zemilideias's Profile
New recommendations in Astoria
Ditto. I'd love to have an excellent, outdoor meal on the corner of Astoria Park. I once did, right when Agnanti opened. But each time I've been back I've been disappointed in the food, surprised at the rudeness of waiters and the owner, and thus I won't go back. I so wanted to like this pplace.
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Agnanti
19-06 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, NY 11105
Pho Bac
Wow; Pho Bang is so greasy, so smelly--it'sthe one in the front with the diner steup while Pho Bac in back of the shopping center next to Chinese supermarket and Penang Queens is awesome...so nicely flavored, really the best Viet food in the area
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Pho Bang
4107 Kissena Blvd, Queens, NY 11355
Pho Bac
82-78 Broadway, Queens, NY 11373
Sripraphai overrated
Try Chao Thai's crispy morning glory salad--blows away same dish at Sri
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Chao Thai
85-03 Whitney Ave, Queens, NY 11373
Sripraphai overrated
Many people always go back to McDonald's because the food's consistent, their bathrooms are usually clean, they're somewhat kid friendly, and they're lazy about trying other places. But on the other hand, I've not been back to Sri lately becuase the food's better in surrounding Thai restaurants.
Chao Thai
yeah, the older female waittresses don't believe that non-Thais can deal with Thai. If you get the younger chubby guy he'll set you up with hot no problem, though.
Chao Thai
hmmm...no "hype" about it but it just got the honor. OK, you're right, the Zagat guide's no. 1 rated Thai restaurant, consistently touted as a 'reason' to go to Queens (as if you'd not go otherwise)...but it's not hyped. It's OVERHYPED. Food better at Chao, period.
Authentic Mexican in Brooklyn or Queens
Wow, I went back there last week after not going for 8-10 months. On my previous visits I had GREAT fish tacos and the very best tamales I've ever had in NYC (and I live in Queens so I get lots of options on that one!). But this time the chicken tamales verdes were hard and tasteless. And teh vaunted tortillas were also kinda hard and dry. And the tacos were pretty average, with the al pastor actually not anywhere near as good as at leats 5-6 places in a 20 block radius of the restaurant. But the place WAS filled with out of towners--maybe in for a Mets game?--who seemed to love it. I guess it IS still better than what you can get in Greenwich (but not Portchester) but too bad, Nixtamal seems to be going the way of Park Slope eateries in its slavish devotion to the idiot gringo...
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Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Ave, Queens, NY 11368
Chao Thai
the zip/tang I get at srip is usually grease-based....clue me in to your fave plates so I can learn what the hype is ab out. I've beeen there too m any times without satisfaction!
Chao Thai
yeah, the menu is expansive att Applebee's too...I don't understand the appeal of Srip besides its huge menu. I ate there yesterdya (midweek). I had the watercress salad whcih was clearly sitting some time in teh warmer sectino and tasted old and greasy. Then we had the chickne/shrimp dumplings appetizer. They tasted only like grease. Then we ordered the catfish in curry and the waittress said "That has many bones" and told us to get the sea trout. We assured her bones were no problem and she really didn't believe us. Then we heard "our food is very hot. you don't really want 'medium thai'" even though we did. Of course the food came non-medium Thai; not even medicum N. American! The catfish was OK--juicy, large serving size (big at Applebees too, no?!?) but it's much better at Chao Thai. We had one more entree which Ipromised to write about but which was so forgettable I can't recall it now.
The green tea ice cream was great. Do you think Sri prepares it?
I really don't get the 'wonderful." You'll have to clue me in and tell me what to order. I've not yet come close to at least 2-3 other Thai restaurants in the area and I really think that Sri's pretensions to (Queens-based) fanciness and large menu are what make people rave. In terms of tastiness it's not even top 20 in western Queens. Sorry, skippies...
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Chao Thai
85-03 Whitney Ave, Queens, NY 11373
SriPraPhai
64-13 39th Ave, Queens, NY 11377
Chao Thai
yeah, oh my god, the watercress salad as well as the vegetable dish itself rock.
Chao Thai
yeah, do the striped bass in chili lime sauce. pretty darned good. but you're right, the majority of their dishes don't measure up to chao thai standards!
Pizza in Astoria
Pizza, like Chinese food, is one of the few that disappoints in Astoria. Or, rather, it never rises above the pack, only average in most places. But the best pizza in Astoria is'nt exactly pizza--check out LoRusso's focaccia's which are AMAZING and very well priced. It's on 18th St. in Old Astoria, a coupla blocks s. of Astoria Park.
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Lorusso
18-01 26th Rd, Queens, NY 11102
Bklyn Vs Queens, The BQE, Bklyn Queens Experience
i was talking rainey park, ecuadorian carts, and not flushing meadows
Vesta - new Astoria Italian at 30th Av and 21st St
have you ever had a good meal beyond the wine and cake?
El Anzuelo Fino, jfores, are you there?
it used to be, of all places given its highland name, inti raymi. but that closedd and the owner took over the corner, Colombian place which is now peruvian (Urubamba) but not as fresh and tasty and much more expensive than inti raymi. I don't go anymore. anyone have recs for fresh cebiche and good pervuian, rfeally good peruvvian?
Want the BEST GREEK in Astoria for tonite!!
Philoxenia is great; proly the best in Astoria but not for seafood
Chao Thai
you hit a bad day. they do that "non-thai = no heat" jig and you gotta talk to them in the right way or it comes out either bland or burning. I can say "Thai medium" over and over and only sometimes they will listen to me. The chubby guy is best at that with the waittresssses not so good at listening re. spiciness, oftentimes botching it.
Sripaphai~ over hyped?
chao thai has better food than sri and it's pad is better too so this undercuts celtic girl's claims re. inauthenticity
Nusara Thai?
Yeash, Chao Thai has better food in most areas. And to back up HaveTaste I have to say that the first coupla times I went to Nusara--where service can be slow despite its attractive decor--I was disappointed (even as it's better than Sri). But now I've discovered a few dishes...here's one more: the striped bass in lemon chili sauce can be quite amazing. check it out.
Moving to Astoria
John Keenan, although I can't say I share your enthusiasm for Vesta's food (But do love its ambience) I agree that 30th Ave is about the hottest food stretch in N. America. Vegetales and fruits are freshest, taco trucks great, Greek/Cypriot, Turkish and Thai and Brazilian and Italian as well as variouis Andean cuisines all represented in many ways. Yeah, right on.
Best 5 restaurants in Jackson Heights?
yeah, but i think JH roti boti went out of business when someone hightailed it back to Bangladesh with $$; now you've got to go out of the 'hood, to 21st and Astoria Blvd for Roti Boti!
Chao Thai
Yeah, well, go the extra stop, buddy: I went to Chao last night and wow! We had old standby green papaya salad and then a watercress salad off the wall + a pad frog leg red + a claim in basil sauce recommended as special and it just rocked. Blew away Sripaphai last time I was there. I think the deal in Chao is that you have to be a bit known otherwise they water down flavor leaving out the heat or else, if you ask for heat, you can get overwhelmed and not taste the flavors. If they trust that you can take heat and then ask them to tone it down just a bit you'll be rewarded with a subtle yet complex dish nearly every time. And listen the waitstaff, you hear me?
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Chao Thai
85-03 Whitney Ave, Queens, NY 11373
disappointing meal at Stamatis! where's the real Greek food in Astoria?
yeah, philoxenia is the tastiest of the bunch. agnanti the nicest outdorr
