Eat the World NYC: New Jersey

Showing posts with label New Jersey. Show all posts

27 June 2022

Los Cuñados Mexican Prada

MÉXICO 🇲🇽

📍 195 Monroe Street, Passaic, New Jersey

EDITOR'S NOTE: I was originally working on a piece about this market and weekend barbacoa purveyor at the end of 2019 and as the pandemic began in 2020. It was going to be a bigger project to pitch to a local outlet because of the special nature of the place and people. As things ground to a halt and I eventually moved to Los Angeles in summer of that year, it obviously fell through the cracks. The restaurant is still operating and expanding, and should be part of your plans if it has not been already.

The first and most important thing you should know about eating barbacoa in the back room of this otherwise sleepy Passaic market is that like in the most popular spots in México, you need to plan on being here by mid-morning at the latest. Any later than that and the most coveted cuts of lamb have already been purchased by families who came closer to 06:00, just after the restaurant opens on Saturdays and Sundays.

Since barbacoa made right requires cooking overnight, it is a weekend morning tradition, and groups start filling tables here as soon as the sun is up (and before in winter). Lamb and goat barbacoa makes their way onto some menus in New York City and New Jersey, but more likely than not these preparations do not involve the proper rubs, high quality meats, and long slow cooking that make for the best. And that is of course why people are not lining up at those places like they are here.

The restaurant sells both lamb barbacoa and carnitas by the pound on weekends, orders of which are served with freshly made tortillas, salsas both red and green, limes, pickled peppers and onions, and cilantro. Many people take their booty home to share with family, but you can eat here just as easily if you are coming from far away.

It would be wise to include at least one bowl of consomé to an order, made from the overnight lamb fat drippings and fortified with chickpeas and many hearty bits of meat. Dunk your extra tortillas in this oily extravagance, going back and forth between self-prepared tacos de barbacoa and the consomé seems like the business of heaven.

You can also come for prepared tacos if you desire (below), without the commitment of pounds of meat. They make big tacos on their large fluffy homemade tortillas sold individually, perfect for anyone coming alone. These are available for both barbacoa and carnitas, and again if you come early enough you can select your preferred cuts of each.

The only negative comments that seem to be spoken about the restaurant are the relatively high prices, but the quality and care seem to brush these aside almost immediately for those that know the difference. The old phrase "you get what you pay for" is quite appropriate for a good meal here.

🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

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15 August 2020

Kamil's Lebanese Cuisine

LEBANON 🇱🇧

[COVID-19 UPDATE: Kamil's is open for takeout and delivery. Their large, well-designed back garden is now open for outdoor dining.]

Kamil's, which has always had a great following for indoor and outdoor dining and hookah, has adapted to 2020 fairly well by the look of things. Opening up the front door, you may not believe this, as the interior dining room is now a ghost town. But come in the evening and their large back garden is full of people enjoying their meals outdoors in Clifton.

For those still not comfortable with that, or preferring to eat at home, the takeout operation is going strong and works quite efficiently. Call in your order and it will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, grabbed at the cashier and getting you on your way.

This was the strategy for a recent takeout order that picked up an array of dishes that made for three or four meals over the course of the next few days.

As seen above, the meal centered around an order of Kamil's mixed grill ($21.95), a platter of grilled lamb chops as well as lamb, beef, and chicken kebabs all served with rice, pickles, and side of toum to slather across everything. The rice is full of more garlic, and a lot of butter, and could not be more decadent. Each piece of meat is marinaded and grilled quite well.

As with any respectable Lebanese meal, there were cold meze for dipping. The sour yogurt lebneh with garlic ($5.95, above, bottom left), sweet roasted Aleppo pepper muhammara ($5.95, above, top center), and chickpea-overload mousabaha ($4.95, above, middle-right) made a formidable combination, covering all the bases.

An order of arayes with sujok & cheese ($6.95, above, bottom right) rounded out the meal and was delicious, although for next time it is recommended to pull this out of the order and eat immediately.

