I am a traveling doctor, so wherever I'm asked to work, I enjoy exploring the local culture and especially the food.
Just two stops on the F-Train from 62nd/Lexington to 21st Queensbridge station is a HIDDEN GEM of East-Asian cuisine!
A new Bangladeshi restaurant, DHAKAYA, opened in July in Queens near the corner of 21st and 40th Avenue. It's a charming, family-owned place where the owners genuinely care about the quality of their ingredients.
Luckily, I work nearby, so I get to eat here on a regular basis. The food is fresh, aromatic, and downright tantalizing. They offer daily specials as well as an a-la-carte menu. I highly recommend trying the daily specials that are made fresh and hot each day and presented in their inviting display case. Their culinary talent truly shines in the bold, spicy blends they create.
Here are a few examples of what I've tried there:
Singara: These are similar to the better-known Indian Samosas, but here they are stuffed with a delectable mix of potatoes, cauliflower, vegetables, and exotic Bangladeshi spices. They are served piping hot, with a golden-crispy crust, and the savory ingredients burst with mouthwatering flavor.
Garlic Naan: A beloved favorite with a unique twist, they bake these thin and crispy while slathering them in generous amounts of rich garlic butter.
Goat Rezala: I have never had such tender, succulent goat in all my wanderings. This dish is a sublime mix of melt-in-your-mouth meat bathed in a flavorful REZALA (similar to curry) made with creamy yogurt, cashew, and poppy seed paste. This results in a rich, deeply satisfying taste with subtle notes of cardamom and nutmeg.
Eggplant Puree: This was an unexpected delight served as a side dish. What a burst of flavor! The smoky taste of the pureed eggplant, infused with a medley of spices and garlic, created a creamy, smoky blend of absolute heaven.
Stingray: It's incredibly rare to find this dish, and if you like seafood, you'll be overjoyed. This fish has a unique texture somewhere between tilapia and squid. Unlike regular fish, stingrays have no bones; their skeleton is made from cartilage, so most of the "bones" in the dish are crunchy and edible. The tender meat is bathed in a spicy, savory curry and served with aromatic basmati rice.
Pulao: Obviously prepared with great care, this fragrant basmati rice is infused with aromatic whole spices, herbs, and a rich stock. They serve it with roast chicken or Goat Rezala.
The food here is absolutely incredible! The owners are down-to-earth people who want to introduce the broad and flavorful tastes of Bangladesh. They have truly mastered the art of using multiple spices to magical effect. They create higher amplitudes of sweet, savory, spicy, aromatic masterpieces that you would expect in fine-dining establishments, but instead, they welcome all people to their humble restaurant in this little-explored corner of Queens -- a true hidden gem that all foodies dream of discovering as they wander. Absolutely delicious! read more