Maria Piedad Cano started selling arepas under the 7-train tracks in Jackson Heights, New York City in the 1980s. Her Roosevelt Avenue shop now bakes corn cakes daily.
Signature dishes: Arepa de queso, Arepa de choclo
Must order: Arepa de choclo with mozzarella, sweet corn cake.
Tip: Cash only at the counter. Take the arepas to the park benches across the street for the full Queens lunch.
Address: 77-17 37th Avenue, Queens, NY 11372, New York City
Rawia Bishara's Palestinian kitchen in Bay Ridge has served the borough Levantine food in New York City since 1998. Lamb fatteh, fried cauliflower, stuffed kibbeh.
Signature: Lamb fatteh, Stuffed kibbeh
Order: Lamb fatteh with toasted pine nuts.
Tip: Sunday family-style menu at $58 a head is the deepest value. Bring the appetite of two people.
Ayesha Nurdjaja's Israeli-Mediterranean room on Ninth Avenue runs hearth-baked saluf in Chelsea, New York City. Lamb shawarma, hummus masabacha, charred peppers.
Signature: Saluf bread, Lamb shawarma
Order: Saluf with house labneh and zhoug.
Tip: Weekend brunch runs the saluf with eggs. Walk-ins at the counter from 17:30 every weekday.
Calvin Eng's Williamsburg Cantonese American room in New York City runs roast pig, cha siu sui mai and orange-shrimp toast. Open since 2022, Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Signature: Roast pig, Cha siu sui mai
Order: Roast pig with crackling, shared between four.
Tip: Walk-ins at the bar from 17:00. The roast pig sells out by 21:00 most nights; pre-order it when you book.
Mile End in Boerum Hill has served Montreal-style smoked meat and Canadian-Jewish comfort cooking in Brooklyn, New York City since 2010. Cured brisket sandwich.
Signature: Montreal smoked meat sandwich, Poutine, Latkes
Order: Smoked meat on rye, hand-sliced, with mustard and a side of poutine.
Tip: The breakfast menu runs all day; weekday mornings are the calmest seats in the small room.
Tim Ho Wan on Fourth Avenue runs the New York City branch of the Hong Kong dim sum house, the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world.
Signature: Baked BBQ pork buns, Steamed pork ribs, Shrimp har gow
Order: Baked BBQ pork buns, three to an order, ordered the moment you sit down.
Tip: Off-peak hours are 14:30 to 17:00 weekdays; weekend lunch hits a 45-minute wait by 12:30.
Joe's Shanghai on Bowery has popularised the soup dumpling in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City since 1997. Cash-friendly, big rooms, family-style sharing.
Signature: Soup dumplings, Drunken crab
Order: Pork-and-crab xiao long bao, eight per basket.
Tip: No reservations; expect 30 minutes at peak weekend lunch. Bring cash to speed up the tab.