🇱🇧🇱🇧🇱🇧
CLIFTON New Jersey
1489 Main Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

04 August 2020

Cha Cha Cha Cuban Café

CUBA 🇨🇺

[COVID-19 UPDATE: As seen in the photo above, there are a few seats in front if you would like to enjoy your food, but Cha Cha Cha is doing primarily pickup and delivery service at the moment.]

Having never been here before restrictions were put into place for dine-in services, the joy and hospitality this room is most certainly full of cannot be independently confirmed. But even in these days opening the door is much more like stepping into the kitchen of a friend rather than a restaurant.

The staff is busy cooking and sorting lunch orders coming in on the phone and various apps, but never stops being friendly and accommodating, even apologizing that the indoor tables are unavailable when a takeout order is ready.

The cute interior can hopefully be enjoyed soon.

When the dining room is back open, it will be with great pleasure that a return visit will need to take place. Besides these good moods, the restaurant is full of cute reminders of Cuba (including bar stools made from real drums), great music, and artwork with scenes of home.

On this particular visit, food was being picked up for a trip down to the beach, but a few appetizers were necessary to take care of growling stomachs. This was a good opportunity to sit at a table in the front.

The plate above includes an empanada de pollo ($2.50, left) and an order of croquetas de hamon ($1.50, right, their spelling), along with two different types of mayo-based dipping sauces. The croquetas are fried to order and tasty, bites are rich with ham and pepper, and maybe a dash of nutmeg?

The empanadas are also fried in their Cuba renditions, but retain their moist meaty filling. You can also select them with picadillo, but this was full of shredded chicken. To be honest, neither of the snacks requires the sauces, each one full of its own spices that outshine the condiments.

After Florida, New Jersey saw the most migration from Cubans over the years and is no stranger to some of the best Cuban food around, including some very impressive cubanos. The cubano ($9.95, above, lunch price) at Cha Cha Cha checks all the right boxes: toasted right with the cheese oozing out, while the savory, sweet, and sourness of the ingredients all play off of each other perfectly.

When the pickle is allowed to dance and showcase itself like it is in this sandwich, happiness is usually quick to follow.

Amongst other dishes that are also available for lunch specials (Monday through Friday, 11:00-14:30) is the lovely ropa vieja ($10.95, above). This shredded and spiced flank steak is cooked in a savory creole sauce and also takes hints of sour from its olives.

For those that are fascinated by Latin American rices and how each country can create its own taste within them, you will not be disappointed by the ample portion here. Scoops of it with the black beans (both come with the ropa vieja) are enough to conjure up memories of sitting down at a restaurant right on the malecón. For now, the Jersey shore or some proximity to it, will have to suffice.

🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺
KENILWORTH New Jersey
292 South Michigan Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

22 June 2020

Cosina de Chencha

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(OAXACA)

[COVID-19 UPDATE: The chairs are still on top of the tables as seen below, but Cosina de Chencha is still cranking out orders for delivery and pickup daily, which has always been their main source of business.]

As reported from New Brunswick last summer: "New Brunswick, New Jersey, a growing town of about 57,000 people is most known for Rutgers University and surrounding area that firmly place it in the image of a "college town." But not far outside of the university section and the city's downtown, roads stretching south and west reveal where the growth in population is coming from, and an almost magical area containing one of the densest concentrations of Oaxacans on the east coast."

The interior is in much better shape.

During warm months, and when there is not a pandemic, you will see pastries being sold on the sidewalk. Many of these are familiar to folks who frequent panaderias, but some have names that reveal them as Oaxacan specialties and are much more rare outside of New Brunswick.

Step inside the small dining room to take a look at the menu and see more Oaxacan favorites like the gigantic tlayuda (below), which is available with or without meat. The massive wrappers, imported from Oaxaca, are folded over all the ingredients, and at least for takeout, the whole thing is chopped in half. As always, it takes a bit of skill and luck to get everything into your mouth without losing some to your jeans.

Also of note are the rare masa triangles from Oaxaca called tetelas ($2 each, above and below), antojitos that are filled with beans and cheese. These are satisfying snacks and always available.

