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Even in an ethnically diverse borough like Queens, Jackson Heights stands out for the variety of its population — and its cuisines, making it one of the better places in the city to find interesting and unusual ethnic restaurants like these.
DELHI PALACE
(718) 507-0666; 37-33 74th Street (37th Avenue); $; $25 and Under: 7/1/98, Article: 3/9/05.
The best dishes here are the rich curries, each tailored for its particular dish. Starting with a pasty curry base, the chef adjusts the flavors, aromas and textures of each sauce, amplifying certain gingery or vinegary notes or adding chilies to increase the heat when appropriate.
The menu has a large selection of chaats, India’s national snacks, including smashed samosa topped with mildly spiced chickpeas, mint sauce, yogurt and tamarind sauce.
RANGER TEXAS BARBECUE
(718) 803-8244; at Legends bar, 71-04 35th Avenue (71st Street); $; Article: 3/7/07.
Ranger Texas Barbecue operates out of the back of a locals’ bar called Legends, where Angel Dominguez and a small cooking crew turn out what may be the only real pit-cooked commercial barbecue in Queens. The beef short rib, a fantastically fatty and flavorful cut, is spot on.
UNIDENTIFIED FLYING CHICKENS
(718) 205-6662; 71-22 Roosevelt Avenue (71st Street); $; Article: 2/7/07.
This friendly Korean-style chicken joint, which opened in January, serves mostly wings (connoisseurs can specify either the upper “arm” or the “wing”) and small drumsticks.
The chicken is seasoned only after it is fried, with a sweetish garlic-soy glaze, a spicy mustard sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce or a hotter red-pepper sauce that brings the dish into Buffalo wing territory.
TIBETAN YAK
(718) 779-1119; 72-20 Roosevelt Avenue (72nd Street); $; $25 and Under: 12/6/00.
Though it is almost directly under the Roosevelt Avenue train tracks, Tibetan Yak feels like a respite from the urban crush. Its wooden tables are widely spaced, giving the room an airy, calm quality.
Many dishes show a direct influence of China or India; for example, momos, or Tibetan dumplings, look like Chinese pot-stickers. The best dishes are enhanced with gentle and occasionally gutsy seasonings like pork chili, which offers the taste sensation of chilies without the heat.
ZABB QUEENS
(718) 426-7992; 71-28 Roosevelt Avenue (72nd Street); $; $25 and Under: 8/31/05.
The focus at Zabb Queens is the food of Isaan, a landlocked region that is among Thailand’s poorest. Salads, particularly labbs and the unripe papaya salad called som tum, are a specialty of the area, and the spicy salad section of the Zabb Queens menu is the largest one.
Zabb’s labbs, salads of minced meat, onions and herbs seasoned with toasted and ground jasmine rice, have a deep, smoky flavor. Catfish and pork are good bets.
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