NYCGuide
Where To Order Delivery When You’re In The Mood For A Bowl Of Something Warm
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Craving a bowl of something warm is less about wanting a certain dish, and more about responding to a certain mood. Terrible weather, even more terrible bosses, or a social life that revolves entirely around teleconferencing software could all be to blame. But whatever the reason, a good way to snap out of it is with a steaming hot bowl of something delicious. Here are 22 spots where you’ll find just that.
The Spots
Among the questions that make us think deepest, “What was the state of existence before the big bang?” and, “Do we want food that’s spicy hot or temperature hot?” are near the top of the list. We’re still struggling with the first one, but we’ve gotten pretty good at figuring out the second. And when the answer is both simultaneously, the answer is simple: the spicy red chili ramen from Ivan Ramen on the LES.
At Teranga in East Harlem, the West African grain bowls are filling and delicious, and also light enough to keep you from dozing off halfway through Miss Americana again. Try the one with rice cooked in tomato broth that’s topped with grilled chicken and mixed vegetables. And if you really want to turn up the heat, opt for some scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce.
When you’re in the mood for a Robert Pattinson movie, you don’t just turn on The Lighthouse, and call it day. Different Robert Pattinson performances scratch different itches, just like different types of warm bowls. Jin Ramen understands that. This Upper West Side spot’s long menu ranges from more than 10 housemade ramen options to hot soba with fried chicken to rice bowls topped with tofu and beef brisket. Order whichever one fits your current mood for pickup or delivery daily from 11am-10pm.
Along with a Claire’s ring for an elementary school crush, the best use of $7 we know of is one of the lunch specials at Floridita, like Dominican beef or pork and white bean soup with rice. But this Washington Heights spot isn’t just a useful takeout or delivery option at lunch. Its asopaos (and the rest of its long menu) are available for delivery from 7am-1:45am or pickup 24 hours a day.
Deciding what to order for takeout is already difficult, so throwing the countless udon variations at Hanon into the equation might cause your brain to display a 404 page. Fortunately, the takeout menu at this Williamsburg spot narrows it down to six options, and considering the thick curry udon with washugyu beef needs to be part of your order, it’s not very complicated at all.
The soups at Russ & Daughters are like the members of Queen not named Freddie Mercury—they don’t get the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean they’re not great. The matzo ball soup and borscht are classics and delicious bowls of soup that serve as a reminder that it’s not all about smoked fish here. Add a side of lox to whichever soup you choose, and have it all delivered by ordering through their website.
Soba cravings hit pretty often. It’s no big deal when you start imagining pork kimchi or chicken curry soba in the middle of a conference call—Cocoron’s delivery window is Monday through Friday from noon until 9:45pm. And thanks to the ready-to-heat vacuum-packed versions that are also available at this Nolita spot, it’s no big deal at any other time either.
Asking this Thai spot in Prospect Lefferts Gardens to make its curries less spicy is like asking Tarantino to make his movies less violent. Amy Thai Bistro saves you the trouble by noting for all but one of its curries, “Some curries are naturally spicy and cannot be prepared mild.” Order them with confidence, or if you’d prefer a bowl that’s only hot in one sense of the word, try the tom kha soup or shrimp clay pot with vermicelli noodles.
Watching steam rise from a bowl of Adda’s creamy butter chicken or spicy goat has a similar effect as listening to Celine on vinyl while sipping tea in a La-Z-Boy. Make sure to add some cheese-stuffed naan to your order from this Indian spot in Long Island City, too.
All of the soups at this Mexican spot on Arthur Avenue are pretty rich. There’s chicken and tortilla, beef and vegetables, or a spicy one packed with tripe. But those are refreshing snacks compared to other warm bowls on the menu. We’re looking at you, four types of queso fundido topped with things like chorizo, shrimp, or roasted peppers.
The Persian stews at Ravagh are ideal for nights that make you wish you owned scented candles and a light dimmer. The huge portions of lamb shank stew or chicken in pomegranate sauce are fantastic, and they’re likely to make you fall asleep on your couch before you get through the opening credits of whatever movie you finally get around to watching.
Raku’s gyunan udon is what you want on the table after a long day of work, and the tantan udon with spicy pork broth is what you want when a quarter of that day was spent troubleshooting screen sharing. No matter which type of day you had, order udon (and fried chicken with spicy mayo) for delivery from this Japanese spot’s Soho or East Village location.
Most dishes at Somtum Der could be served in blocks of ice with a glass of milk and still make you sweat like an unprepared middle-schooler during a pop quiz. In other words, the food at this East Village Thai spot is very spicy. It’s also very delicious. Order the spicy stir-fried noodles or spicer chicken wing soup for pickup and delivery, and get some sticky rice or Thai beers to assist with the heat.
If chicken noodle soup got dumped for being too boring, it’d do some soul searching and return as the torigara ramen at Nakamura. With light chicken broth, nori, and chashu pork, it’s the reason you should order delivery from the LES spot, which is available daily (except Sunday) from 12-6:30pm.
The heavy stews at this Korean BBQ spot in K-Town are often the only things standing between us and particularly bad karaoke-fueled hangovers. Now they’re equally effective at preventing America’s Got Talent marathon-fueled hangovers, and they’re available for delivery daily until 9pm.
Chuko is primarily a ramen spot, and the spicy kimchi ramen with ground pork is one of our favorite versions in Brooklyn. But an order here that doesn’t also include pork buns slathered with chili mayo is like a flashy sports car without a personalized license plate.
You might say mac and cheese and gnocchi are warm bowls you’ve had countless times. Or you might say that gnocchi is typically served on a plate. But since we’re talking about Thursday Kitchen, you’d be incorrect on both accounts. The truffle mac and cheese with manila clam, fontina, gruyere, and mozzarella is unlike any version we know of, and the gnocchi needs to be served in a bowl because it comes in a pool of Korean chili pepper sauce and garlic aioli. Order both for pickup or delivery.
This Mexican spot on the Upper East Side has a very long menu, including a couple different types of soup, but the one non-negotiable dish that needs to be part of your order is the pozole. The big portion of perfectly spiced chicken soup comes with crispy tortillas that you should throw them into the bowl with sliced avocado. It’s available for pickup and delivery with green or a spicier red sauce.
The meat-heavy Tibetan soups at Lhasa’s Elmhurst location are filling enough to be your entire meal, and the same can be said of the steaming hot momos. But considering most everything on the menu here is less than $10, you should probably just order both.
When you want a bowl (or in this case, a 16-ounce cup) of hearty soup, but you’re more in the mood for a snack than an entire meal, bone broth is a good option. And the best place to get it delivered is from Brodo, which serves a ton of varieties like chicken broth that reminds us of distilled Cambell’s. Its two uptown and two downtown locations are all offering takeout, and its East Village location is offering delivery as well.
Hanoi House is joining forces with its more casual sister restaurant, Hanoi Soup Shop, to make its fantastic pho available for delivery every day except Monday. Our favorite is the beef pho, which lets off soup’s equivalent of pheromones as steam rises from the incredibly rich broth, and comes with your choice of two meats, like oxtail and filet mignon.
Hinomaru serves 13 types of ramen, which gives you 13 very compelling reasons to order from this Japanese spot in Astoria. In case you need a few more, the okonomiyaki, karaage chicken, and takoyaki here are great as well.
Saigon Social is offering a daily-changing takeout and delivery menu of Vietnamese dishes, like a bowl of beef pho, which has enough brisket and bone marrow broth, fresh cilantro, and spicy chilis to inspire you to stand up on your ottoman and do a power pose out of sheer adrenaline. Place an order Wednesday through Sunday for pickup or delivery.
