 My Guyanese grandmother is the best cook I know! So I never thought I could find a place that would rival some of her delicious food until I found Kaieteur Express in Jamaica. Although it can be difficult to find initially, once you do, their delicious food will have you coming back for more with friends to share it with! Kaieteur Express II, which is named after the world’s largest single drop waterfall located in Guyana, specializes in Guyanese-Chinese cuisine. Guyana boasts five main ethnic groups: Indians, Portugues, Chinese, Amerindians, and Africans so it has a diverse cuisine that’s a mix of these ethnicities. From the first time we had it, Kaieteur has become a take out favorite among my family. Coming from a Guyanese heritage I never considered getting Guyanese food for takeout considering that my family cooks that regularly. However, the Guyanese-Chinese fusion offers dishes we don’t usually prepare and is just similar enough to feel like home and different enough to taste exotic. The first time my mom and I came across this restaurant about 5 years ago, I chose to get something I was familiar with so I could gauge the quality. Ever since then their jerk chicken lo mein has been my go to meal! Everything was fresh and wonderfully seasoned. The portions are large enough to share with at least three people. They also sell West Indian sodas and drinks, like TomBoy Lime Rickey soda and sorrel, that are refreshing and compliments any meal. Recently we tried their pastries and plait bread and those were fresh and delicious as well. I also love their tennis rolls which are baked to perfection and are delicious for breakfast toasted with butter and a cup of tea. Kaieteur offers the taste of great Guyanese cooking from back home but it also offers mainstream items, such as Chinese fried rice, chicken fingers, and french fries, so there’s something for everyone. If you’re in the area, I recommend you check it out. Bring your appetite!
88-08 183rd St, Jamaica, NY 11423 (718) 526-6251 Menu: http://places.singleplatform.com/kaieteur-express-ii/menu?ref=google
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One of my all time favorite restaurants to go to during middle school and I still love their peking pork chops. I hail from Fuzhou, the capital city of the Fujian province of China, however this restaurant specializes in Cantonese cuisine from Guangdong. Each province in China has their own specialties and distinct favors which makes it extremely interesting to walk into a Chinese restaurant and guess what kind of food they make. My parents in particular love seafood (Fuzhou is a city by the sea so seafood is very abundant) and all their seafood dishes are just absolutely wonderful but my favorite dish, besides their peking pork chops, is their eggplant casserole. I haven’t gone back in a while but it is a great place to give it a try, and while the price is a bit high, their food is definitely worth it. They also offer free appetizers like a bowl of hot soup, or maybe peanuts once you’re seated, and at the end of the meal, depending on the season, they might offer fruit, hot soup, or other snacks as a finisher. The waiters and waitresses have worked there for a very long time and are very good at serving so you won’t have any trouble with that. It’s a great place both for family and friends to go to or alone.
136-13 37th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354 I have no direct ties to Uzbekistan, except some of my family from generations ago came from places that at one point were part of the Soviet Union as well. So that doesn’t explain why I love this food. Oddly, I first had Uzbek food while on a business trip in Munich. It was cold and snowy and I was rundown and had a little time before my train was leaving, so I stop into this small shop to get some hot soup. It was delicious and I didn’t even know where it came from until I asked, but it stuck in my mind. What little I knew about the place was it lies at the crossroads of all of Asia and has captured a bit of everywhere in their cuisine. When I heard about TOS in Queens I dragged my wife and friends to try it and boy was it amazing. So many delicious dishes (and so reasonably priced) we had to try almost everything. My favorites that are all well worth trying include Lepyoshka which is just wonderful traditional Uzbek bread, Lagman-a delightful soup with beef, homemade noodles and such, samsa-veal and lamb pastries, and plov a rice & meat pilaf with a Asian twist. Its tough to pass up anything on the menu and at these prices feel free to take a flyer or two. That’s what we always do and have yet to be disappointed.
Taste of Samarkand 62-16 Woodhaven Blvd Rego Park, Queens
Growing up near MVB as a teenager the go to food anytime of day was pizza and as I was to later learn by the slice was how we had it, although that was rare elsewhere around the country. By high school we had come to learn our local pizza shop was ok but nothing special. However, we had learned Joe’s Pizza, on the corner of the Horace Harding Expressway (aka the LIE service Road) and Springfield Blvd, had not only great pizza, but also the wonderful ices from Lemon Ice King of Corona in the summer. As none of us in those days had a car we had to walk a solid mile to get there but it was always worth it. No matter when we showed up Eli or Donny was there and the pizza was always hot and fresh. We kept going there long after we graduated Van but suddenly everything changed as it was sold and new owners took over. It took a while but it turned out they had moved on, but not out, of the pizza business as they resurfaced under the name Villa Milano in Manhasset, just a few miles up the road in Nassau. I am happy to say, same guys, same wonderful pizza, and whenever I am anywhere close I will detour to pick up a pie with mushrooms and savor every bite. I have traveled all over this country and the world as well and this is still far and away my favorite pizza.
Villa Milano 168 Plandome Road Manhasset NY |
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