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Celebrate Passover at These 7 Restaurants in the City

By Serena Solomon | April 2, 2015 8:08pm | Updated on April 3, 2015 6:21pm
 Try a Portuguese, Chinese or Mexican-influenced Passover meal.
Where to Celerbate Passover
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NEW YORK CITY — For Fung Tu, a modern Chinese American restaurant, Passover isn't just an annual menu change, it's an important part of the culinary calendar.

"It speaks to our neighborhood," said Jonathan Wu, Fung Tu's chef. "We are perched between on the Lower East Side as well as Chinatown."

Wu, who once worked as a private chef for a Jewish family, weaved together Chinese and Jewish flavors for this year's Passover, creating dishes such as Char Siu Brisket, which is barbecued by the classic Cantonese method, and stir-fried matchstick potatoes with herring and chili oil.

Here are seven restaurants that are celebrating Passover:

Eli’s Table at 1413 Third Ave. on the Upper East Side

Eli Zabar knows a little something about Passover Seders. He’s been catering for New York City’s holiday banquets since Zabar opened his first deli on the Upper East Side in 1973. After more than four decades you can add to that deli a bakery, grocery store, wine store and now the restaurant Eli’s Table. Head there for some Passover-inspired dishes such as Zabar’s handmade sourdough Matzo, brisket and meringue cake.

BLT Steak at 106 E. 57 St. in Midtown East

BLT has its “Passover-friendly” menu from April 4 to April 11. It either comes as a $60 pre-fix option for four courses or dishes can be ordered a la carte. Celebrate Passover with dishes such as horseradish crusted pastrami with pickled vegetables and Russian dressing, and chive latkes with caviar crème fraiche. Dessert is a choice between flourless chocolate cake or a pavlova topped with tropical fruits and almonds.

Rosa Mexicano at Union Square, Lincoln Center and First Avenue

Like other major cities around the world, Mexico City has a Jewish community whose Passover dishes have merged with the local fare, according to the folks at Rosa Mexicano. The restaurant is celebrating that combination with a Mexican Passover menu on April 3 and 4. There’s a four course option for $48 and a Seder plate is available. Menu items include maror, roasted beets, scallions, avocado, horseradish dressing and matzo meal tortillas, and a banana leaf-wrapped beef brisket.

Fung Tu at 22 Orchard St. on the Lower East Side

The Lower East Side’s Jewish roots are taking center stage on Fung Tu’s menu during Passover. Fung Tu, a seasonal American Chinese restaurant, will be serving up a Char Siu Brisket, which is barbecued by the classic Cantonese method, and a dish that brings together the Jewish seafood staple of herring with a Sichuan fare of matchstick potatoes and chili oil.  

Louro at 142 W. 10th St in the West Village

On April 3, Louro will host a seven-course Passover feast that has the traditional Seder classics with a Portuguese flare. Matzo Ball Soup will have kale and smoked chicken; Gefilte Fish is combined with a poached egg and a piri pepper tomato sauce; a honey ice cream comes with matzo crumble and Meyer lemon curd. The price per person is $55.

Russ & Daughters Café at 127 Orchard St. on the Lower East Side

The first annual Seder at Russ and Daughter’s new café location will be a musical as well as culinary affair with host, musician Laurie Anderson. Tickets are $175 and they cover a pre-fix menu of Seder classics that Russ & Daughters, a Lower East Side institution, is known for.

Vic’s at 31 Great Jones St. in NoHo

Vic’s, a Mediterranean-Italian restaurant is celebrating a Seder Hamishi, or a fifth night Passover Seder on April 7. The tradition dates back to when Spanish Christians helped their persecuted Jewish neighbors hold covert Seders during the Inquisition. Meals will be served a la carte and include Carcofi alla Guidea (artichokes with celery herbs, garlic and bottarga) and Tortino di Azzine (lamb lasagna, beets, Swiss chard, pecorino).