Calvin Eng's New York City Guide

The 2022 F&W Best New Chef shares his favorite places to get pizza, Vietnamese coffee, and the best mochi doughnut in town.

By

Calvin Eng

Published on September 12, 2022

Learn more about 2022 Food & Wine Best New Chef Calvin Eng.

New York Pizza

"Luigi's Pizza in Park Slope is the No. 1 slice shop in New York, in my opinion. I never get pizza delivered because once the lid hits the pie, it's just not the same. I always pick up a pie and eat three to four slices while driving home, with the box lid off, while keeping the pie warm on the seat warmer."

Daily Brew

"My go-to coffee is a Vietnamese iced coffee from Banh Mi Saigon in Chinatown (198 Grand St.), or just a deli coffee with milk and sugar. Basically anything sweet—I love condensed milk."

Weekend Routine

"Curry fish-ball rice rolls from Tonii's with all the sauces—peanut sauce, hoisin, soy, hot sauce—then a pre-rolled rice roll with pork and scallions from Ho Won Bake (146 Hester St.) and an egg tart from Kamboat Bakery (111 Bowery) on the walk over."

Family Meal

"Our cook Kevin splits his time working the line at Bonnie's and at his family's restaurant, New Mexico Place, about a mile away. It always hits for family meal and take out when I can't be bothered to cook."

Eat Street

"I do a lot of shopping in Chinatown for personal needs and the restaurant, too. I stroll on Mott Street and buy produce from the street vendors and hit up Hong Kong Supermarket (157 Hester St.) and Deluxe Meat Market (122 Mott St.) for all other goods. We buy our rice rolls for our XO noodles from the lovely ladies at Kong Kee Food Corp. (212 Grand St.) and milk buns from Nice One Bakery (47 Bayard St.) for our McRib–all within a five-block radius of where my grandparents used to live on Bayard."

Street Food

"At the halal cart on 86th Street and Fifth Avenue in front of Citibank, I get a mix over rice."

Happy Hour

"Not to brag, but our bartender, Channing Centeno, makes my favorite drink. He whipped up a drink for our menu called the Henny Kravitz, and it's everything I want in a drink. I originally wanted to have a frozen machine to crank out Henny Coladas, but the machine was mad expensive and we needed high voltage power that we didn't plan to have behind the bar, so he took those pineapple and coconut flavors and put them in a super crushable daiquiri-style cocktail instead."