28 replies to this topic

[banh cuon]

Had a wonderful meal last night at Chopstick Indian Chinese restaurant in Elmhurst, Queens (85-22 Grand Ave., a couple blocks down Grand Avenue from Tangra Masala Indian Chinese Restaurant). My husband and I were the lucky guests of a Hakka-Chinese gentleman who grew up in Calcutta and who knew the Hakka owners of this restaurant from his childhood in India. Needless to say, our host took charge of the ordering and we ate heartily from a fantastic spread.

Started with lollipop chicken, deep fried chicken wing drummettes coated in a complex, extremely well spiced batter. Remarkably oil-free for a fried item, and chicken was tender and juicy, and very very chickeny. I suspect freshly killed chicken is likely used. This was the first of several fried items which this restaurant seems to specialize in, and the deep frying was perfect across the board. There is definitely a fry-master at work at this restaurant who knows how to perfectly control temperature and keep the oil very clean-tasting. The chicken was also spared the gloppy sickly sweet sauce that coasts the drummettes at other indian chinese restaurants; the spice in the batter was enough accompaniment and no sauce was necessary.

Second appetizer was shrimp pakora. Again, perfectly fried and very very spicy. There were whole bits of fresh green chili in the batter, very flavorful but the heat caught up to me after three pieces of pakora. Like the chicken the shrimp had great flavor and texture and was extremely fresh.

For side dishes we had a very serviceable tomato fried rice made with good quality basmati and an excellent rendition of sweetish Hakka noodles.

Mains were goat in a wet manchurian sauce, chili chicken dry-style, and fried beltfish. The goat was the definition of succulent, and the sauce featured extremely complex spicing (cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, chilis, so many spicing notes coming together beautifully). The chili chicken once again featured the excellent fresh-killed tasting chicken, and the spicing was intensely hot. The beltfish was perfectly fried and fairly mild compared to the other two entrees, this was the only disappointing dish of the meal.

Decor is very simple, bordering on hole-in-the-wall, and since we were served by the owner's wife, service was exceptionally warm but I noticed the other tables seem to get fairly perfunctory service from the single waitress on duty.

This is the best Indian Chinese I've sampled in the NYC; the food was much more "homestyle" in that it was not oversalted, too sweet, or greasy. The MSG was also present in moderation and not overused. I find Tangra Masala to be loaded with MSG and too much sugar and extra grease in the sauces, and Chinese Mirch in Manhattan tends to be much too timid with the spicing.

[omnivorette]

Oh my gawd.

[porkwah]

that sounds great. have you been to india oasis in fresh meadows queens? if so, how do you think it compares?

[omnivorette]

http://www.chowhound...ages/64572.html

From not so long ago...

[banh cuon]

that sounds great.  have you been to india oasis in fresh meadows queens?  if so, how do you think it compares?

haven't yet had the chance to try indian oasis, but it's definitely on my list.

[omnivorette]

We had dinner tonight at Chinese Mirch, on Lex near 28, after a shopping excursion to Kalustyan's. We were quite pleased with most of our dishes. We shared a lemon coriander soup that was okay but uninteresting. I loved the cauliflower appetizer, and the lollipop chicken, despite their lack of much heat. And we had some very spicy garlic noodles with chicken, loved the texture, and we had crispy szechuan lamb which was also spicy hot and full of flavor. Downed a few Kingfishers. Nice dessert of lychees and vanilla ice cream cooled us down.

Sweet and helpful service, and the price was right too.

Nice place to go in that 'hood, for sure. I'd go again.

[porkwah]

thanks for bringing this up top again. anyone been to chopstick in elmhurst recently?

[omnivorette]

Never been, but after tonight's meal, and re-reading banh's comments, I really want to try it. I like this cuisine a lot.

[Wilfrid1]

There is a subway stop right at the junction of Grand Avenue and Queen's Boulevard, but I cannot figure out which stop it is from my map.

Help?

[Daisy]

The Grand Avenue/Newtown stop?

[Wilfrid1]

I don't know. Is it? Newtown Field is right between that stop and the next one. Ah, but the next one is right by Queen's Mall, so that's probably Woodhaven Blvd/Queen's Mall. Right... Thanks.

[flushboing]

It's the Grand Ave/Newtown stop. Better to get out at the front of the train, and get out on the south side of Queens Blvd. It's a few blocks down Queens Blvd, and from my experience there a few years ago, Chopsticks looks like a chinese takeout place with a few tables in front. I've eaten lunch there a few times, but nothing really floated my boat like Tangra Masala did.

[Abbylovi]

You might also like The Grand Stand Pub at 85-35 Grand Avenue.

[Wilfrid1]

I was wondering where to get a drink. Thanks.

[mitchells]

I don't know. Is it? Newtown Field is right between that stop and the next one. Ah, but the next one is right by Queen's Mall, so that's probably Woodhaven Blvd/Queen's Mall. Right... Thanks.

I was serious about the Core Member Transportation Committee.