NYCReview
photo credit: Kate Previte
Zhego NYC
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Zhego is a little restaurant with a big heart. There are just a few tables, and the kitchen is tiny, but this Bhutanese restaurant is proof that a whole lot can happen in a small space. There's the infectious enthusiasm of the staff, the flavors that buzz in your brain for weeks, and the way you can bond with strangers because their table is only two feet away from yours—we imagine it's all a little like being in Bhutan, the small Himalayan country that’s often ranked the happiest in the world by people who rank these things.
There's no doubt everyone in the photos on Zhego’s walls looks relaxed in a way that New Yorkers can only dream about, maybe because Bhutan makes policy decisions based on its Gross Happiness Index. A meal at Zhego will instantly improve your Gross Happiness Index, so if a trip to the mountain kingdom isn’t in the cards, this is the next best thing.
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
Get an order of ema datsi, a pan-fried tangle of chili peppers and cheese that is the country's national dish. If you’re feeling indecisive about the rest of your meal, Zhego's staff will help you put together an optimal order of momos, stir-fried, stewed, and cheesy dishes. Hearing them talk about the food makes its arrival all the more exciting. While you wait, get a round of hot butter tea, which is more like a sipping broth than a sweet milk tea.
Because Zhego is so small, you might have to wait for a table during peak dinner hours, so come early. It's worth it, even if you have to hang out on the sidewalk watching other people emerge blissed-out and full of cheese momos.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kate Previte
Ema Datsi
photo credit: Kate Previte
Cheese Momo
Shakam Paa
photo credit: Kate Previte
Goep Paa
photo credit: Kate Previte
Puta
Hand-Pulled Noodles