Pa'Oun

(This venue, named EGB when I visited and later Pa'Oun, under the same ownership, is closed.) The lengthy menu of burgers and chicken sandwiches seemed strangely familiar; the tip-off was the black-and-white shake.

EGB (which might stand for "eat good burger" or "enjoy good burger"; the owners seem unconcerned about settling on only one) was opened by a Thai gentleman who once managed Island Burger, in Manhattan.

His current venture serves typical fare from Thailand — curries, noodles, stir-fries, even larb — as well as 30 or so burgers and "kai-yang," EGB's name for a grilled chicken-breast sandwich. Many have names like Atom Bomb, Fire Alarm, and Tough Guy, but one of the few that had an Asian edge to it was the U-Don ($6.75), covered by a blend of sautéed onion, garlic, cilantro, and cherry pepper.

Since all of EGB's burgers are prepared from scratch and cooked very gently, even medium rare required 20 minutes (well-done takes 45, says the menu), but the final product was certainly fat and juicy. And for a dollar more, you can add something at EGB that you'll never find at Island Burger: fries. Nice ones, too.

Pa'Oun (formerly EGB)
53-21 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside, Queens
718-205-6063

Comments

[Joe MacBu]

Pa'Oun is no longer. While the awning remains, it seems to have morphed into a Colombian/Ecuadoran eatery.