chinatown

Before you head to Chinatown, here are a few tips to follow to ensure a good time:

  1. Always bring cash. Many of these hole-in-the-wall joints only take cash and most won’t have ATMs on site. Even if they do take card, often there’ll be a discount if you pay in cash!
  2. Don’t hold up the line. Chinatown operates like many hustle and bustle places in Asia. It’s often about speed and high turnover in many of these OG places. Try and figure out what you want before you get in line (the lines can move very quickly!) or take a photo of the menu and step to the side to take your time deciding what you want to avoid holding up the line.
  3. Don’t expect good service. Time and time again so many fantastic authentic Chinese food joints get poor ratings due to poor service. In Asia, many of these authentic hole-in-the-wall eateries and old school joints are about serving up food quick and cheap and turning over as many tables as they can, street-style. Don’t expect table service, don’t expect niceties, just go in and expect good food and the rest is a bonus. Don’t take it personally, it’s just a way of life that has been ingrained in our cultures. If you prefer a good sit down service, then I’d recommend finding a larger fancy Chinese restaurant – but I have none in the recommendations below, this post is all about quick, cheap, delicious food.
  4. Be prepared to stand or take away. Not exclusive to Chinatown, many food shops in NYC are standing room only or takeaway only, so be prepared to do either. Keep this in mind especially if you’re coming from a day of walking or exploring the city and you’re looking for a place to sit for lunch.
Manhattan Chinatown after a snowstorm

Where is Manhattan Chinatown?

There are a few Chinatowns around NYC (ie Flushing and Bay Ridge), but there’s only one in Manhattan. A quick Google search will show you the outline of this neighbourhood that borders Little Italy. I’ve highlighted the neighbourhood in the maps below.

If you’re feeling like exploring the city and working up an appetite before lunch, my favourite morning route that we take visiting guests is to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge from DUMBO in Brooklyn, walk around the Financial District/Wall Street area, then head up towards Chinatown for lunch. Afterwards you could walk through Little Italy then up to SOHO. You can also consider doing a day of exploring the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island then have dinner in Chinatown afterwards.

Zoomed out map of Chinatown in Manhattan
Zoomed in map of Chinatown, Manhattan
Manhattan Chinatown after a snowstorm

Although Chinatown spans a relatively large area, many of the popular eateries are concentrated around Grand Street, Bayard Street, and Bowery. I’ve mapped out the eateries in this post below to give you an idea of where these places are located (I’m a visual learner – I like maps to orient myself when planning 😊).

My favourite Manhattan Chinatown eateries:

Without further ado, here’s a list of my favourite Chinatown eateries in Manhattan. Let me know in the comments if I’ve missed something you think should be included here!

Matcha Cafe Maiko (the best matcha soft serve we’ve ever had)

Address: 132 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 (multiple locations)
Hours: 12pm-10pm, daily
Website: https://www.matchacafe-maiko.com/eng/
Average spend per person: $5-$15
What to order: matcha and hojicha soft serve

When we first moved to New York, we stayed at an AirBnb for a few weeks until we were able to find an apartment. Matcha Cafe Maiko just happened to be right below our AirBnb. They have some of the best matcha and hojicha soft serves we’ve ever had! Matcha Cafe Maiko uses high quality matcha that allows the strong flavours to come through in all of their desserts. Highly recommend! (Although not a “Chinatown eatery”, this place is so good that I just had to include it in this post!)

Hojicha soft serve
Matcha & Hojicha swirled soft serve

Sanmiwago (a Taiwanese spot with great dumplings)

Address: 90 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 9am-2am, daily
Website: https://sanmiwagomeals.com/menu
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: signature pork and chives pan-fried dumplings

We found this place randomly because we were super hungry and it was around the corner from our AirBnb at the time. They advertise themselves as Taiwanese food which was what attracted me to them in the first place, but there are items on the menu that can be from other areas of Asia. It was a small shop and food came out quickly, I honestly can’t even remember everything we ordered, but I remembered that their signature pan-friend pork and chive dumplings were really good!

