Gay brunch in NYC, around-the-world style

We don’t ascribe to many stereotypes here at Mr Hudson, but it seems to be the case more often than not that gays love to brunch (we definitely do). And because NYC always takes everything to a whole other level, brunch in NYC is pretty outstanding. As one of the most international cities, you can literally brunch your way around the world in the Big Apple. If you’re tired of the whole Eggs Benedict and mimosa thing, here are some of the top places for an exotic brunch with a few of the best gay brunch places in NYC thrown in for good measure.

Korean brunch

Weekend brunch at Chelsea’s critically acclaimed Hwaban is brought to you by a pair of Michelin-starred chefs. Korean comfort food comes in the form of a buckwheat crepe served with two sunny-side-up eggs, soppressata, and fresh garden salad; Mandoo Soup with kimchi dumplings; seafood dumplings and a few other little miracles.

Photo: Yuxiang Zhang

Mexican brunch

For a clean $47, you get 1.5 hours of unlimited small plates and brunch cocktails at Añejo Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in TriBeCa. Tasty dishes include guacamole, salsa, yucca tots, carne asada con huevos, huevos rancheros, blueberry corn pancakes, and morning tacos plus your choice of a half a dozen types of margaritas.

Añejo Mexican Restaurant

Italian brunch

The brunch menu at Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria in NoHo is an Italian food wonderland. Whether you’re all about the antipasti, the primi, the panini, the segundi, or all of the above, you will not be disappointed with any dish this place serves up. We are partial to the Salsiccia e Uova Panino with housemade sausage, fried egg, fontina cheese as well as the Pizza Umbra with two fried farm eggs, culatello, tomatoes, mozzarella, and Calabrian chilli.

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Jewish brunch

Sadelle’s Diner in SoHo actually calls itself a brunch restaurant so there is no doubt they are committed to the cause. You know the drill: smoked fish, bagels, cream cheese, capers, cole slaw, pickles, et al. But the Jewish diner also throws some delightful surprises your way with its famous award-winning sticky buns, latke royal, and some not-so-kosher bacon.

Sadelle's | Photo: Major Food Group

Thai fusion Filipino brunch

Got a hankering for Green Papaya Salad and Lychee Mimosas? We know just the place. The Lower East Side’s Pig And Khao combines the not usually combined fare of Thailand and the Philippines and makes magic out of it. Case in point: the Banh Xeo—a sizzling crepe of shrimp, bacon, bean sprouts, and nuoc chom. If you’re with someone boring, don’t fret! He can have the Brioche French Toast. It gets rowdy (in a good way) here.

Pig and Khao

Malaysian brunch

If you left your heart in Kulala Lumpur, New York’s gotchu. Sidle up for counter service at the Malaysian cafe, Kopitiam, on the Lower East Side. They serve Malaysian breakfast all day. If you’ve never had Malaysian breakfast, what are you waiting for? They make a mean Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, which consists of coconut rice, fried anchovies, cucumber, peanuts and a hard-boiled egg. You also might want to try the Malaysian Style Milo French Toast with thick cut toast, Milo chocolate malt powder, and condensed milk.

Kopitiam

Southern brunch

Harlem’s BLVD Bistro serves soul food infused with love. The neighbourhood restaurant in a historic brownstone on Lenox Avenue cooks up what they call “Crafted American Soul” food and is famous for its brunch menu. The chef grew up in Mississippi and his grandma’s fried chicken recipe is inspired, as is the turkey meatloaf, the catfish and grits, and just about everything else, really.

Chinese Dim Sum

NYC’s dim sum in Chinatown rivals that of Hong Kong’s. And while there are a lot of shiny, new places we have a soft spot for Nom Wah, which has been at it continuously since 1920. Considering the average life span of a NYC is counted in months and not years, that is really saying something. It’s got the most atmosphere of any of the dim sum joints.

Nom Wah | Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Indian brunch

NoMad’s Pondicheri serves breakfast until 3 pm every day so no need to wait until the weekend to get your Indian brunch on. If you never knew you needed saag & egg toast, now you will know. The morning thali is lovely and you’re going to want to try the egg dosa, an open-faced crêpe, smeared with spinach, egg, cheese, the gunpowder spide medley, saag and chutney.

Middle Eastern brunch

You need to try the Harissa Mary at Balaboosta’s brunch in the West Village. The Middle Eastern version of the Bloody Mary is a spicer, richer take. The Breakfast Bureka and Persian Frittata are just as exciting as they sound. As because the is NYC, they offer a Libyan-inspired chilaquiles dish comprised of chraime, avocado, poached egg, feta, pickled onion.

Gallow Green

American brunch

For a good old US-of-A style brunch, we like Gallow Green at the McKittrick Hotel. With one of the best rooftop’s in NYC, it isn’t known for its brunch but it should be. Graze at the cold and hot buffets and then while you’re taking a breather between rounds gaze at the Empire State Building in the distance. The moussaka and suckling pig are standouts as are the mini cinnamon buns. Live music keeps the beat going all morning and afternoon. Saxon + Parole in the East Village offers prime people watching with tables outside and a mean Nutella french toast.

Saxon & Parole

Gay brunch

And…because we are a gay travel site, we’re not going to leave out the best places for gay brunch in NYC. Cafeteria serves up comfort food in the heart of Chelsea 24-7. Grab one of their outdoor sidewalk tables to see and be seen. Another Chelsea staple is the Empire Diner. Sit outside to enjoy the famous Art Moderne exterior and then walk off those pancakes on the Highline, which is a stone’s throw away. As for NYC’s best drag brunches, it’s a decades-old institution and you can’t go wrong at any of them, including Hells Kitchen’s La Pulperia, the Broadway Drag Brunch at Lips New York, Drag Brunch at the Iridium, and Bizarre Bushwick in Brooklyn.

La Pulperia

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