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Asian Taste 86 in Elmhurst--Mostly Indonesian
I haven't posted on here in a long time, but the name of this restaurant made me want to call attention to it here on Chowhound because it is so unspecific and my food was so good.
A name like Asian Taste 86 would usually bring to mind to a horrendous pan-Asian restaurant in Chelsea serving sushi, Chinese food, and Thai dishes. But that wouldn't happen on Whitney Avenue in Elmhurst.
I was looking for Mi Jakarta, but it was closed, so I popped my head into this new place and saw that they sold juice boxes of iced tea, which to me is a sure sign that it's Indonesian. So I ordered spicy smashed fried chicken.
I've had this dish before somewhere else, but this version was really excellent. It was so tender it was served without a knife, and the sambal on top was indeed very spicy. The skin was the best part, I don't know what they coated it with but I could have eaten a whole plate of it.
I'm curious about the rest of the menu, which is kind of small and has the usual beef rendang, satay, nasi goreng and gado gado on it among other things.
The owner seemed proud of the kitchen, telling me that they broil the chicken a long time--I wonder if it's some kind of confit type situation. But she seemed worried about the lack of customers. I mean, calling a restaurant Asian Taste in Elmhurst is like naming your restaurant "Food" or "Place to Eat".
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Asian Taste 86
86-10 Whitney Ave, Queens, NY 11373
Angostura Bitters - Where are they?
Thanks; I'll be road tripping up to Boston in a few weeks, hope to pick up a bottle somewhere with a less competitive cocktail culture on the way up.
Angostura Bitters - Where are they?
No longer at Whole Foods. Anyone have any idea where to find them in the NYC or online? They are even out of stock on Amazon.com.
Classic Eats in Brooklyn - MD person traveling up that way
If "that area" means Williamsburg and Greenpoint, here are few picks:
Italian Deli: Lorimer and Withers. I forget the name. They'll make you a good old fashioned sandwich. Alternately, DOC Winebar, for wine, cheese, and salumi.
Pizza: Classic--Carmine's on Graham Avenue, San Marco on Lorimer and Conselyea. New: Motorino (great), Fornino, Roberta's.
Burgers: Classic--lunch at Peter Luger. Less Classic: DuMont Burger--some swear by it, I find it somewhat lacking. Search the boards for other burgers in Williamsburg.
The Polish food in Greenpoint is classic I guess; try Raymund's on Bedford Avenue for schnitzels, soups and sandwiches, or Lomnyian*** (I can't finish this word and too lazy to look it up) on Manhattan Avenue between Bedford and Norman.
Other Williamsburg eats include Egg for breakfast (best biscuits and gravy I've ever had) the oft debated Fette Sau Barbecue and its across the street parent Spuyen Duyvil for imported beers (Mugs Ale House has a better domestic beer selection on tap, and pretty good pub grub.) Caracas Arepa Bar on Grand was enjoyable, I like Baci and Abracci for pastas and light modern Italian. Frost Restaurant, though I've never been, is usually tapped on these boards as the best old-school Italian restaurant in Williamsburg.
If you need coffee, check out Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint or Gimme Coffee on Lorimer St. Or if you prefer a classic spot, you can hit up Fortunato on Manhattan Avenue and Devoe for old school (i.e., pre-Seattle) espresso and Italian pastries.
the absolute hands-down best Thai food I have found in Manhattan or the boroughs since 2006
OK, so one person thinks this is the best Thai restaurant in Queens, and another thinks that it is -worse- than Thai Pavilion.
Anyone else care to chime in?
Finding a nice lunch in Williamsburg...
is a total P.I.T.A.!
Everywhere we seem to try (DuMont, Diner, Marlow, Five Leaves, Fiore, Sweetwater) has a severely reduced menu--with like 3 entrees and burgers and sad chicken sandwiches--and some kind of secondary afternoon chef on hand. To top it all off, it's always cash only, so difficult to write off a business lunch. Any recs for something more comprehensive?
