Golden Diner
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The gist: At this spot from chef Sam Yoo (Torrisi Italian Specialties, Momofuku Ko), nostalgic diner classics with an Asian twist and renditions inspired by its Chinatown neighborhood are served up in a picturesque location below the Manhattan Bridge. Known for its casual atmosphere and especially popular with a stylish young crowd, Yoo’s talents made it a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2020 for Best New Restaurant, and in addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, check their IG on the regular for special pop-ups and collabs with different eateries and industry talent. Also, the restaurant suffered a setback this last summer due to a fire in its kitchen and was forced to temporarily close. While Golden Diner has since reopened, a special Fire Fundraiser is still currently open for donations.
The food: Offerings include breakfast items like the popular (and must-try) Honey Butter Pancakes; Chinatown Egg and Cheese Sando with soft scrambled eggs; Thai Tea Tres Leches Coffee Cake; Matzoh Ball soup; and a Breakfast Burrito with pico de gallo. Mains for lunch and dinner include a Vegan Caesar Salad; Korean Fried Chicken Wings; a Chicken Katsu Club with bulldog sauce; Vegan Nachos; and the signature Golden Cheeseburger with mushroom gochujang sauce. Rotating chef’s specials for dinner service are often available with the current selection being a Black Bean Vongole with Taiwanese noodles, fermented black bean, and clams. Pair everything with cocktails based on Korean liquors like a Bloody Mary with soju or a Makgeolli Horchata; wine, beer, and Korean spirits.
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Golden Cheeseburger
At this spot from chef Sam Yoo (Torrisi Italian Specialties, Momofuku Ko), nostalgic diner classics with an Asian twist and renditions inspired by its Chinatown neighborhood are served up in a picturesque location below the Manhattan Bridge. Yoo’s talents made Golden Diner a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2020 for Best New Restaurant, and in addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the eatery’s signature Golden Cheeseburger—and its mushroom gochujang sauce—is a must-try.
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At this spot from chef Sam Yoo, nostalgic diner classics with an Asian twist and renditions inspired by its Chinatown neighborhood are served up in a picturesque location below the Manhattan Bridge. Yoo’s talents made Golden Diner a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2020 for Best New Restaurant, and for brunch, choose from signature items like the Chinatown egg and cheese sando; honey butter pancakes; kale and parmesan biscuits and gravy; and homemade granola and yogurt with pumpkin seeds and orange zest. Korean-inspired drinks include soju bloody mary and a makgeolli horchata (with Korean rice wine and a housemade horchata blend).
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It’s going to require a bit of extra charm and personality for a NYC diner that debuted in the past few years and be considered legit, but Golden Diner achieves just that. At this spot from chef Sam Yoo (Torrisi Italian Specialties, Momofuku Ko) that opened in the spring of 2019, nostalgic diner classics with an Asian twist and renditions inspired by its Chinatown neighborhood are served up in a picturesque location below the Manhattan Bridge. It’s the best version of a modern diner Manhattan has seen in quite a while, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with rotating specials like Jamaican beef ddukbokki and sullung tang risotto. Yoo’s talents earned the spot a nomination for James Beard Award in 2020 for Best New Restaurant.
What to order: Chicken Katsu Club, Golden Cheeseburger, Honey Butter Pancakes
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