Eating In Translation

Anthropomorphic sandwich and drink

Hand-drawn artwork outside Yony P. Deli Grocery
554 Dekalb Ave. (at Spencer St.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-484-9649

Ursula

(This post is based on a visit to Ursula's former location, in Crown Heights.) Despite their different postures, these sopaipillas (So-pie-PEE-yahs) — New Mexican fried dough pockets, one filled with carne adovada, one with ground beef — were equally substantial. This was lunch for two. Available from 11:30, just as the breakfast burritos begin to disappear.

Ursula
387A Nostrand Ave. (Madison St.-Putnam Ave.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
www.UrsulaBK.com
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Fan Fan Doughnuts

Harbinger of a summery November day: Luna Limón, lemon-lime with candied lemon zest. There are no absentee doughnuts — get on line early!

Fan Fan Doughnuts
448 Lafayette Ave. (at Franklin Ave.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
347-533-7544
www.Instagram.com/FanFanDoughnuts
Friday through Sunday only, 9:00-4:00 or till sold out

Little Armenia

A handwritten sign led me to this sidewalk stand where Ararat, the chef, is still waiting to return to waiting tables at a Manhattan seafood restaurant. Also shown: tabbouleh.

Little Armenia
250 Hancock St. (Marcy-Tompkins Aves.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Saturday and Sunday while the weather holds up; 11:00-5:00 or till the food runs out

Dabakh-Kine

Senegalese "rice with fish" — that is, thiebou djeun (Cheh-boo Jen) — an exemplary rendition of the "white" style. Shown below, a few details: the crispy rice called xoon (Hone); the rof, an herbal stuffing for the kingfish, which commonly includes scallion, garlic, onion, and parsley; and what I took to be a white hibiscus flower, one of several.

Dabakh-Kine (Key-nay)
1933 Fulton St. (Howard-Saratoga Aves.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
347-622-8236

Le Baobab Gouygui

My takeout order of thiu kandja, a Senegalese lamb-and-okra stew, brimmed over despite careful unlidding — palm-oil-enriched tomato sauce trickled onto the picnic table. Also shown: a delivery cycle outside the restaurant. I hope Le Baobab double-bags.

Le Baobab Gouygui
120 West 116th St. (Adam Clayton Powell Jr.-Malcolm X Blvds.), Manhattan
212-864-4700
www.Facebook.com/LeBaobabRestaurant
Also at 1235 Fulton St. (Bedford Ave.-Arlington Pl.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-484-4866
www.RestaurantLeBaobab.com

Royal Rib House

A chopped BBQ sandwich worth the wait.

Royal Rib House
256 Malcolm X Blvd. (Halsey-Hancock Sts., Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-453-9284

Pilar Cuban Eatery

(This venue is closed.) Cuban brunch combo: poached eggs, mashed potatoes, and slices of ripe plantain partner with raboliche (Rah-bow-Lee-chay), oxtail pot roast. Also shown: yuca fries; cafe con leche laced with condensed milk. The dessert menu is brief; for a better selection, stroll next door.

Pilar Cuban Eatery
397 Greene Ave. (at Bedford Ave.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-623-2822
www.PilarNY.com

1174 Fulton Cuisine

This restaurant's extensive and varied by-the-pound steam table features halal food prepared by cooks from Senegal, from Guinea, and from Bangladesh, too. I can't tell you, however, who cooks when, and I'm not fully briefed on what's what — the steam table is unlabeled. My sampler, atop white rice, featured an okra sauce (at the 12 o'clock position) and a sweet potato stew (at 6 o'clock), each with a little meat. Goat, I believe.

The other two items came from smaller steam table containers, suggesting that they are customarily dispensed and eaten in smaller portions, like bhartas, though neither otherwise resembled those mashed Bangladeshi dishes. Spinach (at 9 o'clock) was mild as can be; its alter-ego (at 3 o'clock) had enough bitterness for both. During a return visit, at off-hours, I'll ask the cashier to identify it — by pointing to an even smaller portion.

1174 Fulton Cuisine (aka Halal Restaurant, International Cuisine)
1174 Fulton St. (Franklin-Bedford Aves.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
347-405-7708

Abu's Homestyle Bakery

The top layer is a cinnamon-scented crumble; beneath it is a custardlike layer of mashed sweetened navy beans. I'll bet that the sweet potato, pecan, and coconut are good, too, but at Abu's, I always fall back on the bean pie. See more about its history.

Abu's Homestyle Bakery
1184 Fulton St. (Franklin-Bedford Aves.), Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
718-230-1115
www.AbusBakery.com