Xi’an Famous Foods (great spot for cumin lamb and noodles)

Address: 45 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013 (multiple locations)
Hours: 11am-9pm, daily
Website: http://xianfoods.com/
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: spicy cumin lamb noodles, cumin lamb burger

Xi’an Famous Foods serves up delicious food with unique flavours from the Xi’an province of China (read: spicy & lots of cumin). They originally started off in a tiny hole in the wall shop and grew such a large following that they now have 16 locations across the city! A large part of their success can be attributed to a visit from Anthony Bourdain in an episode of No Reservations. Xi’an Famous Foods is known for their spicy cumin lamb noodles and the spicy cumin lamb burger. Both dishes are similar in flavour (one has the cumin lamb served over noodles and the other has the lamb stuffed inside a bun). The noodles are fresh and hand-pulled with the perfect texture so I prefer it over the burger. There’s also a side table with self-serve sauces – I would HIGHLY recommend slapping on their chilli oil and then buy a couple jars to take home. It has a great smokey flavour without being too spicy.

I first came here about 10 years ago and I’m happy to report that although their meat portions in the burger have gotten much smaller, the flavour of the food is just as delicious.

Lamb burger
Spicy cumin lamb noodles

ChiCha San Chen (the best bubble tea we’ve had)

Address: 72-74 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 11:30am-9:30pm daily
Website: https://chichasanchenny.com/
Average spend per person: $8-$12
What to order: bubble milk tea, dong ding oolong tea latte

This is a pretty new spot in Chinatown that only opened in May 2024. It’s a Taiwanese bubble tea company known for their high quality teas and strong flavours and they have a pretty strong fan base. As a Taiwanese person from the land of bubble teas, I’ve had more than my fair share of bubble tea so I’ve got some pretty high standards. At first glance, it’s a fancy looking shop decorated with the theme of marketing high quality Taiwanese tea. The menu is small compared to many bubble tea shops but I didn’t mind because it helps to avoid choice paralysis. We ordered the ding dong oolong tea latte and the bubble milk tea. It was pretty expensive, at about $10 per drink and only comes in the medium size. It took a while for us to get our drink but as we sat there waiting, you can appreciate how much care they take into brewing each cup of tea. The end result paid off. It was indeed one of the most tea-heavy flavourful bubble teas we’ve ever had. If you’re into quality tea, I’d highly recommend checking this place out, but be prepared to wait (it was about 15-20 minutes before we got our drink) and spend $10 per drink.

Kong Sihk Tong (Hong Kong street food)

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8am-9pm Sun-Thurs, 8am-10pm Fri-Sat
Website: https://kongsihktong.com/
Average spend per person: $10-$20
What to order: Golden lava French toast, beef chowfun in brown sauce, baked rice

Kong Sihk Tong is a place known for serving up Hong Kong style street/fast food. We came here for the first time based on online recommendations. Food was overall average (some fantastic, some just okay) but the prices were great and the service was fast (as you’d expect from a Chinatown joint). There’s a large menu and they take cash only. We went during winter around 11:30am and we were able to be seated right away. Some reviews say that there are often lines out the door in the summer!

We got a few dishes:

  • Curry fish balls: One of their most highly reviewed dishes. It was decent, but similar to the other curry fish balls you can find in Chinatown so I didn’t feel like it was anything special.
  • Golden lava French toast: Another popular item on the menu. It tasted great, but it was definitely on the sweet side. It’s better eaten as a dessert rather than breakfast.
  • Beef chow fun in brown sauce: Fantastic. Great wok hei flavour. It was Toby’s favourite dish of the meal.
  • Baked rice with pork chop: You have an option of 3 sauces: cream, tomato, or black pepper. I ordered the cream base for nostalgia, but was pretty disappointed. I’ve definitely had way better. The pork chop in it was pretty good though! I saw many people order the baked rice – perhaps I’ll try a different sauce base last time since the waitress said it was one of their more popular dishes.

Overall, some dishes were great, some were just okay, but they’ve got a huge menu and we’re open to coming back and trying some of their other dishes!

Curry fish balls
Beef chow fun in brown sauce
Baked rice with pork chop
Golden lava French toast
Golden lava French toast

Bánh Mì Saigon (a damn good Banh Mi)

Address: 198 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 10am -5:30pm, Tues – Sun (closed Mondays)
Website: https://banh-mi-saigon.restaurants-world.com/
Average spend per person: $6 – $10
What to order: Banh Mi Saigon (BBQ Pork sandwich)

If you’re looking for Banh Mi in NYC, you’ll be met with countless options. In the search to find the best Banh Mi NYC has to offer, two places kept popping up in my research time and time again: Bánh Mì Saigon and Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli (see below).

For those that are unfamiliar what a Banh Mi is, it is a Vietnamese sandwich made with a French-style baguette-like crusty bread that is filled with a myriad of ingredients that include pickled vegetables, paté, and an option of different meats (no cilantro on mine please). This flavourful combination make it a staple in many Vietnamese restaurants in NYC.

