At a Haitian restaurant, an order of "legim" (in Haitian Creole) or "légumes" (in French), is not simply a request for mixed "vegetables." It's understood that these will have been braised with meat, removed and mashed, then remarried. Elyon's eggplant-heavy medley was well-stocked with chunks of beef.
Alongside: mayi moulen and sòs pwa nwa, thick cornmeal porridge and black bean sauce. The latter, a runny condiment for the corn, hid a chile pepper, perhaps a Scotch bonnet, beneath the surface. It should also be understood that the sauce becomes spicier if the pepper, too, is mashed.
From beneath my tray: a lovely hand-painted placemat. No two the same.
Elyon Restaurant
21221 Jamaica Ave. (212th St.-212th Pl.), Queens Village, Queens
929-206-5060
