24 Instagram-Worthy Asian Eateries In NYC That'll Actually Leave Your Mouth Watering

My stomach is GROWLING.

1. Kopitiam NYC

@kopitamnyc / Via instagram.com

Kopitiam, meaning "coffee shop" in Hokkien, offers Nyonya cuisine drawing ingredients and techniques from Chinese and Malay cultures, along with a bit of influence from Portuguese, Dutch, and British cuisine.

The mom-and-fam cafe is located on East Broadway in New York and you can eat some of their more savory dishes including Nasi Lemak (the national dish of Malaysia), Pan Mee, and Pandan Chicken. These can all be followed by their Kuih, which are individual desserts made fresh daily.

2. Purple Yam

@purpleyamnyc / Via instagram.com

Owners Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan reimagine Filipino food, along with some Chinese- and Korean-inspired dishes, in America through their meals served at Purple Yam!

Located in Brooklyn, New York, the restaurant has specialties such as Chicken Adobo (braised in rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, Thai chili pepper, and coconut milk), Oxtails stewed in tomatoes and peanuts, and Halo-Halo. They were even able to receive a Michelin nod for their good quality and good-value cooking!

3. Hunky Dory

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Hunky Dory is a Filipino American women–owned restaurant, cocktail bar, and café based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Here, you can start off your morning with some delicious breakfast pastries like the Kolache, which is a Czech treat popular in Texas; or if you go later in the day, you can munch on some Celery Root Nuggies, a Coconut Cream of Celery Soup, or many other mouthwatering dishes on the menu.

Hunky Dory becomes solely a cocktail bar on Mondays and on Wednesdays, their menu is limited to just pastries and drinks as the restaurant features weekly pop-ups from different local chefs to introduce new flavors and new experiences to the people of Crown Heights!

4. Bonnie's

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Bonnie's is a Cantonese American restaurant coming to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the fall! Owner Calvin Eng named the restaurant after his mother, who taught him everything he knows about Cantonese food!

We're not exactly sure what's going to be on the official menu yet but the Bonnie's Instagram currently has our mouths watering with photos of Wun Tun en Brodo (fish + shrimp wontons in superior citrus parm broth), Golden Lava French Toast (shown here), Typhoon Shelter Turnip Cakes, and Cha Siu McRib!

In anticipation of this restaurant opening, we recommend watching Calvin Eng attempt the Japanese-Dollar-Store Cooking Challenge or the 7-Eleven Cooking Challenge on BuzzFeed Video!

5. Chef Katsu Brooklyn

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Chef Katsu Brooklyn is a Japanese restaurant at Clinton Hill in Brooklyn, New York. Owners Katsu and Chiemi are husband and wife who share the dream of opening up their own restaurant to bring good food and community in Brooklyn.

And after doing many pop-ups, they were finally able to have one! Some of their most popular dishes include their French Fries, Pork Katsu Burger with Miso Sauce, Pork Katsu Bowl, and Chicken Katsu Burger with Curry Sauce!

6. Big Cake Mom

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Based in Brooklyn, New York, Big Cake Mom creates custom cakes and desserts, specializing in wedding cakes and dessert tables. From your favorite shows to your favorite things to so much more, Big Cake Mom works with each client to come up with a design for their special day.

The small business has recently worked with other small businesses to host a Stop Asian Hate fundraiser where they were able to raise over $30,000 for Send Chinatown Love, Stop AAPI Hate, and Heart of Dinner!

7. Tsismis NYC

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Tsismis NYC, pronounced [chis'mis], is a Filipino American restaurant in the Lower East Side of New York City that promotes the use of local and sustainable ingredients in their dishes. Here you'll find dishes like Crispy Pata, Bangus Sisig, their own spin on Chicken Adobo, and so many more delicious food items to choose from, including some vegan options as well like Ginataang Langka!

They also sell Tsismis merchandise that can be purchased to support the bistro as well as a Tsismis artwork tee that features artwork by Lei Melendres inspired by images from the famous Filipino comic book Pugad Baboy.

