Eat the World NYC: Queens

Showing posts with label Queens. Show all posts

08 February 2021

Chawlas2

INDIA 🇮🇳

COVID-19 UPDATE: Chawlas2 is takeout only for the moment, but there is a triangle park on the same block with convenient benches for would-be outdoor diners. You can also order online through their website.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Written by Joseph Gessert, photographed by Liv Dillon.

Chawlas2 is not the second of two restaurants, as you might guess from the name, but is rather the first US outpost of a chain that started in 1960 in Uttar Pradesh, a province in northern India near Punjab. The location is somewhat inauspicious, at the far edge of Queens near JFK. Despite the cars whizzing by on Rockaway Boulevard, the restaurant draws repeat diners from the neighborhood and across Brooklyn and Queens.

Chawla’s signature dish cream chicken ($11.99, below) is a variation on butter chicken, with the gravy bolstered by cream and green cardamon, and all the red parts omitted. The seasoning is sublime, and a nice contrast to the usual over-the-top fireworks of Indian flavor profiles. It goes best with plenty of naan or rice.

Speaking of naan, keema naan with gravy ($7.49) is a real standout from the sides menu. The naan is stuffed with seasoned ground chicken and served with a container of mutton gravy. There’s no chunks of meat in the gravy, but the flavor leaves no doubt that sheep were involved in the preparation.

Also on the sides menu are several chaats, Indian and Pakistani snacks that combine various contrasts: hot and cold, sweet and tangy, soft and crunchy. Chawla’s samosa chaat ($6.49, not shown) is a strong rendition of a great dish, with chopped-up samosas topped with chickpeas, potato, yoghurt, and the dueling chutneys of mint and tamarind. Pani puri are off the menu for the moment, presumably because they lose their crunch in takeout form, but papri chaat ($6.49, below) fills in nicely, with the samosas replaced with fried crackers.

There is a range of tandoori items, and both meat and vegetable curries, though vegetarians in the neighborhood might be better off down the block at Satguru Sweets, which has a full menu of veggie items. Chawlas’ chili mushrooms ($10.99, above) reflect Uttar Pradesh’s proximity to the borders with Nepal and Tibet, with the chili gravy more reminiscent of familiar Chinese dishes than most Indian food.

Chawlas2 is just off the Van Wyck Expressway, on a three-block stretch of businesses that includes four Indian restaurants, a Guyanese restaurant, a Guyanese-Chinese restaurant, two Jamaican restaurants, a Chinese-Thai-Indian restaurant, and more. Stop at Chawlas2 for the cream chicken and keema naan, and then maybe add a dish or two from one of the other restaurants down the block. The connections built between peoples by geography and immigration are present in the menus, and we very are privileged in New York to have access to all of these cuisines in such close proximity to one another. Maybe dropping your friend off at JFK doesn’t have to be such a chore after all.

🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

SOUTH OZONE PARK Queens

131-19 Rockaway Blvd.

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

Eat the World NYC is and always has been free. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better and you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World NYC is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

You can Venmo me @JAREDCOHEE or click here to send PayPal donation, no account is necessary. Thank you!

11 January 2021

Qing Dao Restaurant 青岛饭店

🇨🇳 CHINA
(SHANDONG)

COVID-19 UPDATE: Qing Dao Restaurant is in a modest 3-stall food court. They are currently takeout only, with the food well-suited to reheating. In normal times there is proper seating upstairs.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Written by Joseph Gessert, photographed by Liv Dillon.

New pan-Asian steamed rice roll vendor Rolls Rice has been getting great press since their 2020 opening, in all the major New York City outlets. Their innovative rolls are really good, and the stall is worth a visit. While you are there, you should also pick up a truly inspiring takeout meal from their neighboring eatery Qing Dao Restaurant, who used to be the sole tenant at this address but has since welcomed company and reduced their footprint.

The rather desultory google maps listing is limited to simply Qingdao, and files it as a "Mandarin restaurant." In practice, Qing Dao slings a wide variety of wares from their namesake city in Shandong province. Qing Dao’s menu items show off the city’s unique history and geography—it is just across the Yellow Sea from the Korean peninsula and was occupied by Germany for two decades early in the twentieth century. Influences from both countries are evident in the cooking, and the Germans left behind a famous brewery—Qingdao can also be translated as Tsingtao.

