If you don’t like Brunch, then you need to be studied. Especially if you are a New Yorker. New Yorkers are to Brunch what the Beyhive is to Beyonce, or what Britney Spears is to our eventual marriage (she will figure it out eventually). We all love rising late on Saturdays and Sundays, getting our friends together over some Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s, and having a great time. Luckily, I have found the next best thing in your Manhattan Brunch, and this place is called Kingsley, located in the heart of the East Village.
Kingsley is only a couple of minutes away from the L train on Avenue B, and is the brainchild of the delightfully friendly and talented chef Roxanne Spruance, who provided us with a bevy of sweet, spice and everything that is nice about what a Brunch menu should be. There was a mixture of Asian influences in there, with other types of cuisines fighting for my attention throughout.
The location itself sits perfectly with the type of weather we are having, as you can opt to sit where me and my writer Whitney did, next to the window, to enjoy the beauty that is the East Village, park behind the beautiful bar that they set up, or you can head towards the back where they have a patio for you and your friends to enjoy. For a location that has only been opened for a couple of months, it seems Roxanne knows what she is doing and is determined to make Kingsley a staple in a very big foodie area.
The food of course, was spectacular in every single way. So let me give you some suggestions over what to have the next time you are there. There are a ton of great items for the table to be shared with whomever you are with, and the standout for me was the Chicharones with Kimchi, Fried Scallion and Hoisin. I never thought about combining something like a Chicarones with Kimchi, but if you are someone who likes subtle spice, then this is the dish to get for sure. Other knockouts that we loved were the House Cured Bacon with House Made Mayonnaise, Housemade Pretzels with Honey Whipped Lard and their Toast with Lemon Jam and fresh Butter. All tasty in their own unique way, and a great start to an amazing meal.
For your brunch entree, we both stuck to the Asian theme of the menu as we were really impressed with the Kimchi in the Chicharones, so I got their incredible Ramen with Enokis, Egg, Nori, Pork and Miso and Whitney opted for the Crispy Pork Belly and Pickle Tot Hash with Fried Egg and Sriracha Aioil. The Ramen was up to par, if not better than other types of Ramen I have had in Manhattan, and the combination of flavors really sang to my palate. The Crispy Pork Belly and Hash is an insane combination of flavors along with the Sriracha and Fried Egg, and just like the rest of this meal, it worked perfectly.
To finish, we had their Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Pretzel, Green Strawberries and White Port Granita. I have never had flavors like this in my entire life, but the Goat Cheese and the Green Strawberries blended so well together, and didn’t make it overtly sweet which I really enjoyed. Overall, a great meal and time there that I recommend anyone trying.
For more information on Kingsley, check out their official site.