A Full Guide to Restaurants in MoHi as a Barnard Student
In the past four years, one of the main things that I have learned about myself is that I am a huge foodie. With this knowledge, I pride myself in having gone to pretty much all of the restaurants within the Barnard-Columbia Morningside Heights neighborhood. Here is my guide to some of the places you must visit no matter what type of food you are craving, beyond your typical Community Food & Garden and Mel’s Burgers. *Please keep in mind that as a Muslim student who follows Zabihah halal, all these places have seafood/vegetarian options for those who practice :)
Starting off strong with cafes to visit, we have The New York Basics located at 1090 Amsterdam Ave. There was a point in college where I was coming here every single day for an entire year to the point that the workers knew my name. I brought everyone I knew here in between classes. They have a variety of drinks as well as housemade pastries, sandwiches, smoothies, and salads. My go-to is an Iced Matcha Latte with oat milk and their fresh chocolate muffins. For their sandwiches, I love their Essex Toast and the classic egg and cheese on a croissant. I also love their crepes and the service and cafe itself is so inviting, it keeps you wanting to go back (just as I did).
Another cafe that is on the top of my list is Dear Mama Cafe located at 611 W 129th St. While this is a little bit of a walk from campus, I love coming here on sunny days because of the glass windows that surround the whole cafe. My go-to is (again) a matcha latte (you will sense a pattern with my matcha obsession.) They add lavender syrup for a fresh flowery taste and their El Barrio breakfast sandwich is bacon, egg, and cheese (hold the bacon for me) on an everything croissant. They have delicious house sauces to pair with this sandwich and I personally love it. It’s a great place to study if you just want to get away from the main campus for a bit.
Moving on to more comfort food, we have Metro Diner located at 2641 Broadway #1. This is another far walk from campus but this diner has a very retro theme going on and their waffles have kept me going back these past four years. I found this diner in my first year and every single time I go, I get their waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Their waffle fries and quesadillas are also amazing.
If you are craving some pizza, you have to visit Koronet Pizza located at 2848 Broadway and known for its massive, jumbo pizza slices. If you want a quick, filling lunch or dinner on a budget, highly recommend going here. Also recommended getting the garlic knots while you’re there.
As I was making this list, I realized I seem to have a love for Asian food, which makes sense given that I am also South Asian. Here is my list of top Asian restaurants: Naruto Ramen located at 2634 Broadway for whenever you want to stray away from your cup noodles. Mokja located at 852 Amsterdam Ave has great Korean food and you must order the Kimchi fries— you’ll never want to go back to regular fries again. For dumplings, we have La Salle Dumpling Room located at 3141 Broadway with delicious dumplings (I get the veggie), and also their scallion pancakes are a go-to for me. Thai Market located at 960 Amsterdam Ave has a great atmosphere along with some of the best Thai food I have had in the area. I cannot tell you how much I love Nikko Sushi, located at 1280 Amsterdam Ave, largely because of their lunch special of 3 rolls for $14. It’s a steal and the sushi is so fresh. Also would highly recommend fried rice. Honorable mention for your Indian food fix is Roti Roll located at 994 Amsterdam Ave. My regular order with friends: Samosa Chaat, Aloo Fries, the Shrimp Menthi Frankie, and a Mango Lassi. You will not be able to get up from how good and filling the food is.
Last but not least, if you are craving Italian food, FUMO Upper West Side located at 2791 Broadway, is a great option to treat yourself. Their pasta is so flavorful and their vegan pesto pizza is so good that my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Also love their FUMO Mocktail for a refreshing drink.
Enjoy your yummy eats!