Though it may prove useful to be well-versed in Mandarin, everything is ready to serve in trays, so it’s easy enough to point at what you want. Most items are priced by weight. The first four trays are all protein mains. Beef tendon ($5 for a small serving) is served cold with scallions in a light chili oil. The flavor is mild, but the dish is a textural experience, reminiscent of pigs feet but more user-friendly.

What the servers describe as simply beef ($10 for a large serving, above bottom left) is beef jerky in entree form. The jerky is cooked down until crunchy, saturated in sugar and chili oil that’s heavy on the Sichuan peppercorn, and finished with sesame seeds. Though not something you can eat a huge serving of, this dish is unique and memorable, bringing to mind Indonesian and Southeast Asian dishes as much as anything Chinese.

Over in the vegetable section there are plenty of options for vegetarians, with small containers of everything costing $5. Sour cabbage is again served cold in chili oil, and is aggressively fermented (hello kimchi, guten tag sauerkraut). Shredded potatoes, wood ear mushrooms, and cucumbers with garlic are all of the mild variety. Julienned celery and baked tofu is mild but soaked in Sichuan peppercorn oil, leaving your lips tingling. The star of the vegetable case defies easy translation, being described as “preserved vegetable” during two recent visits. It is green, has a ridged stem, and when preserved ends up very crunchy and a little sweet, which is balanced out perfectly by, you guessed it, a mild chili oil dressing. Whatever it is, get a container or if, or more, as both the flavor and texture are hits. Be forewarned that the crunch comes through clearly during Zoom calls.

Past the vegetables is a collection of beautifully homemade sausages ($10 a pound), which stand head and shoulders above other recent sausage entries from Chinatown. Qing Dao’s are larger than most Chinese sausage, dominated by whole chunks of pork meat and fat. The seasoning relies on the familar five spice, but is less sweet and more savory than many Chinese sausages. It appears cured, but also holds up well to a few minutes in the frying pan. Don’t forget to drain it on paper towels—these things do not lack in grease.

Besides the glass case items, the desserts in the entryway are also part of Qing Dao’s offerings, as are the bread products opposite the main counter. Amidst the buns and other options are containers of impressive guotie, or potstickers ($6 for six), longer and wider than other Chinese dumplings. These fry up nicely in the leftover oil from that sausage.

Shandong cuisine is one of the eight formal culinary traditions of China, but is far less well-known to New York eaters than its cousins such as Sichuan and Cantonese. Qing Dao Restaurant offers a great introduction to this food that’s no less memorable for how affordable it is. And for exploring new foods, you cannot beat the point and scoop method.

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FLUSHING Queens

40-46 Main Street

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

06 July 2020

Merguez and Frites

ALGERIA 🇩🇿

[COVID-19 UPDATE: The northern African sausages are still grilling and there are a few tables set up out front for diners. An new enclosed attachment also offers some quick standing space.]

Some addresses in New York City just seem to be cursed and never hold a tenant for very long. The previous business here was a not dissimilar Moroccan sandwich shop that only called it home for a short time. The newer owners hail from the neighbors to the east: Algeria, a country without a ton of representation in the city (One Algerian-ish place in the East Village and now-closed Bar Omar in Williamsburg precede this).

Like their predecessors, the space seems often busy and a meeting point for some of the neighborhood's northern African people to share stories and get together. They have built out a temporary structure like you often see in winter to provide more space to stand and eat. With current conditions, it likely will just be a place to spread out and avoid the hot sun while waiting for takeout orders, at least in the near future.

Merguez frites, kofta frites, and Algerian pizza.

The main offerings here are again sandwiches, those wildly popular on the streets of the capital Algiers and other cities. There you will find a diet high in meat intake, often with lamb being the most popular and readily available. The foods of France are of course no stranger to the once-colonized land, and baguettes circulate along with other Algerian breads.

The combination of lamb, the French baguette, and fries which seem to find their way onto and into many other foods, give the place its name and a sense of what you will find. Looking to the top of the menu, the merguez frites ($7, above and close-up bottom of page) seems like the obvious place to start here. The baguette is of very good quality, as are the sausages, especially for such a low price for a sandwich longer than a foot.

