Referring to someone or a group of people as “the 1%” is typically considered negative, invoking thoughts of unnecessary space travel and iguana steaks at Illuminati-esque parties. But when a new counter-service place like Native Noodles in Washington Heights opens up, it deserves its own special tier. Meet the 1% of NYC counter-service restaurants: Zooba, Teranga, Fat Choy, and now, Native Noodles. This small Singaporean place started out at the Queens Night Market before opening on Amsterdam Avenue in early 2021, and it still serves the same great Southeast Asian food that can be especially hard to find in Upper Manhattan. While it started off as takeout only, Native Noodles has expanded with a few tables both inside and out where you can take your time exploring dishes like crispy crab buns and chili crab pasta. Both dishes pack in an inordinate amount of shellfish, to the extent that you might worry about the shellfish feds coming after you for unrealized crustacean gains. No need to worry about that completely made-up investment term. Just order this appetizer-entree combo, and you can enjoy a filling meal with these two items alone. But then you’d miss out on the spicy, creamy laksa with tofu puffs and the tender honey-roasted pork that you should add to any rice or noodle bowl (either at Native Noodles or at home when making weekly stir-fries). The roti john, popularized by Singaporean hawkers in the 1970s, is another must-order. It’s sort of like Singapore’s version of a chopped cheese crossed with a breakfast sandwich, and the one at Native Noodles comes with a sweet, spicy chili ketchup. In the future, we can only hope that there’s a Native Noodles near our office or close to any apartment we move into. It may belong in the upper echelon of counter-service spots in NYC, but don’t let that intimidate you. This is an elite option for a casual weeknight dinner. Everything on the menu is under $15, and you’ll experience riches in the form of excessively-stuffed bowls of crab.