Sevan Restaurant

ARMENIA 🇦🇲

Photos by Sasha Maslov for The Queens Tribune.

This article originally appeared in the 06 December 2018 edition of The Queens Tribune:

When the restaurant is not busy and Arthur Matevosyan is not needed in the kitchen, you will probably find him next door at the attached grocery and bakery that has existed alongside his dining room at Sevan since opening in 2005. In this small shop you can find plenty of Armenian and Mediterranean treasures: canned and bottled goods as well as fresh cheese, nuts, spices, jams and cured meats. The baked treasures can be purchased here for takeaway as well, including Armenian lahmajun (flatbread meat pies) and cheese or spinach borek (savory triangles of phyllo dough).

Despite not being formally trained as a chef, Arthur has been in and around kitchens since he was young. His father operated a small restaurant in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, where he first started to soak up the knowledge of what made eaters happy.

Overlooking the busy Long Island Expressway, Sevan gets its name from the high-altitude freshwater lake that takes up a considerable portion of the country and is backed in the northern and eastern shores by snow-capped mountain peaks. During my travels in Armenia, residents of the landlocked country would refer to the lake as the “Armenian Sea” and always seemed to hold it in a spiritually high regard. Being only a little more than an hour from Yerevan, its beaches and hotels are used by Armenians all year round. A visit without eating the famous Sevan trout would be considered a waste. The trout on the menu here in Queens is not imported from Lake Sevan, but is probably the closest you can get in this country.

Armenians in New York and New Jersey are spread out and do not centralize in any one place, but Sevan is convenient to those in the eastern regions of Queens and farther east into Nassau County. Over the years, the shop and dining room have swapped orientations so that more room could be added for a growing customer base. Arthur tells me that about 60 percent of his patrons are Armenian, and many of them come up to him to chat during our conversations. On one day, the birthday party of a 90-year-old customer is taking place in the covered patio area behind the building, complete with traditional music and dance.

The restaurant sets itself up best for large groups like this, as many of the meat and fish entrées and kebab platters are quite large. Bring a group of at least six or eight if you can to help unlock some of the secrets like succulent lamb chops, which come out on their skewers surrounding a blazing central fire. Combo kebab plates are the best way to sample the wide range of steak, pork, chicken, lamb, quail and lule (ground beef). The 40 percent of customers who are not Armenian might gravitate towards some of the Mediterranean foods they find more familiar, but resist the urge and stick to Arthur’s Armenian meats, pastries and salads. Everything is spiced with products he imports from his home country, allowing other Armenians to really get a good taste of home instead of a substitution or knockoff.

The combination of these spices and exact recipes remain a family secret to this day, and only Arthur’s wife knows what goes into the marinades, which have evolved over time since his father operated the restaurant in Yerevan. The meats are soaked for days before being served. No extra sauces for dipping are necessary as the cuts of fresh meat are also perfectly tender. Simple dishes like his Armenian salad also use a blend of his herbs and spices over a pile of tomato, onion and cucumber cubes. Cured meats like basturma sirloin and sujuk beef sausage are bombs of more of this unique flavor.

You will find Russian pelmeni (dumplings) on the menu here—and these are certainly popular with Armenians—but opt for the manti instead, tiny homemade meat dumplings that are drizzled with garlicky yogurt and fresh tomato sauce. All of the kebabs are served with rice or fries and laid over a freshly baked pita that you are expected to use. This nicely soaks in juices from the meat, so be sure to tear off pieces of this bread for rounded bites.

Not on the menu, but kept around for those who are interested, are both sweet Armenian wine and malty beer. After your meal, strong Armenian coffee and regional desserts like baklava and kataifi are ready to satisfy your sweet tooth if you still have room. If you have not already become friends, around this time Arthur will have certainly come to check in to make sure everyone at the table is satisfied. He is proud of the food here at his restaurant and also of his country, and will go to great lengths to make sure the rest of us leave feeling the same way.