A list of sauces will be offered, ranging from hot sauce and ketchup to their "special sauce" which is a spicy mayo of some sort. A combination of the hot and special ended up being a very good choice to complement both sandwiches, but dijon mustard is never a bad idea either for merguez.

Ask for a quick reheat on the tasty pizza.

If you have ever traveled in the south of France, and specifically Marseille, the sandwich may even be claimed by the French, but be sure this is the product of the other side of the Mediterranean, quintessential food from the streets of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

These three countries make up the heart of the Maghreb, the cuisine offered proudly by the menu here. Any travelers to this region of the world will also be offered a direct route to their memories with the tray of pizza ($2/slice, above) that is always displayed and ready to eat. Like in Algeria, each slice is adorned with one black olive. Algerians are mad for pizza of all slices (pun intended), but the olive seems to be the constant. It is hard to go a few city blocks without seeing a pizzeria there just as it is in New York City. Stay here at Merguez and Frites long enough and you are bound to see someone ask for the squeeze bottle of mayonnaise to drizzle on their slice just like back home.

Even in the midst of a pandemic, Steinway Street is ready for anyone who wants to come out and eat and enjoy hookah. Most restaurants have built dining areas in the parking spots directly in front of them, and the mood is still convivial for those comfortable with being around others.

Some options are not always available here, like the keskrout lablabi, a sandwich of tuna, chickpeas and cumin. So make it a plan to come multiple times and at least once at night when the weather cools and you can enjoy some Algerian tea made with pennyroyal.

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ASTORIA Queens
40-06 25th Avenue

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.

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

12 March 2020

Gorkhali Nepalese Restaurant & Bar

NEPAL 🇳🇵

It must have been eight months or more since Gorkhali had put up its bold sign on Roosevelt Avenue, signaling another expansion of the area's Himalayan cuisine. But then as happens with a lot of restaurants trying to open, realities of bureaucracy and the unknown set in and the windows remained papered. There must have been two dozen occasions on other trips to the neighborhood that the (lack of) progress was checked in on.

And then finally, poof! In mid-February the restaurant opened up and hit the ground running. The first floor seems to be constantly busy with small groups of family and friends as well as solo diners coming in for lunch. There is a steam table, possibly a sign of the previous tenant or maybe offerings still to come, but currently unused.

If you come for a one of those weekday lunches, you will be seated downstairs where the walls have been given a coat of bright orange paint. Upstairs is where you will find the "bar" portion of the name, along with quite a bit more seating amongst an open dining room. This seems to be where the action will take place during busy times, albeit without spirits as for now there is no alcohol.

One of the first things you notice when looking at the menu here at Gorkhali is that unless your familiarity with Nepalese foods is very high, there are many dishes that are unfamiliar and not in every restaurant around town. This was true on this occasion with the bhatmas sadeko (above), a "salad" snack made of dried soybeans and some excellent chili and herb enhancements. This made the lack of a bar more sad, as the spicy crunch would go perfectly with a cold beer.

Because chicken and vegetables made their way to the table in other forms, an order of the beef jhol momo (above) was preferred, eight perfectly formed dumplings in a slightly spicy soup. This dish was slap in the face good, rising to near the level of the jhol momo from Bajeko Sekuwa in Sunnyside. It is one of those times in life where drinking all the leftover juice is required, embarrassment or not.

Halfway through the meal a family of three sat down and ordered thalis, a different one for each person. While waiting, they told the story of the chef, a woman who had faced tragedy and loss but was in their view most deserving of a restaurant like this. They were very excited to be able to eat her food on a more regular basis now.

Furthering the theme of appetizers, the chicken choila (above) is one with dense grilled hunks of meat cooked with red chili oil. These are a bit tough and dry but absolutely delicious. Order this in Nepal and you are likely to have sweat running down your forehead, but here they tone it down quite a bit.

Another dish that was initially unrecognized was khasiko taas (below), boneless pan-fried goat. The finished product takes on the texture of being deep-fried, but the crispy exterior is done through low heat and oil at the bottom of a tawa. The spices and herbs just taste like Nepal, but feel free to squeeze a bit of the lime to cut the grease.