The sad lonely tetela pictured here was a mistake, as he definitely deserves to have many friends. Purchase these by the dozen!

One of those baked goods you may find on the sidewalk when passing during better days is the empanada de lechesilla ($2.75, above and below), dusted with sugar and filled with a vanilla cream.

A set amount of these are made each day, and if lucky they will still be warm when you find them. On those days, place them directly into your mouth and enjoy.

🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
NEW BRUNSWICK New Jersey
333 Suydam Street

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

23 March 2020

COVID-19 Takeout and Delivery Ideas

SITE UPDATE/COVID-19

I obviously do not need to tell you what is happening in the world. I just wanted to mention that if you read this website but are not following us on social media, the @EattheWorldNYC Twitter feed has been going through each and every restaurant ever written on these pages and figuring out if they are offering takeout and/or delivery options right now.

Please follow us on Twitter for more:
https://twitter.com/EattheWorldNYC

If you are having reservations about ordering food right now, that is understandable. I found this article recently published on Serious Eats to be very informative concerning the safety of prepared foods right now and what you can do to keep yourself safe:
https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html

I hope you all are very well, and thank you for reading these pages over the years. I can't wait to get back to it.

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21 February 2020

Bikanervala

INDIA 🇮🇳

You would not know it when you see the bright colors and modern logo, but Bikanervala has over 100 years of history all going back to a simple shop that sold sweets and namkeen. That shop was just east of the present-day border with Pakistan in the small city of Bikaner in Rajasthan. The company now has almost 100 stores around the world and ships everywhere.

After expanding to Delhi in the 1950's and blowing up through the next few decades, the shop has stuck to its principles for the most part, still excelling with a good selection of sweets and namkeen. The menu has expanded somewhat, with more filling meal options, and the next time you are in Hyderabad, you can even stay at the boutique hotel that the company opened in Banjara Hills.

Pea samosa plate ($2.99, hard pass)

Despite its gloss, Bikanervala still sticks to an informal format. Small portions are served on disposable paper plates. Plastic cutlery is provided nearby. Place your order at the counter and wait for the robotic voice to call your number and say "Please take the meal."

While waiting, browse through their packaged goods section, just a taste of what you can have shipped just about anywhere in case you ever find yourself long distances from a branch.

At a normal dinner time, the bird's nest-like wonder tokri chaat was unavailable but the cashier recommended raj kachori ($7.99, above) as a stand-in. This worked pretty well, with all the flavors and crunchy textures you need from chaat. While in other parts of India, kachori is a spicy snack on its own, in Delhi it is usually served as a chaat dish, the namesake on top as a sweetened wet bread to add another layer than usual.

Having noticed the nightly special of a paneer kati roll, and many other dishes including cheese, this dairy product seemed to be a theme of the offerings. In this spirit and as a reason to get some naan ($2.99, below back), a bowl of paneer butter masala ($9.99, below) was added.

The butter masala had a nice and proper amount of heat to it and hit the spot, although the thin naan was unfortunately a bad companion. It will probably be a more wise move to stick to namkeen dishes on future visits and supplement these with orders from the large sweets case.

After all, this is the bread and butter of Bikanervala.

🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
JERSEY CITY New Jersey

815 Newark Avenue

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27 January 2020

Congolese Dinner in West Orange, NJ

REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 🇨🇬

So, for the sake of conversation, let's say there was a dinner invitation originating from West Orange, New Jersey that came with the promise of Congolese dishes made for the Congolese community and other interested Africans in the area. Customers were driving from the Bronx, Harlem, and all points relatively nearby to get their hands on foods from back home that are so rare around New York City.

This is obviously an invitation you should accept.

Chef Reine, who also goes by her childhood nickname of Lafee, or her Ghanaian husband Anthony will be there to welcome you into their home when you arrive. Officially, an invitation can take place on Saturday or Sunday evening starting at 4pm, but through later conversations about Africans and their relationship to time, this is more of a placeholder to let you know that things really begin after 6 or 7pm.

