J and I hoped to kick off 2008 with some sandwiches at Banh Mi Saigon Bakery, but it was one of the few restaurants closed in Chinatown on the 1st. No matter--we continued to explore the bustling streets and happened upon XO Kitchen, a packed, divey joint claiming Hong Kong as its culinary home. The expansive menu (plus the patchwork of "special" signs on the wall) ranged across Asia with a few strange leaps to Italy such as spaghetti with tomato sauce.
Not the most amazing food, but it was cheap, flavorful and fun. Highlights included the rice noodles topped with the restaurant's own XO sauce, studded with pungent dried mushrooms, and the crispy shrimp dumplings (not pictured). The "house special" pancake stuffed with sesame paste was so rich that a few bites satisfied, and J and I were quite convinced it was dusted with a coating of Parmesan cheese. If we had had hangovers from the night before, I'm sure XO Kitchen would have cured them.
XO Kitchen
148 Hester Street
(between Bowery & Elizabeth St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 965-8645
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