New_York_Magazine_-_March_16_2020

march 16–29, 2020 | new york 49

FACTORY TAMAL’S

REZDÔRA’S UGLY BABY’S

HIHI ROOM’S

Fernando Lopez goes to the considerable trouble of nixtamalizing

corn on-site, and the ensuing masa makes fluffy, crumbly, fragrant

insulation for zesty fillings like rajas con queso and chipotle chicken.

There are seven varieties, and you’ll want one of each.

Dough traditionally made with lard gets cut into pieces and deep-fried until

they puff out like Dizzy Gillespie’s cheeks. At Rezdôra, they come draped

with prosciutto, mortadella, and salami, and you nibble at them like

cheese and crackers or make salumi tacos. If there’s an odder—and better—

way to eat Italian cured meats, we don’t know about it.

The fancy duck-ragù riff on Cincinnati chili has got some Buckeyes

miffed. But these culinary innovations always spark controversy. To

paraphrase Schopenhauer: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently

opposed. Third, it is accepted as freaking delicious.

Sometimes we crave Thai food that makes our eyes bubble and causes steam to

shoot out of our ears. Other times, we just order Ugly Baby’s pla tod kamin:

whole sea bream marinated in fish sauce, cloaked in a turmeric-forward

spice mix like an everything bagel, then deep-fried. The well-calibrated

result is plenty spicy, if not spicy hot, and reminds us that the art of Thai

cooking is as much about mastering spice as it is about heat.

BEST of NEW YORK

TRANSMITTED

Y ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC ________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC

0620STR_BONY_lay [Print]_36876960.indd 49 3/13/20 12:34 PM

march16–29, 2020 | newyork 49

FACTORYTAMAL’S

REZDÔRA’S UGLYBABY’S

HIHIROOM’S

Fernando Lopez goes to the considerable trouble of nixtamalizing

corn on-site, and the ensuing masa makes fluffy, crumbly, fragrant

insulation for zesty fillings like rajas con queso and chipotle chicken.

There are seven varieties, and you’ll want one of each.

Dough traditionally made with lard gets cut into pieces and deep-fried until
they puff out like Dizzy Gillespie’s cheeks. At Rezdôra, they come draped
with prosciutto, mortadella, and salami, and you nibble at them like
cheese and cracke ke salumi tac ’s an odder—and better—
way to n cured meat know about it.

The fancy duck-ragù riff on Cincinnati chili has got some Buckeyes

miffed. But these culinary innovations always spark controversy. To

paraphrase Schopenhauer: First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently

opposed. Third, it is accepted as freaking delicious.

Sometimes we crave Thai food that makes our eyes bubble and causes steam to

shoot out of our ears. Other times, we just order Ugly Baby’s pla tod kamin:

whole sea bream marinated in fish sauce, cloaked in a turmeric-forward

spice mix like an everything bagel, then deep-fried. The well-calibrated

result is plenty spicy, if not spicy hot, and reminds us that the art of Thai

cooking is as much about mastering spice as it is about heat.

BEST of NEW YORK