Anthony Bourdain’s New York focused on real places, regulars, and dishes with history. He cared about crowded dining rooms, worn-in counters, and food that told a story. His episodes and interviews built a map of the city that still guides how many people eat here today.
These eight dishes come straight from that map. 8it pulled them from Bourdain’s shows, interviews, and written work, then cross-checked them with trusted food sources like Eater, The New York Times, The Infatuation, and Grub Street. Chefs, industry folks, and known food obsessives helped confirm which plates still matter in 2026. The result is a focused list of dishes that feel true to how Bourdain ate his way through New York.
8 Dishes Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
1. Pork Chop Peking Style at Hop Kee
8it Recommendation: Trip down memory lane. Hope it sticks around.
2. Sha Momos at Lhasa Fast Food
8it Recommendation: Featured in Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” S9 E4 Queens.
3. Famous Original at Roberta’s Pizza
8it Recommendation: They’ve created a place worthy of the hype.
4. Empire Spicy Seafood Hotpot at Sik Gaek
8it Recommendation: Tasty, multi-layered strata of crab legs, scallops, +more.
5. Chopped Liver at Barney Greengrass
8it Recommendation: It’s the best chopped liver in the universe.
6. Charcuterie at Salumeria Rosi
8it Recommendation: This is something that’s just irresistible to me.
7. Go Berserk at Russ & Daughters
8it Recommendation: Bialys, chopped liver, smoked salmon, sturgeon, fish eggs.
8. Oxtails at Gloria’s
8it Recommendation: Cheapest piece of meat is often the best.
These eight dishes stretch from Chinatown to Queens, Brooklyn, and the Upper West Side. They mirror the way Bourdain moved through New York, chasing flavor instead of trends. The questions below help you track these spots and use 8it to keep everything in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all eight restaurants still open in 2026?
As of the publication date of this article, all eight restaurants referenced in this list are operating. Restaurant availability can change, and hours or service formats may shift seasonally. The 8it app includes an “open now” filter on its map view, which surfaces only locations currently serving. Checking the app before heading out is the most reliable way to confirm current status.
Are the specific dishes still being served as described?
Each dish on this list has been verified against current menus at the time of publication. Some items, particularly at long-standing institutions like Barney Greengrass, Russ & Daughters, and Hop Kee, are deeply embedded in the restaurant’s identity and have remained consistent for decades. For spots with more variable menus, the 8it dish card links directly to the source recommendation and the restaurant’s own channels, giving users the most current information available.
How does 8it decide which dishes make it onto the app?
8it’s curation process draws from professional food media outlets including Eater, The New York Times, The Infatuation, and Grub Street, as well as chefs, industry professionals, and prominent food personalities. Every dish included in the app carries a positive recommendation from at least one vetted source. There is no rating system. If a dish is not considered exceptional by a trusted voice, it does not appear in the app. The Bourdain-linked dishes on this list were cross-referenced against his documented television appearances, interviews, and public statements before being added.
How do I keep track of dishes I want to try across different neighborhoods?
The 8it app’s list-making feature allows users to save any dish card to a named, shareable list. All saved items are plotted on the map view, which can be filtered by proximity and availability. For this Bourdain-specific set of dishes, each entry above includes a direct save link that adds the dish to your list inside the app without requiring manual search. The “Eat Like” wheel inside the app also surfaces a curated map of Bourdain-attributed recommendations in one view.
Does 8it cover limited-time food experiences beyond permanent restaurant dishes?
Yes. In addition to permanent menu items like those listed here, 8it maintains dedicated sections for pop-ups, drops, and time-sensitive food events across NYC. These entries include an “Add to Calendar” feature so users can track availability directly from the app. The same vetted curation standard applies. Only positively recommended, expert-sourced experiences are included.
Bourdain’s Lasting Influence on How New Yorkers Eat
Bourdain’s approach to NYC, eating at Tibetan fast food counters in Queens, ordering oxtails in Brooklyn, going berserk at a century-old appetizing shop on the Lower East Side, shaped how a generation of food lovers thinks about what is worth seeking out in this city. That influence has not faded. The eight dishes above represent a cross-section of what he documented and championed, now centralized in a single map with direct save actions. The full curated list, including the “Eat Like Anthony Bourdain” wheel, is available inside the 8it app. Try 8it for free and keep the whole list in your pocket.
