This vibrant, laid-back spot offers a delightful fusion of Asian-inspired dishes and creative cocktails, perfect for a casual meal or party gathering.
"Top Chef season five contestant Leah Cohen runs not one but three New York City restaurants. Her second is the casual pan-Asian street food spot Piggyback by Pig & Khao in between Chelsea and Koreatown. Think: steak frites with Isan sauce; Korean honey butter chicken wings; and eggplant and cabbage pancakes. She also runs Pig & Khao with two locations." - Nadia Chaudhury
"Piggyback opened in early 2020, and has managed to hang on and even swell in popularity in the interim. Chef Leah Cohen, who’s also behind Lower East Side Pig & Khao, uses Piggyback as her place to play with a variety of Southeast Asian fare — fried pho, lemongrass branzino, a wonton mee loaded with noodles and braised pork belly, and a lamb rendang, things often absent from the downtown menu. There’s a comfortable bar handy to the transportation hub, if you just want a mixed drink." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff
"Piggyback is an “Asian-inspired” restaurant from the people behind Pig and Khao, and it’s one of the best dining options within walking distance of Penn Station. Grab some lumpia, honey butter wings with gochujang glaze, and lamb rendang with roti before a show at the Garden, or stop by for a drink and a snack with a friend. The space has mural-covered walls and a big bar up front, and the soundtrack includes everything from hip hop to disco." - Bryan Kim, Willa Moore, Kenny Yang, Neha Talreja
"The Deal: $22 for 90 minutes of unlimited mimosas with purchase of one entrée. If you don’t feel like trekking to the LES for Pig & Khao’s party brunch, you can always go to Piggyback, their sister restaurant near Penn Station. There’s a lot more space here, and it’s set up like a clubhouse with multiple, mural-covered rooms, couches, and a big bar up front. You have an hour and a half to down as many mimosas as you can, and the disco soundtrack gets increasingly louder as the afternoon goes on. In addition to some of their all-day favorites, like smoked duck ramen, the brunch menu has stuff like a breakfast sandwich with Thai sausage, and a longanisa bowl. " - Neha Talreja, Bryan Kim
"Offshoot of Pig & Khao, Piggyback is Leah Cohen’s second restaurant; she competed on Top Chef and has won numerous awards. The lunch specials here mostly fall below $20, and include a fried chicken sandwich smothered in southern Thai curry, and a Vietnamese caramel salmon bowl. 140 W. 30th Street, near Seventh Avenue" - Robert Sietsema