🇳🇵🇳🇵🇳🇵
JACKSON HEIGHTS Queens
77-04 Roosevelt Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

23 January 2020

Ten Seconds Shi Miao Dao Rice Noodle

CHINA 🇨🇳
(YUNNAN)

One of the benefits of all the younger generation Chinese money flowing into Flushing and other parts of the city is a wealth of options for regional cuisines. In large Chinese cities with hungry and affluent people, there is a desire to eat the foods from all around the vast country, where regional styles are wide. These hungers have of course traveled with the newest residents, and new, sleek restaurants seem to be popping up weekly to cater to them.

One of the biggest trends of the last few years is the cuisine from the southern province of Yunnan, and specifically the rice noodle soup known as "crossing the bridge noodle." The original version of the soup is mild and subtle, without spicy or sour add-ons, and available here for $8.95. There are about a dozen other options for those looking for different tastes.

"Crossing the bridge noodles" (the literal translation) is the most famous dish from Yunnan and is known throughout China. There is some debate about the origins of the name and story behind these noodles, if you have a moment dig into this fun rabbit hole.

Served traditionally, a tray of ingredients (below) comes out while the soup broth is heated up. Sliced meats of your choosing, pickled vegetables, lettuce, and a quail egg make up some of the items that will eventually make their way into the soup. In Yunnan, rice noodles are eaten almost exclusively as the southern climate supports this staple over northern grains. A bowl of hot cooked rice noodles (below, top right) is brought out just before the broth.

In the name, ten seconds is simply a translation of shi miao dao, roughly the time it takes for your noodles to be ready after everything is combined. This chain operates hundreds of locations throughout China and this is the second in town after the one in the East Village. The experience there was fine but not thrilling, but here in Flushing all the tastes just seemed to have a bigger profile. (There is now a third location, also in Flushing further south on Kissena Blvd.)

When the bubbling stone bowl of broth arrives in this Instagram world, they will ask first if you want to do the combining on your own, probably an easier way of letting you take a bunch of videos. Let them do it though, and enjoy the beautiful presentation and process.

The cold blustery day of this meal required some spice and an order of spicy beef flank rice noodle ($11.95, above) appealed as the most likely to warm the bones. While certainly not the highest grade of meat, considering the price point the cuts of beef are decent enough. As all of the ingredients from the tray have disappeared under the lava-like surface of the broth, it is a joy finding them all later in the meal.

Importantly, the stone bowl comes very hot, which they will warn you about. This keeps the soup warm for a really long time, allowing for a slow enjoyment if desired.

Always a fan of black fungus with vinegar sauce ($4.95, above) a side was added, but the sourness of their concoction was almost too extreme. Luckily the crunchy pickled slices worked very well once added to the soup.

Sometimes restaurants on 40th Road can "hide" as the street is not usually part of any walk from transit, but next time in Flushing divert down here for the rice noodles of Yunnan.

🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳
FLUSHING Queens

135-25 40th Road

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21 January 2020

Mi Dulce Mexico

MÉXICO 🇲🇽
(SINALOA)

The story of New York City and food from the Mexican state of Sinaloa is a short one. Most of it is wrapped up in the brief existence of Taqueria Sinaloense, which opened in late 2017 but was unable to last even a full year. It celebrated the western Mexican state with all it could, but apparently there were not enough people in the borough who felt the same.

Another taqueria in Marble Hill took the same name and sold chilorio, but it seemed straight from the can and was nowhere near as good. Luckily, for the time being, this slow-simmered pork that is fried with chilies has found a home at the very end of the menu at Mi Dulce Mexico.

This newly-branded restaurant is a new face to Veyla's Bakery Cafe, which has sat on this corner for the better part of ten years. Although passing by many times and seeing a decent gathering of satisfied customers, Veyla's never had that something extra to pull it out from the crowd.

A typical breakfast in Sinaloa would look like the huevos con machaca ($8, above) they serve here. Machaca itself is spiced dried meat, shredded and usually eaten with big flour tortillas, especially in Sinaloa. Drying meat was first done as a form of preservation, but the style is still popular even when unnecessary with modern refrigeration. While the process is usually different these days, the consistency and quality of the meat can be close to the original when the chef is good.

Substitute the standard rice and beans with frijoles puercos, beans full of pork fat and other bits. Making yourself little tacos with their warm flour tortillas and delicious homemade salsa made with chiles de arbol is a real treat. Initially the tortillas seemed handmade as well, but an inquiry revealed that they are purchased. Regardless, they are of very high quality and make a perfect wrapper, each plate is served with a warm pack of four.