Between the two shops, Bánh Mì Saigon is a larger shop that’s brightly lit with lots of standing room, but no place to sit. Their most popular is the “#1 Banh Mi Saigon” which includes BBQ Pork as the protein. It’s only $8 for a decent sized sandwich. They had by far the best Banh Mi bread I’ve ever had. It has such a perfect crust and texture. and there was a good balance of flavours. Highly recommend!

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli (another damn good Banh Mi)

Address: 369 Broome St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7am – 7pm Tues – Sat, 7am – 5pm Sun, closed Mon
Website: https://www.saigonvietnamesesandwichdeli.com/
Average spend per person: $10 – $12
What to order: #1 House Special (Grilled Pork, Vietnamese Salami, Vietnamese Ham)

Saigon Vietnamese Sandwich Deli is a much smaller shop compared to Banh Mi Saigon. This tiny shop has just enough room for their ordering counter and a large fridge with cold drinks and unlike most Chinatown shops, they actually have a small table by the window and 2 chairs for sitting. Their specialty sandwich is the “No. 1 House Special (grilled pork with Vietnamese ham and Vietnamese salami)”. Although the bread is not as perfect as the bread at Banh Mi Saigon, their filling was really flavourful. My favourite part was the Vietnamese ham 😋. Also highly recommend!

Tonii’s Fresh Rice Noodle (the best rice noodles I’ve ever had)

Address: 83 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7:30am – 6:30pm
Website: none
Average spend per person:
What to order: Tonii’s special rice noodles (pork, chicken, and dry shrimp) with all the sauces

ChangFun or rice noodles are something I’ve only ever had at dim sum places. It’s usually a rolled up long white noodle dish with a protein wrapped inside and soy sauce drizzled overtop. I had never had fresh rice noodles until coming to New York and Tonii’s (yes, with 2 i’s) blew my mind! At first glance, this hole-in-the-wall shop has no seating and the inside looks a bit suss. There’s a crappy half-fallen down outdoor area with a couple of old chairs and tables that you can maybe clean off yourself if you want to sit and eat, but all the food is packaged as takeaway. I was skeptical, but upon first bite, I was in love! The fresh rice noodles here are so much softer than any dim sum place I’ve ever had. They offer a few different protein options, but their most popular (and my favourite) is the ‘Tonii’s special’ which has pork, chicken and dry shrimp. The rice noodles comes with 4 sauces that are packaged separately and you pour it on yourself: chili oil crisp, sweet soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and peanut sauce. I would highly recommend adding all 4 sauces and mix it all up. It’s seriously delicious and one of my favourite chinatown gems!

Mei Lai Wah (the best pineapple BBQ pork bun you’ll ever have)

Address: 41 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8:30am – 7:30pm
Website: http://meilaiwah.com/
Average spend per person: $3 – $10
What to order: Pineapple BBQ Pork Bun

Mei Lai Wah has hands down THE best BBQ pork buns (charsiu bao) in the city. They come in a regular bun or pineapple bun. The pineapple bun is a misnomer and is named due to the buttery crackled crust on top of the bun that resembles the pattern of the side of a pineapple, but has no pineapple flavour at all. I’d highly recommend getting the pineapple BBQ pork bun – it’s their number one seller. The sweet buttery topping paired with the fatty savoury charsiu pork filling is out of this world!

This place if often very busy with a line up out the door, but the line moves quickly. There’s usually 2 lines, one for cash only and the other for card payment. The cash line is usually much shorter and you can often walk right in to the counter. The shop is quite small, with very limited space and can fit about 5 or 6 people in the store at one time and it’s takeaway only. The buns are baked fresh and served right away, piping hot!

Chang Lai Fishballs Noodles (a place for fishballs and rice noodles)

Address: 55 Bayard St Store B, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 8am – 5:30pm, daily
Website: https://changlaifishballnoodles.dine.online/locations/6703032?fulfillment=pickup
Average spend per person: $10 – $15
What to order: A1. Curry fishballs with rice noodles

This fishballs and noodles shop started off as a food cart and operated on Grand Street for 30 years and only recently opened up this location in 2023. It’s run by a lovely husband and wife (?) team that are so proud of their food and so friendly. Their most popular item on the menu is the “A1 curry fishballs with rice noodles”. I thought the fishballs were just okay but Toby loved them. The rice noodles were my favourite. They’re rolled up and cut into small pieces and mixed with a combination of 4 or 5 sauces that’s a perfect portion for a snack. This is a small shop with limited seating, enough for about 3-4 people.

