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Ethnic Eats

© Jeanne-Michele Vigna

Whenever I get heartsick for Germany, I march myself over to Hallo Berlin in midtown for some wurst and pilsner. Owned by Rolf and Bernadette Babiel, this restaurant has an excellent selection of sausages, schnitzels and sauerbraten, as well as German beers. No meal is over $15 in this place and you'll be full for days on whatever entrée you choose. The best deal by far is the Hoyerswerdaer Schnitzel for $8.95. A breaded chicken cutlet accompanied by German fries, red cabbage, fried onions and a spicy gypsy sauce. Following in a close second is the Two Wurst - your choice of boiled or fried sausages from knockwurst to brockwurst to the specialized Berlin currywurst - also with a variety of sides such as cucumber and greenbean salad and German potato salad. All entrees come with a bowl of soup and bread and butter. If you are not in the mood for a whole entrée, you can have your choice of wurst for at the most $3.50. Each sausage comes with a roll, red cabbage, sauerkraut, onions and mustard. There are two locations both near each other but vastly different. The one on 10th and 45th street is larger and more modern than the original Hallo Berlin on West 51st Street, which is more like a roadside stand with tables on the street.

Also in midtown west is Bali Nusa Indah, which offers fresh, tasty Indonesian meals in a pleasant setting. Some interesting dishes include Javanese fisherman's soup; corn fritters flavored with shrimp; nasi goreng, the Indonesian version of fried rice, and ayam opor, chicken chunks in coconut sauce. My favorite is the rendang padang - big chunks of beef slow-cooked in a dark chile sauce. [Entrees for under $10]

While many people think of meatloaf and macaroni and cheese as comfort food, for me it is Thai. And since I can't make it to Pagoda in Berlin (my favorite Thai restaurant) I make the journey to Pongsri Thai. There are three of these in New York City, but my favorite is in Chinatown, which oddly enough is referred to as Thailand Restaurant. Although there is a lengthy Thai menu with soups, noodle dishes and vegetarian dishes, it is the great big bowls of curries, such as green curried chicken with coconut milk and basil that are the best here. Beat the heat from the spicy dish with a tall glass of Thai iced tea. Curries run for under $9 and will fill you up for the whole day.

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