As for the chilorio ($14, above), they do it just as well or maybe even better than that version that broke New York City back in 2017. First slow-simmered, then cooked in lard and fried with chiles, chilorio is unlike anything else and one hundred percent Sinaloan. It is wonderful to have it back and available in Queens.

Once again, wrapping it up in one of those tortillas is like a dream. It is such a delight that a Sinaloan chef has found a home in another kitchen. A return will be soon in the cards to see how that aguachile is looking, as the state is well known for the delicious seafood made freshly from its coast.

🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽
CORONA Queens
35-58 97th Street

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20 January 2020

Caleta 111 Cevicheria

PERÚ 🇵🇪

It is hard to imagine Caleta 111 in a couple months from now, after the predictable New York Times review comes out and this tiny corner space under the J train in Richmond Hill is bursting with humanity. Will the sea-blue walls be able to contain everyone hungry for some of the best ceviche in town?

The colorful walls are the new home of Chef Luis Caballero, who has previously cooked in Lima and most recently in Williamsburg at Llama Inn. He still wears his chef coat from Raymi, an upscale Peruvian restaurant in Midtown. No doubt he did excellent work at all of them, but he seems at home and completely at ease in his new Queens cevicheria, leading a small team in the execution of everything.

While small is definitely a theme that comes back again and again here, forego any open tables in the back and grab a seat at the bar. The kitchen is right in the front window, so all of the action is right here. But better yet, this is a guaranteed way to get involved, as Chef Caballero is a very talkative man and will make sure you are happy.

Despite having opened on the 21st of September last year, the restaurant still has that new car smell. Rhythms and moods are not established yet, they are still selling themselves to newcomers. Everyone is friendly, but by the end of the meal, the chef will have asked you about all your travels in Perú and any previous experiences with the food.

For now at least, the limited menu only focuses on the sea. There is no chifa food here, nor are there rotisserie chickens, but you will not miss either. Even the desserts which do have a spot on the menu have not quite arrived yet, although were promised soon. What is on the menu and what you will come here for first is ceviche, available in three individual ways (fish, shrimp, and seafood) and two mixes, one of which is customized by the patron if desired.

To get your taste buds kicking, a dish full of roasted Peruvian corn (above) will arrive before the main attractions. As you would in Perú, pair this with a glass of their house-made chicha morada ($4, not shown), by far the nicest in the city. This Andean-origin drink made from culli, or purple corn, is just the right amount of sweet while full of the tastes of fruit, cinnamon, and cloves.

For the standards of New York City, a place where you usually must spend ungodly amounts of money for seafood that does not seem old or from a freezer, this ceviche de corvina ($21, above) is damn near perfect. The thick chunks of of corvina, a fish found in the Pacific waters of Central and South America and beloved for ceviche, are "cooked" just right. Not too little, not too much. You could almost tell before putting it in your mouth how good it was going to be.

Chef Caballero's special sauce blend is sometimes served in shot glasses on the side, more as presentation than anything because the liquid would travel to other parts of the plate, but this ends up being a great way to eat. Some bites can be dipped for more lime tartness, some can remain more basic. Paired with pieces of a lovely sweet potato, crispy plantain chips, and big pieces of hominy, it is hard to go wrong. Even the seaweed garnish is from Perú, and delicious.

There is an option to pair your ceviche with either one of three seafood causas, a dish prepared with what becomes something of sculpted mashed potatoes, or arroz con mariscos ($21, above), which can in a pinch be compared to a seafood paella. Even the big, meaty clams are as fresh as ever, again requiring a re-grounding when remembering you are eating this in New York City.

Besides the rice, clams, mussels, octopus, and shrimp, the entire bowl is spiced throughout with ají panca, a deep reddish-brown pepper beloved in Perú. This mild punch is balanced with a bit of Peruvian beer as well, but the rice is still much less "wet" than most paellas.

The prices listed above are for individual orders of each dish, but the combos are a flat $35.

Chef Luis Caballero in his comfort zone.

