Most unusual cuisines available in New York

[Pan]

Do you know a place to get Kirghiz food? Any Tongan restaurants in your neighborhood? Someplace to get Inuit whale blubber? OK, I'm definitely going too far there.

But seriously, speak up for the unique outposts of particular cuisines in the five boroughs.

[Fat Guy]

Well, there's the kosher Uzbeki place in Queens -- Salut -- that Robert Sietseman has championed in the Village Voice Top 100 Inexpensive Restaurants.

[jogoode]

Sietsema again touting the only Keralite place in New York.

[Pan]

That Uzbek place looks sort of accessible by subway (R to someplace on Queens Blvd., several blocks' walk), but Floral Park is near the Nassau County line (ergo, the subtitle of the article on the Indian Coffee House that JJ linked to: "Stormy South Indian food journeys to far eastern Queens").

[kurl]

Isn't there some Cambodian place near-ish to BAM? Is that unusual enough?

[Pan]

Yes, it's unusual in New York, as people have said for a long time that it's the only Cambodian restaurant in New York. Unless it closed, in which case there presumably are none.

[kurl]

Is it any good? I've never been.

Also, any reports from the Uzbeki place? Seeing as many of my friends are strictly kosher, a trip there may for once be a reasonably foodie-ish dinner with them.

[Pan]

I seem to remember reports that it was just OK. Good Cambodian food can be fabulous, as I discovered in Paris.

Are there any Nepali restaurants in New York?

[alacarte]

Are there any Nepali restaurants in New York?

Yes -- on 9th Street between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. But I can't remember the name, can anyone help?

[Pan]

Kara, are you sure you aren't thinking of the Tibetan restaurant on that block?

[alacarte]

I think you're right.

Does Tibetan count as exotic?

[Orik]

Burmese - Cafe Mingala around 72nd and 2nd (I believe there's another one in the East Village). On a single visit, some of the dishes were very nice (young ginger salad) while others were quite uninteresting (crispy whole fish in Tamarind sauce). I couldn't say how authentic or good this was compared to what it can be.

[Fat Guy]

I believe the name of the restaurant in Fort Greene is "Cambodian Cuisine." My notes from a meal in 2000 indicate that it may have a self-explanatory name, but that enlightenment is not exactly forthcoming from the massive, uninformative menu. Still, most elements of the cuisine will be identifiable to those familiar with Thai and Vietnamese cooking. You'll find a few lo mein-like clunkers that are strictly Chinese take-out quality. Chicken ahmok, a shredded and steamed chicken patty with coconut milk and broccoli leaves, was the best strictly Cambodian offering I tried. But far and away the most excellent dish I had was listed on the menu as "B-21," which consists of tender strips of beef in a creamy gravy. 87 South Elliott Place, near Lafayette Street, (718) 858-3262

[Jason Perlow]

Man, am I glad you didn't say S-21 instead.

[pjs]

That Uzbek place looks sort of accessible by subway (R to someplace on Queens Blvd., several blocks' walk), but Floral Park is near the Nassau County line (ergo, the subtitle of the article on the Indian Coffee House that JJ linked to: "Stormy South Indian food journeys to far eastern Queens").

Floral Park is so near the city border most of the town is actually in Nassau Co!

I grew up around the corner from where the Keralite restaurant, Indian Coffee Shop, is now located. It would be easily accessible by public transportation, especially from Manhattan. The LIRR stop is in Nassau Co. but only about eight blocks away. You could also take the E or F train to the end of the line and catch the 43 bus which would drop you off at their front door.

My how the neighborhood has changed. Judging by the Sietsema review, changed for the better.

PJ

[anil]

In the interest of baseball, and a shakey start by the yankees - The initial folks associated with Pongal in 28th & Lex, were malayalis. I have seen Sudanese restaurant open and close down within months. Cuisines from unrespresented, or under-respresentated locales would probably show up in restaurants from the dominant countries in the region. - A question for my resident demographer (and also NYT's)

[Pan]

I think you're right.

Does Tibetan count as exotic?

Maybe, but there's been a continuous presence of Tibetan cuisine in New York for many years. Where Mermaid Inn is used to be Lhasa, and there's the place on 9th St. and Shangri-La (I think) on 2nd Av. between St. Mark's and 7th. And that's just in the East Village.

[Pan]

Isn't there an Albanian neighborhood in the Bronx? I seem to remember Jason mentioning that they make pizza a lot? And there's a Bosnian restaurant in Astoria, I think?

