Writing With My Mouth Full

Searching For a Good Taco: Upper West Side

For my first search for a good taco, I decided to stay on Amsterdam Avenue and the upper west side, specifically from 100th to 145th Streets. I started on 100th mainly because I wanted to hit a favorite spot on 108th but also because I wanted to end up at Jesus’ Tacos near my apartment, a small store that shares space with Twin Donut. Every time I pass by, I chuckle at the name and I knew that someday, I’m going to have to buy something from there. (Of course, it’s more likely pronounced as Heh-sus than Gee-sus but that’s not as funny.)

I was alone and I immediately found out that two tacos were my limit, maybe three if I pick on the filling and skip the tortilla, so I kept it down to ordering chorizo or ground pork tacos. At the stores where they didn’t carry the pork kind, I either bought beef, goat or chicken. I also didn’t spend more than $2.50 on each taco, the cheapest being two dollars. As for selecting which ones to go to, I looked around as I made my way up Amsterdam Avenue and went in to every store, restaurant and bodega that had an awning painted with the Mexican flag colors and had, well, “tacos” or “Mexican food” plastered on the windows. Banderitas, loud Spanish music or television and a picture of the Lady of Guadalupe were all big pluses.

Noche, 852 Amsterdam Avenue between 101st and 102nd Streets, 212/662.6900

Italian Mexican, 886 Amsterdam Avenue between 102nd and 103rd Streets, 212/316.1427

Los Paisas, 890 Amsterdam Avenue between 103rd and 104th Streets, 212/961.1263

Taqueria y Fonda, 968 Amsterdam Avenue between 107th and 108th Streets, 212/531.0383

Yuca Mexican Products, 1345-49 Amsterdam Avenue corner of 125th Street

Cielito Lindo, 1354 Amsterdam Avenue between 125th and 126th Streets, 212/222.0938

Mex Juquila, 1486 Amsterdam Avenue between 133rd and 134th Streets, 212/694.7142

Jesus’ Taco, 501 West 145th Street on Amsterdam Avenue, 212/234.3330

The verdict: chorizo tacos are indistinguishable; ground pork is ground pork. What makes a difference is how the chorizo is cooked and how the taco is prepared. My favorite was the chorizo taco from Taqueria y Fonda between 107th and 108th Streets because the bits and pieces of pork were grilled, crunchy and toasted. Even the onions were grilled so they added some sweetness to the flavor. Their salsa also came with small pieces of avocado and finding each one was a nice surprise. The chorizo from Cielito Lindo between 125th and 126th Streets came in a close second. They actually cut a sausage into smaller pieces; crunchy chorizo skin is always a plus.

As for the non-chorizo tacos, the goat from Yuca was great and the huge peppers were a nice touch. The chicken from Mex Juquila was pretty much like how white meat tastes: boring and unexciting. Between the two beef tacos I got, I liked the one from Noche better than the ungodly experience at Jesus’.

Sentosa

39-07 Prince Street, Flushing, Queens
718/886.6331
$45 for three, with two drinks, without tip

A stopover in Flushing after picking up my father from the airport proved to be worth the trip for less than $45. We’re big fans of the roti canai. I suppose roti canais are all the same but we really liked Sentosa’s version of the curry chicken and potato dipping sauce.

Roti Canai

Satay bores me because they always serve them as an hor d’oeuvre in parties and weddings. Sentosa’s was “grilled to perfection”–dry and flaky–and the sauce needed to taste more like peanuts.

Beef Satay

One of my favorites was the lobak with deep fried ground meat and the shrimp pancakes even though the fried tofu was unexciting. I loved the chili sauce better than the Hoisin.

Lobak

I liked the nasi lemak, a plate of anchovies, curry chicken and a hard-boiled egg with coconut rice.

Nasi Lemak

The beef rendang tasted like any other beef rendang I’ve tasted. But their seafood tom yum soup was delicious. I love the sourness of the lemongrass together with the spice of the seafood broth.

Seafood Tom Yum Rice Noodle Soup

Note: All photos taken by a cell phone camera

La Oaxaqueña Restaurant

1969 Amsterdam Avenue corner of 158th Street
212/283.7752
about $20 for two, without drinks, without tip

We always point to this restaurant when we would drive by from the west side highway. One lazy Saturday, we finally stopped by for an early lunch.