Brooklyn Star
It's a shame New York chefs aren't willing to put enough salt, pepper, white flour, butter, white corn flour, sugar (in the mains and sides but not the cornbread), and cream of mushroom soup into their Southern cuisine. Southern food can be greasy, fatty, salty, overcooked, sickeningly sweet and made from frozen/canned/SYSCO ingredients; but it should NEVER be bland.
My favorite roadside meal of the past few years was a plate of extremely overcooked spaghetti topped with a tomato sauce made from, I think, tomato paste and molasses, and a hunk of meatloaf that was mostly ground round, ketchup, sugar, and breadcrumbs. And plenty of pepper. Nobody cooks like that up here (thankfully?)
Any Coffee Lovers Out There in Queens?
Sweetleaf on Jackson Ave in LIC, and Espresso 77 in Jackson Heights are two good choices.
Hunan in North Flushing
I found this page online, somehow, using google maps.
http://www.sinovision.net/index.php?module=news&act=details&col_id=498&news_id=71489
There is a video of the restaurant (I recognize the place) and in the video, about 40 seconds in, I think I saw a fish head.
I also translated the page on google translator, and here is an excerpt: "The restaurant is known for authentic Hunan dishes, in particular, invited more than 20 years of experience in the master chef. 湘水山庄有各色招牌菜，剁椒蒸鱼头、竹筒蒸排骨、毛家红烧肉、香辣蟹、活水鱼等等。 Villa have a variety of signs湘水vegetables,剁椒蒸鱼head, bamboo steamed ribs, Mao红烧肉,香辣蟹, flowing water fish."
I'd guess that "剁椒蒸鱼head" is fish head.
Hunan in North Flushing
I ate there yesterday. It is indeed unique, plenty of Hunan-style offerings. I can't say for sure, since I'm not familiar with the cuisine, but my waiter pointed out that the Hunan customers at the restaurant eat a lot of chili peppers. The menu has some Sichuan offerings, but plenty of stuff labeled "in Hunan Style."
I tried two dishes; the first was House Special Chow Fun, which was similar to dan dan noodles, and was basically thin, al dente white noodles sitting atop a relatively spicy sauce (no Sichuan peppercorns) and topped with roasted peanuts, a mass of cilantro, and slices of oxtail tongue. It was good, but not over the top great. The next dish was called "Mashed peppers with tofu" and it was excellent, had this fancy presentation and well, it just rocked. Basically thin slices of pressed, smoked tofu topped with a spectacular relish of warm chopped chili peppers. The dish was set in an "au jus" gravy of sorts.
Being such a nice day, I decided to walk south down Main Street until I got tired of doing so, which basically happened at the Long Island Expressway. A block north of there, I picked up a cold milk tea from a (possibly Taiwanese) bakery. Strong, not too sweet--it was wonderful and really hit the spot. There looks to be some great food to be had south of downtown Flushing.
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Hunan House
137-40 Northern Blvd, Queens, NY 11354
Thank you, Sietsema
I have to wonder if I can lay claim to discovering this place on these boards. This one, from March 2007, also fell on deaf ears...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/376259?tag=post-box-content;2341458#2341458
Good food AND good margaritas in Sunset Park?
Doesn't Tacos Nuevo Mexico on 11th and 5th have a full bar? There are plenty of Park Slope people eating there, but no Slope vibe otherwise. Food is, of course, nowhere near as good as Tacos Matamoros (Carne Asada Cemitas=beyond delicious) but better and less Americanized than standard Margarita/melted cheese type places.
Buy in Bulk?
Topps market on N. 6th in Williamsburg has a bulk section. Turkish groceries do lots of bulk nuts, legumes, dried fruits, spices...try a shopping excursion to 86th Street near Bay Parkway, lots of choices for ethnic groceries down there. And what about the co-ops? Does Flatbush Food Coop have bulk bins?
Best Burrito in NY?
Yes, agreed. The carne asada cemita that I had at Tacos Matamoros was better than any burrito I've had in San Francisco.