What about sparsely-represented African cuisines? Any Namibian, Malagasy, or Ugandan restaurants, for example?

[lambretta76]

How about Cafe Kashkar - the Uigher restaurant in Coney Island? (It's fantastic) Nepali food can be had at Mina in Sunnyside (call in advance for momos and whatever else you might be able to think up - it's not on the regular menu but many dishes can be made if ordered in advance.) Lot's of Nepali hang out at Tibetan Yak in Jackson Heights, and the younger waitress there speaks Nepali fluently. (Want to find out the difference between Tibetan and Nepali food - put ketchup on your momos.) Enjoy that wonderful (kidding) butter tea flavoured with ghee and salt.

Yes, Cambodian Cuisine is still around, but I grew up with lots of Cambodian food around in Pittsburgh. (Well, not lots, but at least several restaurants.)

In Flushing, you'll find lots of different regional Chinese cuisines - go to the Food Courts to get a sampling.

In Astoria, there's Istrian cuisine, a Maltese bakery, a yummy little Sarajevan fast food joint. Ghanan kenke can be had in at least three boroughs, and even Eritrea has had some representatives in this city. And South African food can be had near BAM.

Notable missing cuisines -

Canadian (esp. Quebecois)

Norwegian/Finnish

Tunisian

New Zealand

Laotian

Goan (heard Goa only had a few dishes)

[bhelpuri]

1) There is a very decent Tibetan restaurant - Tibetan Kitchen - on 3rd Avenue and 31st (or so ).

Unlike the other couple of restaurants purportedly serving Tibetan food, this one doesn't heavily Indianize the food or lean towards the regular Chinese takeaway. It's the kind of food Tibetans eat at home.

2) Goan food is comprised of significantly more than "a few dishes". However, the one or two items that have become famous (in bastardized Brit versions) can be found in any number of Indian restaurants from the most expensive to the lowest 6th street dive.

There is no Goan restaurant in NYC, nor a restaurant for the overall Konkan region. This is a notable gap, since Konkan food is fantastic - and Bombay makes its name as a restaurant city in large part because of restaurants serving this fish-centered fare. It's only a matter of time, I think.

Anyway, Floyd Cardoz is Goan, and his 'Tabla' often has Goan-home-cooking-sounding things on the menu. Of course, they're very far from the hearty originals, but that's probably the restaurant where Goa is mentioned and referred to most often in NYC.

[ned]

There's a Norwegian restaurant in, of all places, Hudson New York. It's called Bølgen and Moi. Was meant to open in Tribeca fall of 2001, for obvious reasons didn't, then somehow they decided to do something in Hudson. Not really husmanskost (regular people's norwegian food) more like contemporary Norwegian food but still worth investigating.

[lambretta76]

bhelpuri - I'm sorry for the confusion. I wasn't implying that the Goan food was comprised of only a few dishes, but that the restaurant Goa, on 6th St., only has a few Goan dishes in spite of its name.

Floyd Cardoz' Goan specials at Tabla are quite good, but generally beyond my means for everyday dining. But Tabla is hardly a Goan restuarant. (It is, however, a very good one.)

And ned - that sounds very interesting. If I'm ever in Hudson I'll check it out. Is that where most of the Bay Ridge Norwegians ended up?

Interesting - seems to be a Norwegina chain that opened its first (?) US shop there... looks interesting!

Bølgen and Moi website

Edited April 20, 2004 by lambretta76 (log)

[bhelpuri]

I wasn't implying that the Goan food was comprised of only a few dishes, but that the restaurant Goa, on 6th St., only has a few Goan dishes in spite of its name.

Oh, I see.

Of course 'Tabla' isn't regular daily fare, didn't mean to imply that it was. Neither are Cardoz's rabbit pan rolls (or whatever) anything particularly recognizeably Goan, it's just that he references Goa a lot mainly due to his abiding (and well publicized) love for his mother's Bombay-Goan cooking.

[rstarobi]

Isn't there an Albanian neighborhood in the Bronx? I seem to remember Jason mentioning that they make pizza a lot? And there's a Bosnian restaurant in Astoria, I think?

What about sparsely-represented African cuisines? Any Namibian, Malagasy, or Ugandan restaurants, for example?

Arthur Avenue (Belmont) in the Bronx is a very Italian neighborhood of course, but with a large Albanian minority. Tony and Tina's pizzeria does Albanian style Bureks. Beyond that, I know there are other Albanian restaurants/coffeeshops in the nabe, but I haven't been to them.

[rich]

Staten Island has an excellenet Filipino restaurant.