While up in New York, I found myself in the Bellerose neighborhood near the border of Queens and Floral Park. This part of town had what could be described as a Little India. For blocks, everything was Indian, Pakistani, or from another country in the surrounding area. Seeing all this, I knew where I would be stopping for dinner.
I chose a restaurant called Surya Sweets & Snacks. This place was fast food and had a large selection of desserts near the entrance. As for the the food selections, everything was vegetarian and also very cheap. The most expensive food on the menu was $8.00, with most everything else around $4 or $5.
The menu was initially confusing for the uniformed. With only names and no descriptions, we had no idea what exactly some of the menu items were beside the typical Indian foods. Someone ordering in front of us saw our confusion and gave some recommendations. That's how the Papdi Chat was ordered. This bowl had interesting flavors, somehow being sweet, sour, and spicy at the same time.
The Samosa Chat had a few somosas buried under potatoes, chickpeas, and many other ingredients all drenched in a spicy sauce.
I always like dosas at Indian restaurants, so I had to try the Masala Dosa. The huge crepe was filled with a potato based filling and was served with various sauces.
We also tried some assorted desserts from Surya. These were very different than a typical American dessert and had some interesting flavors and textures.
I never knew this section of New York existed, but it was well worth a visit for Indian food. When it's exotic, vegetarian Indian food, that's even better!
