QUEENS OFFERS ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE SELECTION OF DINING OPTIONS:
HERE ARE 6 OF THE BEST ASIAN
RESTAURANTS IN THE BOROUGH
You Garden Xiao Long Bao (l.) specializes in food from the Shanghai region. Adda Indian Canteen offers diners a taste of “unapologetic” Indian cuisine.
BY JENNA BAGCAL
What do hot pot, momo,
lumpia and saag paneer
all have in common? Food
enthusiasts don’t have to
leave Queens to get a taste
of these delicious Asian
dishes.
According to a
report put together by
Queens College, Asian
Americans were the
fastest growing major
racial/ethnic group in
New York City between
2000 and 2010.
More than 508,000
Asians, or 22.8 percent of
the borough’s population,
lived in Queens according
to numbers from the
2010 Census, making
them the third largest
group behind white and
Hispanic populations.
U.S. Census Bureau
data from 2017 showed
that the Asian population
in Queens had grown
to over 592,000, or 25.3
percent of the borough’s
population.
These growing
numbers account for
the influx of Asian
cuisine available in
Queens. Countries with
the top representation
include India, China, the
Philippines, Japan, Korea
and Vietnam.
The following is a list
of some tasty restaurants
from the top Asian
groups in Queens.
By no means is this
an exhaustive list, just
one to get burgeoning
foodies started on
their journeys.
Adda Indian Canteen
(India) 31-31 Thomson
Ave., Long Island City
Adda Indian Canteen
opened its doors back
in September and
people have been
flocking to Long Island
City for a taste of the
“unapologetic” Indian
cuisine.
The culinary team of
Roni Mazumdar and Chef
Chintan Pandya aim to
give diners an authentic
Indian food experience
when they walk through
the doors.
Adda, meaning “a
place to hang out” serves
up food that Mazumdar
and Pandya had growing
up, including Kale
Pakoda, whole fried kale
leaves covered in ground
chickpeas and Murgh
Rezala, a half-chicken
marinated in yogurt and
served with green chili
and egg.
You Garden Xiao Long
Bao (China) 41-07 Bell
Blvd., Bayside
Those who want an
authentic Chinese food
experience can hit up
Bayside’s Bell Boulevard
to check out You Garden
Xiao Long Bao.
The restaurant
specializes in food from
the Shanghai region and
is the first expansion for
the owners of Shanghai
You Garden Dumpling
House in downtown
Flushing.
Popular dishes
include the traditional
Peking Duck, xiao long
bao steamed dumplings
filled with savory soup
and mango shrimp.
Tito Rad’s Grill
(Philippines) 49-
10 Queens Blvd.,
Woodside
Filipino food is
gaining a lot of traction
these days, so what better
place to take your first
foray than Tito Rad’s Grill
in Woodside.
The eatery is known
for its delicious takes
on “lutong bahay” or
comfort foods that you eat
at home.
Chef and owner Mario
Albenio opened the
restaurant with his wife
Susan in 2006. Diners
can taste popular dishes
like Adobo with your
choice of pork chicken or
other protein marinated
in vinegar and soy sauce
or lumpiang shanghai, a
fried vegetable, pork and
shrimp eggroll.
Hungry for breakfast?
Try one of their many
“silog” dishes — a fried
egg with garlic fried rice
and your choice of meat.
Watawa Sushi (Japan)
33-10 Ditmars Blvd.,
Astoria
As its name implies,
Watawa Sushi is known
for delicious sushi,
as well as its sashimi
and handrolls.
File photo/ Courtesy of Adda Indian Canteen
The list includes
popular options like
salmon, tuna and eel, but
those craving something
more special can chow
down on sushi filled with
lobster, shrimp or softshell
crab.
Diners in the mood for
other types of Japanese
cuisine are also in
luck and can choose
from various teriyaki
options or a whole list of
udon soups.
Tang (Korea) 196-
50 Northern Blvd.,
Bayside
This restaurant is
a Korean food lover’s
dream. Its name is
derived from a popular
soup that requires a
longer cooking time than
basic “guk” soup.
Certain types of tang,
like a spicy fish hot pot
variety, are communal
dishes to be shared,
while others like beef rib
soup are served in single
portions.
The menus are divided
into several categories of
Korean dishes, including
jeon, fried pieces of
whole, sliced or minced
protein and vegetables
and well known rice
dishes like bibimbap
and bulgogi.
JoJu (Vietnam), 83-25
Broadway, Elmhurst
In the mood for
Vietnamese? JoJu is the
place for you.
The restaurant serves
up a modern take on
Vietnamese classics
like sandwiches and
rice bowls. Foodies can
get the Classic bahn mi
sandwich, which is made
with slices of Vietnamese
ham, headcheese with
pâté and pork house sauce
or the Vegetarian option,
which has slices of mock
ham made from tofu.
JoJu was started
in 2012 by sisters Julie
and Joanna, with
help from Joanna’s
husband Scott. They
“reinvented” bahn mi
sandwiches by including
ingredients from other
Asian countries like
bulgogi from Korea
and Kakuni pork belly
from Japan.
A14 GUIDE TO QUEENS, MARCH 15-21, 2019 TL QNS.COM
/QNS.COM