Native Noodles — Restaurant in New York

I remember when Native Noodles first started as a stall at the Queens Night Market (QNM) almost two years ago. I had gotten a chance to preview Amy's food and there was a lot of hype surrounding it because it was the first time that Singaporean style food was available to the QNM audience. Singapore is very much known for their hawker stalls which has a plethora of delicious street food. This type of food experience is what Amy was offering to her customers and the community. I only got a sample of her laksa but it was so good. When the QNM season started she had sold out on her very first night!!

Everytime I would go to the night market, I would make sure to check to see if her stall was open. On the days she was there, sometimes I would arrive late after work and see the SOLD OUT sign a little too often. As happy as I was for her business, I was beginning to dislike that very much during that time. But that was my problem and not hers.

After her first successful run in the outdoor market, I was looking forward to trying her food again at the next installment of QnM but the pandemic had canceled all outdoor events last year. I was worried as she had just started her business but I found out that she was planning to open an actual storefront!!

There were some delays as with any new business and of course still dealing with pandemic issues in the NYC area, it was understandable. Fast forward to now and her hard work certainly paid off. She is located in Washington Heights, an area in the Bronx. Her establishment is a very cool and unique addition to the food scene there!

During my visit, indoor dining had just been allowed again after months of people eating outside in the winter weather. I made the trip to WH specifically to try her food and again and to say hello as it had been a long time since I had seen any of the business owners from QNM. I had walked past her store at initially as there was no signage but understandably it was a new business.

The interior consist of a wide open dining area with a POS kiosk and desk (no tables for my visit as the indoor ban had just been lifted and it was her first week open). The kitchen and prep area was in another room in the back but there is a large see through area. To the right there was a seated / standing area along the wall and near the entrance there is a nice cozy area to eat facing the window (I had chosen this spot to eat at).

As I entered, there was an employee working at the desk getting the delivery and to-go orders ready. I was almost disappointed that Amy was not there but then she appeared by the kitchen see through area. From my first meeting her and throughout the QNM season, she has always been a very kind person and very intelligent. She usually takes time to greet her customers unless she is busy cooking. And with this new business, she is cooking a lot and logging in many hours to make sure things run smoothly. She puts so much heart into every single dish she makes and anyone who has ever tasted her food knows that to be a fact.

The menu she has is greatly expanded from what I remember from QNM with some items that I have not tried before. During my visit, I ordered the Honey Roasted Pork Over Rice, Satay Peanut Noodles and Chili Crab Buns. The pork over rice was her version of char siu..very savory and tender. Classic comfort food in my opinion and something I would probably order multiple times a week if I were closer. The peanut noodles were very good as well although I had to take that particular one to go as I was short on time and could not finish a second entree. The crab buns were a surprise treat as they were very warm and soft and paired so very well with the her oh so delicious crab dip.

Special mention goes to Leslie, the very courteous and kind employee who had helped to ring me up and pack my food to go.

I definitely plan to go back to try the other menu items as well as her signature laksa noodles as indoor dining capacity has...

Native Noodles offers Singaporean dishes, which we don’t have many of here in NYC. They opened about a couple of months ago, and still no real signage outside of the building nor on the door. You can easily miss it if you are not paying attention… I am sure they will get some kind of real signage soon (?).

The inside is not too small, but not that big. I took the photos with wide-angle lens, so it looks much bigger than it actually is. They had some table seating, with the center part open for people to line up for order and pick-up. They seems to get more pick up and delivery orders than eat-ins.

The staff was not very friendly, but rather cold… Anyways, we ordered Pork & Shrimp Wontons, Shrimp Fritters Crispy Shrimp, Laksa, and Satay Peanut Noodles.

We got boiled Pork & Shrimp Wontons, and they were super plump! Small but meaty and satisfying. Shrimp Fritters Crispy Shrimp was huge and plump! I liked the dipping sauce, it had a nice kick to it.

Laksa's recommended protein was Shrimp (+$1.50). We also added Soft-boiled egg (+$1). These additions made this dish to be total of $15, which seemed a bit high for the portion. It had very vibrant with color from turmeric that you can taste, with a nice kick to it! Plump noodle, very clean flavor. Eggs are cooked perfect and very tasty! Shrimp had great seasoning to it, super delicious! Again, the price point is a bit high, but you do get great quality dish.

For Satay Peanut , we chose Tofu as the protein. The tofu pieces were large and flat, pretty good amount of them. Seasoned and cooked well, better than I expected! The flat noodle was nice, cooked just right. The peanut flavor was great, very peanut-y, without it being overwhelming.

We had a nice lunch here, everything was high quality and delicious. The portion is a bit small, but they are filling and satisfying. I still think the price point is high, but you are paying for the quality for sure. Native Noodles certainly is a wonderful addition to NYC. We need more eateries like...

Roti John Sandwich - Singaporean Street Food in NYC- in Washington Heights

What really brought me to Native Noodles was the mere location of it: Singaporean Street Food in....Washington Heights, Harlem? How did this place end up in Dominican central?

I restarted Google Maps, searched the name again, and it looks like my eyes weren’t fooling me.

A justaposition for sure. If anything, though, it amplified my interest. I left my apartment in South Brooklyn, and 1.5 hours later, I made it up to the very tip of Manhattan in the Heights on the 163rd street subway stop

After walking by about 10 dominican barber shops, a few African nail salons, 5 dominican colmados (delis), and historic African American churches, I had made it to a small sign gently aligned with the shop entrance.

One irony that I couldn’t really shake off was the idea of a full air-conditioned, creatively and modernly curated, brick-and-mortar shop selling street food. Was it then, by definition, really street food? What’s more: I felt like I was in a simulation, warped from the reality of Harlem. Anyways, I digress

Out of all the 3 things I ordered from the menu, the Roti John stood out

If you ask me what’s so good about roti john, well, it’s the combination of everything: the crusty french baguette, the caramelized onions, minced meat with the omelette, and of course, the spicy ketchup. Classic and simple.

Upon first bite, it instantly reminded me of the egg and ketchup sandwiches I would eat at my grandmother’s house back in Mumbai, India. Although the Roti John is much more advanced, I do believe Indians had some influence on this sandwich

After about an hour or so, I exited the simulation and was back in reality of Harlem

Overall, the Roti John was a very solid sandwich.

Eating my way through immigrant-owned small businesses in NYC... Instagram:...