[title]
New York’s pop-up economy moves fast: if you blink, you’ll miss the drop, the collab or the dish everyone suddenly won’t stop talking about. This week, 8it put some order to the chaos, releasing the winners of its 4th annual 8it Awards, a snapshot of the pop-ups, chefs and one-off dishes that defined the city’s underground food scene over the past year.
Best New Pop-Up went to M’Maht, the Cambodian food project of Bronx-born chef Pauline Buth. The pop-up is rooted in Khmer home cooking and street food, drawing directly from Buth’s family history and her grandmother’s cooking. Operating out of rotating spaces like Commune in Brooklyn and Greenpoint's Lise & Vito, M'Maht's menus have featured dishes like soy-garlic wings, boklahom (Cambodian papaya salad), grilled coconut corn and olive oil pandan cake.
Hustler of the Year was awarded to DM Dinners, Dan Mollitor’s roaming dinner series known for strict guest lists and pop-ups that sell out largely on reputation alone. Most Consistently Delicious went to Piscator, Mason Acevedo’s seafood-focused project.
Some of the biggest recognitions landed on individual dishes. Drop of the Year went to the Knafeh Pancake from Hen House, a limited-run item that gained traction beyond its original pop-up window. Collab of the Year honored the Jerk Chicken Patacon by CMarty’s Jerk and Titi’s Empanadas, a crossover that combined two established pop-ups into a single hot-ticket menu item.
The awards also tracked what happens when pop-ups outgrow the format. Bong, led by Chakriya Un and Alexander Chaparro, won Poppin’ Off, marking its move from years of Cambodian pop-ups around New York State toward a permanent restaurant focused on dishes like kuy teav and num pang paté.
Other category winners rounded out the ecosystem. Loser’s Eating House took Best Pastry Pop-Up. Lise & Vito was named Pop-Up Lifter for consistently hosting and supporting emerging chefs. BagelFest won Best of the Fests, reflecting its evolution into a serious competition rather than a novelty event. CMarty’s Jerk also earned Best Pop-Up Marketing, while Papi Tropical claimed the People’s Choice Award.
Even back-of-house labor was recognized, with Juan Lopez of Bar Americano and Arroces named Dishwasher of the Year.