MY Secret NY

Kingdom of Dumpling

Before settling into New York for good, MY Secret NY was exploring the Hong Kong lands on the other side of the globe. And we still have a fond and warmhearted memory of one discovery there: a tiny dim sum counter hidden behind an escalator at the entrance of a subway station. You’re probably frowning right now… But beware that behind what looked like a restaurant of questionable quality food, hides the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant and the best dim sum of the city! Well,…

Chef Apprentice

Cooking classes are on the rise in NY. Whether you’re a stoves’ pro or a bumbling amateur, we found the class that will get everyone to agree. On the menu: conviviality, inspiring recipes and tasty incantations. Roll up your sleeves and get ready to go! Welcome to The Brooklyn Kitchen. This 7,000-square-foot complex in Williamsburg is primarily a kitchen-supply store and a delicatessen. But the surprise is located at the back of the shop – a workshop converted into a true culinary laboratory with high-tech appliances. Individual billboards, brick walls, and a lofty setting: no doubt…

A gallery unlike any other

Visiting an art gallery too often resembles a visit to the museum. You come to admire the works, not to buy them. Why? Because the established galleries, the famous ones, can easily be intimidating: large white spaces, no talking, no touching, prices on demand only (and often exorbitant). Interested in experiencing something different? You will have to ring at 153 Lafayette Street in Soho and climb to the 4th floor. You enter Michele Mariaud’s apartment and step into the intimacy of a large loft converted…

The seafood counter

You have your favorite specialty grocers in NY: your Italian caterer in Chelsea, your butcher hidden behind a Japanese restaurant, your cheese shop at the end of an alley in the West Village. Finding good suppliers in New York is comparable to the work of digging for gold. A quest reserved for the indefatigable and savvy insiders. Looking for a fish stall? We’ll help you: we discovered a little marine paradise lost (and now found!) in Brooklyn. Close your eyes and picture the seaside, spray…

Christmas Wish List

You have two weeks left. Two weeks to finish (start?) your Christmas shopping. Two weeks to redouble your efforts and find the perfect gift. Two weeks to get over your agoraphobia and brave the crowds in department stores. You feel the pressure mounting? You’re lacking inspiration? We have scoured shops, boutiques, showrooms and other pop-up stores to find original and outside the box gift ideas without breaking the bank. The paradise of pouches: Bag-all 219 Mott street, Nolita An abundance of pouches and fabric…

Vintage screening

Notice to all movie-lovers: if, like us, you feel helpless witnessing the slow disappearance of independent movie theaters in New York, asphyxiated by the multiplexes and the distribution mastodons, we have some good news to share. A beautifully bespoke two-screen theater discreetly opened a few months ago in the Lower East Side: it’s called Metrograph. Metrograph is a true ode to the Seventh Art. Vintage atmosphere and old school flair in this neighborhood cinema where you can see the projection booth from the screening room through…

Coffee Break

Americano, latte, ristretto, macchiato… no matter how you take it, in New York you’re never more than a block away from a coffee shop. We let the heavenly smell of fresh ground beans and the lightness of cappuccino foam guide us to find 3 spots full of good vibes for caffeine junkies. 3 spots where the barista knows your name and where you wish you could stay for a second (or third?) coffee. What else? To laze during winter afternoons: Intelligentsia At the High…

The hidden bar

We could have simply told you about this new Italian restaurant that opened in Greenwich Village. A loft-style restaurant in a 19th century townhouse located on a charming tree-lined street in the village. Ceilings so high they could make you dizzy, along with starburst chandeliers, a glass roof, a roaring fireplace. With its trendy atmosphere and gourmet cuisine, it is easy to be seduced by Casa Apicii. But there’s more than meets the eye. It’s actually not about the restaurant we want to talk but about the small cocktail annex fashioned…

The new Brooklyn

Left picture: WM. Farmer and Sons; Top right picture: Rivertown Lodge; bottom right picture: Bonfiglio & Bread. We are often asked what is the most trendy place in New York. You know, the neighborhood still under the radar but on the rise. The avant-garde place that attracts artists and craftsmen. With a spate of stylish inns and well-curated boutiques. Where hipster cafes open in motorcycle garages. Does Greenpoint or Bushwick intuitively come to mind? Well, you’re mistaken. Brooklyn lost the monopoly on “trendiness” – we take you upstate for the…

The forgotten museum

You know your classics: the Met, the MoMA, the Guggenheim. You might even pride yourself on knowing the Frick Collection and already having visited the new Met Breuer annex. But did you know that New York counts more than a hundred museums, most of which you’ve never heard of? We scoured all of New York’s cultural scene to unearth one of its sleeping beauties for you. Like most jaded New Yorkers, we’ve grown weary of spending more time queuing for the exhibition than in the…