Written by Eva Stryker Robbins
This article is part of West Side Rag’s expanded coverage of the Morningside Heights community from West 110th Street to 125th Street.
of expatriate It opened in 2019 to honor New York City residents who came from far and built new lives here.
“The concept for The Expat was to embrace the reality that many of us in New York City face,” says co-owner Andrew Ding, himself an Australian expat. He said this in a phone interview with Said Rag.
“We originally approached this project seeking a space that would make people feel comfortable no matter where they come from, and we’re very happy that that’s what happened,” Ding said. “Everyone can feel comfortable here.”
Much of the inspiration for this dish comes from Ding’s upbringing. In Australia, which he describes as a “melting pot of multiculturalism,” “it was normal to go into a pub and eat good Asian food. “I took it for granted,” he said. “But that’s not the reality here.”
Ding decided to open a restaurant in New York that would embody that concept. “It works really well. Enjoy a delicious pad thai with a beer or a craft cocktail. It doesn’t have to be something you get at a Thai restaurant.” The Expat offers curries, burgers, tacos, salads, more.
Singapore Noodles, The Expat’s second best-selling dish (after Pad Thai), is a stir-fry of thin rice noodles and yellow curry. Contains “authentic vegetables” such as peppers, celery, chicken, tofu, and shrimp.
“If you go to Singapore and order Singapore noodles, no one will know what you’re talking about,” Ding says. The dish was developed in Hong Kong after World War II, but got its name because “Singapore is also a melting pot of cultures.”
Ding says the most important thing in any recipe is the spices. “Because fish is fish, chicken is chicken, and beef is beef. It’s all about what else you put in it and how you cook it,” he said. “I focus on complimenting the curry. I try not to be too careful about the intensity of the flavor. The dish is supposed to be very aromatic and full of flavour. If that’s the case, that’s what you get.”
Mr Ding wanted to add Singapore noodles to the menu. That’s because for him, Singapore noodles are the “epitom of comfort food.” He wasn’t originally a chef, but after immigrating to the United States about 20 years ago, he says learning his favorite recipes at home was the only way for him to do so. Before opening The Expat, Ding and co-owner Josh Frank trained in Singapore. They underwent an intensive clinic and learned how to create Southeast Asian flavors.
Ding and co-owner Josh Frank, both originally classical musicians, also own several other restaurants in the city. Din played viola and Frank played trumpet. Ding emphasized that music is not that different from cooking. Both are “all about the process…knowing the parts and knowing how to make all the materials work and balance.” I really enjoy the relationship between these two disciplines. ”
Ding and Frank want The Expat to remain “a local living room for the community we live in.”
Singapore noodles cost $16.
cooking: singapore noodles
restaurant: The Expat (Morningside Heights, 64 Tiemann Place at Claremont Avenue)
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