Jewish cuisine @ Noah's Ark, New York

With NYC being home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, we had to have at least one proper 'Jewish' meal that consists more than a bagel. Last Sunday, we headed towards the vicinity of Chinatown in search for lunch. We were actually intending to re-visit a favourite, but on the walk there, we changed our minds to trying something different instead. I consulted my NFT guide (the 2007 from our previous visit) and found Noah's Ark Original Deli was nearby our initial choice. It's a casual restaurant, with warm and comfortable atmosphere. The staff were friendly and helpful, and we were served complimentary pickles and coleslaw even before we placed our orders.

Being new to the cuisine, we took awhile pondering the menu, and being presented with so many options, we had to ask our waitress many questions. We settled upon her recommendation of the Hot Juicy Pastrami Overstuffed Sandwich (US$11.95), which she said was large enough for to share with a side dish. There was an impressive amount of meat for a sandwich - 1/3 pound, according to the menu. The pastrami was indeed juicy with grease, but we didn't think it was spicy. For our side dish, we got the Stuffed Knish with Sauteed Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions (US$5.95). The knish (the 'k' is not silent) came out looking like a sandwich, and Rob was surprised to find that it wasn't a bread sandwich, but a potato dish instead. It was so yummy in all its carby goodness. The waitress was right - the sandwich and the knish was plenty for the both of us.

Pickles and coleslaw; and the Pastrami Sandwich:


Knish stuffed with mushrooms and onions:


Simple but delish stuff. I hope to have the chance to try more Jewish dishes during our stay here in NYC.