The following photos were taken at an earlier visit by Eat the World NYC:

Cheese borek

Steak and chicken kebabs with potato

Lule kebab

Lamb chops

Baklava

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BAYSIDE Queens
216-07 Horace Harding Expy

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Namak Mandi

PAKISTAN 🇵🇰

This stretch of Queens is usually experienced at 50+ miles per hour flying by on the Long Island Expressway. Namak Mandi understands this and has built a high sign to vie for the attention of passing commuters. It was this that caught my attention a couple months back, and led to an exploration of the name later, as well as an eventual return.

In modern times, Namak Mandi is a bustling neighborhood in central Peshawar. This city is situated in Northern Pakistan, close to the Afghanistan border and the famous Khyber Pass. The name means something like "salt market," which is somewhat of an understatement as the old Namak Mandi was the hub of the entire region's trade in salt.

Now the neighborhood of Namak Mandi is known for many types of market vendors but also for its delicious restaurants that specialize in meat dishes. Among residents, it is the ultimate destination for restaurants specializing in tikkay and karahi.

On the menu of this Auburndale, Queens restaurant is a drawing of Bab-e-Khyber, the stone gate that stands at the entrance to the Khyber Pass and represents the importance of the region's trade. Underneath is the simple promise: "The real taste of Namak Mandi."

Karahis will take a full 45 minutes to prepare, so either order ahead or try some of their delicious samosas ($4.99, above) to control the pre-meal hunger. These freshly fried triangles of ground beef are an excellent deal for four even if the final price is $1 more than the menu showed. The mint chutney should be applied liberally on these and kept for the karahi as well.

Their tea comes pre-brewed with milk, but sugar is served on the side in the form of an entirely full cup. Needless to say, the average customer makes it very sweet.

You may find various karahi dishes, named for the wok-like cooking vessel, in parts of India and Pakistan, but Peshawar prides itself in having the absolute best. Here at Namak Mandi, the special of the house are these Peshawari-style karahis, available in mutton, lamb (khaddi kabab), and chicken. Mutton is the most sought after cuts and the most expensive, a two person mutton karahi (above and below) runs $24.99.

Seated at a restaurant in the thin alleys of Peshawar's Namak Mandi, you would see your chosen animal hanging in the window before selecting, cooking, and eating. Here in Queens, the first two parts of this take place in the kitchen out of sight, with only the faint sounds of the large serving spoon scratching the karahi in the final stages of preparation.

In such a large vessel, the arrival of the two person portion almost seems underwhelming, but the chunks of meat end up being plenty. Order some of their soft naan ($0.99) and dig in with your hands. The meats are all still on the bone, so there is no way to keep your fingers clean even if you tried.

The base of the sauce and seasoning are tomatoes, which give the dish a slightly sour taste. This combines well with the spicy peppers, scallions, and cilantro that are also used. It all ends up being very oily, but in a heavenly way that naan is perfect for scooping.

On this frigid day, we seemed to be the first customers and entered a basically unheated restaurant. The switch was turned on though, and by the time our karahi arrived warm air was starting to circulate and some other customers were coming in for mostly takeout. Our toes were just starting to thaw when it was time to go back outside with our bellies full. Next visits will have to sample the tikka dishes as well, the other most well known food of Peshawar's Namak Mandi.

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AUBURNDALE Queens

184-02 Horace Harding Expy

To Soc Chon 토속촌

KOREA 🇰🇷

What happens when you boil a pig's intestines and stuff it with cellophane noodles, barley, and pork blood? Well, you get soondae, of course. And now you know about the specialty of the house at Bayside's newest Korean restaurant To Soc Chun, which also has an outpost in Fort Lee, New Jersey [UPDATE: This location has moved to Palisades Park].

As almost the only customer in for a late lunch, the service seemed a little overbearing, but this could also have just been concern for the poor fellow who walked in on some unknown Korean food. My waitress made some good recommendations, and I selected far more than I could possibly imagine eating. Even before those dishes arrived, a presentation of the following arrived:

In lieu of a full complement of banchan, a large plate of kimchi arrived with a small iceberg lettuce salad, as well as herbs and spices to use with the dishes. On the far left of the above photo were chives, and on the far right is crushed green pepper and red pepper paste. Finding the right mixtures of these in the soup is pretty fun. In the middle is a small pinch of salt and a bowl of salted shrimp that is good for dipping in pieces of pork and soondae (below).

