Restaurant Diary: Kopitiam is more than just a Malaysian coffeehouse

Malaysian food is saturated with influence. Chinese, Thai, Indian, and British flavors mingle in Nyonya cuisine: the specific hybrid of Chinese and Malay that the owner Kyo Pang brings to New York with Kopitiam. Photo by Clementine Hecker

Restaurant Diary is a biweekly series where food writer Clementine Hecker reviews restaurants that stand out among the millions of options in New York City’s restaurant scene. This week, they look at Kopitiam, a traditional Malaysian coffeehouse on the Lower East Side.

Writes & Bites: Moynihan Train Hall and moving through your pages

The train isn’t just good for affordable, comfortable travel; it’s also a convenient mobile writing spot with a dose of scenic inspiration. Illustration by Clara Waldheim

Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where Creative Writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach periodically reviews a place in New York City you could write at and tackles a writing topic that has been weighing on your mind. This week we look at writing aboard an Amtrak train departing from Moynihan Train Hall.

Writes & Bites: Book Club Bar and making your textual lineage count

Book Club is a café, bar, and bookstore all rolled into one — which is a lot to pull off, but the venue certainly tries. Illustration by Clara Waldheim

Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where Creative Writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach will periodically review a place in New York City you could write at…

Writes & Bites: Black Cat LES and revising 50,000 words after 30 days of writing

Along with the end of November, came the close of National Novel Writing Month: a writing sprint of 50,000 words over 30 days. Illustration by Ting-en Tsai

Welcome to Writes & Bites — a series where Creative Writing MFA student Arianna Gundlach will periodically review a place in New York City you could write at…