Eating In Translation

A Snacker’s Guide to Flushing

Flushing is home to countless restaurants — I couldn't begin to tell you how many I've visited — but for a resident who's running errands, often there's time for no more than a light bite or two. Although I don't live in Flushing myself, I've discovered that snacks are a great way to get a taste of the neighborhood while on the go. See a few of my many favorites on Culinary Backstreets — and tell me some favorites of your own!

Minnan Xiaochi

An oyster omelette, Xiamen style, thinner and crisper than the typical Taiwanese version.

Minnan Xiaochi
133-35 Roosevelt Ave. (Prince St.-College Point Blvd., inside the New York Food Court, stall 13), Flushing, Queens
917-908-0919

Ugly Rice Donuts & Corn Dogs

Korean "ugnuts" are finger-lickin' good, especially if you eat 'em while they're hot. Mine was the injeolmi, coated with sweetened soy bean powder; another (not shown; comped) was a very good, but ugly, sugar donut.

Ugly Rice Donuts & Corn Dogs
13684 Roosevelt Ave. (Main-Union Sts.), Flushing, Queens
929-510-0123
www.UglyDonutsNCornDog.com

The Dough Club

Like the other half-dozen-or-so flavors on hand, this matcha mochi donut is designed to be shared. Owing to the high ratio of glaze to donut proper, it's very, very sweet — even the Rice Krispies help to dial it down.

The Dough Club
136-17 39th Ave. (Main-138th Sts., inside the Food Hall at Queens Crossing, at Taiyaki), Flushing, Queens
(One of several locations)
917-826-7821
www.TheDoughClub.com

Yeh's Bakery

This 波士頓派 (Bōshìdùn pài) omits the chocolate frosting integral to a classic Boston cream pie, but the sponge cake and cream filling are spot-on. Yeh's vanilla, green tea, and strawberry sponge-cake flavors (gentle flavors, to be sure) unite in the bakery's rainbow cake. To ascertain the flavor of the peachy-colored band that surrounds them, however, a return visit will be required.

Yeh's Bakery
57-25 Main St. (Booth Memorial-58th Aves.), Flushing, Queens
718-939-1688

Huang Jin Jiao

Dark meat, rich and chewy: duck gizzard with celery.

Huang Jin Jiao
133-35 Roosevelt Ave. (Prince St.-College Point Blvd., inside the New York Food Court stall 22; shown)
929-362-2551
Also, as Golden Corner Noodles, at 4215 College Point Blvd. (Sanford-Maple Aves.)
718-886-0123
www.HuangJinJiaoFood.com

Followsoshi

Unlike a sandwich, a sliced jianbing rarely offers neatly trimmed photo-friendly surfaces. This spicy garlic crayfish jianbing was messier than most; credit the ample filling. On a return visit I'll pay proper attention to the roasted cold noodles.

Followsoshi
13524 40th Rd. (Main-Prince Sts., inside the Corner 28 mini-mall), Flushing, Queens
347-654-6466
www.Instagram.com/Followsoshi

Chungchun Rice Hotdog

Yes, I want fries with that: a rice-flour-battered, potato-embedded Korean hotdog.

Chungchun Rice Hotdog
15616 Northern Blvd. (at 156th St., in a shopping center), Murray Hill, Queens
www.ChungchunRiceDog.ca

Hunan Suofen

The server mentioned twice, with a question in her eyes, that these hot and sour green beans with minced pork were "spicy," and twice I reassured her that this was fine. The sourness, in fact, was much more pronounced; a one-to-one ratio of main dish to white rice was about right. Note that the wall menu (shown below) offers the translation "hot & sour chicken giblets rice"; the characters 酸豆角肉末盖饭 more readily identify this classic dish.

Hunan Suofen (branded, on the premises, only as 湖南嗦粉)
13621 Roosevelt Ave. (Main-Union Sts., inside the Landmark Quest Mall, "the same place as Joe's Steam Rice Roll"), Flushing, Queens
929-391-4633
www.Instagram.com/HunanSuofen

Ma Youngae Pyongyang Soondae

When she defected from North Korea some 20 years ago, Ma Youngae "wasn't a very good cook," she acknowledges. In the years since, Ms. Ma has perfected at least one dish, which she sells to fund her mission to rescue North Korean defectors. However served — stir-fried, on a recent afternoon, at a street cart, or without adornment, as shown below at an autumn festival — her soondae, blood sausage, is superb.

Ma Youngae Pyongyang Soondae
Cart on the north side of Northern Blvd. between 153rd and 154th Sts. (and flying the flag of South Korea), Murray Hill, Queens
718-400-8400
Monday through Saturday, 11-8, barring extremely bad weather

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