The Argentine Experience

The week began and for some reason all I could think of was food from Afghanistan. I did some basic research and found a place not too far from my house but upon arrival my heart removed itself from my chest and hit the floor as I realized that the place was closed. My devastation was mainly as a result of extreme hunger. You see I had starved myself in anticipation of a large meal and could not, would not return home empty bellied. Craving meat, I turned to my gps for salvation and was happy to find an Argentine restaurant that was close by. My eating buddy and I eagerly rerouted our course and all roads lead to Pampas Argentinas.

Pampas Argentinas is located on Metropolitan Avenue and 72nd Street, a quaint neighborhood in Forest Hills. It is bright and hard to miss and gives you a warm feeling upon entering. The walls are painted a sunset yellow with large iron framed mirrors giving the illusion of windows that open out to a view of grazing cattle. The waiters are all dressed in black with a jeweled belt about their waist and immediately you have the feeling you are in for a treat.

Taking a table in the corner as always, we were offered a basket of toasted rolls and an assortment of pickled vegetables. The menu was extensive, offering everything from steaks to pastas and then some. Our appetizers were a grilled mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto sandwich served with marinara sauce and flank steak stuffed with spinach, tomato and a slice of boiled egg served with a traditional potato salad.

It was hard to imagine that a main course could follow such a hearty starter but we did a little wiggle and prepared for the real meat fest that was to come.

Ahhh...the entree. A portable mini grill was set in the center of the table. Still sizzling were short ribs, churizo, sweetbreads, skirt steak and black sausages (blood sausages). A trio of herbed dressings and pickled peppers ended the service of this massive meat feast for two. With forks and knives ready, we went to war! Juicy yet charred meat filled our mouth as we sunk our teeth into some of the best grilled meat ever. I must say that the freshness and simplicity of this meal proved to be a big winner.

With little room for desert a classic flan with homemade caramel was what our server suggested and he was right. The lightness of the flan went well with the subtle sweetness of the caramel and seemed to soothe the stomach. It was hard to hide the joy of dinner so there were smiles across our faces. As we were preparing to leave, the restaurant had one last offering, a spiced plum wine served in a little shot glass. What a way to end the night.

Polite and knowledgeable staff, good food, plus a nice atmosphere equals a wonderful dining experience. This gives Pampas Argentina a solid B+. Tiny things like our waiter forgetting to serve us the safron rice, a background soundtrack filled with loud talking customers or clinks and clanks as a clumsy waiter repeatedly drops knives and forks should not deter you from this wonderful Argentine experience. We left satisfied that our detour led us to a great place to taste Argentina right here in our backyard...Queens.

Thailand Kitchen

My friend Tahrikh and I couldn't coordinate our schedules fast enough to start our tasting journey and finally get this blog started. We would go over what days worked for each and what didn't to no avail. Eventually "hunger" did it. He left work early last Wednesday and I happened to be home with food on the brain, so we jumped at the opportunity to set our bellies to smiling by filling it with some delicious Thai food.

I lived in Ozone Park, Queens for many years and would always drive by this tiny restaurant simply named "Thailand Kitchen". Situated right under the J train tracks, this quaint spot can easily go unnoticed. My curiosity about the little restaurant resurfaced and we made it our first stop on the food train to happiness.

Upon entering you are greeted with a glimpse of the kitchen which is located just right of the entry. I tried to sneak a peek at what was being prepared but just as I was about to get a good look our host came up to seat us.

We were offered our choice of table in a small seating area that can comfortably feed approximately 28 diners. The decor is not fancy by any means and appears to favor a cantina. Seated in a corner near a small tv and under a chalkboard drawing of a bull we ordered our starters and tried to make a decision on the entrees.

My belly made spooky noises as the wait for our steamed wantons with chicken and crab and crispy fried shrimp rolls went on for about 20 minutes.

Finally, the golden goodness, that was the shrimp roll, arrived and we were certain we were in for a treat. They were served with a homemade duck sauce and a sprinkling of scallions. Living up to every expectation, they were crisp,hot and the chopped shrimp filling was well seasoned. Soon the wantons came and they too were well received. The wantons weren't like any I've seen as they were open faced. The filling was a bit disappointing as the canned crab was bland and not the best quality. However, the black bean sauce made up the difference in flavor and we ate them all.

Pineapple duck curry and Thai fried rice with chicken were the entres of choice. The curry arrived on a cloud chilly peppers. The spices, coconut milk and pineapple were married in a warm ceremony and a happy processional made it's way to our anxious tummies :-).

It was Tahrikh's first time having duck and it proved not to be the best experienced. While the curry sauce was quite good the precooked duck rendered little flavor to the dish and was a bit rubbery.

The Thai fried rice was a welcomed mild contrast to the curry and was thoroughly enjoyed.

This meal's good and not so good qualities left us sitting back with little room to spare in the food tank but as we pride ourselves as being strong hardcore eaters we would've quickly made room for dessert. Sadly the menu didn't bear much offerings in that area. So we took some more pictures, finished our mango juice and green tea and paid the bill.

On our way out the hostess revealed that she was indeed one of the owners and engaged us in a hearty chat about the family pictures and native fabrics hung about the place. Her friendliness gave the place the warm feeling of a mom and pop establishment. We would give this restaurant's food a C+ but there were good things to be said about this little retreat's atmosphere. This is a warm, friendly place where one can find a decent representation of Thai cuisine.