8. Spice Symphony

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Spice Symphony takes you on a culinary journey with their authentic Indian and Indo Chinese cuisine. The restaurant was started by a group of talented individuals who wanted to pack cooking from different regions of India into a one-of-a-kind experience!

Located on East 50th Street in New York, guests can find themselves enjoying a three-course Indo Chinese meal or one of their individual dishes like Tandoori Chicken, Tikka Masala, Kerala Fish Curry, and more!

9. Soft Swerve

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Soft Swerve has two locations in New York City: one on the Lower East Side and the other in Kips Bay. They have a variety of Asian-inspired soft serve ice cream flavors like Ube Purple Yam, Thai Tea, Vietnamese Coffee, etc., with the option of making them into sundaes or adding some fun toppings like mochi, condensed milk, Reese's Puffs, and more!

The ice cream shop has recently worked with other small businesses to host a Stop Asian Hate fundraiser, wherein they were able to raise over $30,000 for Send Chinatown Love, Stop AAPI Hate, and Heart of Dinner!

10. Rabbit House NYC

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Chef, owner, and sake sommilier Yoshiko Sakuma, who traveled across Europe working at several world-renowned restaurants — as well as some Michelin-starred restaurants in New York — creates unique Japanese style food and drinks at Rabbit House NYC.

Located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York, people can come here to try their signature Six Course Omakase Prix-Fixe with Sake Pairing, Truffle-Miso Gluten-Free Potato Gnocchi, Addicted Spare Rib, and so much more!

11. Junzi Kitchen

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Junzi Kitchen is a homestyle Chinese kitchen restaurant with locations in Bryant Park, Morningside Heights, and Greenwich Village in New York that hopes to connect individuals and communities to Chinese food, culture, and beyond.

Some of their fan favorites include Tofu & Braised Pork Rice, Sesame Tofu Noodles, Mandarin Chicken Salad, and more! The restaurant even lets you build your own rice, noodle, or salad bowl, as well as a build your own "Junbi Family Meal," which serves up to six people.

12. Amma

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Amma, meaning "mother," serves homestyle Indian food and is located on East 51st Street in New York City. Owner Anju Sharma wanted to share food based on what she had eaten with her mother and mother-in-law with respect to home cooking and complementary to the restaurant environment.

She even named the restaurant in honor of them! Some menu items include Reshmi Kabob, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Kolhapuri, and lots more!

13. Ugly Baby

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Ugly Baby is a Thai restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, that serves food items you probably haven't seen at other Thai restaurants around NYC so it's perfect if you're looking to try something new.

Some of the dishes include Khao Soi Nuer (a spicy curry noodle soup with beef shank), Kah Moo Palo (five spice pork leg stew), and much, much more spicy goodness. They don't take walk-ins so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time if you're thinking about dining in; but if not, they also do takeout/delivery!

14. Pasteur Grill and Noodles

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Pasteur Grill is a family-run restaurant that serves Vietnamese classics in Chinatown, New York. They are committed to serving fresh, authentic Vietnamese food and each dish is a byproduct of family recipes that have been continuously experimented with in order to bring people the best of Vietnamese cuisine.

Some of their signature dishes include Phở, Banh Xeo, Bo Luc Lac, and Banh Mi, along side a variety of appetizers like spring rolls, summer rolls, and green papaya salad!

15. Kam Hing Bakery

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Kam Him Bakery serves the best sponge cakes in Chinatown, rotating specialty flavors such as green tea, chocolate chip, coconut, pumpkin spice, butterscotch, and strawberry.

The owner of Kam Him Bakery also has a sister store called Tonii's Fresh Rice Noodles, which specializes in fresh-to-order, delicious, homemade rice noodles. While both shops are in Chinatown, Kam Hing Bakery is located on Baxter Street while Tonii's Fresh Rice Noodles is located on Bayard Street!

16. Kati Roll Company

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The Kati Roll Company is an Indian-owned establishment with locations all around New York including the Financial District, Greenwich Village, Midtown West, and Midtown East. Kati rolls are a popular street food found all over Kolkata, India, and are made with a spicy mixture of meat and/or vegetables wrapped in a flat paratha bread!

