babar ganesh's Profile
Joya.
joya is nothing special. i find it bland and oversweet. there's nothing adventurous about the cooking.
i've had surprisingly good thai food at Em. still not a sripraphai, or close.
World Tong - Any Change?
we went today, and it was not very good. not fresh.
well, this place is quite variable, you can say that. i have had outstanding meals there since ng left.
Best Mexican in Queens?
El Compita in Astoria on 34th ave is also worth a shot. Good carnitas tacos, ok pollo. Never had the lengua though..
Sunset Park Obscure Mexican
oh, and a hint for exploring mexican food neighborhoods. because the food is usually very cheap and lacking in variety, what i usually do is get takeout from 3 or 4 places and then go eat in the car. that way i get to try more places.
Sunset Park Obscure Mexican
hmm, i've had two excellent meals (both meals were huaraches and pozole) there. just to be clear, it's the "la fe" on 5th near 55th; there are probably other places called "la fe" in bklyn. haven't tried any of the other smallish places on the south end of 5th though.
mexican in astoria will produce a gem soon, i predict.
atlaxico mexican on astoria blvd: at least passable
how funny to see this thread reappear. haven't been back to atlaxico in months, as i've been eating at other astoria mexican places (blue, and los portales, and -- i can't remember the name, but it's on 34th ave). i think i've posted about these places.
but yes, roti boti still rox.
SoulFood on Crescent Street?
i've been wondering about this place too. i've been by a dozen times and have seen the metal gate open only once, and that was at an inconvenient time. upshot is, i'm not sure they are real -- anyone know?
Mail Order Dried Bean Website Name??
i just had rancho gordo beans for breakfast today! so sad knowing the best part of my day is over.
Real Indonesian ?
i had some stuffed fried tofu thing at upi jaya that i liked quite a bit. i don't remember if it was 100% vegetarian though.
sad if they are having problems...
Thai restaurant on Skillman Ava approx 52nd St.
i've been there and liked it. no, not sripraphai, but it's pretty good, certainly honest.
Mexican in Astoria?
went to luna tonight, had the pork adobo rojo. merits a solid "eh". tasted like the cook had dumped a whole can of mccormick's curry powder in the sauce.
Mexican in Astoria?
No reports. I was planning on going tonight but swung by Nebuta instead. Pork katsu. Mmmm. Maybe luna tomorrow.
Mexican in Astoria?
here's my current list of places i think are good and places i'm curious about:
best:
not in astoria, but in sunset park: la fe grocery at 55th or 57th and 5th ave. sorry, but if you are listening, you really needed to hear about this place. mindblowing huaraches.
ok, now astoria:
good (but variable):
-- el compita on 34th avenue around 32nd. good but variable carnitas. (one time excellent, one time bad, one time good.) tasteless but beautiful chicken tacos. no ambience, but you can sit there and watch mexican gangster movies.
-- blue on 30th just east of steinway. good carnitas, perhaps somewhat variable. they are nice in there. the place doubles as a diner.
-- los portales on broadway. best el pastor spit in nyc. suadero tacos also good. they have one of the big pans with everything frying in it up front. carnitas and chicken tacos forgettable. very mexican ambience.
-- tamales at joseph and so and so (it's not "maria" but i can't think of it) 23rd avenue at astoria blvd. this is a store with tamales in the back, but just on the weekend.
curious about:
-- restaurant in the back of the mexican store at broadway and 41st street. the restaurant just opened a short time ago and they have kept irregular hours. i haven't been.
-- luna on broadway at 43rd or 44th. sit down mexican with a more varied menu than the likes of tacos mexico. something makes me think it will be good but i haven't eaten there.
other places i wouldn't put on my short list but which i've tried:
-- original mexican food, 29th street at 30th avenue. nothing outstanding here. formerly called "hidalgo grocery". tamales downhill. nice mexican grocery store ambience with grill in back.
-- the place near astoria and 21st street (forget the name) don't bother.
-- flor de luna on 36th avenue: don't bother.
-- taco truck on 30th avenue: don't bother
-- tacos mexico, teculgo iv, etc., whatever that one on broadway and 33rd is -- listen to other people on these. i'm not a fan, but they aren't bad.
El Rey del Taco truck
i'm not a big fan. better mexican to be had elsewhere in astoria, certainly. anyone differ?
decent chinese.. in astoria!?
just opened:
jade chinese restaurant, in a strip mall on 21st street (33-18/20 21st street), is a clean, well lit, mostly take-out restaurant with a large open kitchen. it's brand new; they just opened a month ago or so, i think. i was hungrily driving home past there and decided to stop in for takeout. certainly american-chinese and nothing mindblowing but what i had -- singapore chow mei fun noodle -- was well cooked. hopefully they won't realize that they can get away with serving drivel for chinese in astoria and they will keep quality high.
If I love places like Thai Sky and Rice Thai in Park Slope will I hate Sripraphai?
Of course there's no telling in advance whether you personally will like or dislike something. You should give Sri a chance, at least for curiosity's sake. Most people here love it.
Brooklyn Dim Sum
brooklyn can't be said to have a chinatown per se. the sunset park area is close to a chinatown but it's much smaller than flushing or manhattan chinatown (probably 7 or 8 blocks on a single avenue, i'd say). is there something else down near avenue U, or is that other-asian. also -- world tong is nowhere near either of these places.
Does Queens have balls?
it's the mall on 39th between prince and college point road -- i think it's officially called "flushing mall". there is a food court downstairs. i haven't eaten at any of the places there, but some have been written up on chowhound. since i haven't eaten at the takoyaki place in the flushing mall, i can't compare it to otafuku. i just noticed it last week, and i'd just eaten at s&t.
i like otafuku very much, btw.
Does Queens have balls?
I was thinking takoyaki as well. There is a takoyaki stand in the food court in the big mall in Flushing. Haven't tried them.
Tamales
in astoria, these days i prefer the tamales at joseph and sylvia's market at astoria and 23rd. but in any case there are a lot of pretty good tamales in astoria at this time.
Did You KNow Le San Souci in Astoria closed down?
Maybe something avec a little souci?
Thai temple-elmhurst, plus hand pulled noodles on whitney
i like how they make little hearts with the wrappers from the straws there!
Homemade pasta in Astoria
go to one of the italian groceries (dave's on 30th ave around 34th or D&F on broadway around 37th) -- you'll find a variety of what you're looking for.
Cafe Kashkar in Brighton Beach
i wouldn't call that place generic but it looked a bit cheesy to me. that being said, the menu had a lot in common with the old chio pio. i think it is worth a look -- chio pio was our new years' lunch place for a few years so maybe we'll head over there then.
