Posts Tagged ‘chinese food’

Tasting with Thomas: Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish

Sunday, October 4th, 2026

Long time no see! I’m wishing you a warm welcome back to the Tasting With Thomas series as we dive into our fourth edition: Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish. In case you’re new here, I’m reviewing all the NYC bites that are friendly to college student budgets. Today I’ll be taking stock of what the Morningside Heights neighborhood has to offer Columbia and Manhattan School of Music students.

Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish, located on Broadway and 109th.

Immaculately placed on Broadway and 109th st, and right next to campus craze HeyTea, you can’t miss Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish on your stroll around Columbia’s campus. The restaurant’s windows are splayed with bright orange banners, each filled with giant photos of the chinese dishes being served. Varieties of soups, seafood, vegetarian, and meat options are on full display, so you can be sure that everyone will find something to satisfy their cravings here.

So many options!

Walking through the door, you’re greeted by a nice and open dining space. There were plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate everyone, and we were seated at a table right away. Our waiters greeted us with water and menus, and we set to work looking through the expansive menu. With so many options, we bounced ideas back and forth for at least five minutes each. Between the choices of soup or dry, veggie/meat/seafood, and spicy or mild, we had access to any meal of our liking.

Spicy Prawn Pot!

I finally settled on the spicy prawn pot for my entree, and as soon as it came out I knew I had made the right choice. My dish was loaded with a mix of prawns, lotus roots, cauliflower, black fungus, and bean curd sticks all tossed together in a flavorful spice that packed the perfect punch. I can be a stickler about spice that trumps the flavor of a dish, and I was glad to say that this was not the case here! 

Thankfully our waiter kept our water glasses filled so I could cool down after the spice in my entree. Since the portions were so generous, I finished as much as I could and saved the rest for later. Content and fulfilled, I left Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish with both a great story to tell and leftovers to savor!

Thats all for this edition of Tasting with Thomas! Be sure to check out the flyer below to get your own taste of what Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish is serving.


Make sure to take advantage of Nai Brother Sauerkraut Fish’s 10% off deal for students and teachers. This deal runs Mondays through Fridays, and cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion, or lunch special.

Written By Thomas Stewart, 09/26/2026

Author Bio: Thomas Stewart is an undergraduate student at Columbia University pursuing studies in creative writing and human rights in an effort to utilize media as a tool to vitalize the Black LGBTQ community. When Thomas isn’t off overthinking in his journal, you can find him on campus organizing for the Proud Colors (Columbia’s POC LGBTQ org) or playing a jam session at Columbia University Records club. Ultimately, his love for all things creative prevails throughout his life.


Connect with Thomas via Linkedin here!

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Cultural Cuisine: Eating Your Way Around the World

Monday, October 6th, 2014

Writer and traveler Deborah Cater once said, “You have to taste culture to understand it”—and she wasn’t wrong. When you go to a foreign country and choose to eat only foods you are familiar with then you’re doing yourself a disservice. Traveling is all about trying new things—and food is one of the most important ones. In China, there are so many unique local dishes to try so you shouldn’t let fear of the unknown get in the way of experiencing the country like the locals do.

Sure we’ve all gone to our local Chinese takeout place and have ordered the pork Lo Mein or General Tso Chicken, but if you take the time to explore the country you’ll find non-Americanized Chinese food that’s definitely worth a try.

One of the most popular dishes to try if you find yourself in Beijing is the Peking Duck. This famous dish has been prepared since the imperial era and is served with steamed pancakes and eaten with scallion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce. Traditionally the meat is sliced thin by the cook right in front of you, which is definitely fun to watch. Two of the most notable restaurants are Quanjude and Bianyifang in Beijing, China.

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A chef prepares to carve a Peking Duck.

Peking Duck is traditionally served on a duck shaped plate.

Peking Duck is traditionally served on a duck shaped plate.

 

We all know that Italy is famous for their pasta; but did you know that the world’s oldest known noodles were actually discovered along the Yellow River in China? Dating back to roughly 4000 years BP, noodles have been a staple food in China—and watching hand pulled noodles being made is definitely something to go see if you visit. Hand pulled noodles, or Lamian, is made by stretching and folding the dough into strands. This unique method of making noodles originated in China and dates back to 1504. Lamian literally means pull or stretch, lā, (拉), noodle, miàn (麵) and watching a professional noodle chef pull noodles is a tourist attraction in itself!

The process of preparing hand pulled noodles is so quick that it happens in a blur!

The process of preparing hand pulled noodles is so quick that it happens in a blur!

Whether you’re traveling to China, or any other country, make sure that if you have food allergies you are well prepared. The chefs know what ingredients they use to prepare their food with and a language barrier shouldn’t stop you from being safe. Having a restaurant card is a great way to stay safe, and still be able to enjoy many of the delicious unique foods available. The card clearly states in another language the types of food you are not allowed to eat and your servers and chefs can take it from there.

Gluten-Free restaurant card picture taken from www.chinahighlights.com/

Gluten-Free restaurant card picture taken from www.chinahighlights.com/

Also, take the time to find out if the water is safe to drink in your country of origin. Often times it’s just easier to choose to drink only bottled water for the duration of your stay. You know it’s clean and safe, and you definitely don’t want to get sick while studying abroad!

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–Sam Levitz is a graduate of Brooklyn College and went on the CUNY Study Abroad trip to China the summer of 2013. Follow her on Instagram: slevitz

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