Mix N’ Match at Naks in the East Village | Eater NY

"Chef Eric Valdez channels the feelings and flavors of Filipino home cooking at this East Village spot, which is worth a visit — or a revisit for those who recall its now retired tasting menu — and now encourages mixing and matching carby, meaty, peanut-sauce-laden, stick-to-your-ribs dishes with crisp and vibrant small plates. The front room is casual, with smaller tables and a lively bar, while the back dining room is refined yet playful, all soft lighting, wood paneling, and a leafy-green mural that evokes a chic treehouse. Start with the crispy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside Kanto Fried Chicken — a must — and the light, crispy Lumpiang Hubad, where long beans, jicama, and celery slathered in peanut sauce are served so cold each forkful feels like biting into a savory popsicle. For carbs, the steamy, unctuous Adobo Rice — chicken, pork belly, and garlic rice cooked in a claypot and vigorously mixed tableside — is the pick, but the Pancit Batil Patong is also super satisfying, with slick, savory noodles cozying up to chewy bites of pork chicharron, mixed together tableside on a banana leaf. The Lechon Platter for two is a showstopper that, with a few small plates, could easily feed four, pairing generous chunks of pork belly — soft in all the right places and shatteringly crisp in all the others — with jasmine rice and a rotating cast of grilled and pickled vegetables. Insider tip: four canned beers made by Unapologetic Foods with Long Island City’s Transmitter Brewing are exclusive to the group’s eight restaurants, each with its own twist (think basmati rice in the lager or coconut in the IPA), and they pair well with the menu’s savory dishes." - Terri Ciccone