Visiting Queens in New York City doesn’t have to mean pizza and street sausage at every turn. One of the most diverse communities is home to many exotic Asian restaurants. If you’re traveling to Queens, bring your appetite and make sure you check out some of the following Asian eateries that will tease your taste buds and make you feel like you are traveling through the Far East.
Kabab Cafe
Image via Flickr by Jared Kelly
Kabab Cafe offers Middle Eastern food at its most exotic. This unassuming little Astoria gem will turn your taste buds on with classic beef, chicken, or lamb kebabs. Or you can kick them into overdrive with the exotic Pharaoh’s Harvest Goose, an ancient recipe for baked goose in a light honey, saffron, and almond sauce.
The Torly of Rabbit is a classic, braised in tomato sauce with olives, chickpeas, raisins, pickled lemon, and potatoes. Still not exotic enough? Try the lamb cheeks or lamb brain in pickled lemon sauce. With so much good food to sample, you won’t be able to do it all in one meal, so find a hotel in the Queens neighborhood to stay at and let the culinary adventure begin.
Nepalese Indian Restaurant
Image via Flickr by snowpea&bokchoi
Looking for Indian cuisine with a quirk? Mughlai Style, a cooking style used in northern India, Pakistan, and Central Asia, originated with the Mughal Empire. Known for its rich, aromatic sauces with nuts and dried fruits, it is one of Nepalese Indian Restaurant’s specialties.
Some of its Nepali specials include Vegetable or Chicken Momos steamed or fried, and mouth-watering goat or Chicken Bhuteko. The Goat Biryani and Lamb Biryani is seasoned with saffron and prepared in Oriental sauce Mughlai style with succulent pieces of meat, nuts, herbs, and spices. Located in Ridgewood Queens, this restaurant is worth a visit.
Nanking
Image via Flickr by stu_spivack
Chinese, Thai, and Indian, all under one roof, all expertly prepared to bring the exotic flavors of the Far East to life at Nanking. To start, try the Kai Chi or „Drums of Heaven,” chicken wings marinated in fresh herbs, chilies, and garlic; wok fried; and served with chili sauce. Would you rather begin with Indian? Try the Seekh or Reshmi Kebab. Ground lamb or chicken meatballs — seasoned, skewered, and cooked in the traditional clay oven — will melt in your mouth at Nanking.
Looking for classic Chinese with a twist? Try the Lamb Sichuan, thinly sliced and served in a classic spicy Sichuan sauce. Or perhaps the Lamb in Oyster Sauce will scratch your itch for Asian food with sliced lamb wok fried with mushrooms and peas in a delicious oyster sauce. Ready for a taste of the Far East in Queens? Make sure Nanking is on your list.
The above restaurants are only a few of the many exotic Asian restaurants in Queens. Remember, traveling to Queens doesn’t mean leaving the world behind. On the contrary, you can be transported all over Asia without ever leaving Queens. Say goodbye to pizza and street sausage and hello to chaats, dosa, and spicy tandoori everything.
alinaf