Jung-sik refers to a course of food, and the soondae jungsik ($12.99, above and below 3 photos) is a course for one person that includes the appetizer plate above and the soup below. I was told this is a good hangover cure, and also is popular during the overnight hours with drinkers. The waitress will soon come and snip the pork into smaller pieces for you, perfect for dipping.

The soondae itself (below) is slightly tinny as blood sausage can be, and seems very fresh. I would be a bit afraid to order this at the wrong place.

The soup is very mild and filled with more pork and soondae. Add in portions of each spice to get the perfect taste to suit your mood. While it is definitely not the most complex or intense of flavoring, the soup is very warm and comforting. I could tell this would be a good food to be eating after a long night, especially during a colder time.

The other dish ordered when I could not decide between the two was dakdori tang ($11.99, below), a fiery soup with chicken, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. After eating half of the other soup, I was not expecting the spice and almost choked after shoving a mouthful in quickly. Once I became acclimated to it, the dish was beautiful, with moist pieces of chicken still on the bone and a very hearty stew.

The menu here is very limited, perhaps "specialized" is a better term. I tried two of the five dishes available in single serving portions. They also do larger casseroles for groups with many of the same ingredients. The menu is good value especially considering all the extras they bring you, and is the same day and night. I can imagine the levels of conversation are a bit louder, but you can come here at 3am just like I came at 3pm, as they are open 24 hours everyday.

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BAYSIDE Queens

43-30 Bell Boulevard

PALISADES PARK New Jersey
138 West Central Blvd

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Oceania Street Armenian Festival

ARMENIA 🇦🇲

For 55 years now, the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs on the southern edge of Bayside has been having its quaint fundraiser right outside the church on Oceania Street. A large tent houses all the food on offer, with grills making everyone nearby smell like kebabs by the time they leave.

The grounds on this beautiful September are less loud and greasy than a normal street parade. The church has a few vendors selling Armenian gifts and souvenirs, as well as a desserts tent to go along with the meals. Two very large tents for seating are constructed in the middle, and that is where everyone is hanging out, during and after their lunch. This is where New York City accents, Queens lives, and Armenian descent all intersect.

The name of the game at the tent seemed to be kebabs, as the multiple grills would attest. Unfortunately they only sold them as a $15 platter of two kebabs with sides of rice pilaf and grilled vegetables. I wanted to try an assortment of items, and my plea to buy just one kebab a la carte was denied.

Instead, I let my clothes take in as much smoke as I could and inhaled the kebab platter, opting instead to purchase a variety of smaller things to sample. The kharpert kufte ($5, below) bills itself as Armenian stuffed meatballs and screamed out to be tried. When at first I was given two of the tiny creatures on my large plate, I frowned and asked if that was all. Fortunately these two little guys opened up the opportunity to sample from the platter dishes though, and I heaped on some pilaf and onions to keep them company.

Once open, the doughy exterior revealed ground beef and a couple random pine nuts. The meat was intensely spiced, and needed to be given the small size of the meatball. These are very good, and I could have eaten about twenty if I happened to find a $100 bill on the street.

The lahmajun ($3, below) is a thin lamb pie with very mild spicing. I found it a far cry from its much tastier Turkish brother, and rather bland. Unfortunately it did not help that the thing also seemed stale.

While not quite as tasty as the meatballs, the most fun of my lunch came while eating the dolma ($5, below), a meatless dish consisting of pilaf and spices stuffed into a green pepper. I cut it open and started eating, to realize that the dish is served cold, somewhat of a surprise. It still felt festive though, and a man even approached me coveting mine, despite the fact that they were readily available. The consistency and spicing of the pilaf reminded me a lot of oatmeal and I swear I could even taste cinnamon. By the end of it, the dish had really grown on me.

The 2013 festival took place on Saturday, the 7th of September.

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BAYSIDE Queens

Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs

209-15 Horace Harding Expressway