"Back home we call this Nepali pizza."
That dovetailed with the counterman's explanation for a menu that's three parts Italian, one part Nepali, one part omelets and burgers: His father was a longtime chef in an Italian restaurant, and his mother once ran her own place in Nepal. Except for me, the clientele seemed South Asian, but still I saw several slices being decorated, at the counter, with shakes from those ubiquitous pizza-parlor dispensers of crushed pepper and grated cheese. For his part, the counterman picked away at a plate of penne.
At my table: chatamari ($5.95), a thin, stiff rice-flour pancake heavily loaded with beans, potatoes, and ground chicken, seasoned with herbs, and targeted with a well-fried egg. (Knife and fork required.) Chicken can be replaced by beef, and the gravy (goat-based!) can be swapped out for the achar of the day. As for the tomato-and-iceberg salad, dressed with a vinaigrette that might be found at any checked-tablecloth joint, one can only smile.
Special note: If you don't immediately recognize the premises from the photo at bottom — the interior has changed considerably, too — consider it from another angle, in a different light.
Woodside Cafe
64-23 Broadway (at 65th St.), Woodside, Queens
347-642-3445
www.Facebook.com/pages/Woodside-Cafe/155095917894089?sk=info
Closed Tuesday
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