The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory (ice cream with Asian flavours)

Address: 65 Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Website: http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/
Average spend per person: $8 – 16
What to order: anything! Free samples of their ice cream – popular flavours are pandan and black sesame

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is a small shop on Bayard Street that serves, you guessed it, ice cream! There are a TON of ice cream shops throughout NYC but nowhere else will you find unique Asian ice cream flavours such as durian, black sesame, matcha, pandan, lychee, ginger, red bean – that’s just to name a few. There’s usually a small line out the door in the evenings, however it moves quickly. There’s only enough room for about 5-6 people in the shop at one time and there’s no seating available. You can sample as many flavours as you like but note that popular flavours can run out earlier in the evening, so I’d recommend coming earlier if you’ve got your eyes set on something. Although a bit pricey at $8 a scoop and $11.50 for two scoops, their portions are quite generous.

We’ve been here twice now and although there’s no doubt better quality ice cream elsewhere with a creamier texture, the flavours they infuse into their ice cream knocks it out of the park and keeps us coming back.

Double Crispy Bakery (great steam buns and egg tarts)

Address: 230 Grand St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 7am – 7pm, every day
Website: none
Average spend per person: $5 – $10
What to order: egg tarts (2 kinds), pineapple bun, mooncakes

I’m always on the hunt for a great egg tart. Double Crispy Bakery was recommended by a coworker of mine who’s a born and bred local. This bakery offers egg tarts in two different types: a “Custard egg tart” which is more traditionally Chinese with a formed crumbly crust and an intact gelatin-like eggy center, and the other a “Macau style egg tart” which is similar to the Portuguese egg tart, pastel de nata, that has a flaky crispy crust with a softer creamier eggy center. Both were delicious. The custard filling had great flavour with a boost of vanilla, but the flaky crispy crust of the “Macau-style” was preferable for me. Although not my favourite egg tart shop (that’s in Bay Ridge), it’s still pretty good here!

They also have a good pineapple bun (a misnomer that’s named for its flaky sweet crust that resembles a pineapple, but actually has no pineapple flavour at all) and mooncakes year-round in a few flavours (I don’t love mooncakes, so you can be the judge). Their large steam buns behind the counter are also pretty decent and are filled with savoury pork, egg, and Chinese sausage.

Shu Jiao FuZhou Cuisine (cheap peanut noodles)

Address: 295 Grand St, New York, NY 10002
Hours: 8am-8pm, 7 days a week
Website: none
Average spend per person: $3-$10
What to order: No. 5 peanut noodles, fried dumplings, fish ball soup

If you’re looking for great cheap Asian food in Chinatown, look no further than Shu Jiao FuZhou Cuisine. This no-flare restaurant offers street food items served at lightning fast speeds (seriously, the food was literally ready within 1 minute of us paying!) and nothing was over $6. Their most popular dish is the “No. 5 peanut noodles 拌面” for $3.25. It’s a generous portion of well-cooked soft wheat noodles over a peanut sauce mixture – no meat, no toppings, just noodles and sauce. I had my reservations when I first walked in and every other person in the restaurant was not Asian, but I love a good peanut noodle dish so I couldn’t resist. The peanut noodles are simple but indeed delicious and worth the visit! The cashier also recommended the fried dumplings (I thought was just okay, but Toby loved it), and the fish ball soup (which I also thought was okay but Toby enjoyed the vinegar addition to this classic soup). If you’re looking for a seriously quick and cheap place for decent food, check this place out!

The ZongZi/Bah-Chang lady outside of Grand Street Station

Address: Outside of Grand Street subway station (intersection of Grand Street & Christie Street) – just listen for her call of “Baaaah-chang”!
Hours: Usually 2pm-5pm most days
Website: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pVKw4RUNyq7avchf8
Average spend per person: $2-$3
What to order: Taiwan-style zongzi/”rice dumpling”

If you’re unfamiliar with the classic Chinese staple food, Zongzi (or also known as Bah-chang in the hokkien dialect) is glutinous/sticky rice filled with a choice different ingredients all wrapped in bamboo leaves in the shape of a triangle prism. The fillings can be savoury (commonly pork belly, egg yolk, mushroom, peanuts) or sweet (commonly red bean or mung bean). The Zongzi should be warmed prior to eating – most commonly via steaming, but you can also unwrap it and microwave it if you’re feeling lazy to bust out the steamer.

Like a character from a studio Ghibli movie, the beloved elderly Zongzi/Bah-chang lady has been selling zongzi for over 2 decades outside of the Grand Street subway station at the intersection of Grand and Christie. Her husband and daughter in law makes the zongzi and she sells them. You can hear her siren call of “Baaaaah-chang!” rain or shine.

