Colombia

Shauna and I scoured Elmhurst in our dead end search for a specific authentic Afghan restaurant, which we later learned had been closed awhile. After hearing this we gave up and decided to go to a Japanese restaurant instead. On our way to our new destination we bumped into this little place called Aguapanela’s Restaurant.

Located at 86-16 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, Queens, Aguapanela’s is a nice, authentic Colombian restaurant and bar. As we entered, we were greeted by the warm, rich colors on the walls, which were decorated with a variety of Colombian artifacts and images.











Not long after, we immersed ourselves in the great menu our lovely waitress presented us. The passion fruit juice we ordered was a familiar tropical taste for us. I have to say, this was so authentic; it was like having the actual fruit. For our appetizers, we chose tripe soup with white rice and sweet plantains and grilled homemade chorizo with a corn cake garnished with a lemon. The tripe soup was simply divine. A whirlpool of flavors filled our mouth. Although well seasoned, the taste wasn’t overpowering. When the soup was eaten with the plantain and tasty rice the blend was just right. El chorizo seemed to have been made on the premises as you could see the color of the herbs inside of the sausage once it was cut. The great taste balanced well with the corn cake.










We asked our waitress to suggest the dishes on the menu that would best represent Columbia and we ordered accordingly. Our entrees were even more succulent than the starters. Shauna had the Bandeja Tipica, which consisted of grilled meat, rice, beans, pork skin (deep fried, crispy heaven), poached egg, avocado, sweet plantains and a corn cake. I had the Lomo de Cerdo, which was breaded pork, rice, beans, sweet plantains and salad. The grilled meat was slightly crispy but not chewy, a perfect balance. The avocado was as if it had been picked ripe from the tree and put on the plate. Although neither one of us cared much for poached egg, the rest of the dish was a great compliment to the grilled meat. El Lomo de Cerdo was pretty darn good too. The pork was perfectly done and complimented by a shell of seasoned, breaded goodness that also went great with pepper sauce that was offered to us. Sweet plantain, rice and beans seemed pretty on our plates and tasted great. The salad seemed to be more of a garnish than a part of the meal. It added a great splash of color to the dish but it was just okay for me.



All in all, this Colombian experience went very well. Good service and great authentic food, carefully seasoned for optimum flavor. Aguapanela’s gets a solid B- for authenticity. There seemed to be a slight lag in service as there was only one person at the front taking orders and processing payments. Also, my initial beverage request was unavailable given the hour, but there was no indication of that within the menu. Despite the minor setbacks Aguapanela’s Restaurant is a lovely little Colombian getaway that is definitely worth a sit in.

The Kaieteur Plunge

Church ended somewhat late on Sunday and needless to say we were quite hungry, well to be honest we are always hungry. This time we took our friend Rochelle with us as we drove through the concrete jungle of Brooklyn and continued until we were just inside the border of Queens.

Kaieteur has been labeled the largest single drop waterfall in the world and is located in a little South American country called Guyana. So off we went to find the beauty of the tropics in Jamaica, Queens. We chose to dine at the namesake Restaurant (Kaieteur) located on Lefferts Boulevard near Jamaica Avenue. Everyone seemed very excited to take the plunge and taste the food off the falls.

Before we could even get to the door we were greeted with murals of scene's of Guyana. They were sure to include a very good depiction of the great Kaieteur falls. Walking through the door was an assault on the sense's but in a good way. The smell of curry, soy sauce and other spices caressed our nostrils and filled us with anticipation.

Our server Cindy greeted us warmly and we attacked the menu ordering our appetizers almost immediately. Roast duck and Bunjhal Pork were what the doctor ordered and boy did he do a good job. The Duck arrived glistening and topped with shredded cabbage and chopped scallions. A few seconds later the Bunjhal Pork made it's appearance and we were ready and willing to dig in. Wow! Now that"s what duck should be like. It was sweet yet savory and infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a few other spices. The meat was tender and juicy and made us all happy. The Bunjhal Pork did not disappoint either. It may be easy to confuse this dish with curry pork as it seemed like the only thing missing was the yellow color of the turmeric. It too was tender and quite flavorful. This would be a strong recommendation at this establishment.

 

After some chit chat with the waitress and a few sips of sweet carbonated lemonade (too much sugar not enough lemon) , fruit punch and pineapple juice it was time for the main event. Curry lamb with White Rice and Roti (parata), House Special Fried Rice with Roast Chicken and Roast Pork with Cabbage and Bora (long beans) served with Fried Rice all arrived nice and hot and we didn't waste a second.

The curry was just spicy enough and the roti although a bit small was soft and authentic. Roast pork was the talk of the table however as the thick soy based sauce was a definite hit. The vegetables were still crunchy and fresh and we devoured as much as we could quickly. A little disappointment crept in as we got to the house special fried rice. While the chicken that topped the dish was suculent and flavorful the rest of the dish didn't live up to our expectations. This dish seemed to have imitation crab meat that had an odd texture and left one feeling a bit cheated. Other than that the Fried Rice was pretty basic and absorbed the sauce from the Roast Chicken well.

Sadly the menu didn't offer any real Guyanese deserts so we chose to skip that part of the tasting. Our meal reached it's climax when Cindy came to the table bearing champagne, a treat from management. Mmm...the tart bubbly sweetness hit the spot we didn't even know was empty. That was a very nice touch and the memory of the crab fiasco seemed to fade away a bit.

This experience showed us just how diverse Guyanese cuisine is and Kaieteur Restaurant is a wonderful place to taste it. For a wonderful meal, family friendly feel, nice table setting and prompt courteous service we give this place a solid B. Go on and take the whole family and enjoy the plunge down the Kaieteur.

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.

The List of Countries

Here's the list of countries. Wowzers!!! Looking at this list finally gives me a real idea of how much eating we've committed ourselves to. Fret not, we are willing and able to undertake this tedious assignment for the love of our fellow foodies :-). It's our intention for this to be a fun, informal and exciting journey. So relax, bring your notepads and be ready to eat with us, laugh with us and you too will be Tasting Queens.

AFRICA (54) Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

ASIA (44) Afghanistan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cambodia China East Timor India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Syria Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen

EUROPE (47) Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City

N. AMERICA (23) Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States

OCEANIA (14)                                  

• Australia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Marshall Islands
• Micronesia
• Nauru
• New Zealand
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

S. AMERICA (12)

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Guyana
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Suriname
• Uruguay
• Venezuela