The Expat, a Restaurant and Bar Serving Southeast Asian Comfort Food, Opens Just South of Columbia’s Manhattanville Campus

June 13, 2019

The Expat, a neighborhood restaurant and bar serving Southeast Asian comfort food, is the latest eatery to open as part of Columbia University’s retail lineup in West Harlem and Morningside Heights.

Located at 195 Claremont Avenue (southwest corner of Claremont Avenue and Tiemann Place) – just south of Columbia’s growing Manhattanville campus – The Expat’s owners describe it as a cozy neighborhood watering hole offering a unique take on Southeast Asian food. A short selection of small plates will be offered for the first month, including five spice pulled pork nachos with homemade nachos, crystal shrimp dumplings, a Thai sausage charcuterie board with homemade pickles, a Green Goddess salad with an herbal coconut avocado dressing, and more. Future offerings will include iconic dishes such as beef rendang from Indonesia known as the ‘King of curries,’ classic Thai curries and noodles dishes.

The restaurant, which seats 40 for table service and has an official capacity of 60, will also offer bookings for private events and a separate catering menu. The Expat’s soft opening kicked off this week with limited evening hours of 4:30 p.m. to midnight through approximately the end of June, expanding to include lunch later this summer.

The Expat comes to the neighborhood from the same owners and operators of other popular spots including The Handpulled Noodle and The Chipped Cup in Hamilton Heights and Tampopo Ramen in Washington Heights.

Columbia University owns and manages retail space across the Morningside and Manhattanville campuses, and its long-standing approach to its retail tenants favors local businesses, like The Expat, that bring a variety of amenities and experiences to the diverse Columbia community, the wider local community and visitors.

The Expat joins Dear Mama Coffee, Elysian Fields Café, and e’s BAR as other Columbia University retail tenants to have recently opened in the Morningside Heights and Manhattanville neighborhoods.

More information about the Expat can be found at theexpat.nyc, on Facebook at @theexpatny, and on Instagram at @theexpatny.