Haat Bazaar

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Instagram Post 10/28/2017

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The medium is the message. I thought it looked rather like an artist’s palette, loaded with an assortment of rich colors poised to caress a canvas. Rather, it was an assortment of rich flavors in the form of bhortas (aka bhartas) poised to impress our palates. Start here to learn about Bangladeshi food because these spicy mustard oil and onion infused mashes are a staple of the cuisine, and are considered by some to be comfort food. They begin with virtually any vegetable (and sometimes dried fish) and are certainly a complement to rice but are comfortable with any dish. Obviously, the flavors vary depending upon the main ingredient – a fish bhorta will taste quite different from one made from dal – but I was intrigued by the subtle variations from one alu (potato) bhorta to the next. Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s not too difficult to identify potato, tomato, dal, eggplant, fish, etc. but the helpful folks behind the steam table at Haat Bazaar, 37-11 73rd St, Jackson Heights, Queens patiently identified all of the dishes they had to offer (see photo 2 for a helicopter view of our feast) – which was necessary for us since there are no menus. Definitely worth another visit.
 
 

Fu Xiang Ju – Conch with Noodle Salad

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Instagram Post 10/27/2017

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The menu at Fu Xiang Ju, 136-80 41st Ave, Flushing, Queens, lists this delicious cold dish as Conch with Noodle Salad, a very popular course at our last group dinner. I get the distinct impression that there’s gochujang, the Korean sweet and spicy red chili paste, at work here. Dongbei’s proximity to Korea and the fact that the menu is in Chinese and Korean (in addition to English) lead me to believe that I might be on the right track.
 
 

Moon Man

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Instagram Post 10/26/2017

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Check out who’s landed at the Queens International Night Market! It’s Moon Man, and they’re absolutely one of the best vendors there. They do amazing sweet Indonesian street snacks in three varieties that can be crowned with over seven different toppings including coconut, chocolate, sesame, peanut, and Java palm sugar. If you’re a mathlete, you can calculate the permutations and combinations on those numbers. If not, then do what I did: get their tasting menu and you can try all three delicious cakes – a combo of Indonesian kue pancong (coconut pancake) with Java palm sugar, kue putu (pandan steamed cake) with black sesame, and steamed cassava cake with sweet coconut paste.

They pop up here and there but this Saturday, October 28, you’ll find them at QINM for this season’s closing night. They’re hoping to situate themselves in a more permanent space, so keep an eye out for them because QINM is only one small step for Moon Man…I’m looking forward to a giant leap into a new uncharted space!

Follow them at hellomoonman.com | facebook.com/HelloMoonMan | instagram.com/HelloMoonMan
 
 

Sugar Club

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Instagram Post 10/25/2017

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I picked up a couple of treats from Sugar Club, 81-18 Broadway, Elmhurst, Queens. The first is ขนมชั้น, Kanom Chun (you might also see it as Khanom Chan) – khanom means snack or dessert, chan means layer. The ingredients of this always colorful steamed Thai dessert are simple: coconut milk, sugar and flour (to hold it together) but the presentation is complex and beautiful.
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Since childhood, I’ve been intrigued by blue food and drinks, and to this day I never miss a chance to taste any I happen upon. The second photo shows Sugar Club’s NYFC Milkshake (vanilla ice cream with blue pea flower). The blossoms are used to impart a bluish tint to food without relying on artificial coloring like the swill I used to consume as a kid 😜; it’s sometimes used to color rice. I don’t think it adds much in terms of flavor, but how could I resist that color? Sweet!
 
 
[This venue has closed.]
 
 

El Atoradero

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Instagram Post 10/24/2017

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I am so fortunate to live only a few minutes away from El Atoradero: definitely NOT your mamacita’s Tex-Mex joint! It’s the real deal 🇲🇽 at 708 Washington Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn and everything on the menu is muy delicioso! My brunch today featured Chilaquiles and a Quesadilla Pescado; both dishes were distinctive and delectable. Always a treat!
 
 

Laoma Mala Tang – Upside-down Dumplings

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Instagram Post 10/23/2017

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sƃuᴉldɯnp uʍop-ǝpᴉsdn
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No, it’s not a flying saucer! Rather, these tasty Pan Fried Dumplings (pork, shrimp, and leek) from Laoma Mala Tang in the New York Food Court, booth 20, at 133-35 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens start out like potstickers (that is, fried then covered and steamed) with an additional final step consisting of a small amount of batter poured into the pan and swirled around. The batter clings to the dumplings and when fully cooked it’s carefully flipped over onto a plate. The second photo shows a couple of rogue dumplings that escaped from the mothership, re-flipped to give you an idea of the textures under (crunchy) consideration. Soft dumpling wrappers plus crispy pancake – out of this world!
 
 

Fu Xiang Ju – Lamb Chop with Cumin Sauce

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Instagram Post 10/20/2017

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Now a Dongbei classic in NYC, I never get tired of introducing people to this dish. Sometimes called Muslim Lamb Chop, this braised, battered, fried, cuminized, chilified ode to luscious lambiness never fails to get rave reviews. Fu Xiang Ju, 136-80 41st Avenue in Flushing, Queens, calls their version Lamb Chop with Cumin Sauce, but what’s in a name?
 
 

Four Seasons Snacks

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Instagram Post 10/19/2017

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It’s easy to find pork and leek/chive/cabbage dumplings everywhere in every Chinatown (and that’s a good thing, because where would we be without them?) but don’t overlook dumplings featuring dill. They’re absolutely delicious and, if I may say so, a delightful change from the usual. You might have to search a bit because of a language hurdle: For example, go to the New York Food Court at 133-35 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens and head over to booth 19, Four Seasons Snacks (but you won’t find the name in English, so refer to the second photo). The Dumplings sign uses the characters 茴香 and translates it as fennel, their paper menu translates it as dill; Google Translate reports that it means fennel.

No matter. Get an order of D5 (Fennel with Pork) and prepare for a treat. To me, they taste like dill and they’re wonderful.

I’ve seen a beef and dill combination elsewhere as well. Does anybody else here crave these as much as I do?
 
 

Durian Pizza at C Fruitlife

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Instagram Post 10/18/2017

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You know the old adage about durian, right? “Smells like hell, tastes like heaven!” Well, this may be the gateway drug for durian novitiates: Durian Pizza at C Fruitlife, 135-29 Roosevelt Ave, Flushing, Queens. For those of you who are curious about the flavor of durian, this offering is very mild and may well ease you into some comfy durian love; and for those of us who are hardcore durianheads, we wouldn’t mind if this were even a little more, um, pungent! They offer two versions, Musang King, the Malaysian variety, and the less expensive Monthong from Thailand. Lots of other Hong Kong style desserts as well as snacks to be found, some with a more salubrious bent, some just for fruity sweetness.
 
 

King Tut Pie

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Instagram Post 10/14/2017

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Feteer (فطير) is Egypt’s spin on stuffed, crispy, flaky-crust goodness, and at King Tut Pie, 478 72nd St in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, you can watch them skillfully toss the dough until it’s paper thin as they make yours to order. They offer about a dozen delicious savory varieties (ours was the King Tut Special with beef, sausage, pastrami, veggies, and cheese) as well as seven dessert options (we got the custard, nuts, and raisins feteer) and it was as enjoyable to watch them make it as it was to eat it.
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The first photo is a peek inside the delicious finished product…
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…and beginning with the dough, the animation shows each step as they (2) roll it out, (3) toss it around and stretch it out until (4) it’s paper thin, (5) fold it to make layers, (6) add meats, (7) veggies, (8) and cheese, (9) fold it up, and (10) bake it to perfection.