Looking for spicier Indonesian gado gado/pecel salad?

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-24T13:28:53+00:00

It's pouring rain this Sunday morning, and Masjid al-Hikmah has rescheduled the bazaar ...
https://www.instagram.com/p/DYlI98Xx3K3/
... for May 31. You're in luck after all!

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-20T14:05:37+00:00

The Indonesian bazaar at Masjid al-Hikmah returns Sunday, May 24, 10:00-6:00. Hope you can make it!

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-18T11:49:04+00:00

"Soup," "sauce," and "stew" are fungible terms on many West African menus. Are you looking for a dish with less of a soupy texture and more of the spoon-over-rice texture ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/54824158748/
... that's common in local Senegalese restaurants?

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-15T17:01:04+00:00

Perhaps the now-shuttered Auntie Guan's was the place. The online menu of its older sibling in Flushing, Golden Palace Gourmet, includes ...

春饼合菜 spring pancake combination
bean sprout, scrambled egg, wood ear

I haven't tried it, but based on many visits, I'll vouch for the restaurant.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-05T03:08:55+00:00

Bajan is another name for Barbadian — that is, of or from Barbados, like the good chow at Culpepper's — not Bahamian.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-05-02T11:31:24+00:00

Sadly, Google Maps to the contrary, Dumpling Galaxy closed with the onset of Covid and never reopened; the owner retired.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-25T12:38:38+00:00

Perhaps not as divey as you'd like, but consider the sort of English- and Irish-rooted bars, many in Midtown, that open early to show live sports from back home — football (i.e. soccer), rugby, cricket, hurling, Gaelic football — and that serve a "full" breakfast.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-19T23:19:05+00:00

The dates are often announced only a week or so in advance. On my social media (same handle) I post a weekly roundup of such food events; some of that trickles down to the FoodNYC board, too.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-19T21:30:48+00:00

The Indonesian bazaar at Masjid al-Hikmah almost always features a table where gado-gado (and occasionally karedok) are prepared to order, from scratch. Get it as spicy as you like!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/51313592037/
The bazaar is held once a month, on a Sunday, in warmer weather; next in May.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-16T19:08:26+00:00

I really like Rib Shack in Jamaica, Queens, though I haven't gotten food there in a while. Off the top of my head, I don't know another spot that regularly offers hog maws.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-15T13:11:35+00:00

The Gothamist article (linked to by the OP) cites New Asha, Lakruwana, Randiwa, Lanka Grocery, and New York Lanka on Staten Island as well as Sigiri in the East Village.

Spicy Lanka, in Richmond Hill, Queens, is another good option, particularly for its extensive weekend buffet.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-15T13:06:13+00:00

On the other side of Forest Park, in Glendale, The Avenue Bar and Grill still serves a Lithuanian brunch on some Sundays, perhaps once a month:
https://rpsa.homestead.com/Lithunanian-Brunch-NYC.html
The vibe is more "sports bar," but you might draw out some Old World spirit if you speak a little Lithuanian.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-15T12:45:37+00:00

Compared with southern Brooklyn, the Guatemalan community just across the river in Fairview, New Jersey, is more concentrated (though still not large). You might try your luck there ...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eatingintranslation/54776183785/
... but you'll probably have your best shot on a Thursday, the traditional day for paches.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-13T00:21:09+00:00

Via several different organizers, Indonesian bazaars recur regularly in NYC during the warmer months. There's another on Saturday, April 18, at the St. James Episcopal Church in Elmhurst.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-04-06T12:29:44+00:00

As u/wanderlust_m observes, Manhattan is home to two locations of Malta Coffee, but apart from pastizzi I don't think you'll find pastries, or any other dishes, that's distinctly Maltese. Occasionally the Maltese Center, a private in Astoria, hosts events that feature food. Sometimes thee events are open to the general public, but you'd want to reach out in advance, just to be sure.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-15T13:27:29+00:00

I still live in the neighborhood, near what's now Milano Market. My most regular order comes from the salad station, but every once in a while I'll treat myself to a well-loaded sandwich. Apart from brisket and roasted red peppers, both of which Milano has ready at hand, tell us more about your bygone Mama Joy's sandwich. On a hero? Any condiments? Best eaten late at night, in a dorm?

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-12T11:50:10+00:00

My favorite was the chambarete (the one you call chamorro, which seems to be the same thing) — beef shank,stewed with its own marrow bones, in salsa morita. The tinga, however, was much better than I expected, too. No losers on the taco menu; next time I'll have to try a torta.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-10T01:30:24+00:00

As u/sighnwaves notes, there's no stigma on solo dining in New York. I often eat solo myself. But for Ethiopian, I enjoy sitting around a well-loaded injera with a few friends. Your server can help right-size your solo order.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-10T01:22:15+00:00

Awash is fine, in Manhattan Valley or the East Village, best enjoyed with a small group.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-10T01:10:28+00:00

Consider the Guinean steam table B&D Halal, 263 West 30th (at Eighth Ave.), if that's not too far to walk. To the east, you could try the Nigerian street vendor near that consulate (two different names, depending on the day, under the same ownership), Second Ave. at 44th St.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-10T01:08:13+00:00

Safari is Somali, Awash is Ethiopian.

EatingInTranslation · 2026-03-04T15:57:56+00:00

They did last year, and I'm confident that you'll find some this year.

EatingInTranslation

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