Owner Payal Saha started the company after moving from her hometown of Kolkata, India, to New York City with a desire for authentic kati rolls. All the meat used is halal, the chicken is antibiotic and hormone-free, the spices are hand ground, and these ingredients are marinated daily!

17. The Little One NYC

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The Little One is a dessert shop on Broadway in New York City that specializes in Kakigōri (shaved ice), Monaka Ice Cream Sandwiches, and several other delicious desserts. The name "The Little One" comes from the idea that the shop is the owners Olivia Leung and Eddie Zheng's "little one."

Their top menu item is Hojicha Tiramisu, which is Hojicha mascarpone mousse on a sponge cake and they have many other delicious treats like Yuzu Parfait and Chrysanthemum Ice Cream Sandwich.

18. Nyonya

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Nyonya is a Malay restaurant that hopes to present the most authentic Nyonya cuisine to the people of New York City. The word "Nyonya" is an honorific used to refer to a foreign married lady and references how the recipes were passed down generation to generation by one's grandmother (with some influence from one's grandfather).

Their popular menu items include Malaysian Authentic Nasi Lemak (shown here), Hainanese Chicken with Rice, Nyonya Satay, and so much more!

19. Bếp Gà

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Bếp Gà, a Vietnamese restaurant in Bowery/Chinatown, New York, serves primarily Vietnamese street food. Owner An Nguyen Xuan specializes in chicken and states that they "go through so much chicken” at this establishment.

Their menu consists of Hoi An Chicken Rice, Chicken Lemongrass Vermicelli Noodle Salad (of course), Pho Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, shown here), and more!

20. Sweet Moment

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Sweet Moment is located in the heart of NYC's Little Italy and SoHo. They're known for their mountain-high Bingsoos (milk shaved ice), Bottle Cakes, in-house pastries, and coffee from La Colombe decorated with cute and amazing cream art created by talented baristas who can design anything you have in mind!

During watermelon season, you can also get half a watermelon shell filled with fresh watermelon balls, condensed milk, rainbow jelly, rice cake, chocolate chips, Superman ice cream, meringue cookie and apple syrup, and the bear on top adds extra cuteness to the dessert!

21. Xi'an Famous Foods

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Xi'an Famous Foods is a family-run business that serves authentic Western Chinese dishes with several locations around Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. Each dish is based on family recipes with the firm belief: "Not spicy = not good."

Some of their menu items include Liang Pi, Stewed Pork Burger, Stewed Oxtail Hand-Ripped Noodles in Soup, and many more! In addition to their regular menu items, Xi'an Famous Foods also sells cookbooks and meal kits in which you are able to create four servings of your favorite noodles at your convenience!

22. Kozy Toast

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Kozy Toast in an Asian vegan bakery in New York City that turn your favorite desserts into vegan desserts! Using only vegan ingredients and monk fruit, Kozy Toast has made Earl Grey cookies, matcha creme cakes, apple fritters, and more into custom vegan items for their clients.

23. Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen

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Wok Wok Southeast Asian Kitchen, located on Mott Street in New York City, proudly serves the street food favorites of Malaysia and Thailand. The restaurant explains that in Southeast Asia, Malaysian street food represents the best food you can find but that it is also simple, good, casual, fun, and, of course, delicious!

Some of their popular dishes include Roti Scallion Pancakes, Traditional Lemongrass Grilled Skate Fish, Popcorn Chicken, and many more!

24. Mama Fina's

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Mama Fina's serves sisig as well as other superbly authentic Filipino dishes right in New York City’s East Village. They also have a location in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Some of their dishes include Pork Sisig, Crispy Pata, Dasilog, and much more mouthwatering dishes.

They also host Boodle Fight Feasts, which are a traditional way of eating in the Philippines using nothing but your bare hands to enjoy the feast and the great company you have around you!

Know any great Asian American and Pacific Islander restaurants in New York? Let us know in the comments what your favorites are!

Check out how BuzzFeed is celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! And follow @buzzfeedapop on Instagram!

BuzzFeed / Kathy Hoang