It’s like a fiesta inside

One of our favorite places in the world is Oaxaca in Mexico so just the name of this place intrigued us. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the time of the day to eat mole–for us, at least–the Oaxaqueñan blend of chocolate and chiles sauce, so we tried their tacos and ordered one of their sandwiches to go instead. The goat taco, which they called the barbacoa so I assume it was slow-cooked, was nothing special; it was actually quite bland. The chorizo and the beef taco were pretty good but not spectacular.

Tacos!

Later in the day, we unwrapped the Oaxaqueñan sandwich made of roast beef and ham. We wondered if the beans gave it its name because otherwise, it was just a messy Cuban sandwich.

Do beans make a sandwich Oaxaqueñan?

I don’t have to do a return trip to La Oaxaqueña but I’m glad we tried it.

Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca

110 Waverly Place between MacDougal and Sixth
212/777.0303
about $900 for six, with a lot of drinks, with tip
â™¥ â™¥ â™¥ â™¥

For my annual pilgrimage, I was diligent and booked a table exactly thirty days from our dinner date to get a prime spot at 9pm for six people. It was to celebrate Cameron’s and Peter’s birthdays. I’d like to think that for friends, I’m extra thoughtful.

There is no need to explain why I’m giving Babbo yet another four. I’ll let these photos do their job:

There was also the marinated fresh sardines with caramelized fennel and lobster oil, the epic grilled octopus with “Borlotti Marinati” and spicy limoncello vinaigrette and the spaghettini with spicy budding chives, sweet garlic and a one-pound lobster, the unforgettable lamb’s brains, plus three other desserts and three bottles of a rosÃ© champagne and red wine. After four hours, we were way above our heads to even recall every detail. It was a very good night. I love me some Mario Batali.

Pier 2110 Seafood Restaurant

2110 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard off 126th Street
212/280.7437
$110 for two, with two drinks, without tip
no stars

Updated, 2007: Pier 2110 was short-lived

I’ve been living more than twelve years uptown, three of those in Harlem. When I go to a restaurant in the neighborhood, I’ve come to expect that there’d be little to no ambiance and the food will be very simple but down-to-earth. So when a new restaurant bills itself as “Harlem’s Newest Jewel”, I believe it but I expect more.

The Korean-owned Pier 2110 tries hard to be that jewel, but so hard everything comes out garish and overpowering. I know they mean well, serving seafood dishes the locals are already accustomed to and revitalizing the neighborhood, but for a $21 plate of pork chops, I don’t want steamed broccoli with it smothered with plum sauce and then call it “plum-glaze.” My catfish was equally intriguing on their menu: pan-roasted with sweet potato purÃ©e, broccoli florets, fig and rosemary compote and bourbon cider sauce. But for $19, I didn’t expect an overcooked limp fillet with a soup of mashed potato.

They’ve been up and running for almost a month now but the service still needs a lot of sharpening. The maitre d’ didn’t have our names in the computer even though I secured reservations a day before. (No shorts and sneakers allowed, by the way!) A busboy interrupted our waiter and his announcement of the specials to let us know that the rolls were still in the oven. We waited for a few minutes to get our waiter’s attention to ask for a knife to eat our pork chops with–he picked up the knife from the table setting next to us. (He came back with a steak knife after we rejected that.) In between courses, he brought out the bottle of Purell–I am not kidding–so we could squirt and sanitize our hands. He offered us tea before the dessert menu which I thought might be a good way to end our lackluster evening. To our surprise, he came out with a beautiful jeweled box full of…Celestial Seasonings tea bags.

The restaurant’s decor is ocean-themed, but their idea of high-end reminds me of the Red Lobster in Times Square. There are cascading water on glass walls and small fountains, stained glass artwork and aquariums everywhere. There is a “sushi” station offering all kinds of California rolls in the middle of the room, perhaps the same space where Billie Holiday used to perform during the Vaudeville Era. (In fact, the building used to be the Alhambra Theater in 1905.) The staff was very attentive, but Pier 2110 has to offer the kind of service–and food–that’s worth $110 for two people.