As you can see with the logo, netting, a ship wheel, and serving dishes shaped like whales, the point here is to remain safely away from dry land. The maritime theme is duplicated on almost everything. Despite the J train rumbling overhead, when summer comes, the front of the shop is open to the street, and warm humid air makes it way to your table, life might seem like it is headed in the right direction.

Don't despair if you have found yourself seated at the back with those "premium" seats at the bar full. When the chef has a moment to spare between orders, he quickly makes his way back to hear from his customers, whether they be friends or strangers.

🇵🇪🇵🇪🇵🇪
RICHMOND HILL Queens

111-27 Jamaica Avenue

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18 December 2019

Buenos Aires Bakery

ARGENTINA 🇦🇷

It was a massive feeling of guilt that finally inspired coming inside Roosevelt Avenue mainstay Buenos Aires Bakery. On other days and other visits nearby, there was never room for even one of the shop's delicious alfajores. But after a destination fell through recently, it was time to enjoy some empanadas and mate cocido.

The corner space is tight, you immediately are surrounded by stacks of bread and cookies. Towering above are thermoses with River Plate and Boca Juniors emblazoned on the side, Argentina's two biggest football clubs. Blue and white tiles behind the counter use the colors from Argentina's flag to create the feeling.

If there are others waiting, make sure to take a mental note of who came before you. There is really no way to form a line, and you will want to circulate as much as possible to get a view of what is in each case. If you have ever been to nearby places like La Nueva Bakery or the shops further south in Elmhurst you can get a sense of what you might find here, but the bakery is a treat and has a couple unique items.

Unfortunately no inquiry was made about the slice of pie below ($2.50), a firm wedge of buttery crust, hard cheese, and dulce de membrillo which tastes like guava paste but is made with quince fruit. This confection is often eaten with cheese because they complement each other so well, the case here as well. It is unclear whether the firmness was due to not being fresh or intentional, but either way it was enjoyed. Plan on picking this up with your hands, as the plastic fork they offer is no match.

A look behind the counter shows a heated case full of many empanadas, which can be enjoyed both baked and fried, and taken home by the dozen. Argentinian style empanadas employ a thin buttery crust that loses its form easily once you start digging in. They let the meat and spices within do the talking and are served without any sauces.

The baked beef empanadas ($2.25 each, below) are about the size of a small fist and stuffed to capacity. The savory palate is focused on here, while enough fat and moisture remains to keep everything from getting dry. A cup of mate cocido ($1.50, not shown) goes perfectly with a pair of them.

And those stacks of bread? If there are any left late in the afternoon, Buenos Aires starts discounting them because they will not be selling any day old bread tomorrow. On future visits, takeaway bags are sure to be filled with both baked and fried empanadas, some of their desserts with dulce de leche, and pastafrola, a lattice-encrusted pie which would be a great item to bring to your next dinner party invitation.

🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷
JACKSON HEIGHTS Queens

90-09 Roosevelt Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

Eat the World NYC is and always has been free. There are no advertisements blocking you from seeing the content or popping over while you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better and you are able to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World NYC is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running. You can Venmo me @JAREDCOHEE or click here to send a PayPal donation, no account is necessary. Thank you!

Map of Eat the World NYC:

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

27 November 2019

Cali Ají

COLOMBIA 🇨🇴

The perfect time to experience Cali Ají is during a weekday lunch, when the casual café is running on all cylinders. In a working class neighborhood full of auto shops, NYC Transit depots, and close to LaGuardia, these are the customers who are the regulars. Colombians working in these professions seem to be the demographic of the restaurant, those with a little grease on their clothes and monster appetites.

For this reason, it was crystal clear before even sitting down that a meal here was going to be completely satisfying. The menu is full of items ordered a la carte, but also contains a page with daily lunch specials for $10. On most days this includes some type of soup, rice and beans, and a choice of meat from the steam table. On a recent Tuesday, the sopa de tostones (below) was chosen, although the delicious albondigas that were paired with it were greedily eaten before a photograph could be thought about.

The small space is mostly filled by six four-tops and hungry humans, often to capacity with pairs sitting with strangers. No one seems to mind though, as dishes are served rapidly and turnover is high. Taking the time to linger around for longer than most, the natural rhythms of the café were really enjoyable to observe. Is everyone in a good mood here?