Trying to find a great burrito in NYC is like trying to find an Italian Beef sandwich in San Antonio. Regional foods don't successfully travel unless there is a mass migration (Buffalo chicken wings in Raleigh or Charlotte) and even so the result is never the same as it is on home turf (i.e. bagels in South Florida--yuck.)
Ayada in Elmhurst - My new Favorite Thai
Tried it. It's great.
The papaya salad was my favorite so far of all the Elmhurst/JH/Woodside guys--multifaceted, full flavored. It was fairly sweet (but also very spicy, sour, salty, and, uh, fishy from all the dried shrimp) and that got me worried about the drunken noodles that I ordered. But they, on the other hand, were very unsweet--and not as full-flavored either. They were light, ungreasy, and peppery (white pepper) and there was no red coloring. It was kind of a blank palate for the condiments they brought out--and I found myself for the first time adding sugar to my dish. I have to note my slight disappointment at the three crowns of American broccoli tossed in among the slices of Chinese broccoli. I was happy to eat them for health value, but don't know why they had to be there.
All told, very interesting, deliberate cooking. And different than other neighborhood Thai places. My last meal at Chao Thai was tremendous--best Pork Pad See Ew ever, and a heaping plate of scorching hot chopped chicken with basil. So for me there is no overall area-wide best (at this point in my exploration) but rather an increasing selection of great Thai restaurants with different food vibes and standout dishes.
The menu is fairly large, and they have some dishes that I've only seen at Sripraphai, like Sour Curry with Shrimp and Cha-am omelet. That's one of my favorites at Sri, and I can't wait to try it at Ayada.
The people who run Ayada are totally friendly, and in our discussion told me that they have already had non-Thai patrons send food back for being too spicy and so it's up to chowhounds to go there and demand the real stuff. They like to toss around the word authentic, so that's how I'll ask for it next time.
Thanks, Jeff, for alerting us to this place on Chowhound. I guess Yelp is often ahead of the curve--but it's very hard to hang out there unless you're looking for something specific, like a search for Thai in Elmhurst.
New Cafe at Lorimer/Ainslie in Williamsburg
I'm sure they'll compete favorably for comfort level and atmosphere, but chances are VERY slim that they'll be able to out-coffee the folks at Gimme on Lorimer. I consider them the most consistent coffeehouse in NYC, with unique, freshly roasted beans and careful, experienced baristi.
Craving: Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
Lenny's Update:
This is one of the first suggestions in the thread, and the sandwich was HORRIBLE. Just dreadful--soggy, seemingly overcooked microwaved chicken in a corporate, sterile environment. No love went into this sandwich.
The one I had a few years back at Catene in Park Slope/Gowanus was amazing, best I've ever had for sure. I'll need to try Sal's now that I live in North Brooklyn.
Getting to know Greenpoint and Williamsburg
I should amend my original take on Variety. They are now using Stumptown beans and I've had some pretty good espresso there.
B24 bus = quick ride to De Mole from Williamsburg
Use it for good bars. I'll use it for good food--you need only walk a few blocks for that :-)
There are plenty of bars near Graham Avenue and Lorimer St. And the B24 actually goes all the way down to the J train, right near Trophy, a pretty good place on Broadway. Search Yelp for reviews (grain of salt clause, of course). One restaurant I can recommend traveling to is San Marco pizzeria. It'll especially hit the spot since there isn't any good pizza in Sunnyside.
If you go the other way (catch it going southbound on GP Avenue) the bus will drop you off on Franklin St., heart of the blossoming Greenpoint bar scene. Plenty to do down there, same crowd, though. And of course plenty of Polish food--I don't have a favorite yet (though I do love Raymund's Place on Bedford Avenue, not near this bus route).
Williamsburg is a beer-geek's mecca. Barcade and Spuyten Duyvil are near enough to the B24.
There are plenty of upscale restaurants in the area, but really it's quicker to go into Manhattan where there's more choice. Burg places tend not to have that "owner's little darling" thing that downtown Brooklyn places like Al di La, Convivium, James etc. have either. It's less of a neighborhood feel than a "filling a market niche" type of thing.
