The best things I ate this month, March 2024

1. I’m going through (a lifelong) obsession with steamed rice rolls, born from my love of chang fun, the Cantonese dim sum dish I’ve loved since I was a kid. I had them in two forms this month: the first was a selection of Chinese chang fun from Yin Ji Chang Fen in Manhattan’s Chinatown. I was with a friend, hungover and seeking comfort. We ordered three types (my favorite were the pork), and ate them in the sun in a nearby park.

chang fun from Yin Ji Chang Fen

2. Also in Manhattan’s Chinatown on that same day, I ate fried pork dumplings from North Dumpling, a tiny spot that a friend turned me on to. Their dumplings are extremely gingery, and perfect when doused in soy and hot sauce, and eaten surrounded by friends on the first 70 degree spring day.

Pork dumplings from North Dumpling

3. The second round of rice rolls I had were at Pho Skyline, a new Vietnamese spot near the Italian Market. I’m always looking for a satisfying lunch post-tour, and this spot is exactly that. I had their bánh cuốn, which I will be returning to eat ASAP. They’re stuffed with spiced ground pork and served as a platter with a side of grilled pork, lots of herbs, and a dipping sauce. The texture is chewy and soft, totally addictive, haunting my dreams. I don’t have a photo, but there’s a video here.

4. Judy Rodger’s roast chicken with bread salad is one of my all-time favorite dishes. I haven’t made it in a while but I pulled it out for a Sunday afternoon lunch/early dinner with friends. It is simple: a perfectly roasted chicken served over a sort of toasted bread panzanella/stuffing that gets dressed in a vinaigrette made with the chicken’s drippings. It’s comforting and feels elevated without being fussy, but I was also reminded of how much I love the writing in the recipe, which is published in The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. It is masterclass in seasoning, cooking temperatures, and using all five senses to know when a dish is ready.

Roast chicken with bread salad from the Zuni Café Cookbook.

That’s all for now folks,

-Maddy