By 10pm, these floors might be shaking.

Lafee took the "scenic route" to becoming a chef despite a lifelong passion for cooking. After moving from Brazzaville to Moscow at 18 for university, four years later she came to the states via Ohio and then eventually lived in the Bronx where she remained until less than a year ago. The large commercial garage attached to their new home in West Orange serves as the main "event" space when they want to invite people over. Surrounded by colorful curtains and with enough space near the karaoke machine to dance, the space is perfect for hosting meals and providing entertainment.

She says, "Africans want to dance, eat, drink, and have a good time." This is what most conversations return to and what is the essence of the new operation. Chef Reine says she is inspired to eventually try her hand at some sort of business because of seeing a similar chef on Shark Tank get investment money and succeed.

Not knowing the rules and etiquette of timing, this first meal was supposed to take place at 5pm on a Saturday, but not everything was in its place and ready. Not wanting two people to feel alone in the large garage dining area, a table in the home nearer to the prep area was offered as the menu (photos on her phone) was perused.

From the moment you walk inside, hospitality envelopes everything. Anthony will bring bottles of water and offer other drinks depending on your mood. Both are happy and confident, not at all changed by the presence of strangers in their home. The TV will be switched over to some French-language African videos on YouTube, the kids from upstairs will pop their heads down the stairs to check out new faces, but after a few minutes it feels like being with old friends.

The River Congo, which forms a good portion of the border between the two Congos, and all of its tributaries are full of fish and has been a big part of the development of the cuisine for ages. Many freshly caught fish are grilled or fried immediately and eaten, but preservation also takes place in the form of smoking and salting. Makayabu, or saltfish, shows up in many places including two of the dishes ordered on this occasion, starting with the simple sauteed saltfish plate above that Chef Reine declared was her most popular dish amongst Congolese people.

By stroke of luck as this meal began, her sister arrived with luggage returning from Congo. Obviously tired after long flights, she did not look twice upon entering to see two strangers enjoying her sister's food and greeted everyone as family. By this time the dish she called bouillon sauvage (above) arrived, an okra soup full of both saltfish and smoked fish, as well as small mushrooms.

In both of the above photos, the pounded cassava known as chikwangue can be seen behind the dishes. This starch is cooked in banana leaves and cut into small pieces to be eaten with any dish. It is dense and chewy, and starts to fill you up almost immediately but is a pleasure to eat. She refers to it by the French name of manioc.

Last but not least was a plate of dibi (above), chunks of grilled lamb sauteed with onions. Lovers of West African cuisine from former French colonies will recognize this as a mainstay, but the dish has traveled to many parts of Africa and especially the Francophone nations. In Congo, the onion sauce relies less on mustard and vinegar and is sweetened by caramelization.

It is hard not to feel like the guest of honor by the time your belly is full. Coming early was nice if only for the chance to talk more with Lafee and Anthony, before they got busy when other invited guests would arrive and start to sing and dance. Maybe next time a later arrival will be selected though for a chance to get out on the dance floor with new friends.

**For contact info, please contact me directly through the social media of your choice.

🇨🇬🇨🇬🇨🇬
WEST ORANGE
New Jersey

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

29 December 2019

Max's of Manila

PHILIPPINES 🇵🇭

In the Philippines, everyone has an opinion of Max's of Manila. The restaurant has been around in some form or another since 1945, touting the history of Maximo Gimenez and his relationship with US occupying forces during the second world war, a group of which convinced him to open up his first shop. Now that a second and third generation have taken over the operation, second and third generations of families are coming to enjoy the fried chicken and everything else.

The Jersey City branch opened almost ten years ago in the epicenter of the Filipino community. There is little fanfare for the place outside of this group, but walk in on any day or evening and you will see it is a hugely popular spot for groups of friends and family. As it is in Metro Manila, Cebu, or any one of its over 100 locations in the Philippines, Max's is a destination for happy times.

