If Taiwan Pork Chop House had a rewards program, I’d definitely be among the Chinatown restaurant’s most loyal members. When I moved to New York six years ago and was getting used to the city, I’d sit in the snug dining room at least once a week and settle in for the jolt of fermented mustard greens and crisp-salty meat that the namesake pork chop over rice delivered. During a rough week, I’d subsist on the restaurant’s divine rice cakes.
These days, Taiwan Pork Chop House is as wonderful as ever, and on a recent visit I housed a pork chop, a plate of rice cakes with slivered pork, and for dessert, a textural delight of taro, shaved mango ice, and a drizzle of condensed milk. In February, BA staff’s favorite restaurant meals also included an all-chicken tasting menu (seriously!) and a feast of seafood in Savannah. Read on for all of this month’s greatest hits. —Elazar Sontag, restaurant editor
Brochu’s Family Tradition
2400 Bull St Suite 8, Savannah, GA
I recently went to Savannah for the first time, and spent the whole of my trip falling in love with the city. The icing on the cake was Brochu’s Family Tradition, a restaurant specializing in fried chicken and seafood. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten more than I did at Brochu’s that night: five different types of oysters (raw, with yuzu vinaigrette was my favorite), market fish crudo, dirty rice with egg yolk and shredded chicken bits and livers. Then there was the whole chicken dinner, which featured fried thighs, sous-vide then charred breast, and chicken salad, all served with biscuits. I certainly didn’t save room for dessert, but found the strength within me to indulge in coconut key lime pie with tapioca, and a honey pie with candied citrus. All of the food was amazing, but my favorite thing about the restaurant may have been the wallpaper in the bathroom, which featured fried chicken and biscuit characters with human legs and heels. It perfectly captures the vibe at Brochu’s. Fun, quirky, and forever memorable. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations associate
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Bad Habit at Caleta
131 Avenue A, New York, NY
Once upon a time, I worked in the kitchen of an artisanal ice cream shop. Each morning, I’d sneak a spoon into whichever flavor we were churning (goat cheese-strawberry hibiscus, black forest brownie) and call it breakfast. I’ve had a few good scoops since moving to New York, but none that compared to the freshly-churned silk I used to dip into daily. That was, at least, until I visited Bad Habit, an ice cream counter nestled inside the newly opened East Village bar Caleta. The ice cream—which comes in flavors like Chocolate Honeycomb and Burnt Basque Cheesecake—is so fresh, holding the stretchy, pliable texture that deep-freezing destroys. I tried the limited-edition Balinese Coffee flavor, which was barely sweetened, allowing the subtle, fruity notes of the coffee to shine through. I intended to save some for later, but alas. Guess I’ll have to go back for more. —Zoe Denenberg, associate cooking & SEO editor
