Eating In Translation

Homemade Panamanian frituras

These twin flyers apparently advertise two home-based businesses, for day care and for frituras, at the same address; the phone numbers, redacted by me, are identical. There's no mention of Panama by name, but a menu that includes carimañolas and hojáldas reminds me of brunch at Kelso.

If these flyers had been posted in Jackson Heights, Panama's neighbor Colombia would be a better guess. Carimañolas and hojáldas are popular in both countries. So is the first item on the list — bofe, or beef lung — which is near-impossible to find in New York, at least over the counter.

Homemade Panamanian frituras
Flyers posted in Prospect Park South, Brooklyn

Ghoroa Sweets & Restaurant

The Bangladeshi kitchen prepares some intriguing combos.

Himalayan Sushi

Many Japanese emigrants live in his home country, the Nepali counterman told me, and their food is popular among the locals. He added, however, that there's no cross-pollination between Japanese and Nepali cuisines. I haven't tried the sushi, but I did want to note one more, modest example of presidentially themed signage.

Himalayan Sushi
1510 Cortelyou Rd. (Marlborough Rd.-East 16th St.), Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
(within the deli next door to Top Tibet, but under separate ownership)
718-941-2821

NYC Icy

(This venue is closed.) Forecast: a strong possibility of mango, with intermittent basil.

Purple Yam

The menu calls this tocino, but there's more to it than that.

Marine-life plaques on Ocean Parkway

Some feature seafood.

"Public market"

Those chiseled letters are all that remain.

Kim's Market

Carrot juice and stout? The label offered little explanation.

Bukhari Restaurant

(This venue is closed.) And handwritten, much smaller, "plain or keema."

Eastern Fruits and Vegetables

Cool as a cucumber.