Patrick Judabong - photographer, DJ, and founder of the Fat Bastard Crew, known to the world as Buddhabong. He has traveled the world in search of stunning images, great beats, and the best eats. Currently, you can catch him getting fat in and around New York City.
It's past 12 a.m., you stumble out of the bar (or club), and your stomach starts to grumble. Hunger strikes! New York's East Village attracts streams of tourists as well as the requisite locals for its high-energy bar-hopping experience. Each block seems to have two or three watering holes; but more importantly, a multicultural variety of places to get your grub on. The question to ask is, which of these dining establishments won't disappoint the taste buds and will satisfy that mega monster craving?
Well, you won't go wrong if you stick to the Top 5 Late Night Eats in the East Village.
Fat Bastard Crew Approved!
Patrick Judabong - photographer, DJ, and founder of the Fat Bastard Crew, known to the world as Buddhabong. He has traveled the world in search of stunning images, great beats, and the best eats. Currently, you can catch him getting fat in and around New York City.
It's past 12 a.m., you stumble out of the bar (or club), and your stomach starts to grumble. Hunger strikes! New York's East Village attracts streams of tourists as well as the requisite locals for its high-energy bar-hopping experience. Each block seems to have two or three watering holes; but more importantly, a multicultural variety of places to get your grub on. The question to ask is, which of these dining establishments won't disappoint the taste buds and will satisfy that mega monster craving?
Well, you won't go wrong if you stick to the Top 5 Late Night Eats in the East Village.
Fat Bastard Crew Approved!
Udon West
Where: 11 St. Marks Pl.
Website: n/a
Tucked in between tons of other cultural restaurants, Udon West provides Japanese food that's made fast, serves generous portions, and is well worth the price. Japanese cooks prepare the food in front of you, a visual bonus that makes your mouth water in anticipation. The traditional Japanese elbow-to-elbow bar-style seating fits about 10-15 people at a time.
My personal favorite is the tempura udon combo with a side of gyoza. The combo comes with a healthy sized udon noodle bowl, deep fried tempura (broccoli, bell pepper, yam, and shrimp) with dipping sauce and a side of rice. Unlike other nearby noodle locations, the udon broth is not overly salty. The gyoza is the classic pork and chives concoction, fried in oil.
For those craving rice, I recommend the katsu curry. Choose from chicken or pork katsu, which is served on top of a bed of white rice and Japanese curry. This plate is perfect to share between two people or enough to bring home as left over's for the next day.
All this food for under $10, a slammin deal you can't beat. Open till 3:30 a.m. on the weekend.
Crif Dogs
Where: 113 St. Marks Pl.
Website: crifdogs.com
America's favorite pastime food is the hot dog, enjoyed at picnics, beaches, sporting events, and Crif Dog. The late-night hot spot, designed to mimic a speakeasy, now has two locations to serve you. Receiving various awards over the years and also earning status as Martha Stewart's favorite hot dog, Crif Dog deserves its own slot on the food pyramid.
With over 15 specialty hot dogs to choose from, there's something for everyone. My choices for the night were the custom crif dog and their infamous chili dog. My custom dog included a crispy bacon wrapped dog with succulent sautéed onions and ketchup. The taste reminded me of the street dogs back in Los Angeles but with New York flare. The chili dog was coupled with mustard, chopped onions, and their secret chili sauce. To round out the meal, I ordered a side of piping hot, crunchy tater tots.
If you're feeling sly and are prepped with a RSVP, try entering the discreet phone booth and pick up the phone for entrance to the "secret" speakeasy/bar. If you gain entrance, be sure to check the menu for some exclusive dogs (for example, the wasabi dog) offered only on that side of the phone booth.
Crif Dog is open 'til 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Artichoke Pizza
Where: 328 East 14th St.
Website: artichokepizza.com
Artichoke is hard to miss because the line is so long. Rockers to hipsters to nerds to the elderly—the range of people varies greatly over the course of a single night. When the sun goes down, the wait can last from 20 minutes to sometimes 45+ minutes. Like many other late night eateries you'll be eating your slice standing, as there is no seating. Music by Bel Biv Devoe, Depeche Mode, and Metallica will entertain you while waiting in line to order. Prices start at $4.00 a slice.
Nearing the front, the choice of what to order becomes daunting. The eponymous Artichoke, the Crab, the Sicilian, or the Margherita? The winner here is the Sicilian. Biting the square shaped slice, you'll notice that the crust is thick but crunchy, oily but not soggy, and has perfectly burnt edges. The tomato sauce is tangy, surrounded by a skillfully blended two layers of cheese and olive oil. Fresh green basil tops off the slice, making the Sicilian the complete package.
If you like your pizza on the creamy and super cheesy side, opt for the Crab and Artichoke slices. Looking like a heart attack on a paper plate, these slices will defiantly soak up all the alcohol in your system. Perfect if you don't want that next day hangover.
Open till 3 a.m.
Village Yokocho
Where: 8 Stuyvesant St.
Website: n/a
Craving late night Japanese yakatori while indulging yourself with beer? This is the place to be. Loud and scrambling servers set the scene at Village Yokocho. The wait for a seat may vary after midnight, due to the influx of the drunk and the hungry.
Probably one of New York's top Izakaya establishments, Village Yokocho has a variety of "tapas" dishes to compliment the beer or sake you'll be drinking. My favorite is the chicken meatball skewer which is always grilled to perfection, making it hard to order just one.
Many items are ordered a la carte or in combinations based on your preference. With the "Take" and "Tsuki" combination you get the best of both worlds, with grilled and deep fried skewers. The "Take" grilled combination is served with a chicken skewer with scallion, a beef skewer, a chicken ball skewer, a pork skewer, and a duck with scallion skewer.
The "Tsuki" deep fried combination is served with a chicken and scallion skewer, pork with onion skewer, fish with basil skewer, a eggplant skewer and a side of lotus root. Other home runs are the fried squid legs, the "Takayaki" (battered octopus ball with bonito flakes and dried seaweed) and the "Enoki Butter" (Enoku and shiitake mushroom with butter sauce served in tin foil).
Don't expect your clothes to smell like fresh laundry after eating at this spot. Do expect to unbuckle your belt because your belly will be filled with Japanese yakatori goodness.
Open till 3 a.m. on the weekends.
Mamoun’s Falafel
Where: 22 St. Marks Pl.
Website: mamouns.com
Mamoun's East Village hole in the wall location looks much like any other on the street, but when you see the crowds of people eating by the entrance you'll know that it's a favorite. Limited seating and semi-long lines do not deter hungry loyal customers; it's worth the wait.
Their signature dish is the falafel sandwich, which, for $2.50, makes all the difference for penny-pinchers. The pita bread sandwich is stuffed with falafel (a deep fried chickpea mixture containing onions, parsley, garlic, and spices) lettuce, tomatoes, and tahini (white) sauce.
On this particular night I opted for a Chicken Kebob sandwich. The pita bread was toasted with chucks of savory marinated chicken, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and white tahini sauce on the side. Other crowd pleasers are the Lamb Shawarma and, for the healthy conspirers, the Veggie Sandwich.
If spicy is your forte, wait till you try the hot sauce. The thick red sauce packs a mean punch, capable of making the meanest of men cry. Expect to eat standing up outside, next to strangers. Expect to make a mess. For this price it's mandatory to try more than just one falafel. Open till 5 a.m. daily!