5 NYC Food Pop-Ups & Drops You Should Eat This Week

Who’s ready to rock their winter body? New York City chefs are piling delicious food onto plates citywide that will make you want to undo a button or two. Temperatures are dropping so there’s no shame in wearing that sweatshirt that’s three sizes too big. You look great in it anyway 😉. This week’s Drop Digest features two collaborative feasts, a mythical roaming restaurant, a vacation in Bed-Stuy, and more. The 8it Drop Digest is just a small taste of what you can discover in the 🧨 Pop-Ups & Drops category on the 8it app. Hit the green button below each dish to access 8it and get all the deets. (Private Beta password: NYCDROP)

KJUN x Nowon
Murray Hill // 10.22

What’s the drop?
This menu would sufficiently feed an Olympic swimmer. A dynamic dinner collab between two Korean spots that both began as pop-ups is going down on Saturday. The “Korean Night Market Party” features cajun-korean influenced KJUN by chef Jae Jung- who recently appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef -and Nowon by chef Jae Lee whose burger commanded lines out the door at his pre-pandemic Black Emperor Bar pop-up. An Andouille & Mozzarella Corn Dog, Mung Bean Hush Puppies, Seafood Jjajangmyun, and Hotteok by KJUN; and Chopped Cheese Rice Cakes, Fried Chicken, a Legendary Slider (mini version of the famed burger), and a Black Sesame Creme Brulee by Nowon will feature. Tap the chicken below for all the info.

The Boiis Co. Pop-Up
LES // 10.22

What’s the drop?
Dessert icons The Boiis Co. are unveiling an exclusive drop at Southeast in The Market Line on Saturday -Yuzu Mooks! And no, that’s not a typo; it’s a mochi-filled cookie. This new Mook will only be available at Southeast for the foreseeable future, so get as many as you can while you’re there. If you’ve never had a Mook before, this is a chance to swipe your v-card (and not necessarily your credit card), because they’re offering a free tasting of their three main flavors: Ube, Matcha, and Salted Caramel. Tap the mochis below for all the info.

Hera
Bed-Stuy // 10.28-10.30

What’s the drop?
Roaming restaurant Hera by Chef Jay Rodriguez is taking over the kitchen at ceramic studio/residency paradise Ostudio for three nights next weekend. This match made in heaven will showcase a seasonal tasting menu. “Like me, like my team, like HERA, the style is constantly evolving and ebbing and flowing just like the seasons that inspire our menus,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a funny thing to exist in this sort of liminal, mythological space as a roaming restaurant.” One thing is for sure, Hera’s success as a pop-up is no myth. In the past month alone, they’ve rocked the kitchens at Rhodora, For All Things Good, and Cherry on Top (twice). Tap the unicorn below for all the info.

Essex Pearl x Indulgent Eats
LES // 10.23

What’s the drop?
Now is not the time for moderation. Essex Pearl is teaming up with Filipina cookbook author, Jen Balisi of Indulgent Eats, for a 3-course meal in celebration of Filipino American History Month on Sunday. A platter of 7-UP Garlic Prawn Skewers, Lechon Kawali, Beef Tongue Salpicao, and Lobster Lumpia is on the menu; and that’s just the appetizer. During the later courses of Monkfish Sisig, Spicy Funky Coconut Noodles, and Atchara Garlic Rice followed by a Mango Float, we’ll see just how indulgent you can be. Tap the Filipino flag below for all the details.

Ensenada x Winona’s
Bed-Stuy // 10.24

What’s the drop?
Bed-Stuy will feel like Baja for one night only on Monday as Chef Luis Herrera of coastal Latin American restaurant Ensenada is taking over the kitchen at Winona’s. Fluke Tostadas, a Concord Grape Aguachile, Mole Amarillo with honeynut squash, Octopus Tlayudas, and a White Chocolate Panna Cotta feature on the five-course prix fixe menu. If you aren’t planning a winter getaway to Cabo, this is the next best thing. Tap the fish below for all the info.

YOU SHOULDA 8it!

Not to rub it in, but here’s a pop-up you may have missed out on. To stay in the know on all the hottest drops in real-time, check out 8it’s Pop-Ups & Drops category in the app.

NYCWFF Backyard BBQ

New York City barbecue just proved how underrated it is again at The New York City Wine and Food Fest. The greatest strength of NYC BBQ is diversity. Chefs influence the barbecue with their own culture, like Jase Franklyn of Jase BBQ, who channeled his Tobagonian roots, serving BBQ Pigtails that attendees were slinging back like chicken nuggets. “BBQ Pigtails is to Tobago as Brisket is to Texas,” Jase said in a recent instagram post. The event was hosted by Andrew Zimmern, who brought Bizarre Foods back, serving up chicken heart skewers. Someone call the Travel Channel; we need an encore.

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