"Midtown’s Chinese barbecue Siu Lap City has a simple formula: choose a rice, a meat, and a vegetable—all for $8.95 for a one-meat small plate or $11.95 for a two-meat large plate. As soon as you walk in, the view from the tiny counter immediately grabs your attention. Crispy skin whole ducks, racks of pork belly, and braised beef tendon dangle from behind a steamy service window and get loudly chopped up with a massive cleaver. Those efforts result in juicy breast or barbecue pork with cracker-crisp skin. Just get here early because the line is usually long and the duck sells out quickly." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene