The U.S. Open, my all time favorite sports tournament is almost in town, and I can't wait. While I relish all the tennis action these exciting two weeks bring, I'm not always jazzed about the food options offered at the stadium. It's for this reason I'm providing you with a quick round-up of delicious eats you can grab prior to or after visiting the Open without fail. All of these suggestions are located close to the 7 train line, so they offer easy convenience.
Biang Noodles in Flushing - This popular noodle shop will satisfy your gametime hunger with more than a dozen different varieties of noodles, skewers, bread dishes such as sliders, dumplings and even authentic Chinese desserts. Make sure to bring cash, as Biang doesn't accept credit cards. 41-10 Main Street, Flushing. 718.888.7713
Venturo in Sunnyside - Loving Vesta's little outpost in Sunnyside, it's just a few short steps from the 7 train and couldn't make it easier to stop off and get some fresh, delicious food. In addition to dinner and wine, they serve lunch so you can hit them up during the U.S. Open day sessions. Recommended dishes include the homemade thin crust pizzas, the pasta free lasagna and of course their Baby Jesus cake for dessert. 44-07 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside. 718.406.9363
Jahn's in Jackson Heights - If you'd like to treat yourself to a celebratory old fashioned sundae, Jahn's is your pick. Boasting north of 14 different sundae varieties, you can get everything from a classic vanilla hot fudge sundae to something funky and unusual such as the Kitchen Sink Sundae which feeds up to 10 people at once. 81-04 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights. 718.651.0700
After a full week of indulging in Florida, Dan and I were in the mood for something lighter, and therefore jumped at the chance to have dinner at the Oneness Fountain Heart restaurant in Flushing. The inspiration for this restaurant intrigued me, as it pays homage to a well known spiritual leader and "a champion of peace," Sri Chinmoy, boasting an eclectic vegetarian menu.
Atmosphere:
Located very much off the beaten path in Flushing, Oneness is a place you must access by car, but once you get there you'll be glad you made the trip. I must say that from the outside, it doesn't much look like a restaurant or cafe, as the space is ultra bright - seeming to be illuminated by a multitude of lamps as well as gold wall fixtures that reflect light.
Once we stepped inside, we were welcomed by a bright and colorful dining room, adorned with more lamps, fountains and a concave ceiling that was further illuminated and made the room feel more spacious. There were a few people inside, enjoying a leisurely dinner, but overall the restaurant was relaxed and subdued, representing its spiritual inspiration quite well. It's certainly a place to relax and wind down after a long hard day.
Food:
Another aspect of Oneness that totally fascinated me was their chef who happens to be Czech. Naturally, being from Slovakia, I wanted to meet Chef Horejsi and was totally surprised that a vegetarian and an Asian friendly menu would come from someone from a culture very much dependent on meat.
Appetizers - We started with two hearty appetizers, including these gorgeous zucchini rollups (pictured above) and the nacho blues chips. The first was the most interesting to me, partly due to its sophisticated presentation and also because of the amazing colors it had going on. The inside was stuffed with a a walnut paste that seemed almost meaty, and together it created a deliciously vibrant bite.
Entrees - Inspired by the Asian style dishes on the menu, Dan and I went with the Mongolian Beef and the raw coconut Pad Thai. Both were vegetarian of course, but you could've fooled anyone's with Dan's "beef," which was substituted with seitan, coated in a tasty soy glaze. Loving the juxtaposition of the tender "beef" with the crispy fresh veggies, we took turns devouring this dish.
My Pad Thai was a nice choice as well, also representing a full spectrum of colors and textures. I enjoyed the thin strips of carrots, zucchini and coconut that served as the "pasta."
Dessert - Definitely the highlight of the meal for me, the Berry Dream (aka Cashew Cream with Blueberries) blew us out of the water with its delicate texture and lightness with each bite. The berries provided a touch of earthy freshness and a beautiful color contrast.
Another home run dessert was the homemade passion fruit, which was also a fluffy mousse confection with pretty dollops of passion fruit puree. We certainly enjoyed it in the cold, but I imagine this dessert to be lovely in the warm summer months as well.
Service and Cost:
The waitstaff at Oneness is lovely, totally low-key and modest, just like the restaurant. We enjoyed hearing about Chef Horejsi's background, learning that he's been a chef for 10 years, experimenting both in NY and Paris. Overall, it was wonderful to see a new innovative take on vegetarian food, and for once it not seeming like an afterthought but instead the main event.
Costs are very reasonable and include:
Appetizers - $4.75 - $8.95
Entrees - $6.95 - $13.95
Desserts - $4.50 - $4.95
3 Mmmms
Oneness Fountain Heart - 157-19 72nd Avenue, Flushing NY 11367
718.591.3663
www.oneness-fountain-heart.com
With the changing weather lately, it's really beginning to feel like fall. And while some people like it and think it's been a long time coming, I'm sad to say goodbye to the mild weather.
The good part to all of this is that eating heartier, warmer food will now become a regular part of our repertoire, and I've started this during the weekend, when my brother Peter and I tried Biang!, a traditional Chinese noodle shop in Flushing. Not only did it hit the spot, but the service and the price point were just right. We'll certainly be back - and then some.
Atmosphere:
Situated in the heart of Flushing, Biang! is located just a few steps both from the LIRR and not far from the 7 train. This makes coming here really convenient for both city dwellers and urbanites, so there's absolutely no excuse not to try it :)
While the interior is quite narrow, it's long and still manages to feel spacious. Tall tables with stools and booth seating occupy most of the space, making Biang! well suited for casual, impromptu dining with one or two dining companions. Even though it's possible to dine with a group, I wouldn't recommend it, as it'll take you a while to score a table.
I liked observing the diverse crowd, which is made up of both Asians and non-Asians, alluding to its authenticity but also showing that it's approachable to folks that may be new to Chinese cuisine. Any way you look at it, it's a win.
Food:
Biang! specializes in noodles, and that's exactly what we came for. I myself prefer the more rustic hand pulled noodles, which are thicker and heartier, and I was glad to see these on the menu.
Mt. Qi Pork Biang-Biang Noodles - As soon as I saw that spicy and sour pork belly was on the menu, I had to have it. The whole dish reminded me of what I had just a year ago at Mission Chinese (totally overrated btw), but better. The noodles were thick and delicious and coated with a smoky, red chili sauce that warmed your entire palate, and your insides. Another comforting and unexpected element of spice came from the star anise, which made this dish fragrant and really perfect for the fall and winter.
Peter had a variation of these noodles as well that was done up in a similar style, except that instead of pork it had pieces of seitan and stewed veggies. Certainly milder than my noodles, but still with a bit of heat to them, Peter thought it hit the spot.
Spicy Cumin Lamb Burgers - Even though we ordered this dish as an app, our waitress explained that it takes a little while to cook the lamb, and therefore it arrived after our noodles. This worked out fine, as we took a respite from our spicy noodles and took a bite out of the little less spicy lamb. Compared to Peter's dish, the lamb was spicier, but when up against my fiery noodles, the spice factor wasn't too intense.
The meat itself was tender and flavored with cumin, garlic, and onions. Its overall look was pretty unusual, as I expected it to rest between steamed buns, but instead the bun was bready and slightly crispy on the outside. Even though it was different than I envisioned, it was really delicious and something worth coming back for.
Service and Cost:
Overall, the service was on point and generally quick. Even though a lot of the waitstaff could've infused more personality into their service, all in all, they did a solid job.
Costs couldn't be more affordable at just $6.50-$7 for the noodle dishes and $7 for 2 burgers. The entire dinner, including drinks set us back just $37 with tax and tip.
3 Mmmms
Biang! - 41-10 Main Street, Flushing NY 11355
718.888.7713
7 Train to Flushing/Main Street
www.biang-nyc.com
Just the other week, I had the great fortune to go on another exciting food adventure with my friends from the Queens Supper club, organized by my friend Anne from City Spoonful blog. Always enjoying our food escapades, this time around brought us back to Flushing for a really unique experience of having Chinese Hot Pot. Never trying this before, I couldn't wait to see how the whole evening would transpire, and I'm happy to report that it far surpassed my expectations. So much so that I keep raving to all my Asian and non-Asian comrades about it.
Atmosphere:
Located a bit of a ways from the subway and the LIRR, Little Lamb Hot Pot (or Tian San Yun Juan Shao Fei Yun as the Chinese refer to it) is a bit on the remote side. I didn't mind the slight trek though, as there was tons of visual stimulation on the way from the various Chinese markets, malls and just general great people watching.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I noticed it wasn't anything visually beautiful, but it was pretty busy, the tables filled with larger groups, which was a great sign. The space is long and narrow, extending all the way to the back, where we ended up sitting in a semi-private area. It was quite nice for newbies like us to have that bit of privacy and also since we were a larger group and often times a bit noisy.
Each table was equipped with a little range for your hot pot and for larger tables, you can find two or three of these. The whole atmosphere is really conducive to being social and carries off a nice communal vibe.
Food:
Since I was a hot pot novice, I got a little tutorial on how to go about it from my friends. The whole concept is pretty simple but quite ingenious. You choose a broth (or two), then your fixins such as meat, seafood and veggies and then you just go for it - cooking everything in the hot broth.
For our side of the table, we decided to split the broth pot in half - one half being mild and the other spicy. Then we went for everything else, including thin slices of lamb, beef, shrimp balls, rice noodles, tofu, tofu skins, mushrooms, carrots, corn, taro, bok choy and even non-traditional proteins such as lamb heart and pig's blood.
The whole thing was an incredible experience, as we all joined in the fun of cooking our proteins and veggies. Experiencing many hilarious moments, as we often forgot what we cooked only to have it float up at a later point in our meal, or the funniest part when we found one of our serving ladles in the broth. "It was the best tasting ladle in all of Queens," we joked.
Something else that was great were all the dipping sauces you can indulge in to enhance all your proteins and veggies. There were about a dozen of them, and Anne created a beautiful concoction of about 3 different sauces, including a few fiery ones that we ended up dipping into for the rest of the evening.
Service and Cost:
We appreciated the efficient service and the fact that our servers had so much patience with us, given our amateur hot pot skills. It was also neat to see that each table was equipped with an iPad you can use during your meal for playing games, perusing the menu, tweeting and so forth.
Costs are inexpensive and of course depend on how many fixins you get. We ended up paying a mere $22/person including tax and tip for the entire meal. Some people got drinks as well.
3 Soupy Mmmms
Little Lamb Hot Pot - 36-35 Main Street, Flushing NY 11354
718.358.6667
7 Train to Flushing/Main Street, LIRR to Flushing/Main Street
www.thebesthotpot.com
With the U.S. Open in full swing, lots of you may be checking out the action in person and taking advantage of this awesome event right in our neck of the woods. For those of you who are depending on the food court to get your grub on, stop right there and reconsider, as I've put together a quick where to eat guide for you that falls out of bounds of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
Tortilleria Nixtamal - The easiest stop over on your way to or from the tennis center, all you have to do is get off at the 103rd street stop on the 7 and bring your appetite. True that this place is on the intimate side, but you won't be sorry as you indulge in their homemade tortillas used in their famously delicious tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and more. The tamales are also a big must, and I personally recommend the pork tamale verde. 104-05 47th Avenue, Corona. 718.699.2434
Tuk-Tuk - If you're coming to the Open from the city, stop at the Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue stop on the 7 and hit up this awesome Thai eatery. Not only is the atmosphere really mod and interesting, the food comes out fast and it's really tasty. If you'd like to properly sustain yourself before the games, I suggest you get the pineapple duck curry, featuring crispy duck, sweet chunks of pineapple, bathed in a slightly spicy curry broth. 49-06 Vernon Blvd, LIC. 718.472.5598
Czech-Slovak Varieties Store - Paying homage to my Slovak roots, I often stop in at this store to load up on snacks before going to Flushing Meadows. I stock up on my Slovak sweet treats such as chocolate wafer cookies called Tatranky, Fidorky, all the Kinder I can ever want, chrumky and other native snacks that last me through the games. If you're just curious to see what they have, don't be afraid to pop in and give them a customary "Dobry Den" greeting (means good day). 10-59 Jackson Avenue, LIC. 718.752.2093
Salt and Fat - Many may have heard of this place but haven't yet had the opportunity to go. Here's your chance, as it's again right off the 7 train on the 40th Avenue Lowery Street stop. Like its name suggests, this won't be a light meal, but it's also really memorable, featuring menu items such as Korean BBQ wraps, pork belly buns, a crispy pork trotter and even a foie gras with bacon brittle. See a pattern here?! That's right...bring on the pig! 41-16 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside. 718.433.3702
New World Mall Food Court - While in Flushing, I urge you to take advantage of all the culinary wonders that it provides, including the fabulous food courts at the big malls. One of these is the New World Mall food court, which is just enormous and super affordable. From sweet red bean sesame buns to savory pork ones, surf and turf stir fry made before your eyes, and desserts such as all the tangy bubble tea you can drink, this is a true gem and a culinary Mecca. 40-21 Main Street, Flushing. 718.353.0551
Hope you get to try some of these eats, and if you have other suggestions, I'm all ears. Enjoy the games!
I always look forward to attending the once-a-month Queens Supper Club, organized by my friend Anne from Cityspoonful blog and her friend Leigh. The dinners are always adventurous, interesting and most of all, affordable. Dan came along for this one, and had an awesome time hangin' with my adventurous foodie crew.
So where did we go this time, you may wonder? Flushing! We ventured to the New World Mall, which is known for their amazingly diverse food court on its lower level. The rest of the building serves very much as a shopping haven for all sorts of things including clothes, electronics, toys, specialty food items, cosmetics and more. If you haven't yet been, I strongly encourage you to check it out.
Atmosphere:
Located literally right outside of the 7 subway and also not far from the Flushing/Main Street LIRR station, you won't miss the large building, which is the New World Mall.
Upon setting foot in the mall, I was right away amazed by its magnetic energy and all the bright colors. It sort of reminded me of the many underground malls I went to in Tokyo, and I felt pleasantly nostalgic, ready and excited to uncover its goods.
The immense food court, which was our main destination was just down the escalator, and once we got down there, we marveled at its offerings. I just couldn't believe how much there was explore, from homemade dumpling stands to noodle bars; from frozen treats to all sorts of stir fry.
Food:
Our strategy was to first make a full round, checking out all the stands, and then in our second round to actually buy stuff. I liked this approach a lot because it let you scope out the scene and formulate a plan of action - and it also helped to see where most people were gravitating. Dan, Meg and I sort of went splitsies on everything, which was a nice way to go.
Red Bean Sesame Bun - Even though this was more desserty than anything, we got one on the fly and ate it on line, while making other food decisions. The dough was flaky and delicious, while the inside was soft and gooey and super sweet from the red bean paste. Again, this dessert was nostalgic, as Dan and I had lots of red bean goodies back in Japan. Good times...good flavor!
Seared Pork Buns - In the same stand where we got the red bean bun, we also got these amazingly huge seared pork buns. They came in a box of six, and the portion was enormous, where we each got to have two of them. I loved their well done, slightly crispy top and the soft doughy sides. The filling was of course the best part, consisting of soft ground pork mixed with Asian spices, one of which I think was lemongrass, adding a nice zing of freshness.
Surf and Turf Stir Fry - As we went around the food court and took note of which stands drew in the biggest crowds, the ones with stir-fry definitely qualified. Dan and I were intrigued, as we noticed a whole lot of spicy options, with all sorts of meats and veggies. One thing that really impressed us is how these were served, in large wooden bowls that you'd normally use to house a family style salad. They were huge, and looked absolutely delicious!
Once we got to the front of the line, we got food stage fright, as we didn't know what to go for. Some of it looked downright foreign but still interesting, while other stuff seemed a bit scary (like the crab). After a few quick moments of deliberation, we went with a surf and turf bowl, combining shrimp, thin pieces of beef, squid, tofu and various types of veggies.
The whole thing was done at the speed of light (in about 3-4 minutes) and off we went, to sit down with our impressive bowl of ingredients. Wow! All in all, the dish was awesome. I loved the spicy sauce that was interlaced throughout all our diverse ingredients, giving it a lot of quick, sharp heat, that luckily dissipated quickly. The protein was delicious, especially the shrimp, which we ate with the shell still in tact. For those of you not yet convinced, I urge you that it's a great way to enjoy shrimp, adding beautiful and unexpected texture. The beef and the tofu were really tasty as well, and paired with veggies such bok choy, bean sprouts, bamboo and more, this dish was overall exciting and super satisfying.
Dessert - Even though we were pretty stuffed, we made room for dessert. Trying two things including the famous Snopo frozen treats (in two flavors) as well as a chilled mango and tofu dessert, we ended things on a sweet and refreshing note.
Out of the two, Snopo definitely shined for me, as I got to try the taro bubble tea and a lemon/yogurt smoothie. The former was something totally different, with big droplets of tapioca balls, which were slightly chewy, thus adding a really interesting texture. The tea itself was nicely chilled and tasted a little bit nutty.
In terms of the other drink, which Dan ordered, it was a totally new take on a smoothie - slightly tangy from the yogurt and ending each gulp on a clean, refreshing note from the lemon. It was a nice palate cleanser for sure.
Service and Cost:
Even though some of the stands had big lines, they all went pretty quickly and the service was efficient. While I was a bit like a fish out of water at some of the stands, feeling awkward to approach the servers in English, it worked out well and everyone was friendly and welcoming. Overall a great experience, which I'd love to repeat.
Costs are super cheap, but please note that all places accept cash only. For all the foods I just described, we paid about $25 total, which is a great deal for apps, a main dish and dessert.
3 Mmmms
New World Mall - 40-21 Main Street, Flushing NY 11354
7 Train to Flushing
718.353.0551
www.newworldmallny.com
