EAT NY strip

It's time to get glam. There are a couple of quintessential New York dining experiences that must be had - a diner joint, a rooftop bar, a hot street-side pretzel, and of course casually sipping a Manhattan somewhere that screams celebrity and glamour. There are hundreds of places to do this in New York but for me, the scene to be seen is Beauty and Essex on the Lower East Side (146 Essex St, Manhattan).

New York loves a dramatic entrance to a restaurant, and Beauty and Essex will have you walking through a fluorescent-lit pawn shop of used guitars and gaudy vintage jewellery to be welcomed by a dark, elegant dining space, framed by a stretching circular staircase, crystal chandeliers, beautiful hostesses and the musical vibrations of the cocktail shaker.

Choose a cocktail (it's hard for me to resist the Book Burner, scotch bonnet-cherry infused rum, grapefruit and sour cherry jam) and have it in hand while you peruse the sprawling fusion menu. From the glistening raw bar go for the tuna poke wontons with wasabi kewpie - delicate sea-fresh yellow fin tuna decorated with a piquant wasabi mayonnaise. The New York pretzel from the jewels on toast will have you savouring every mouthful - the ubiquitous New York strip steak is cooked rare and tenderly shaved into slender melt-in-your-mouth strips, brought alive by a sheen of mustard aioli. It's then generously folded onto a golden buttery pretzel and scattered with fried shallots. Grilled cheese and smoked bacon dumplings are bathed in a tomato soup, while Maine lobster in a crispy beer batter and stuffed into a soft taco shell filled with poblano cream and red cabbage is satisfying textures of creaminess and crunch. You could graze for hours on these small plates but the pastas, like a garganelli of spicy veal bolognese dressed in snowy splashes of whipped Little Italy ricotta, shouldn't be missed.

Importantly, Beauty and Essex should also be the first stop on any ladies night out on the Lower East Side. Only in New York would you go to a restaurant where free champagne is being served in the seductive surroundings of the rest room. It's an establishment with serious confidence, a place that proves why this city is so exhilarating and such an exciting place to visit and eat. It's glamorous and sceney and the food is outstanding and to me, the perfect way to experience the intoxicating rhythm of New York City.

EAT noodles

The sting on my lips, the burn in my belly - there's something about a straight up hit of spice that makes me feel like I'm doing good things for my body. It's so comforting and sensory, and especially in the freezing New York Winter months.

From the outer, Mission Chinese (154 Orchard St, Manhattan) doesn't have the same chic appeal that characterises many faddish Manhattan restaurants.  A bit shabby, a bit fluro, a bit dingy. Still, I've learnt from many past experiences that this can be the best kind of place, and Mission Chinese is no exception. Hailing from San Francisco's notorious restaurant of the same name, Danny Bowien is the inspired mastermind behind the firey Szechwanese menu.

A tingling appetiser of peanuts drenched in a deep purple Beijing vinegar and decorated with flecks of smoked garlic, anise and rock sugar is an eye-watering tease. What follows is almost unspeakably good. They say that the one thing that will always turn a vegetarian carnivorous is bacon. Being a reformed vego myself (yes, yes I was) this rings true for a dish of thrice-cooked bacon,  thick pieces of heavily smoked bacon in a glistening jacket of chilli oil and tossed with soft Shanghainese rice cakes - a fat rice noodle with all the allure of a plump little dumpling. Rich, clear broths of braised beef tendon or pork hock are palate-relieving and warming, swimming with fresh ramen noodles and greens.

Mission Chinese ticks all the boxes for a midweek take-out, a Saturday date night or a boozy foodie session with mates. It's cheap, trendy and will leave you seriously cheerful.

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