Essen Magazine: NY Restaurant Trend Report

New York Restaurant Trend Report
New York restaurants have to fight tooth and nail to attract the fickle palates of New Yorkers to get to the top, and the range of restaurants one can see is vast. We relay the recent experience of Fiona Bae, founder and CEO of fionabae ltd., who witnessed the restaurant scene.

Hooni Kim, who is currently a judge on “Masterchef Korea 3”, is a graduate of the internationally renowned culinary school, the International Culinary Center (ICC) which is now in its thirtieth year. He has a simple, compelling reason for choosing to attend the ICC instead of other culinary institutions – “the ICC is in the middle of New York City,” he says. New York isn’t just a trendy American city, it’s a global cultural center that happens to be a trend setter. That’s why so many people around the world, even now, dream of living in New York City. And among those dreamers there are chefs holding their knives and jumping into New York, which is why there is so much change in the New York restaurant scene.

Casual restaurant instead of fine dining
Larry Fish, who has taught the restaurant management program at ICC for 10 years, says fine dining is less popular these days. Per Se or Daniel will stay, but more people are moving to casual places. At Alder, chef Wylie Dufresne, who’s famous for his creative cooking, is attracting both neighborhood locals and other New Yorkers, because the new restaurant is more accessible and affordable. Hooni Kim’s Hanjan, which pairs Korean food with Korean drinks, has great appeal to New Yorkers and was included in the NY Times’ Top 10 restaurants of 2013 along with Alder.

Sophisticated Food Court
Hugh Mangum of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, who transformed the NY BBQ scene, mentions the rise of the sophisticated food court as the next trend. Through the 6 month program at ICC, he successfully changed his career from a musician to a chef owner. He expects the current, lowly food courts that typically sell cheap Chinese food will become a new venue to offer a wide range of fresh and delicious food.

Authentic ethnic food
Larry Fish points out authenticity is one of the notable trends. Instead of American style Mexican, ethnic food more true to its roots is popular in NY. For that reason, for instance, many more Korean dishes are becoming popular.

People are looking for healthier option
As an opinion leader who shapes the culinary world in the U.S., ICC founder and CEO Dorothy Hamilton looks at the broader impact and issues when considering food trends. She suggests that with the increasing cost of growing ingredients and more concerns about fast food and overeating, people are going to cook more at home. She thinks people will pay more attention to how to grow healthy ingredients. With climate change and lack of protein and other nutrients, she believes we will have to look for a new source of food.

This blog post was originally published by the International Culinary Center (ICC), founded as The French Culinary Institute (FCI). In 2020, ICE and ICC came together on one strong and dynamic national platform at ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles. Explore your culinary education where the legacy lives on.