Beware that the bus stops running after 12:30am or so. Take a car back, or the G to the 7.
Williamsburg/Greenpoint: is there any decent Chinese takeout
OK, I have to chime in here re: Red Bowl. Their Kung Pao chicken was quite possibly the worst FOOD, not just thworst Chinese Food, I've ever had delivered to my door. It was sweeter than a bag of Twizzlers and had no discernible Chinese ingredients or flavorings (OK, maybe a little soy sauce).
Thai ingredients in Bay Ridge?
What about the Great Wall Supermarket on Fort Hamilton Parkway near 67th Street? That's technically in Bay Ridge, right?
Getting to know Greenpoint and Williamsburg
Based on this recommendation, I tried Variety cafe on Graham. The coffee, at least the espresso, is not even close to being at the level of Grumpy/Gimme/El Beit.
On a side note, I wish people here would start new threads for Williamsburg/Greenpoint restaurant reviews instead of prolonging these Welcome to the Neighborhood-type things.
I have a 2-4 hour wait at Jamaica (for the LIRR)
So many great suggestions. If you're craving Thai food, Sripraphai is only a few blocks from the Woodside station. Your eastbound train may stop at Woodside, too--you'd have to check.
5 yo birthday party room needed
Spanish as in Spain, or as in the Dominican Republic? How about El Viejo Yayo on 5th Avenue and Dean for the latter?
Hours for Palacio de los Cholados?
According to Queens Eats, a food blog (you'll find the entry it if you google "palacio de los cholados") claims that, as of 2006, they're open until midnight. I wouldn't go later than 10 the first time, then you can just ask them their hours (in Spanish).
B24 bus = quick ride to De Mole from Williamsburg
Just a note...I'd forgotten about this thing, but after reading about the Grilled Tilapia Salad, I hopped this bus and it delivered me to 48th Street and 48th Avenue (yes, it's confusing, Brooklyn people) in well under 15 minutes from Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn. I guess it's also a great shortcut to get to Sripraphai and points east along the 7 train. I followed up my meal with a huge, thick, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie from La Flor. The cookie was as good as ever, though not as delectable as the double chocolate variety.
I guess If you're in Sunnyside, and want to come down here for what we're good at--we specialize in hipster bars and red sauce Italian--come on down :-) Or, you can ride the B24 in the other direction and end up on Greenpoint Avenue near the Polish restaurants, bakeries, Peter Pan donuts, and, well, hipster bars.
Czech/Slovak food in Greenpoint?
I noticed a storefront on Manhattan Avenue for the Slovak Society of Brooklyn. Anyone know if any of the seemingly Polish restaurants in the neighborhood are actually Czech or Slovak, besides Radegast Hall?
Redang Island (Bath Beach)
I love the rojak salads with fresh fruit and fish sauce, beef satay only because their peanut sauce is second only to Mi Jakarta in my (somewhat limited) experience, and the ABC drink for dessert. Sufficed to say, they specialize in sweet things. The same old dishes that you find at Nyonya and Jaya on Baxter in C-town are comparable but no better.
As for Banana Leaf in Flushing--any relation to the really good Malaysian place of the same name that used to be near the Bay Ridge Ave station of the R train?
Redang Island (Bath Beach)
I really like the Redang Island on 8th Avenue in Sunset Park--I wonder if Sietsema's ever been there. If it's the same owners, then it's easier to get to (from Queens) than this Bath Beach place. Still, not sure if any NY-Malaysian restaurant is worth a long trip from Elmhurst. Is Taste Good worth a trip from Greenpoint--that's my question...
Alpha Donuts - Change in...something???
This could be the reason:
"NEW YORK (AP) — Unhealthy trans fats in restaurant food? Not in New York City. Eateries must remove artificial trans fats from all menu items by July 1. When first implemented last year, the Health Department ban applied only to fry oils and spreads. It now will also include baked goods, frozen foods, cannoli and doughnuts."
I better get over to Peter Pan in Greenpoint before July 1st...
