With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back for the best things we ate this week.
Chả cá at La Dồng
Most iterations of chả cá that I’ve had have involved chunks of fish that are marinated in turmeric paste, fried until they’re lightly crisp, then finished with a shower of dill. I love the dish for its juxtaposition of fried and fresh. In a showier approach, La Dồng, the busy and somewhat boisterous [Vietnamese restaurant](https://ny.eater.com/2024/9/23/24249957/la-dong-vietnamese-union-square-nyc-openin…
With Eater editors dining out sometimes several times a day, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. Check back for the best things we ate this week.
Chả cá at La Dồng
Most iterations of chả cá that I’ve had have involved chunks of fish that are marinated in turmeric paste, fried until they’re lightly crisp, then finished with a shower of dill. I love the dish for its juxtaposition of fried and fresh. In a showier approach, La Dồng, the busy and somewhat boisterous Vietnamese restaurant, opts for a whole butterflied branzino instead.
The marinated-then-grilled fish ($43) offers a slightly lighter feel but with no shortage of flavor. You might not see the dill here, but you can certainly taste its presence: an undercurrent of lively herbaceousness that cuts through the slight char. The fish is topped with a tangle of softened scallions and comes with a side platter of cold noodles, lettuce, and herbs. Scrape the flesh off the fish to make perfect lettuce-wrapped bites, but don’t skip the skin either — the grill renders that marinated fish skin into a smoky little treat. *11 East 17th Street, between Fifth Avenue and Broadway, Union Square *— Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter
Duck cold ramen at NR
A friend and I met at this unassuming, tucked-away restaurant for dinner. I got the duck cold ramen ($28) from the seasonal menu. It was this lovely bowl of chilled broth made with a chicken-clam dashi, paired with rare slices of duck, the oh-so-tart plum (my server recommended I take nibbles of it in between bites of the overall bowl), diced onions, a whole shiso leaf, a slice of sudachi (a Japanese citrus), and a yolky half-egg, all atop springy ramen noodles. We rounded out our meal with the absolutely rich and soupy curry done up in a Hokkaido style, chock-full of whole vegetables and bone-in chicken ($32); plus really creative Japanese-style cocktails inherited from the restaurant’s now-closed cocktail bar sibling ROKC. 339 East 75th Street, near First Avenue, Upper East Side — Nadia Chaudhury, deputy dining editor, Northeast
Enchiladas verde at Animo
I’m constantly on the hunt for a good concha, and while that’s what brought me to this Manhattan all-day cafe, it was the enchiladas ($17) that really blew me away. I opted for chicken (cheese is the other option), but either way, they’re smothered with a fantastically tangy green tomatillo salsa and served with a side of Animo’s excellent refried beans. The best part: They’re on the all-day menu, so you don’t have to be in the neighborhood in the morning to try them. 1004 Second Avenue at 53rd Street, Midtown East — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief
As soon as I read about Chika Hanyu’s cream puffs, I knew I had to order some and head to Sunnyside to pick up a box. Each one is the size of a fist, with a crackly pastry giving way to elegant, cloudlike vanilla (or chocolate) cream. Get half a dozen ($39) for your next gathering, or for just a regular Saturday splitting sweets with your friends, who will text you later saying, “This is really the best thing I have put in my mouth in a long while.” The pastries will stay fresh for a couple of days in the fridge, but I doubt you’ll need to test that. 41-28 37th Street, between Skillman and 43rd Avenues, Sunnyside — Nadia Q. Ahmad, senior copy editor
Brioche, beurre bordier at Third Falcon
I never thought I’d plan to go sit at a restaurant’s bar just for a glass of wine and some bread, until I tried Third Falcon’s bread and butter appetizer ($10), with the option to add breakfast radishes for $3 (take it, the more things you can slather this butter on, the better). The rich and creamy pale yellow butter shaped in a giant and inviting mound sits in an oblong bowl at the end of the bar, from where it is scooped into a cup paired with a warm, soft, airy brioche that comes out of the oven, encased in a lightly crispy crust. It’s worth grabbing a seat at the bar for a glass of wine from its rotating list and to slather heaps of the silky butter on the fresh brioche. 360 Myrtle Ave, between Adelphi Street and Carlton Avenue, Fort Greene — Terri Ciccone, deputy director of audience
I don’t even know which burritos I love more at Alan Delgado’s terrific Brooklyn takeout spot, whether it’s the Colorado with guajillo-marinated pork with ancho chiles or the Verde with brisket and potatoes in a serrano-tomatillo verde (between $8 and $11). I went twice in a week and got four of five burritos to share – they’re a revelation. How does Delgado make such incredible flour tortillas? Lard is surely a factor. Los Burritos Juárez is a little gem where you can watch the staff make tortillas to order, debate with yourself or your companion as to which order upstages another, while adding as much hot sauce as your heart desires. It will keep its shine well past its early days. 354 Myrtle Avenue, at Adelphi Street, Fort Greene — Melissa McCart, lead dining editor, Northeast
Zuppa etrusca at Osteria 57
As soon as we start to reach for sweaters, I crave soup, and this warm Italian spot, filled with reclaimed wood, cozy corners, and a market, was the ideal place to enjoy it on a wet, chilly night. Ricardo Orfino worked for years under famed chef Aimo Moroni, who created this version of zuppa etrusca at his Michelin-starred Milan restaurant, Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia. The dish was added to the menu here ($22) as a tribute when the chef passed away earlier this month. Unlike most recipes, which call for ingredients to be simmered together at length, at Osteria 57, each vegetable is added separately to a cannellini bean puree, so they maintain their unique flavors and crunch. His interpretation used celery roots, zucchini, parsnips, and farro, along with aromatic herbs and fennel pollen. It was hearty enough to be a full meal, but I can never resist the restaurant’s perfectly al dente paccheri pomodoro, topped with a thick, robust tomato sauce and a dollop of creamy burrata, so I ordered that as well, and had no trouble finding someone to share it with me. 457 Sixth Avenue, between 10th and 11th Streets, West Village — Beth Landman, contributor, Northeast