New York's best street food adventures with the MasterChef team

ALL great cities of the world have a smell that's singularly theirs, and in New York it slaps you in the face as soon as you step out of the taxi.

Masterchef

ALL great cities of the world have a smell that's singularly theirs, and in New York it slaps you in the face as soon as you step out of the taxi and on to the streets of Manhattan.

I can't identify what's behind the New York scent exactly but it's hard not to put it down to a combination of subway fumes, grime, oil and … food.

In pictures: The 2011 MasterChef contestants in New York

Food is everywhere in this city of bright lights and yellow taxis, where people swarm over the crowded island like ants.

On every street corner, somebody is cooking something. Street carts sizzle with sliced meat frying in onion. Spruikers roast nuts and warm pretzels. Cheap restaurants pump out oversized pizzas. You want a hotdog? Sure, here's one now, with mustard, ketchup and sauerkraut ladled on thick. The aroma of meat seeps into your pores so you're never quite sure if you're hungry or full.

New York is one of the world's great culinary cities, not because it necessarily has a sophisticated food culture but because with a population this big, there's something for everyone.

But with 20,000 restaurants, selecting where to eat can be overwhelming and confusing. It's entirely possible to go to New York and not eat a single good meal. Then again, if you know where to go, it's possible to eat fabulously.

I'm using as a guide the adventures of this year's MasterChef contestants, who filmed a week's worth of the program here.

The show was very well researched and the city is hoping for an onslaught of Australians wanting to try some of the featured venues. And with the dollar at a high, American restaurants offer extraordinary value. Even the highest-end places cost about two-thirds or even half that of comparable restaurants in Australia. You do have to pay tax (8.75 per cent) and a tip (15 per cent), but even with those imposts, the value is incomparable.

So here's a guide to New York's high-end, mid-range and street food options.

Fine dining
Two of the US's best chefs have appeared in this season of MasterChef and if high-end dining is your thing  or even if you only do it once  their vaunted establishments are the places to visit.

On the Upper West Side at Columbus Circle, French Laundry chef Thomas Keller runs Per Se, an exquisite fine diner with views over Central Park to the Upper East Side.

Keller is a culinary guru in the US and his serious, hushed restaurant does not disappoint. A five-course lunch is $185, including tip but not tax, but expect dishes such as Keller's signature oysters and pearls, a concoction of tapioca, poached oysters and sterling white sturgeon caviar.

The service, extravagant floral arrangements and serious, complex food make this one of the world's best dining experiences. Book well ahead and do not wear jeans.

A totally different, but similarly electric, dining experience can be had at Daniel, the Upper East Side institution of French-born chef Daniel Boulud, who appeared in the New York MasterChef shows.

Daniel is a French restaurant in one of New York's most beautiful rooms, a Venetian Renaissance-inspired space that inhabits what was once the ballroom of the Mayfair Hotel. The $220 dinner menu may make some baulk but expect dishes such as a duo of beef  black angus short ribs with fava bean coulis and wagyu tenderloin with morels.

The food is one thing but the vibe is another. If you want an upper-crust New York experience, this is the spot.
Busy, bustling and fun, it has a great sense of theatre. US President Barack Obama ate here the day before I did, while former IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn was apparently a regular. Go for the 8.30pm sitting so you can linger.

Mid-range dining
The best mid-range dining happens Downtown, in the funky neighbourhoods below 14th St. Featured in MasterChef were WD-50, on the Lower East Side, and David Chang's Momofuku, which has several branches, mostly Downtown.

Chang is opening in Australia in September at Sydney's Star City Casino. His Uptown restaurant, Ma Peche on West 56th St, which services French-Vietnamese food, is what features in MasterChef. His Momofuku Noodle Bar, on 1st Ave at 13th St, will be replicated in Sydney.

I visit a different Momofuku - the funky, pumping Ssam Bar in the West Village  at which cheerful tattooed types serve killer cocktails at a long bar over pumping rock music and Asian food that includes dishes such as spicy honeycomb tripe heavy with chilli and sesame oil (it's surprisingly delicious) and fatty, oozing pork belly buns.
It's cool and hip so get there before 7pm to make sure you get a table.

WD-50, meanwhile, is a journey through American molecular gastronomy. From the wooden booths and freestanding tables of the casual dining room, you can see into the kitchen, where famed chef Wylie Dufresne and his hot young offsider Jon Bignelli (who's on the show) can be found working up dishes such as a deconstructed eggs benedict involving cubes of fried hollandaise and fine slices of jamon. It's great fun if you're into adventurous food.

For those who prefer more sedate fare, head to the Meatpacking District to visit old-time favourite Pastis. Sure, it's been around for a lifetime and offers old-school French bistro food given an American twang, but the place still rocks as only a New York bistro can.

