MARATHON CAFE — Restaurant in New York

My favorite kind of dining experience is cozy, casual, and comfortable, and I really think that's exactly the impression I got today at my first time at Marathon Cafe. I don't know if I could rave more!

We split a katsu curry and the lava french toast. I was worried it'd be too sweet next to a savory dish, but in the end, it was a custardy and soft milk bread tower with delicately crispy edges and not too sweet at all. I'm very glad we tried it.

The katsu curry was also amazingly huge for the price ($16), piled to the brim in a takeout box with a massive cutlet, in both length and thickness of the meat. I've had cutlets this thick at other places that were dry and tough to get through, but here, the freshly fried breading stayed crunchy even after sitting in curry sauce and delicious juices dripped on us off some tender pieces; an instant favorite for both of us :)

EDITED TO ADD: I've since tried a bunch of items off their daily specials and main menu, and there hasn't been anything I haven't enjoyed. The way the proteins are fried has been wonderful every time. Not too oily but surprisingly crunchy even as leftovers.

Portions are very generous so the price honestly feels crazy for the value. The self serve and the room layout were really just icing on top for us, as it felt very homey and like a classic set up. All the drinks we've gotten were great as well (HK milk tea, pineapple green tea, Ribena with lemon.)

I can't wait to come back and try more off of their menu. The owners and people running the place were so kind and friendly, the restaurant is always a great moderate level of busy, and I hope with all my heart that they're here to stay for a long, good time. I highly recommend this spot, as I think it's become an instant...

This is the first time I’ve ever written a review like this. I truly hope no one else has the same experience I did.

I visited this restaurant for the first time today. I ordered a dish based on the staff’s recommendation and waited about 20 minutes for the food to arrive. The wait itself was fine.

However, when the chicken dish was finally served, it was lukewarm, not freshly cooked. On top of that, it had a strong gamey smell. I tried dipping it in the sauce to see if that helped, but then I noticed the chicken wasn’t fully cooked—there was even visible blood.

I told the staff, and they offered to remake it or let me order something else. I didn’t want to wait another 20 minutes, so I asked for a refund. But they said refunds aren’t allowed, and I had to choose another menu item instead.

When I said I didn’t have time, the owner, in an irritated tone, said, “Then hurry up and order.” I was shocked by the attitude. So I replied, “This was your mistake and a waste of my time—shouldn’t there at least be an apology?” Only then did I receive a reluctant apology.

The new dish I ordered was about a dollar cheaper than the original one. When I asked about the price difference, they said the first dish included a soup that costs $3.

But the thing is, I never ordered a soup, nor was I told that a soup would be included. It just came out without explanation. I couldn’t understand how they could charge for something I didn’t even ask for.

Finally, they asked me to sign the receipt “to avoid any issues later,” since I had changed the order. I took the second dish to go but ended up...

A very quaint and heartwarming little HK style restaurant which gives you the immersive experience of being in Hong Kong! The staff were all very friendly and social, which was a pleasure to speak with. The tomato broth with macaroni, fatty beef and onsen egg had a decent flavor profile, with broth that isn't too watery nor too thick. The fatty beef were not overcooked and the onsen egg, as you can see, was done perfectly. The only thing that detracted from the dish was that there was a small piece of lettuce mixed in the broth, which suggests that the person handling the food may have handled other ingredients and it was unfortunately mixed in, which can be a bit off-putting for sanitary reasons. The prices are quite high for what they are unfortunately, for you don't often expect HK style drinks to go above 5 dollars (most of the time it ranges from 2-4). For 14 dollars after tax, the food and quality of it also didn't seem to fit the price, where other restaurants often provide entire lunch combos for a similar price or even less. If they can adjust their prices just a little bit, I think the food would definitely be worth a try! Marathon cafe definitely has amazing potential of being one of the better HK style restaurants in the area, but it's hard to reason the price when other HK style restaurants in the area serve lunches that cost 9-11 bucks and drinks that cost 2-4 dollars.

Overall, 3.75/5 I would say, with easy fix to get the 5!

Thank you for reading and...