"Rather than a traditional theatre, we are creating a garden of earthly delights. Empyrean is a place of ecstasy, artistry and real interpersonal connection. When the curtain falls, the night has just begun."
Mamdani opened up about his journey from immigrant child to becoming the city's 112th mayor, calling it a dream realized. Born in Uganda in 1991 and arriving in New York at age 7, he's now the youngest person to hold the office in over a century and the city's first Muslim and African-born mayor.
Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings is known for its handmade soup dumplings, made in an open kitchen where diners can observe the preparation process. The menu features traditional dim sum and noodle dishes, including Shanghai Siu Mai and pan-fried crispy noodles.
When the students or workers don't have money, it is easy to grab it and go. It's cheap, that's how we started it. When people don't want to spend a lot of money for lunch, it's five bucks, and you're satisfied.
Doyers Street is a one-block strip in Chinatown that starts off perpendicular to the Bowery and then curves ninety degrees, like a lowercase "r," to terminate against the bustle of Pell Street. A notorious battleground for gang fights in the early nineteen-hundreds, it has, in recent decades, scrubbed out the bloodstains and redefined itself as a beloved, city-grid-defying idiosyncrasy, narrow and wonky and overflowing with atmosphere.
I spent the first half of 2025 in Paris, and while I loved living in a walkable city overflowing with art and culture, I often found myself craving a taste of home. Fortunately, Paris has not one but two Chinatowns: Belleville and the 13th arrondissement. Belleville is an artsy, historically progressive neighborhood shaped by centuries of immigration from Europe, Africa, and Asia. At its center is Parc de Belleville, known for its rotating street art and sweeping sunset views of the Eiffel Tower.
Flushing doesn't need another restaurant to prove it's a food destination-but it just got one anyway. Nong Geng Ji, a Hunan cuisine group that built its name in China, will open its first New York City location in Queens on January 18, bringing unique countryside-rooted flavors to 37th Avenue. Founded in 2017, the brand has quickly expanded to more than 100 directly operated restaurants across China, Southeast Asia and Canada.
In recent years, across New York, modern Filipino spots have emerged: Naks by the Unapologetic Foods team and the now-closed Tadhana, both on the Lower East Side, and Barkada Social Club in Astoria. And now, Bukas Cafe, which continues that wave by presenting a menu so different from the traditional fare at longstanding pioneers like Renee's and Ihawan in Woodside's Little Manila.
Pierogi Boys started as a Polish food stand in the DeKalb Market Hall, where co-owners and partners Krzysztof Poluchowicz and Andrzej Kinczyk honed in on crafting their signature dish in Brooklyn. Now, they've expanded with a full restaurant and market in Ridgewood, where they serve those dumplings alongside other exciting, modern Polish dishes, while selling their favorite produce and products in Queens.
Seneca Garden II (did I mention the other Seneca Garden is an under-15-minute walk away?) is locally beloved for its pierogi, and the boiled meat and cheese ones are the best. The spices are subtle, and the dough is thick but never rigid, achieving that covetable bounce and bend that I want with my dumplings. The side dishes steal the show: Opt for one of the many sauerkraut sides, or the simmered tomato butter beans.
Photo: Courtesy of Tokuyamatcha Last week, we brought back "Cheap Eats," a list of singular, wonderful foods that all cost, even in this era of ballooning expenses, $17 or less. One of the goals, as we wrote, was to celebrate the work that goes into cooking food for all New Yorkers. Of course, we also wanted to give readers a list of amazing things to eat.