HELL’S KITCHEN — Dumplings, empanadas, pierogi, samosas: the functionality and deliciousness of the pouched food is one of humanity’s great accords.
The enclosed food item belongs to no one nation, but its arguable Manhattan capital is Ninth Avenue.
Here’s a virtual tour of Ninth Avenue’s top enveloped offerings:
The Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina at Chelsea Market is not at all grandma’s kitchen. Tourists clamor for the samples perpetually being sauteed outside the supermarket pasta brand’s trattoria. But the selection is unparalleled, from hazelnut chocolate ravioli to lobster mezze lune. And if all you need is a single tortellini, the sample station hits the spot.
At Dil-E Punjab on Ninth near West 21st Street, a hefty potato and pea samosa costs $1.50. The classic Punjabi deli is completely vegan.
Poseidon Bakery on Ninth near West 44th Street has been open since 1923. Five generations in, they still serve homemade spanakopita and other flaky stuffed pastries like tiropita, a ricotta, feta and cream cheese pie with a touch of mint, and kreatopita, a meat pie with ground beef, leek, onion and dill.
Empanada Mama draws crowds at lunch for its selection of the crispy Latin American morsel. Flavors include the Brasil, stuffed with beef, olives, onions and potatoes, the Reggaeton, with Caribbean roast pork, and the cheesesteak, with skirt steak and mozzarella. They range in price from $3 to $3.50.
While not a sealed food, Pure Thai’s braised beef buns deliver the juxtaposition of a savory, toothy filling in light, doughy surroundings. Their vegetable dumplings contain peanut, tofu, and spinach, and are served with a garlic chip and ginger soy dip.
Gazala Place’s homemade bourekas on Ninth Avenue near 49 Street come straight out of the oven. The restaurant’s owner Gazala Halabi, an Israeli Druze, opened the place as a “little slice of my village,” according to the shop’s website.
Mooncake Foods on West 54th Street makes healthy dumplings in the Chinese tradition, including pea shoot and garlic wonton soup, $8, and crawfish, water chestnut and shitake dumplings, $6.95.
While technically off the avenue, Russian Samovar on West 52nd Street represents for the Eastern bloc. The Siberian pelmini are tiny, tender spheres of veal or chicken wrapped in dough. Varenikas, light, chewy pierogis, come stuffed with potatoes or sour cherries and are meant to be dolloped with sour cream.
Notably absent from the Chelsea to Hell’s Kitchen parade: Jamaican patties. You’ll need to head 100 blocks north for these.