6 of the Most Delicious Restaurants in Queens
Kat Odell
Whether one fancies the fermented flavors found in many Asian cuisines, the corn-rich staples rife throughout Latin cookery, or just a straight up great slice of pizza, Queens––a New York borough beloved for its wide-spanning net of global cuisines––is where to dine. Whether one is looking for hot new spots to try, or long-established fixtures that have perfected their craft, these seven restaurants are presently offering some of Queens most exciting––and delicious––plates.
After a successful Singaporean food pop-up at Queens Night Market in 2019, founder Amy Pryke launched her first brick and mortar, Native Noodles, earlier this year in Washington Heights. The fast casual concept, with 12 indoor seats and four outside, centers on fairly priced Singaporean fare, like the beloved, spicy coconut milk soup, laksa. Pryke’s version incorporates a shrimp broth, rice noodles, and comes loaded with bean sprouts, tofu puffs and shrimp. And fried chicken fans will want to try her riff on another tried and true Singaporean staple, cereal prawns. Pryke has spliced the two dishes, swapping in chicken for shrimp, and battering her birds with a sweet, salty, and buttery toasted cereal mix that also incorporates fried curry leaves. And with her first outlet just eight months old, Pryke is already eyeing a second, planning to debut a take-out and delivery space in Long Island City at the end of this month.
Photo Credit: Native Noodle
Pecking House’s story of inception files under one of the few pandemic success stories. After nearly four years at Manhattan’s most famous three Michelin star engagement Eleven Madison Park, chef Eric Huang decamped and took over his uncle’s Chinese restaurant in Fresh Meadows, introducing a delivery-only set menu of Sichuan peppercorn-flecked fried chicken that became so in demand that, at its peak, commanded a wait list of 8,400 eager fans. Thanks to the changing state of the world, and the fact that indoor dining has resumed, Huang expanded his menu this past summer and introduced in-person meals. His addictive Sichuan-laced menu focuses on all things bird, including wings veiled in an orange pepper butter sauce, and crispy salt and pepper flecked duck drumettes.
Photo Credit: Pecking House
Jackson Heights taco truck success Birria-Landia––lauded for its Jalisco-style, glossy orange birria tacos––has earned street cred for serving one of the most delicious and authentic Mexican tacos in New York. On offer here, the brand’s namesake corn taco filled with moist adobo-marinated beef. What separates birria-style taco from traditional tacos is that, once filled, they’re first dipped in a shiny orange-red blend of beef fat and spices–– which only accentuates the taco’s richness––then grilled until crispy. Pro tip: Don’t’ forget to order a small cup of beef consommé and dunk the taco in between bites.
Photo Credit: Birria-Landia
Maria Piedad Cano is “the arepa lady,” and for 30 years before launching a brick and mortar with her sons, she he sold Colombian arepas (stuffed ground corn cakes) from a street cart parked at 78th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. Today, Cano’s sons run the business, operating two arepa shops, one in Jackson Heights just a stone’ throw from where Cano began her street cart career, and a second inside Brooklyn’s Dekalb Market. Don’t miss her arepa de queso, a grilled arepa filled with mozzarella and topped with queso blanco; and arepa de choclo, which resembles a large-ish pancake made from freshly ground corn, folded in half and filled with one’s choice of cheese, chorizo, beef, or chicken.
Brothers and first-time restaurateurs Peter and Danny Aggelatos launched Milkflower––their perfectly leopard-spotted Neapolitan pizza outfit––back in 2013, and since then have continued to offer some of Queens most delicious wood-fired pies. Hinged on local and seasonal ingredients, the duo offer slightly more creatively-topped pies garnished with ingredients like Tuscan kale and shiitake mushrooms. The rustic dining room, with exposed brick and weathered wood, serves as an easygoing Astoria fixture, where locals also drop in for wood-fired veggie preps and a few pastas, like cacio e pepe.
Having amassed somewhat of a cult following since its Flushing debut in 2017, Joe’s Steam Rice Roll––with its slippery, nearly translucent rice noodles layered with proteins like beef, shrimp or pork, and optional accents such as cilantro, corn, and scallions––has been on a tear, now commanding three fast casual shops around the city. The signature dish on offer here is a Cantonese street food favorite and common dim sum addition, cheong fun. And what makes owner Joe Rong’s version standout is the quality of his rice noodles: they’re perfectly slippery and chewy, all thanks to electric-powered stone mills that grind rice daily to make them.
Photo Credit: @kat_odell