Eaters Digest: New in Great Neck- A World of Food

Great Neck is quickly becoming a great melting pot of exotic food options. Add to this ever-growing mix another Persian kosher spot, Long Island’s first Korean food court, an organic café and a bar and grill featuring a whole world of cuisines.

Gateaux Bakery
H Mart Plaza Food Court
485 Great Neck Rd.

Woojeon Korean Cuisine
516-487-3857

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Yimat House
516-487-3974

Across the parking lot from the Korean supermarket H Mart is this newly opened mini-mall with a Gateaux Bakery downstairs, offering baked goods shipped in from a central bakery. But the real attraction here is the brand new food court upstairs with two stands. The first, Woojean, offers familiar Korean dishes like the popular braised short ribs called Kalbi and Bulgogi marinated beef. But they also have Ox Bone Soup and, for the truly adventurous or the homesick native, Blood Sausage Soup called Soondae Guk. The menu may scare the faint hearted, describing it as pork ears, livers, stomach. The establishment next to it, Yimat House, offers Korean-style Chinese including fried chicken wings in sweet sauce called Dakgangjung and a host of rice dishes, ramen and udon noodles.

Sip City
16 Middle Neck Rd.
516-482-1500

Finally, a new hotspot in the center of town with an international menu of small plates, making it even more appealing. With large open windows overlooking the busy downtown, Sip City looks to be a winning crowd-pleaser in a location that has seen a long line of bars and restaurants come and go, including Mushrooms. Perfect for a martini or a cold beer and a taste of the menu that spans the world with Middle Eastern Fattoush Salad, Kobe Beef Sliders, African Spiced Shrimp, Thai Wingers, Carne Asada, Italian Fried Artichoke Hearts, Singapore Street Noodles, Mongolian Chicken and Maryland Crab Cakes all brought to you by the man behind On3 in Glen Head.

Bee-Organic
4c Bond St.
516-570-0915

This small, friendly organic juice bar offers a surprisingly long list of dishes for breakfast—crepes, French toast, goat cheese omelets, yogurt and fruit and muffins. For lunch and dinner, salads and soups and tartines, which are open-faced sandwiches made with veggies and smoked salmon. They also offer zakouski, which are Russian tapas-like snacks. Here they consist of familiar ratatouille, yogurt dips and hummus with vegetables.

Safa
451 Middle Neck Rd.
516-487-3300

Safa is primarily a glatt kosher catering hall that is now open to the public on weekdays. They offer a menu of traditional Persian-Jewish cuisine and milder Americanized Persian dishes that utilize less spicy marinades and preparations. Typical green stews and red stews abound along with long kebabs called Koobideh, but you’ll also find Gondy, which is like matzoh ball soup except the “balls” are made with chick peas. Reservations are suggested because the restaurant can be closed on any day for parties.

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