While the signature dish of Max's is indisputably their fried chicken, the success is ultimately based on the combination of this with a full menu of traditional Filipino foods like lechon kawali ($14.95, above), fried pork belly. This beloved dish is handled with real precision here with an almost unbelievably thick and crispy exterior layer. While the meat inside is juicy and delicious, be careful biting down as that crust can mangle the more tender parts of the mouth.

The sauce typically served with lechon kawali is called liver sauce, but this ends up being one of the last tastes that you find in it, especially when paired with the crispy pork. It is mostly sweet and slightly sour, from brown sugar and calamansi juice, respectively. The combination is great, although you can easily eat the succulent pieces of meat all alone if desired.

"Sarap to the bones."

Even if you are dining here alone without your Filipino family and friends, Max's makes it easy to try a few things with their chicken combo meals which are available from Monday to Friday. Max's fiesta plate ($11.95, above) includes a leg quarter of fried chicken, rice (or fries), and a fresh or fried lumpiang ubod. It also comes with the essential garlic vinegar sauce, which beats out the banana ketchup or worcestershire sauce that they recommend for the chicken, and a side of small dessert.

The chicken once again is extra crisp on the exterior with incredible crunch, while still juicy inside. The lumpiang ubod is a flaky egg roll made with hearts of palm, pork, shrimp, and crabmeat. That dipping vinegar was actually meant for this, but no one is looking. To further the garlic experience and make sure no vampires (or humans) approach you for the rest of the night, upgrade the plain white rice to the garlic version.

Since you obviously have not had enough fried and gluttonous food already during this meal, grab the turon a la mode ($5.95, above) to finish things off. Turon are lumpia made with bananas, joined on this plate by mais keso ice cream. Anyone reading Spanish can sound this out to corn and cheese, which sounds a bit odd for ice cream but is marvelous. The combination is undeniably right.

Wash everything down from the start with a tall glass of calamansi juice ($3.95, below), much sweeter than the fruit juice would be alone, but so good as a beverage. There is a reason this Filipino citrus is so ubiquitous in the country.

🇵🇭🇵🇭🇵🇭
JERSEY CITY New Jersey

687 Newark Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

05 December 2019

Taqueria Los Güeros

MÉXICO 🇲🇽

Spanning Northern New Jersey from Perth Amboy to Englewood, Taqueria Los Güeros has become something of an empire with a full ten locations. Their logo features a spinning trompo of al pastor meat, what their shop is best known for and the main reason they keep expanding. New Jersey has much better street taco quality than rivals to the east, while places like this continue to nail the point home and offer a place to sit as well.

This location on Monroe Street in Passaic is a good introduction to the chain, in one of the best Mexican neighborhoods in the city. Upon entering, make sure to peek through the window into the kitchen and see their gigantic beautiful trompo. During eating hours, the spit is kept with great skill and the meat comes out perfectly.

What sets Taqueria Los Güeros apart from most of the competition in this part of the world is their terrific adobo blend, a mixture of dried chilis, achiote paste, pineapple, and all the secret spices. This is applied to the small strips of meat before they are mounted onto the spit to be grilled vertically.

You can find the meat in many forms here, but why not start with a plate of los tacos ($6.99, above), a portion of four mini D.F. style taquitos loaded with al pastor, onions, and cilantro. They do a good job bringing the packaged tortillas back to life with some grilling and oils, but make sure to squeeze some lime and load it up further with the gorgeous red salsa that arrives with other condiments.

Another compelling order was the mini torta al pastor ($3.49, above), which because of size and price acts like an appetizer and an easy way to try more food. They do not give this small sandwich short shrift here though, the meat is placed on a very nice miniature bread and is thoroughly enjoyable. The miniature option is also available in carnitas, creating the chance to create somewhat of a slider platter if desired.

While a pineapple is there on the spit providing its juices, and the marinade uses flavor from the fruit, they do not seem to use slices on their tacos or tortas here, something that is missed. This could probably be fixed by request if you cannot live without it.

