Dish finder in New York

Boiled, then baked: chewy, dense and better than anywhere else. Order it toasted only if it is not fresh, and add lox for the classic.

The bodega breakfast: fried egg, bacon and melted cheese in a soft roll, made at the counter in minutes. Ask for salt, pepper and ketchup, said as one word.

Thin, wide and foldable, reheated in the oven and eaten standing. A plain cheese slice is how you judge a place.

Brined, smoked and steamed beef piled into a sandwich at a Jewish deli, with mustard and a pickle on the side. One is enough for two.

Minced beef and onions chopped on the griddle with melted cheese, in a hero roll with lettuce and tomato. A Harlem and Bronx bodega classic.

From the halal carts on Manhattan corners: spiced chicken on yellow rice with white sauce. Go easy on the red sauce.

Flushing, Queens, has one of the largest Chinese communities in the country, and its food halls sell dumplings by the dozen for very little.

Tibetan and Nepali dumplings with a chilli dip, from the restaurants and carts around 74th Street.

Flaky golden pastry filled with spiced minced beef, sold in Caribbean bakeries and pizzerias. Ask for it in coco bread.

Kosher-style beef frank from a cart or a Coney Island counter, with mustard, sauerkraut or stewed onions.

Smoked salmon, sable and whitefish salad sliced to order at the old appetizing shops of the Lower East Side and Upper West Side. Weekend brunch with bagels.

Crisp chickpea fritters in pita with tahini and salad, from carts and counters across the city. A cheap, reliable meat-free lunch.

Dense, rich and baked with cream cheese on a biscuit base. Plain is the version to try first.

A soft, cakey cookie iced half chocolate, half vanilla, sold in delis and bakeries all over the city.