Posted by Joe DiStefano, December 11, 2008 at 11:00 AM
"I might wind up eligible for honorary Indonesian citizenship by virtue of eating here so often."
Java Village, the latest addition to Elmhurst's vibrant Indonesian restaurant scene in Queens, was once a Chinese take-out. Not much has been done to spruce up the place, save for a paint job and some really cool black-and-white photographs of life in Indonesia. And the beverage machine whines incessantly. And most of the food comes off a well-appointed steam table. And that food is some of the cheapest and tastiest around.
I might wind up eligible for honorary Indonesian citizenship by virtue of eating here so often. It’s going to take some time to eat through the 70-item menu, especially since not all dishes are available at all times.
Ikan balado, or spicy fried fish was delicious. Perfectly fried and coated with a fiery sambal. An appetizer-size portion runs $3.50.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, August 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Phở Bắc, my go-to Vietnamese spot in Queens, is located in Elmhurst’s most unusual strip mall. In addition to another Vietnamese restaurant there’s Singa’s Pizza; Nusara, a newish Thai eatery; and Sri Penang, a Malaysian joint. And, for good measure a huge Asian supermarket. Every store has something to do with food. Whenever I hit up Phở Bắc, I get their signature dish—rich, beefy broth and noodles. I guess you can say I’m highly suggestible. This time around I was determined to get something different. I considered a raw shrimp dish that a friend told me about, but we couldn’t find it on the menu and the owner Bắc said he never served it in the first place. So we shifted gears, and in doing so discovered two simple yet extremely delicious dishes.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, June 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM
When I saw this package of dehydrated sandorica amidst more conventional tropical fruit items like dehydrated baby bananas at Thai grocery Sugar Club I had no idea what it was, but such ignorance has never stopped me before. The round orange fruit on the label led me to believe sandorica was in the citrus family, but beyond that, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, May 23, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Editor's note: Nobody knows the outer boroughs like our man Joe DiStefano, who takes great joy in walking the gustatory road less traveled. Last week it was guinea pig in Jackson Heights, this week it's cemitas in, well- Jackson Heights (what can we say, there is a lot of good eating in Queens). —Zach
I have frequented the taquerias along the stretch of Roosevelt Avenue that runs from Woodside in the high sixties all the way the to the low hundreds just shy of Shea for years, but I'm ashamed to admit I have a dirty little secret. I have yet to find something that I don't like nestled between two corn tortillas, but until very recently I had never tried a cemita. I'm not proud of it, but based on looking at the pictures on the menu at Taqueria Coatzingo in Jackson Heights, I've always regarded them as little more than tortas served on a slightly different looking roll. And seeing as how a torta is like a taco on steroids (thanks to a a schmear of refried beans, sliced avocado, lettuce, tomato, queso blanco and pickled jalapenos), how could one possibly improve upon such a creation?
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, May 19, 2008 at 1:00 PM
"Like so much else about Thai cuisine, making the perfect miang kum is all about balance."
When I picked up the above package of miang kum at Sugar Club, a wonderful Thai grocery store in Elmhurst, Queens, I asked the fellow behind the counter if it was a kit for a salad (or yum, as Thai cold dishes are known). He enthusiastically nodded yes. In addition to offering Thai videos, the Sugar Club stocks a lot of delicious prepared dishes, like papaya salad, so I was excited to try this make-your-own one, since I’d never seen it anywhere else before.
When I got home and opened the foil container, I had no idea what to do with the contents. There was a baggie of about 20 cabbage leaves cut into triangles; a Ziplock packed with toasted, shredded coconut; a tub of what tasted like sweet tamarind paste spiked with fish sauce; a bipartite zippie, half filled with tiny dried shrimp and half with peanuts; another bipartite baggie with small cubes of ginger and teeny wedges of lime; and another two-compartment affair with chopped shallots and about five or six red Thai chilies.
A quick web search provided me with all the info I needed to get started. Miang kum is a Thai snack that involves wrapping a variety of savory items in a green leaf, whether it be lettuce, spinach leaf or in the case of my kit, cabbage. Even though this one didn't include it, sometimes you'll add garlic. My research indicated that it’s often eaten with beer, so I popped open a can of Sapporo and got to work.
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Posted by Ed Levine, July 14, 2006 at 6:36 AM
Wednesday's New York Post had this really cool Latin Hot Dog round-up
in their Tempo section. The piece was uncredited, but the entire section was compiled by Juana Guichardo, Mercedes Sanchez and Eneida Del Valle.
Their five favorites:
Mazorca: 83-17 Northern Boulevard, bet. 83rd and 84th sts., 718-205-2484. The perro mixto features ham, bacon, melted cheese and crushed potato chips.
La Perrada de Chaio: 83-12 Northern Boulevard between 83rd and 84th Sts. Jackson Heights 718-639-6677. The Mexican hot dogs feature guacamole and chiles. The Iraqi(?) hot dog features boiled eggs and pineapple sauce. Both come with mayonnaise and a potato chip dusting.
San Antonio Bakery #2: 36-20 Astoria Blvd. at 37th St., Astoria 718-478-1199: A Chilean Completo features creamed avocado, diced tomatoes, onion and mayo.
The condiment of choice is pebre, cilantro-spiked salsa.
JC & Family: 68-14 Roosevelt Ave. between 68th and 69th Sts., Woodside Queens 718-478-1199. Its version features an all beef hot dog, sauerkraut, chopped tomatoes, mashed avocado, and stripes of mayo.
Cositas Ricas: 79-19 Roosevelt Ave. at 89th St., Jackson Hts. 718-478-1500
Here the dog, called a perro caliente con salchicha, features potatoes, Parmesan cheese, potato chip bits, cheese, mayo and pineapple sauce.
My hot dog round-up in the Times only feature Los Chuzos Y Algo Mas on Roosevelt Avenue. Their Columbian Lucky Dogs feature cheese, pineapple, mustard, crumbled potato chip, and Thousand Island dressing.
And here we New Yorkers thought we knew all about hot dogs. It's time for a Latino hot dog excursion this weekend.
