I'm really into Asian cuisine right now

I think it started when my friend Madie made some kind of delicious Thai curry noodle soup for me. The next day at work, I took my lunch break in K-town and got some fried pork dumplings. And also, I recently finished the book Crying in H Mart, which is so well imbued with insights into Korean culture and food that I couldn’t help but start to crave it. My love for Asian cuisine has been snowballing since then.

In early February, I had a work lunch (I know, how corporate of me) at Octo Restaurant, where I didn’t get any photos of the food (because how Gen Z of me would it have been to conduct a food photoshoot in the middle of our discussion about company growth) but I really enjoyed the prix fixe menu. It was seemingly never-ending, with starters like string beans and soup dumplings followed quickly by build-your-own spring rolls and beef and broccoli, then fried rice, and finished off with your choice of ice cream (vanilla for me). It was a 90-minute, overly indulgent lunch, but I enjoyed every second of it. The spot ended up #11 on my Beli, which is admittedly probably because I haven’t eaten much Asian cuisine to compare it to, but I’d still go back again.

The next day, still riding the high of a good meal, I found Stang Thai—a Thai-Vietnamese fusion restaurant just off my train stop, and coincidentally directly across the street from my parents’ favorite Chinese restaurant when they lived in Brooklyn 23 years ago (Mr. Tong, and it is still open to this day; also, when I was two, my parents lived off the same train stop I do now. Can you say serendipity?).

One thing to know about me is that I love a bao bun, and while Stang Thai is probably not boasting the best one ever created, it’s certainly enough to satisfy a craving and not wander too far from home. I ordered the Khao Soi Chicken as my main, a hearty soup bowl with egg noodles, scallion, chicken, and cilantro, all bathed in a spicy coconut curry broth. The broth was delicious, though very spicy. I was having a bad day the day I entered Stang Thai, and this dish brought me out of it. It was exactly the kind of comfort cuisine I needed, and most times it’s the hole-in-the-wall places that’ll do that for you.

I’ve been chasing the best Asian food in the city since then, so I got more dumplings from a place by work that I forget them name of, possibly because the dumplings were quite forgettable. But if you’ve got suggestions (for dumplings or Asian food in general), send them my way. Next on my list is Noodle Lane in Park Slope.

Did you know “Froyo” as a word is a trademark? I looked it up in the online Merriam-Webster dictionary (as my editor brain is trained to do), and it is! Fun fact of the day, you’re welcome.

There’s been a Froyo renaissance recently, at least in New York City. Everyone is claiming a different Froyo place to be the best in the city, and all over my feed is the clear message that ice cream is out of style. In for Spring 2026? Froyo.

I’ve talked a bit about my love for 16 Handles and the nostalgia it brings me, because Froyo was a big part of my childhood. I tend to go back and forth, but as of right now, I’d choose Froyo over ice cream any day.

Making my way through social media influencers’ Top 10 Froyo in NYC will be difficult, but I’m willing to try. I started at Madison Fare on the Upper West Side. It was Valentine’s Day and I wanted a sweet treat, so my partner delivered. They didn’t have any of the chocolate-hazelnut crunchy topping when I went, so I got the pistachio knafeh with chocolate syrup. The pistachio did not disappoint—especially with the crunch. Another thing I’m into recently: food texture. I’m here for the crunch. This Froyo sundae delivered.

The tanginess of the Froyo was jarring at first, but I got used to it by the end. I do wish I had more topping when I got to the bottom of the cup, but this cup was large, by the way, and full. You get your $15 worth for sure.

Of course, I can’t live twenty minutes from Park Slope and not try Culture (which also has a West Village location).

Culture made my topping dreams come true. I ordered the cookie sundae, which is chocolate chip cookie pieces and dark chocolate sauce, and I added coconut flakes. Culture puts the toppings on the top and bottom of the Froyo, which is an absolute game changer. I was never topping-less. Plus, they give you the option to choose from a few flavors of Froyo—I got original, but they also had oreo and raspberry. Their menu is rotating.

I liked Culture and appreciated the way they structure their Froyo cups, but I’d say Madison Fare takes the cake here, mostly because I wish the chocolate chip cookie pieces at Culture were softer. That said, it’s more likely that I’ll go back to Culture soon, just because of proximity. And they had these brownies that looked really yummy, so a brownie sundae might be calling my name . . .

Also up next to try are Birdie’s and Mimi’s—these two places are breaking Foodstagram right now.

La Villa

• A pizza place in Bensonhurst that is elevating the pizza game. Even my niece loved it! Large portions, many options for toppings. I am absolutely going back.

Tom Collichio’s Vallata

The Lark’s chocolate chip cookie

• This one surprised me! I accidentally got a cookie here, by which I mean they didn’t have any croissants left so I got a cookie instead. It was beautiful and round, with crispy edges and a soft center. It was an all around great cookie. I may just have to start my hunt for the best cookie in NYC—after I’m off the Froyo hype, of course.