New York, New York. Whether you’re browsing boutiques in Manhattan, dining in Brooklyn or happily losing yourself in the depths of Central Park, there’s always somewhere new to try or explore. So how do you know which ones are worth visiting? Where can you find reccs that aren’t on all the ‘best new opening’ lists?
Well, thanks to our founder Dua Lipa’s love of lists, we might just have the answer. For our first podcast, At Your Service, Dua chatted with some truly inspiring minds from across the worlds of entertainment, tech, music and more (if you haven’t listened, catch up on seasons 1-3 here). Along the way, she got them to spill their own curated lists and recommendations for us to share with you, our Service95 community.
Three of those names just happen to be NYC locals: comedian and actor Bowen Yang, and authors Min Jin Lee and Lisa Taddeo. Here, we’ve brought together their New York picks – local gems they visit, time and again, spanning Harlem to the West Village to Midtown and beyond, for you to add to your own lists. Oh, and there’s a couple from Dua in there, too...
Bowen Yang’s Favourite Late-Night Dining Spots In New York
When you think of late nights in New York, you think of Saturday Night Live. And then, Bowen Yang’s face probably springs to mind. The whip-smart comedian (and actor, and podcaster, and writer) has been a firm fixture of the SNL cast since 2018 (as well as starring in hit shows such as Overcompensating and, of course, the Wicked movie). His episode of At Your Service was one of our funniest yet, covering everything from his rise to fame to how Bowen first met Dua – and, of course, where he likes to grab a bit after SNL wraps filming. Here are his go-tos, and you can listen to the full episode here.
1. Del Frisco’s – “Famously, SNL is in Midtown Manhattan. The dining options there leave something to be desired, I would say. But there’s a wonderful steakhouse downstairs named Del Frisco’s, and that’s where people usually go to hang after writing, after a read-through, after a rehearsal. We’ll grab a cocktail there, and fries!”
2. Xion Famous Foods – “This is a little dumpling chain in New York City. [Dua jumps in: ‘Oh, I know that place! I love it there. I love it!’] It’s so good.”
3. Bonnie’s – “A restaurant in Williamsburg. It’s Cantonese-American food but also they do a cacio e pepe main, like an Asian noodle cacio e pepe. [Dua: ‘Oh my God, that sounds amazing.”] It’s amazing, and they do like a char siu Cantonese McRib from McDonald’s. The ideas are genius, everyone goes there. [Dua: ‘Okay, I have to go there.’]”
4. Madame Vo – “A Vietnamese restaurant in the East Village. They’re open very late into the weekend, and they do great drinks.”
5. And... Uber Eats – “When I go home, sometimes I just order in a delivery. Lately – I feel like I can tell you this, we’re being vulnerable – I’m on a meatball sub kick, so I’ll order a meatball sub from Subway. The most delicious food I’ve ever eaten in my life. [Dua: ‘You know what, I can second that, a meatball sub from Subway is kind of banging. And also, I have said – I can’t believe I’m saying this – but I think Subway is one of the best fast foods around. There, I said it!’]
Min Jin Lee’s Neighbourhood Spots To Check Out In Harlem
Before Korean-American journalist and author Min Jin Lee sat down with Dua to discuss her New York Times-bestselling book Pachinko for the Service95 Book Club (Dua’s Monthly Read for July 2023 – a must-watch), the two first connected on At Your Service. Having lived in Harlem, New York, since 2012, she’s well-placed to share the bars, restaurants and cultural spots in the place she calls home. Listen to the full episode to hear Min and Dua discuss everything from the process of writing a novel to what’s next for the author, and make sure you bookmark these spots now...
1. Sugar Hill Creamery –“If you like ice cream you need to go here – it’s delicious!”
2. The Cloisters – “Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (so this one is outside of Harlem!), it’s a monastery that was brought from Europe to the United States. If you need a quiet moment, it’s a hidden treasure.”
3. Red Rooster Harlem – “A very fun place to listen to live music.”
4. Community Food & Juice – “Here they have delicious blueberry pancakes with maple butter that you will want to have by the gallon.”
5. The Handpulled Noodle – “Opened by a former Asian-American musician, who took his mother’s recipes and created these incredibly delicious hand-pulled noodles.”
Lisa Taddeo’s Under-The-Radar West Village Hangouts
If, for some reason, you don’t know Lisa Taddeo by name, you will know her novels. The journalist and author of bestselling books including Three Women and Animal, joined Dua on At Your Service to discuss the care and attention it takes to tell women’s stories authentically (listen to their full conversation here). While Lisa isn’t a native New Yorker, it’s always been part of her story: she was born in nearby New Jersey, attended NYU for a period and now lives in Connecticut – but continues to return to the city for work, pleasure and plenty of reminiscing. Here’s her guide to one of her favourite areas, the West Village. (“I’m nervous that they’re not totally... Is it okay if they crawl out into Tribeca a bit?” she says. We think that’s fine.)
1. Tiro A Segno – “An old Italian social club where they also have guns in the basement and you can shoot at targets. What I love about it is that it’s the kind of place my dad would’ve loved. He’d always known about it but we never got to go, so I went in during months after he passed away. I pretend it’s some place we went together because I like it so much.”
2. Oishi Judo Club – “A judo place that I used to go to!”
3. I Sodi – “One of my favourite places, it’s beautiful. I love sitting at the bar and having orange wine and eating their pasta.”
4. The Irish Hunger Memorial – “It’s on the West Side Highway, overlooking the Hudson. It’s this absolutely stunning planting, rocks and fescue grass. I’d go there and sit and think and meditate, especially during the week when there weren’t any tourists. It’s just a beautiful place.”
5. And One Bonus West Village Recc From Dua: Grounded – “There’s so many great restaurants in the West Village, but every time I go there’s this one coffee spot called Grounded. It’s quite small and kind of traditional. It’s so good, and the coffee’s so great. I feel very in my New York element when I grab a coffee there and I walk around the village!”
