the morning benders

If you read Pitchfork, you know who the morning benders are (no caps, on purpose. that’s their thing). If you don’t, let us take care of the introducing you to indie rock royalty. They hail from San Francisco, but have spent a good amount of time hangin’ out and eating in downtown NYC’s hipster scene over the last couple years. Dudes like to eat. A lot. Their favorite SF haunts? Chez Panisse in Berkeley for Fine Dining and Zaki Kabob House for a solid Neighborhood Hang. Direct quote, this El Cerrito restaurant has literally “the best chicken in the world.” See below for lead bender Chris Chu’s favorite NYC spots. And while you’re at it, buy their new record, Big Echo for $5.99 and follow Chu on Twitter.

the morning benders are headlining Webster Hall on November 18th. Tickets on sale here.

Chris Chu’s “Perfect For” Picks

Fine Dining

Aburiya Kinnosuke (213 E. 45th St.) – “This is the best Japanese food I’ve found in New York. It reminds me of some of the places I’ve eaten in Tokyo. Contrary to popular belief, not all Japanese restaurants are sushi bars. They do have great sashimi, but the reason we go here is for the robata grill stuff, and the izakaya type dishes. The best thing to do is order the omakase, a sort of Japanese prixfixe, so you can try a little of everything.”

Full On Pork Indulgence

Joe’s Shanghai (136-21 37th Avenue – Flushing, NY)- “This restaurant is one of the main reasons I moved to New York. I’ve been going to the one in Queens since I was a kid, but now that I’ve tried them from all over I can safely say Joe’s makes the best Xiao Long Bao (Pork Soup Dumplings) in America. “

Special Occasions

Momofuku Ssam Bar (207 2nd Ave.) – “Honestly, putting Momofuku in this category is kind of misleading, because I’d go here all the time if it wasn’t so damn crowded these days. Momofuku has blown up! Not without good reason though. Love this place. “

Quick Eats

Banh Mi So 1 aka Saigon (369 Broome St.) – “These Vietnamese sandwiches are quite addicting. They are so good, so cheap, and so quick and easy to get, it’s a wonder I don’t eat these things 3 times a day. “

Vegetarians

Saravanaa Bhavan (81 Lexington Ave.) – “My favorite place for South Indian food, and it’s all veg. I find a lot of the Indian food in the States to be too intense, too creamy, too rich for my taste. Saravanaa Bhavan is the opposite of that. Simple and more subtle flavors. I’m not an authority on Indian food by any means, but I feel like this is what traditional Indian food would probably taste like.”

Chris Chu’s Twitter People

@MichaelIanBlack – A visionary.

@KanyeWest – Classic rants from the dude who coined “Ima let you finish…”

@RichardXL – The rare serious music industry dude who is actually serious about music.

@50Cent – Super offensive but a great glimpse into this insane dude’s mind.

@OMGFacts – Thanks to these guys I now know Jackie Chan dislocated his pelvis while shooting “Police Story.”