25hrs with Kat Popiel

On Plate, Still Hungry is just one of the very many online/gastronomic presences held by Kat Popiel, a London transplant to New York who continues to literally feed her creativity through writing about New York’s dynamic culinary scene. Prior to founding the food and culture mag with Terence Teh of Dazed Digital fame, she’s been ably blending her professional career with her devotion of food as the director of Content & Community at the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo, and as a contributor to advertising hub PSFK. Her other seasonal project, Something I Ate, sees artists chronicling their eating habits and designing a tailor-made menu.

Popiel has taken some time out of her busy schedule to let us in on New York’s best kitchens and palatable experiences. Expect duck, tempura, small plates and Polish pastries in her comprehensive guide to the best eating experiences popping up around the five boroughs.

Places in this guide

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Kalustyan's Around the world in 80 spices
A spin around this mecca of spices can evoke two sentiments: an insatiable urge to grab everything in sight and launch a series of eclectic dinner parties and the overwhelming fear you might never get to adventure to all these countries. Despite this, the smells and colors will feel like you have entered a secret library of information about the planet. Spanning flavors from the Middle East, India, Vietnam and countless other places of ethnic cuisine, there are dried habaneros, Turkish delights and olive oil from Greece. Expect to spend hours here, get lost and have your next trip away booked hours later.
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Five Leaves Greenpoint gets foliage
Tattoo illustrations are emblazoned across the windows of this corner eatery facing McCarren Park in Greenpoint. It’s now become a destination for hipsters from across Brooklyn which means you have to get there before noon for a table. What never fails is the sage scrambled eggs with cheddar on a panini roll and their ricotta pancakes beat the rest of the contenders in the city.
Food New York 2
Landhaus Little haus on the prairie
A grilled slab of pork belly hugged between lettuce and tomato is then slathered with a garlic aioli that drips across each and every available crevice of this perfectly sized sandwich. A regular addition to Smorgasburg (the food portion of The Brooklyn Flea) amidst all the countless jam vendors and overpriced Asian fare, my hips cry each week but my stomach sings.
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Sorella Secret storefront of serendipity
Who knew that tempura-frying broccoli complete with a hot pickled pepper aioli could numb my palate into wanting only this unique flavor for the days following. The surreptitious store front is a welcome escape from the madness of the LES, revealing a quiet Italian restaurant with a rich menu including grilled quail with confit of baby artichoke and duck fat English muffin with chicken liver. You’ll want to tempura everything after this one dish.
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Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop Never Never Land
Saturday mornings see a line out the door eager to ingest just one of their light and airy donuts – the honey glazed is the golden child. With the recent TV and movie filming taking place by the river fronts of Greenpoint its no wonder a slew of famed folks have flocked here but it still remains a local joint run by chirpy Polish ladies.
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The Toucan and The Lion The food chain comes in small plates
The joy of sharing small plates is you get to feel baller as you order 12 dishes off the menu. This East Village establishment is tiny but its Asian inspired flavors shout loud. I’ve recently fallen in love with scotched eggs—their’s come encased in duck meat! Try the espresso pork ribs, fried pickles and kale salad.

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