One of New York's boroughs; Queens, happens to be one of the largest immigrant-populated neighborhoods in the US. In Queens, especially along the 7 train line, we can see an extraordinary mixture of cultures and countries. Basically, the 7 train is itself a “spine” that connects the "world". Each stop of this train could be considered a country, or a cluster of countries and cultures, which in real life couldn't be farther, but here, they coexist in peace.
View of Manhattan from the 7 train.
View of Queens on the 7 train.
Walking around Sunnyside, we noticed how even in the apartment buildings and houses, diversity is present and part of everyday life. We also see how this diversity is not only latin American but Chinese, Indian, Southeast Asian and Korean as well.
We stopped for a quick bite; Huitlacoche and carnitas tacos. Huitlacoche is a fungus species that grows in the corn and it is considered a delicacy in Mexican cuisine.
We continued our journey and we got to the Philippines in no time. We noticed that there were many beauty salons, markets, and bakeries, all immigrant-owned. Supermarkets were decorated with colorful traditional Philippines ornaments.
You notice how each culture, with its different features, start resembling the other. Nobody is so different anymore. Everybody is familiar with each other's customs and cuisine and everybody respects each other.
We paused our journey and went into Krystal’s cafe. In this Filipino bakery, we tried the polvorones and the meringues. The meringues reminded me of the ones you can find in Chile; hard on the outside and soft on the inside. The purple ones are made from Ube (purple yam).
From the Philippines, we headed straight to Tibet and its colorful prayer flags.
The Tibetan immigrant community gathers in Tibetan and Nepalese eateries in Jackson Heights that have become meeting points to talk and soak the nostalgia of the home some of them had to leave years ago.
“Little Tibet”, owned by a Tibetan immigrant couple, has served for this purposes for over 3 years in Jackson Heights.
Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights. Same neighborhood, different neighbors. Latin America is here too. Mexico and Colombia are everywhere we look, and also Ecuador, El Salvador, and Peru.
Walking through the streets of Jackson Heights, we found ourselves in India. Clothing stores with the most colorful and intricate embroidery and patterns attract the passing eye.
Everybody loves good indian food, and here in Jackson Heights you can get the best chicken tandoori in Queens for a very good price.
Our next and last stop was Flushing, Main St., where New York’s “secret” Chinatown is located. Flushing’s Chinatown is considerably bigger than the one in Manhattan, and most of the Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans live here, among Korean and latin American immigrant families as well.
In Flushing, you can find all those exotic fruits that you will never get to see in Manhattan.
Like these Rambutan fruits, native to Southeast Asia.
In Flushing, we noticed that most of the food businesses were managed by women, they are in charge of cooking, serving and getting all the payments as well. In Flushing, traditional Chinese food is served in restaurants, markets, basements, and even on the streets, and it is cooked fresh daily, despite the appearances.
You can find delicacies as the Pekin duck.
The freshest fish.
And chicken if you are not feeling that adventurous.
We found one of the best places to eat hand-pulled noodles, in the basement at 41-28 Main St., where everything is made from scratch and by hand.
What makes all these places more valuable, is that their authenticity is undeniable. Nobody is cooking to please a foreigner, they are cooking for themselves.
Dumpling houses are everywhere, and in some they even let you customize your dumplings and fill them with whatever you want.
Pork and chives dumplings with soy sauce and chili oil become a party in your mouth and your belly.
It is time to head back to New York. It is late and the stores are closing. It has been a long “around the world” tour after all. Thank you, Queens, for all the amazing sights and delicious foods. We will be back for more.