Her most popular savoury zongzi is the Taiwan style (represent!) and the most popular sweet zongzi is the red bean. She sells them at a great price at $3 per meat-filled zongi and $2 for the others. Cash only!

We first heard of this lady when we first moved to New York in early 2023 and stayed in an AirBnB a few blocks away from the Grand Street station and would often hear her “Baaah-Chang” call. Unfortunately our AirBnb wasn’t equipped with a kitchen so we never had a chance to try them until recently! I bought her two most popular types and they were indeed pretty good. There was a decent amount of filling and the texture of the sticky rice was perfect. Although I’ve had better, for the price she charges and the quality of the filling, it’s a pretty good Zongzi.

Here’s a Youtube interview I found if you want to find out more about her story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJCbypba4kM&t=386s

The menu

Mee Sum Cafe (a breakfast joint with reputable Zongzi)

Address: 26 Pell St, New York, NY 10013
Hours: 5:30am – 5pm, daily
Website: none
Average spend per person: $10-$20 per person
What to order: dim sum, zong zi

Mee Sum Cafe is known as an OG local breakfast spot, open at 5:30am every single day and serves up traditional Chinese dishes including dim sum. If you’re looking for more Zong Zi (glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in leaves) recommendations, Mee Sum Cafe has a reputation for some great ones, offering up 7 different fillings. Unfortunately when we went, they only had 3 of their 7 kinds left, with the most popular ones sold out 😔. We didn’t have time to eat here so I bought a few frozen ones to go and tried it at home – it was just okay. Perhaps the ones that were sold out are much more worthy of their reputation 🤷🏻‍♀️. I debated whether or not to include them in this post since all I had was their Zongzi and wasn’t blown away, but due to their long standing reputation as an old school breakfast spot, I decided to include it so the rest of you can make your own decision on Mee Sum Cafe and also as a place marker to remind me to go back 🙃.

7 kinds of zongzi/sticky rice wrap

Golden Diner (honey butter pancakes)

Address: 123 Madison St, New York, NY 10002
Hours: 10am – 10pm most days (10am – 3pm on Thursdays) – make reservations ahead!
Website: http://www.goldendinerny.com/
Average spend per person: $20-$30 per person
What to order: Honey Butter Pancakes

Tucked away deep into the non-touristy parts of Chinatown where you need to speak some type of Chinese dialect to order food, Golden Diner is an American-Asian fusion diner that adds a twist to classic comfort foods. You may have seen this diner featured on many Tik Tok and Instagram videos lately showcasing their viral Honey Butter Pancakes – a friend of mine from Canada actually sent me a video of this place which is how we came to find it. I’m not overly excited about pancakes in general, but I am OBSESSED with honey butter chips so of course we had to come and try it. It took two trains to get to this prickly part the lower east side and without reservations, it was a 1.5 hour wait for a table at the bar. I’m glad to report that their Honey Butter Pancakes were indeed worth it. The honey butter syrup really does taste just like the chips and the thick and fluffy pancakes was the perfect light texture to carry the heavy syrup. It comes in a single or double serving. I’d recommend the single – it’s quite heavy and after a while it can be a bit much if you don’t have a sweet tooth.

I’ve written up the recipe for these pancakes that you can check out below:

Golden Diner Honey Butter Pancakes


The Honey Butter Pancakes from Golden Diner in Manhattan are the latest viral sensation! This recipe shows you how to recreate these fluffy pancakes with the unique umami honey butter sauce and a berry compote. Be warned – these heavy but luxurious pancakes may send you into a food coma!

We ordered a few other things here that unfortunately fell short. We had their special of the day which was a asian/cumin fried chicken wings with waffles – way too much cumin and the waffles were dry, and the matcha/hojicha coffee cake which had good flavour, but unfortunately was also very dry.

All-in-all, the pancakes were definitely worth it if you like honey-butter chips, but the rest of the things we ordered fell short. If you plan on visiting, make sure you make a booking, or else it could be over an hour wait for a table!

I hope you enjoyed my list of Chinatown eats! Let me know in the comments if there’s a place you think I should include on this list!

Happy eating!
Abby

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The Ultimate Guide to Top Philly Cheesesteak Spots


This is my ultimate guide to Philly Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia! I’ve made it my personal mission to try as many popular cheesesteak spots as I can find through online research, word of mouth, and local reviews. This post is my personal take on these popular spots!

AbbyLeave a comment