New York City: Piggyback (February 2020)



My spouse and I visited Piggyback for dinner on a Saturday evening in mid-February 2020. Piggyback is open daily for dinner as well as for weekday lunch. Guests can book a spot using the online Open Table reservation system. 

Piggyback opened in January 2020 on West 30th Street between 7th and 6th Avenues in Midtown South/Chelsea/Koreatown, not far from Madison Square Garden. (We were attending a concert at MSG after our meal, and Piggyback provided a quality dining option nearby that accepted reservations.) Chef Leah Cohen and her husband Ben Byruch own Piggyback, along with older sister restaurant Pig & Khao on the Lower East Side (see our separate review from May 2017). Previous to December 2019, Piggback was located in Jersey City. Chef Cohen attended the CIA before working for renowned chefs like Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park and Anne Burrell at Centro Vinoteca before/between traveling extensively and working in both Italy and Southeast Asia (she is half-Filipino). Chef Cohen has competed in the Bravo TV show “Top Chef”. 

Piggyback occupies the street level of a dense row of buildings. The main dining space is long but narrow, with some tables near the front windows, a long L-shaped bar, a semi-open kitchen with tables adjacent (some of which share a banquette on one side), and additional stand-alone tables in the rear. Exposed brick walls, an antique tin ceiling, and Asian murals, newspapers, advertisements, and posters create interesting décor. Adjoining event space called the Wayback Bar adjoins the back of the Piggyback dining room.

Piggyback serves Asian cuisine. We shared two dishes: the Okie Toast (shrimp, cabbage, fish flakes, and mayo atop thick softly toasted bread [similar to the texture of shrimp toast]) and the Choeng Chee See Ew (rolled rice noodles, egg, pork belly, bean sprouts). Piggyback has a full liquor license, so you can enjoy wine, beer (even some on draft), and cocktails. 

We enjoyed our dinner at Piggyback; the service, food, and atmosphere made for a pleasant experience.










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