A permanent street food market welcomes you in a vast space where several restaurants occupy each a corner. I loved the vibes, the road signs, the fun advertising and the rich smell of food being prepared a-la-minute. From burgers to noodles, pizzas and roast chicken as well as a selection of desserts, the market opens from the early hours of the morning until ten pm.
The Gotham Market is located at 24th and 11. Nice music playing in the background, red and bright light for good photos, Instagram corners, a space to send your letters, a photomaton, bicycles... it feels good to be here! In an industrial space, people come here to have fun, and they clearly look happy.
I was craving a burger and Genuine was the best choice with its beautiful and attractive decor as well as the sexy description written on the signboard above the cashier. The burger at Genuine is outstanding, a double stack of meat with smoked gouda cheese, charred jalapeños, mayo and the signature house sauce stuffed in a tender, sticky milky bun. Super-duper delicious! Loved every flavor, every texture and the taste it provides.
Oh... the pulled pork sandwich really rocks! Cider braised, extremely juicy and extremely spicy pulled pork. Wow! It’s so finger-licking good! I love it when the pork is juicy, watery yet firm and hard bodied. Have the fries; they’re crunchy and tasty.
What’s next? Let’s have a ramen noodle. Ivan Ramen seems to be famous because of a book they have published. Dozens of delivery orders passed in front of me while I ordered a pork belly ramen with chicken stew, soft pork meat and a soft bun. The order comes with a free yuzu lemonade drink and a free topping. Seated at the bar facing the kitchen, I waited to be served while the place filled up more and more on this beautiful Thursday evening.
I can confirm it, Ivan is famous and worth trying, the ramen bowl made me smile and the pork belly Bao with mustard is a gourmet bite. I’m a big fan of ramen noodles, and they deserve a praise. Tasty, well cooked, generous and filled with pork pieces. Yummy, yummy... I was moaning.
I was not done yet; it was dessert time! The Gotham market has a waffle shop -Waffle de Lys, authentic Belgian waffles with a French touch- proposing a selection of mouthwatering eye candy waffles: the OhLaLa, caramel bliss, Choco-berry, crunchy, classique, nutty and exotique. The choice is so hard but I had to choose so why not have two;
- ohLaLa: salted caramel, raspberry coulis, banana, caramélisés hazelnut crumbs, whipped cream.
- La Classique: fresh strawberries, banana, Belgian chocolate, whipped cream.
I have to admit it, the waffles are better than any I’ve had before, even better than all the ones we have in Lebanon; the whipped cream quality, the waffle tenderness, the ice cream taste, that balance, equilibrium of sweetness, balance of flavors; hats down for some fantastic waffles spotted at the Gotham West Market.
A great place with amazing vibes sells awesome food! That’s the Gotham West Market, New York City.
