The Best of Bay Ridge: Food - Asian Fusion

Today on the Best of Bay Ridge we're continuing our culinary world travels with cuisine from all over Asia. I'm calling it Asian Fusion!

Best Indian: Taj Mahal on 3rd Avenue between 73rd and 74th Street

I never had authentic Indian food until I moved to New York. The first year I lived here my Dad came to visit during the coldest February I ever experienced. He picked an Indian restaurant to try and I was skeptical at first but I've been a lover ever since.

Taj Mahal is likely one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The food is amazing, the portions sizes are huge, menu selection is massive, prices are great, service is outstanding, We have never had anything we didn't like here. When Dan's cousins Kaleigh and Kourtney were living with us for a bit, they were obsessed with this place (tons of vegetarian options as well). At one point we went there weekly for a solid month (oohh pre-austerity days).

We love the Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Shree Mangal, and Naan. We've tried a lot of other things and they were all super yummy so you can't go wrong. Insider's tip: if you don't order an appetizer they bring the table a plate of delicious vegetable fritters. The Mango Lassi drink is also worth ordering. There are a couple of other Indian places in the neighborhood but we haven't tried any of them. We're die-hard Taj fans.

Best Japanese: Bayridge Sushi on 3rd Avenue between Bay Ridge Avenue and Ovington

This is where Dan and I had our very first date in 2012. I don't like raw sushi so I stick with California rolls and tempura rolls. We love the Rock Shrimp appetizer and Dan likes the Spider Roll. This place has a really nice ambiance (re: lighting) which makes it great for that special date vibe. The lunch special is a great deal and take-out is a good option as well.

Best Chinese: XIN on 3rd Avenue and 83rd Street

There are a TON of cheap Chinese take-out places in Bay Ridge and they are all about what you would expect for Chinese take-out. XIN puts all the take-out places to shame and is our new favorite restaurant discovery from this summer. This location has had a lot of turnover and it used to be an Italian restaurant which is why it doesn't feel like a Chinese take-out place inside. It feels upscale but the prices are great. We always order extra to make sure we have leftovers. Also, you know how places put bread on the table as your free "appetizer?" XIN has real fried wonton strips (not the kind from the bag) with duck sauce. Our favorite dishes so far are the beef lo mein and sesame chicken.

Best Thai: Bay Thai on 3rd Avenue and 67th Street

There are a handful of Thai restaurants in our neighborhood but we always go back to Bay Thai (side note, this place changed names. It used to be called Thai Bangkok). There is a little old man in there who is the sweetest thing ever. Pad Thai, Pad See- Ew, fried rice, curry, it's all great. We usually do take-out from here. And if you have a sweet tooth, get the Thai Iced Tea!

Best Middle Eastern: Tanoreen on 3rd Avenue and 75th Street

I don't really consider Middle Eastern food "Asian" but geographically, I guess it is. Tanoreen is a mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern and is kind of famous. It has won all kinds of awards and featured on Food Network. It's upscale so really nice for a date and has a great ambiance. My favorite thing to order is the Musakhan which is a flatbread topped with wonderfully spiced chicken. Mmmm I can taste it now! Knafeh is their famous dessert which is layers of fillo dough, sweet cheese, and orange blossom sauce. It sounds weird but Jessy and I ordered this when she came to visit one time and it was truly out of this world.

To be fair, there are a TON of Middle Eastern restaurants in Bay Ridge since there is a large ethnic population in the area. We haven't given many of them a try but I really want to, Tanoreen is just the known legend.

Come back next week for European cuisine!