Hu Kitchen: Organic Healthy Restaurant in Downtown NYC

Awning sign for Hu Kitchen that says "Food For Humans" in downtown NYC

It’s easy to poke a little fun at Hu Kitchen, the newest NYC downtown restaurant. They’re known for serving what they call, “Food for Humans” that’s pre-industrial, pre-agrarian cuisine in a bi-level and attractively rustic space near Union Square. What is “Pre-Industrial, Pre-Agrarian Cuisine?” It’s using kitchen tools like blenders for smoothies. Hu Kitchen’s co-owners and siblings, Jordan Brown and Jessica Karp, want to celebrate the taste of food in its most natural state; unprocessed, raw or even when it’s cooked. There’s lots of fresh fruit and veggies but also grass-fed meat. Most of the menu is low-carb or no-carb and Hu Kitchen is largely a gluten-free restaurant. So what is their most important ingredient? Everything is prepared with love, because deliciousness is as important as healthiness at Hu Kitchen. 

Dual level dining area at Hu Kitchen and organic healthy restaurant in downtown NYC

A Delicious Organic NYC Restaurant

We checked out Hu Kitchen a few days after it opened, and were very happy with our food. It was both savory and especially sweet. The staff is friendly and incredibly helpful and patient with our six hundred questions about the menu. The space itself, which projects a welcoming, laid-back vibe, encouraging patrons to linger at the upstairs tables and the bar up front also seems equally adept at getting you in and out in a hurry. So if you’re looking to sit down for a leisurely gluten free meal, get some healthy and satisfying food in a hurry or grabbing a to-go meal on your lunch break, Hu Kitchen has lots of options.

Their dining experience includes juice bar, a mash bar (that’s yogurt, granola, or (non-dairy) pudding with lots of sweet and fruity topping options), a coffee bar, and a beer and wine bar. Made-to-order meals are served hot and cold and prepared foods like baked goods and chocolates are sold by the plate or by the pound. With so many options what’s the Hu Kitchen common thread? Everything on the menu is good and good for you.

Chefs at Hu Kitchen serving to-go plates in a cafeteria style kitchen line

Close-up of the turkey meatloaf meatballs smothered in barbeque sause on a divider cardboard plate from Hu Kitchen in downtown NYC

Healthy Food is Tasty Food at Hu Kitchen

Given the smattering of dishes we tried from the Hu Kitchen menu, so far they are succeeding at making good food tasty too. For dinner we headed straight for the Meals counter and came away with a slightly dry but plenty flavorful Turkey Meatloaf (more like, turkey meatballs pictured above) with sweet BBQ sauce, and two solid sides of a hearty Cauliflower Puree with Toasted Buckwheat (a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes) and a pile of crunchy, garlicky kale. Eating in the upstairs dining area, we found it to be a really pleasant place to hang out, but the real star of our Hu Kitchen experience was the dessert. We raided the Mash Bar for a chia chocolate pudding, crunchy almond butter and blondie bits sundae and couldn't have been happier with our choice. We even found ourselves craving this dish long after we left Hu Kitchen.        

Close-up spoonful of chocolate pudding, crunchy almond butter and blondie bits sundae at Hu Kitchen in downtown NYC

Where Do I Get "Food For Humans"

Hu Kitchen is located on Fifth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets. It's open Monday thru Friday from 7am to 10pm and on weekends opening at 8am on Saturday and 9am on Sunday. For more information, including Brown and Karp's food philosophy and a look at the complete Hu Kitchen Menu visit their website at HuKitchen.com.

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