On trips to Mexico City, at al pastor taqueros on the street an order of a gringa ($8.49, above) can usually not be resisted. Versions there are usually two small flour tortillas encasing al pastor meat and cheese, basically the size of a taco but in quesadilla format. Here at Los Güeros the order is a meal on its own, using larger flour tortillas like the ones wrapping burritos.

When you become tired of al pastor, if that is possible, there are quite a few other directions the menu takes including other antojitos and full combo plates with rice and beans.

These taquitos ($6.99, above) are filled with chicken and deep dried, with a sprinkling of añejo cheese and a side of sour cream. The rice and beans are not going to blow your mind, but the price point is genuinely ridiculous for food like this, and the condiment carrier is ready to put in service if you require.

It is not difficult to see why the company has expanded so quickly to fill the needs of many in New Jersey. Will they go further and bring their trompo skills east of the river and into the boroughs of New York City? Here's to hoping.

🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
PASSAIC New Jersey

231 Monroe Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

http://www.eattheworldnyc.com/2016/01/map-of-eat-world-new-york-city.html

30 November 2019

Los Andes Bakery

CHILE 🇨🇱

For many years Los Andes Bakery in North Bergen has been the type of place that when passed on a day of walking always was done with a full stomach. Its abstracted mountains in the window, something like what you see from Santiago de Chile, have always had a pull. On a recent weekday morning the panaderia chilena finally became the destination, and a few rewards were procured.

It should be noted that this is more than just a bakery, they make many types of quick Chilean meals and sandwiches, and even pastel de choclo on weekends. A variety of breakfast dishes paired with freshly made coffee, and an assortment of empanadas are all on offer. In good weather, a short walk to the western corner of James J. Braddock North Hudson County Park would make for a pleasant place to bring your loot, but the few tables they have are just fine as well.

Having to decide between a chacarero and a completo, Chile's famous hot dog with avocado and many other toppings, is always a challenge, but on this day the chacarero ($5.95, below) won out. This uniquely Chilean sandwich consists of thinly sliced churrasco steak paired with a nice mound of green beans.

On the streets of Santiago you can eat one of these almost every block, as small diners called schoperias (something akin to a shop selling draft beer) offer these and other quick bites to keep the alcohol from acting too quickly. Here it is served on hallulla bread that is baked fresh in house.

If there is one disappointment with this sandwich, it is only that there is no healthy smear of avocado, something you see on almost everything in Chile and something usually found on this sandwich as well. As seen in the section view below, a healthy dose of mayonnaise is used as a condiment instead, as well as some tomatoes.

When the sandwich comes out, a bottle that has been refilled with their housemade salsa will be offered, and this of course does no harm to your bites as well.

If you have ever been to the South American nation, you may come back thinking there is no other food more iconic than the large square folded meat pastries known as empanadas de pino ($4, below). Bigger than most of their continental brethren, this could be more than just a quick snack, the smells of freshly baked ones permeate the streets of the capital.

The word "pino" does not mean pine as the direct Spanish translation would suggest, but rather is a derivation from the native Mapuche word "pinu" which means pieces of cooked meat. When wheat and beef arrived during the Spanish conquest, the Mapuche started making the first iterations of these, the modern versions of which remain extremely popular with almost everyone.

Like any good South American bakery would offer, the display case here is full of sweet treats, many of which use the ubiquitous dulce de leche. One new treat found on this visit were cuchuflís (below), which are also popular in Argentina where they are known as cubanitos. This of course is a reference to their tubular resemblance to a famous Cuban cigar.

These are light as air and surprisingly have a texture much different than imagined. Instead of a crispy exterior, the lining is quite soft and the whole thing gives a nice chew.

The next visit will have to coincide with a weekend to try that pastel de choclo, a savory corn and chicken casserole sometimes considered Chile's national dish. But the menu's offerings are wide and generous, so a chicken version of the empanada and that always inviting completo will probably come calling as well.

The bakery also operates a location in Westchester County in Sleepy Hollow. The branch in Peekskill was the unfortunate victim of a fire late last year.

🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱

NORTH BERGEN New Jersey
7714 Bergenline Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC: