The Sweet Spot | Chopsticks and Marrow

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by Joe DiStefano

10/06/21 4:34pm

Breakfast of Indonesian Champions

by Joe DiStefano

Even before I moved to the World’s Borough I’d often receive culinary gifts from abroad. In the 90s I befriended a Peruvian lady who sold ceviche out of a cooler. She bought me back a brick of King Kong, a famous and comically huge dessert of short bread slabs alternating with fruit spread and manjarblanco, or Peruvian dulce de leche.

These days things are no different. One of my favorite culinary gifts is a very special Indonesian bread called Matahari Roti that my friend Fefe Ang of Elmhursts fabled Indonesian Food Bazaar has given me on several occasions. Ask any Indonesian—go ahead I’ll wait—and they’ll recount fond childhood memories of this rich and sweet treat infused with rombutter, or Dutch style churned butter. Somewhere along the way I thought someone called it toast, so I’ve been toasting it and having it with my morning coffee. Turns out that might actually not be the right way to enjoy this very special loaf.

“You’ve been toasting it?” my friend Nigel Sielegar who hails from Surabaya, Indonesia exclaimed in mock surprise when I paid him a recent visit at the Queens Night Market. “It’s supposed to be gooey and buttery, just microwave it for like 30 seconds.”

Sielegar runs the wildly popular Moon Man stand at the Queens Night Market where he sells delectable Indonesian coconut pancakes as well as kaya jam, a coconut based confection. I purchased a jar of the pandan flavor, which is just delightful on the gooey properly cooked Matahari bread.

Incidentally not only did Sielegar teach me how to enjoy this childhood Indonesian treat, he helped me translate the verbiage on the packaging. Turns out Matahari is not named for the Dutch spy/exotic dancer but rather means “sun” in Indonesian, hence the rising sun on the packaging.

I have four slices left in my package of Matahari Roti and will try to dutifully eat them the proper way, but might experiment with microwaving then toasting. A cursory Google search reveals that may be possible to score this childhood treat online. Moon Man’s kaya jam is far easier to come by and can be bought here, or at the Night Market. Best of all its delicious on any kind of bread, toasted or not!

breakfast, Fefe Ang, Indonesian, Indonesian Food Bazaar, kaya jam, Matahari Roti, Moon Man, Nigel Sielegar, toast

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by Joe DiStefano

06/01/20 11:04pm

Malaysian Glutinous Rice ‘Doughnuts’ at Elmhurst’s Little House

by Joe DiStefano

Mmm . . . Malaysian glutinous rice doughnut.

There are many, many things I love at Elmhurst’s Little House cafe, a Malaysian bakery/restaurant run by Helen Bay and her husband Michael Lee. There’s the giant chicken curry bun; stupendously good chow kueh teow; specials like salted egg chow fun; and goodies baked up by Helen, including the amazing Malaysian style brown sugar cake. In fact there are so many sweet and savory things that the family rotates some of them out. What I love most about Little House right now though is that it’s back open. Well, that and the glutinous rice doughnuts, 夹粽, or kap zhong, that appeared as a special dessert over the weekend.

A while back, Helen’s daughter, Joanne, gifted me a black and yellow tote bag. One seam bears the legend, “Don’t ask just eat.” It’s a slogan I took to heart with the little box of ovoid kap zhong. Soft and sweet with a ring of brown dough enclosing a center of chewy glutinous rice, they’re sugary and oily in the best possible way. They call to mind the zeppole my mother used to fry up on St. Joseph’s Day.

Like many things at this little house that could, these treats, whose name means something along the lines of pressed from both sides, are only around for a short time. But Joanne tells me there will be a fresh batch tomorrow. I’m going to forego them this time, at my age, I can only eat such a thing occasionally. But you should try them while you can. To paraphrase the slogan on the bag: Don’t ask about the calories, just eat them.

Little House Cafe, 90-19 Corona Ave., Elmhurst, 718-592-0888

dessert, doughnuts, Elmhurst, kap zhong, Little House Cafe, Malaysian

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by Joe DiStefano

08/09/19 1:49pm

H&Y’s Kkwabaegi Are a Sweet Treat

by Joe DiStefano

What was once a tofu stand now specializes in fried treats like these braided Korean donuts.

Many of the Korean supermarkets that line Northern Boulevard in Flushing feature food courts, and sometimes even full-blown restaurants. Take H&Y Marketplace, it boasts an outdoor stand specializing in various porridges and the casual restaurant HanYang BunSik, which was extolled by Ligaya Mishan in the Times. While it doesn’t have a food court, it did have a rather large station devoted to fresh tofu. Or at least it did until about 6 months ago.