Having been to Cali some years ago, it was natural to want to feel the connection. The instant feelings of togetherness and family. People smiling and enjoying their day. Unlike Colombia's other big cities, Santiago de Cali is closer to sea level and therefore hot and humid, and more intense. But alas, each time the door would swing open to let those chilly winter-approaching airs inside, the feelings snapped back to New York City.

The plates that are available all day mostly come in the range of $10-13 and are also a massive value. This sobrebarriga a la criolla ($13, above) was a pleasant surprise, flank steak almost swimming in a lovely sweetened and fruity tomato sauce. Sobrebarriga translates literally to "over the belly" and just refers to this cut of meat. It always runs the risk of being too tough, but here it is executed quite well, with minimal chewiness.

Joining the steak is a few potatoes, some yuca, and a wonderful slice of plantain. One of a few prototypical Colombian favorites. For a nice kick, a little "Cali ají" if you will, grab the squeeze bottles and top up the sauce to your liking. Unless you work in the construction field and absolutely destroy your plates like many did during this visit, expect leftovers galore.

🇨🇴🇨🇴🇨🇴

EAST ELMHURST Queens
98-15 Astoria Blvd

Map of Eat the World NYC:

29 October 2019

Khampa Kitchen Inn

TIBET 🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿

Besides some words on an area message board, Khampa Kitchen has lived most of its year of life relatively quietly. The dining room offers the same thing, separated from noisy Roosevelt Avenue and the 7 train above by a small room that acts as a vestibule. Half of this space is dedicated to jewelry and other handicrafts in a room that can be unlocked by the proprietor if you wish to see more.

But head on towards the smells coming from the kitchen, named for the people and region that spanned Eastern Tibet and Western Sichuan but today is just grouped in with the rest of Tibet. This was not always the case, as they speak a different language and have different customs than the Tibetans from Lhasa.

As if to just make sure customers coming in for generalized Tibetan food, whatever that is, will not be disappointed, the menu is full of decently executed dishes like chicken momos ($6.99, above), These have a thicker than normal wrapping, are full of the usual spices, and certainly enjoyable.

But we are in Khampa Kitchen Inn, after all, so it is worth getting familiar with the people and some of their unique contributions. Any scholar of the 1959 Tibetan uprising will know the region of Kham and its people had a very different role to play in the events leading up to it, differences that today might be erased by usage of "Tibetan" for an entire region and people.

One easy way to see this through cuisine is with the paoze ($11.99, above), similar in shape to the momo but made with a wrapper closer in flavor and texture to tingmo (called trinmo here). These are traditionally served with a flavorless bowl of rice soup. Khampa horsemen would traditionally eat these with yak meat, but here in Queens they are available in vegetable, pork, chicken, or beef versions.

Also highly recommended by the Khampa server was fried beef ribs ($10.99, below), heavily fatty chunks of bone-on meat flavored with oils and dried chili peppers. While it takes a while to eat, this dish is full of distinct flavors and worth the effort.

Another stand out Khampa dish is the beef with green pepper ($9.99, above), which is also served with a fresh and hot piece of trinmo. This is another Himalayan dish that uses chili peppers as the vegetable rather than chopped up for spice, so be prepared for a little sweat to start on your brow.

A good pairing for all the spice about to be in your life is a nice bowl of bhoethuk, a thick noodle soup here called Lhasa noodle ($6.99, below). This is only served with beef, a theme of dishes here as it probably remains the closest option to replicate yak, with a subtle beef broth. Throw in a little bit of the chili oil, but keep this as your safe place when your eyes are tearing up with other dishes.

One very unique dish, and an introduction to what may be presented on special occasions, is Khampa poethek ($12.99, above and below), a kind of meat pie that will require about a 30 minute lead time. The beautifully made pastry will arrive with the top already cut, but this would normally happen after everyone was seated.

If you were the guest of honor at someone's house, the top piece would be used as a little plate. The fillings, here seen with beef, would be piled high on the crisp disc and handed to whomever would be the person to impress.

Presented to the guest of honor.

With excellent hospitality and obvious pride in their cuisine, it is not too much of a stretch to imagine your group as the guests of honor after a feast here at Khampa Kitchen Inn.

🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿🏴󠁣󠁮󠀵󠀴󠁿

JACKSON HEIGHTS Queens
75-15 Roosevelt Avenue

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