I go for a Monday lunch and sit next to a table of Calvin Klein male models. It's tough work. A dish of rotisserie chicken with capsicum, potato and preserved lemon is comfort food, done well.

Nearby is Spice Market, a famous Asian restaurant that appeared in MasterChef. Asian food in the US tends to be quite poor but Spice Market's Indonesian-leaning menu offers some good eating. There's a $10 lunch menu, too.

Anyone missing pub food might like to have a shot at a table in the West Village gastropub The Spotted Pig. It takes itself a bit seriously but the pub has a lovely atmosphere, a big reputation and its meals - such as homemade sausages or a roasted beetroot salad - can hit the spot with homesick Australians.

For a glamorous drink, stop at Le Bain, the rooftop bar of the Standard Hotel, with Hudson River views.

Cost effective
New York is dotted with delis, diners and burger joints, plus food carts on every street corner. Here are some of the best cheap(er) eats.

Eataly is an absolutely amazing Italian food temple in Midtown. Featuring a panini bar, rotisserie, pasticceria, gelateria, espresso bar, beer garden, fish counter, pasta bar, and so much more, it is a paean to Italian food in all its forms. The prosciutto counter is a sight to behold and you can get a decent cappuccino here.

DBGB is Daniel Boulud's Downtown burger restaurant, a place that has made the hamburger a gourmet affair in New York. Try the "piggie'', a burger featuring beef and pulled pork.

In terms of delis, Katz's on East Houston St is a Manhattan institution. Go in for traditional New York food such as pastrami sandwiches, tuna salads, matzo ball soup and cheesecake. Just see if you can figure out the complicated ticketing system.

Nearby, Russ & Daughters is a bountiful little deli stacked with bagels, smoked salmon, dried fruit and other traditional Jewish foods. It's great for takeaway.

In Midtown, Carnegie Deli on 7th Ave is an institution said to serve the biggest pastrami sandwiches in New York, if that's your thing.

Wholefoods Market is a gourmet supermarket chain located around New York, including under Per Se in the Times Warner Building, and at Union Square.

Finally, there's a plethora of restaurants at the restored Chelsea Market on 14th St. It's a fine spot for lunch.

The writer was a guest of New York City Go, Qantas and Marriott hotels.

Getting there
Qantas flies from all Australian cities to New York daily. Ph 13 13 13 or see qantas.com.au

Staying there
The Marriott's two Times Square hotels  the Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway, ph [phone]) and the Renaissance (2 Times Square, 714 7th Ave at W 48th St, ph [phone])  feature in the MasterChef New York episodes and both make a perfect base for exploring the city.

The Marquis is a large, glam hotel that's recently had a tasteful makeover. Aim for a room with a Times Square view  - it will take your breath away. Rates start at $US300 ($A280) a night.

The Renaissance is a smaller, groovier hotel also in Times Square with a great bar and lobby just a few floors above the hustle and bustle of the street. Rates start at $US250 a night.

The Marriott Marquis's chef, Armando Monterosso, and pastry chef, Steve Evetts, appear in several of the New York episodes, so keep an eye out for them around the hotel. Both also are excellent for accessing the Broadway theatre district.

Doing there
The New York City Go company has launched the 2011 New York Restaurant Week program. It runs until July 24, with many restaurants around Manhattan offering cut-price lunch deals for $24.07 (to reflect the city's 24-7 lifestyle) and $35 for three-course meals. See www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek

Eating there
 - Per Se, 10 Columbus Circle, ph +1  [phone], see perseny.com
 - Daniel, 60 East 65th St, ph [phone], see danielnyc.com
 - Wholefoods Market, 4 Union Square South, ph [phone], see wholefoodsmarket.com
 - Momofuku Noodle Bar, 171 1st Ave; Ssam bar, 207 2nd Ave; Ma Peche, 15 W 56th St, ph [phone], see www.momofuku.com
 - Pastis, 9 9th Ave, ph [phone], see pastisny.com
 - Spice Market, 403 West 13th St (at 9th Ave), ph [phone], see spicemarketnewyork.com
 - The Spotted Pig, 314 W 11th St, ph [phone], see thespottedpig.com
 - Le Bain, 18th floor, Standard Hotel, 848 Washington St at 13th St, ph [phone], see standardhotels.com
 - Eataly, 200 5th Ave, ph [phone], see eatalyny.com
 - DBGB, 299 The Bowery, ph [phone], see danielnyc.com
 - Katz's, 205 East Houston St, ph [phone], see katzsdelicatessen.com
 - Russ & Daughters, 179 East Houston St, ph [phone], see russanddaughters.com
 - Carnegie Deli, 854 7th Ave, ph [phone], see www.carnegiedeli.com
 - WD-50, 50 Clinton St, ph [phone], see wd-50.com
 - Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave (between W 15th and 16th streets), see chelseamarket.com

In pictures: The 2011 MasterChef contestants in New York

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