As I learned last weekend the tofu stand has been replaced with a specialist in fried fish cake. I wasn’t quite in the mood for fried fish cake, but soon noticed the lady behind the counter was sampling cut up pieces of freshly fried donuts.

Coated in granulated sugar, the doughy braids are known as kkwabaegi. As I strolled down Northern munching on this still warm treat I recalled the zeppole that my mother would fry up for me every St. Joseph’s Day.

You can find a recipe for this Korean treat on the wonderful Korean cuisine web site Maangchi. If you’re not inclined to cook, just pay the market a visit. With any luck the kkwabaegi will still be warm.

H&Y Marketplace, 150-51 Northern Blvd, Flushing

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by Joe DiStefano

08/05/19 12:17pm

‘Purple Heaven’ Dominican Shaved Ice is Pure Queens Refreshment

by Joe DiStefano

One of my favorite things to do after leading a Chinatown food tour on a steamy summer’s day is to walk westward down Roosevelt Avenue and cool off by sampling frosty treats from various cultures. My first stop is the Dominican shaved ice at 98th Street and Roosevelt Avenue known as El Bohio. The bodega that the place takes it name from is long gone, but the frio frio man along with his gigantic block of crystal clear ice and his multihued syrups remain.

Corona, dessert, Dominican, El Bohio, food tours, frio frio, raspberry, shaved ice, summer

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by Joe DiStefano

03/31/19 10:42am

Daly Pie’s Case of the Monday’s is a Salty Sweet Delight

by Joe DiStefano

Case of the Mondays answers the question ‘What if the Take 5 Bar were a pie’?

For a food writer who doesn’t specialize in sweets, I I’ve been on a bit of a sugar kick lately. I blame a certain highfalutin candy bar from Michael Mignano. My latest indulgence was a slice of heaven called Case of the Mondays from Daly Pie.

Meghan Daly’s shop is located in the faraway land of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, but luckily for me it has had a popup in Long Island City for the past few months. I passed by a week or so ago to check out the goods, from the traditional like butter milk coconut and apple crisp to the newfangled like salty lime and the aforementioned Case of the Mondays, which consists of peanut butter custard sandwiched between a pretzel crust, a layer of Nutella and chocolate ganache. In lieu of whipped cream, there are potato chips. (more…)

Case of the Mondays, Daly Pie, dessert, Long Island City, Meghan Daly, Nutella, peanut butter, popups, potato chips, pretzels, Prospect Heights, Take 5 Bar

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by Joe DiStefano

03/24/19 1:36pm

Farine’s Mignano is a Forkworthy Candy Bar

by Joe DiStefano

There are many, many treats at the Heights’ new bakery but this chocolate bar steals the show.

Acclaimed pastry chef Michael Mignano’s Farine Baking Company opened about a week and a half ago in Jackson Heights, a neighborhood better known for such multicolored Indian sweets as jalebi and chum chum than French treats like brioche and kouign amann. I stopped by last weekend to ogle the Viennoiserie and other goodies, but the place was a madhouse, so I returned on a weekday when things were a bit more chill and was lucky enough to meet the man himself.

“Try this, the 2017 Iron Chef champ said as he handed me an ingot-sized chocolate bar. “This is our Mignano bar. It’s layers of cashew and macadamia nut caramel, dark chocolate, crispy nougat, and graham cracker crust, all covered in dark chocolate with black Hawaiian sea salt,” the bar’s namesake told me as I bit into it and held on to the counter to avoid fainting from sheer bliss. (more…)

candy, chocolate, Farine Baking Company, Jackson Heights, Michael Mignano, openings, pastry, Seinfeld

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by Joe DiStefano

10/30/18 11:30am

Behold Sun Mary’s Gigantic Taiwanese Pineapple Cake

by Joe DiStefano

It’s not a Pop-Tart, but it makes a great breakfast.

Sun Mary Bakery lies across the street from Golden Shopping Mall and the Q-58 bus, which takes me from my home in Rego Park to America’s greatest Chinatown in downtown Flushing. On food tour days, I pregame there with a pineapple bun, so named for the sugary crust’s similar appearance to the tropical fruit.

In a lot of ways Sun Mary is a typical New York City Chinese bakery. The shelves are lined with buns filled with pork floss, and come fall there’s plenty of mooncake, but it also has a small sideline in Taiwanese treats, notably feng li su, or pineapple cake. Unlike its Chinese cousin, the golden brown buttery treat does contain fruit. Sun Mary sells the tiny pastries in little golden boxes, making them a perfect parting gift for food tour guests. Sometimes, they even have one with salted egg yolk.

“No more,” the lady behind the counter told me about a month ago when I asked for feng li su, indicating that they wouldn’t be back until next fall. Two weeks ago I noticed a flat pastry sitting in the spot on the counter normally reserved for the pineapple cake. Turns out it is gigantic version of the Taiwanese treat. Since I have no idea how long it will be around, I have taken to eating one after every Flushing tour.

Sun Mary Bakery, 133-57 41st Rd, Flushing, 718-460-8800

feng li su, Flushing, food tours, Golden Shopping Mall, pineapple, Q-58, Sun Mary Bakery, Taiwanese

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by Joe DiStefano

09/28/18 10:39am

Japanese Cranberry Almond KitKat Are a Perfect Fall Luxury

by Joe DiStefano

Photo: Takaski

With fall finally here, the days growing shorter, and Halloween just around the corner my thoughts and appetite turn to Japanese Cranberry Almond KitKat. Or at least they do now that I found them at H Mart in Manhattan’s K-Town.

Japan’s obsession with KitKat is legendary. My personal obsession with the Japanese version of one of my favorite American chocolate bars almost approaches that level. I’ve tried the green tea, wasabi, and Japanese pumpkin varieties and I’m always on the lookout for new flavors. So when I saw the package emblazoned with a bowl of cranberries and almonds I immediately grabbed two. Unsure as to how they would taste, I was drawn in by the blond wood and green-leaved cranberry stems. (more…)

almond, autumn, candy, cranberry, fall, H Mart, Japanese, KitKat, Pumpkin Spice Latte

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by Joe DiStefano

09/04/18 4:33pm

In Which I Mix It Up at the Lemon Ice King of Corona

by Joe DiStefano

King Benfareremo says, “We do not mix,” but peanut butter and chocolate belong together.

Since we are apparently in the Dog Days of September, I decided it was as good a Tuesday as any to splash around in the fountain at the Unisphere and then pay a visit to the Lemon Ice King of Corona.

Lemon may be the King’s claim to fame, but I opted for something less traditional, some might even say sacrilegious, a super cup of peanut butter. It’s not the peanut butter itself that was blasphemous, but rather the fact that I also ordered a small chocolate, with the intent of breaking the King’s edict against mixing flavors.

The culinary King of Queens doesn’t need to abide by the two foot high sign that reads, “WE DO NOT MIX,” I thought smugly to myself.

“Enjoy, boss,” the dude behind the counter said as he handed me both. I wonder if he knew that I was going to slink away to Spaghetti Park to commit a cardinal sin and concoct an ungodly Italian ice speedball?

The King’s spumoni is a much better combo.

Once there I ate a bit of the peanut butter ice which is as good as everyone says it is, with bits of peanut and and peanut butter flavored chips, and a bit of the chocolate. The chocolate couldn’t stand up to the peanut butter. That didn’t stop me from plopping the small chocolate ice atop the jumbo peanut butter one and digging in. The combo was good, but not great, largely because the peanut butter ice is so much better than the chocolate one.

“Should have got a spumoni, I mused to myself. That combination of pistachio, chocolate, and almond mixed by the King’s minions is one that works just fine. Which goes to show you that even culinary royalty needs to follow the rules sometimes.

The Lemon Ice King Of Corona, 52-02 108th St., Corona, (718) 699-5133

Corona, Italian ice, Spaghetti Park, spumoni, The Lemon Ice King of Corona

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by Joe DiStefano

07/20/18 12:34pm

An Ode to Happy Stony’s Stupendous Fried Buns

by Joe DiStefano

When it comes to Taiwanese cuisine I hardly ever think of bread or buns unless it is in the context of gua bao, the pork belly bun topped with sweetened crushed peanuts and pickled greens that’s as popular a street food, in Taipei as it in Flushing. And I almost never think of sweet buns, but all that changed at Elmhurst’s Happy Stony Noodle last night when I tried a Taiwanese specialty called zhá yín sī jüǎn, or deep-fried silver thread roll, that I honestly can’t stop thinking about. (more…)

dessert, Elmhurst, fried buns, Happy Stony Noodle, Taiwanese