8it Slam Dunk Contest: 8 Most Dunkable Dishes in NYC
Is the NBA dunk contest washed? A G-League player won this year, and no offense Mac McLung, but you ain’t no Jordan, Kobe, Dr. J or Vince. If the NBA Dunk contest left you with a bad taste in your mouth, we have just the thing - give your Reeboks a pump or two, as we are about to bring you a court-side view of NYC's most dunkable dishes. From birria tacos to delicious hand rolls and everything in between, we're gonna break down the top 8 dishes that would score a perfect 50 in any food dunking contest. Get ready to taste victory as you take these to the rim!
This article is just a small taste of the 🔥 dishes on 8it. Hit the green button at the bottom of this article to explore all NYC’s top dish recos, new dish drops and food pop-ups on the 8it app.
Tacos
Birria-Landia
📸: Adam Friedlander
Birria tacos have had a major come up in the past few years, from the G-league to the All-Star game. And there is arguably no dip more delicious to have on its own than a hot and rich consume. These tacos at Birria-Landia are the epitome of birria brilliance; corn tortilla envelopes of tender beef dunked into a deep and tangy broth. You wanna dunk these deep like Vince Carter; submerge your whole arm in the consume to mop up all the flavor.
This dish is recommended by: Infatuation
French Dip
Saigon Social
📸: @saigonsocial
We have a new school twist on an old school dunk. Kind of like how every few years a young buck comes out and tries to copy Dr. J/Jordan’s famous free throw line dunk. But this combo is more successful than any of those remixes. Take a French dip, but add some Vietnamese herbs and dip into an effervescent pho broth - 10s all around!
This dish is recommended by: 8it
Hand Rolls
KazuNori
📸: @kazunorisushi
KazuNori (from the Sugarfish team) considers themselves the OGs of the hand roll game, claiming to be “the original hand roll bar.” Find a seat at the counter, grab one of these delectable nori rolls, dunk ever so slightly into some soy sauce and like another OG, Dr. J, finger roll them into your mouth for a tasty classic bite.
This dish is recommended by: Infatuation
Mozzarella Sticks
Barano
📸: @baranobk
Crispy outside, gooey inside, it's like a flavor slam dunk in your mouth. With these sticks, cheese is the MVP. But don’t sleep on the marinara sauce, an unsung hero, providing the flavor alley-oop. These are some big boy mozzarella sticks too - enough to feed Paolo Banchero, Danilo Gallinari and Simone Fontecchio.
This dish is recommended by: 8it Family Meal
Jumbo BBQ Wings
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
📸: @bolstermedianyc
You can’t have an all-time dunkable food list without wings. Not only are they the quintessential dunking food, but they are the perfect sports watching dish as well. Dinosaur BBQ brings some Dwight Howard size wings to the table too. These mammoth wings are tossed on the grill until the fatty and rich skin is perfectly rendered. Maybe the Superman of wings?
This dish is recommended by: Grub Street
Shrimp & Cabbage Spring Rolls
House of the Red Pearl
📸: Reece 8it
In a spring roll, shrimp and cabbage are like a Stockton to Malone dream team duo. These spring rolls specifically are perfectly crunchy with a mouthwatering apricot-ginger mustard on the side. Tomahawk dunk these into the mustard, which will hit your taste buds with a crossover of spice and sweetness.
This dish is recommended by: 8it
Frickles
Gotham Burger
📸: @steve8it
These little dudes are giving major Spudd Web vibes. Small packages, but punching way above their weight. There is a perfect crisp on these vinegary fried pickles - pro tip, dunk them into the blue-cheese sauce. No need to thank us for the assist.
This dish is recommended by: 8it
Vegan Queso
Yellow Rose
📸: @yellowrose.nyc
He probably won’t be in the Dunk Contest at this point, but someone call up plant-based eater Chris Paul because he will want to do some acrobatic dunks into this vegan queso. With a hint of smokey chipotle flavor, piled with cilantro, spicy peppers and made of cashew cheese queso that melts like the real thing - this dip could make Paul start asking for a trade to the Knicks!
This dish is recommended by: 8it
