It’s not always the flashiest meals that stick with us the longest. This year, we were most enthralled by the simple pleasures of an excellent bowl of soup, a buttery croissant, and a plate of expertly prepared chicken and rice. In Nashville, New York, Athens, Toronto, and so many more cities, our staff headed to favorite restaurants in search of shredded chilly venison (Fatt Pundit, London), Hainan Burrata (Paris), soul-warming gumbo (Chicago), and countless other dishes that reminded us exactly why we love dining out. After a year of dedicated, near-obsessive eating, these dishes were our staff’s favorites of 2023.
Khao Man Gai at Nong’s
Portland, Oregon
When I touched down in Portland, OR, it was raining. The rain kept up as we taxied to the gate, as I waited for a car, and during the entire drive to my hotel. By the time I was showered and changed, the city was very gray and very wet. Still, I had been thinking about one thing, and one thing only: the khao man gai at Nong’s. Since 2009—originally as a food cart and now at two brick-and-mortar locations—the restaurant has been turning out plates of gently poached chicken served over heaping piles of rice. This chicken and rice is pretty much the entirety of Nong’s menu, save for a rich caramel-colored dipping sauce to drag each bite through and a golden broth to warm you up. Sitting in a corner window at the tiny downtown location, sipping soup and forking up the last grains of chicken-fat-slicked rice, I had a crystal clear appreciation of why this plate of meat and rice has become one of Portland’s defining dishes. —Elazar Sontag, restaurant editor
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Shredded Chilly Venison at Fatt Pundit
London, England
As a fan of Indian and Chinese cooking, Fatt Pundit and its Hakka cuisine is my best-of-both-worlds restaurant. Naturally, this was the first meal I planned on a recent trip to London. Walking into the restaurant, I immediately felt soothed by the cozy atmosphere and soft lightning. I loved a rabbit wonton and a goat momo, but the dish that stood out most was shredded chilly venison. The venison was slightly chewier than beef but still rich and tender, with plenty of fiery red peppers and a smoky flavor. The meat was served with soft, subtly sweet mantou bread, and my first bites warmed me up. —Gigi Wong, senior analyst
