Help for Sunday Supper, Cold Day, Sunset Park Vicinity

[JH Jill]

We'll be a group of 4 people, one visiting from Texas, eating in Sunset Park around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. It's going to be cold and we want a place where we won't be rushed and we can hear each other talk. Some would enjoy beer. Also, due to cold and handicaps, we don't want to be walking around between courses.

My first inclination was to go for Vietnamese since Texas is full of Mexican food. However, I see that Ba Xuyen closes at 6:30 p.m. and I can't decide whether any others would be appropriate. From the posts I've read, I'm almost wondering if Tacos Matamoros would be best.

We are open to any cuisine, would like reasonable prices, and a little beyond Sunset Park is fine. I'm Queens-based and have not eaten in Sunset Park. Thanks for your help.

[Bob Martinez]

For Vietnamese I'd recommend Nha Trang Palace and Gia Lam and. I wrote both of them up awhile back.

Nha Trang Palace -
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/406396

Gia Lam -
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/408044

Both serve beer and the noise level is moderate.

The pho at both of these places is terrific.

If want a little something to eat before your big meal you can't go wrong at Great Taste Dumpling. Five for a $1.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7770...

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Gia Lam
4810 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

Nha Trang Palace
5906 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[JH Jill]

Thanks so much, Bob. This sounds like what I was originally looking for, but I didn't go back to posts that old. Since we have a car, we can check them out. I had mentioned Vietnamese cuisine to a couple of the people, and they liked the idea. I'll give feedback later.

[missmasala]

I prefer nha trang palace to gia lam, but don't think either place is particularly superb. there are two gia lams, btw, and i think one is better than the other, but i can never remember which one is better.
If only there was truly amazing vietnamese food in this city!

[Bob Martinez]

Sometimes I take my own advice. On a cold day pho is the perfect dish. We drove over to Sunset Park late Sunday afternoon and sharpened our appetites by strolling down 8th Ave. and checking out the mini mall on 8th and 56th St. (The basement level is especially recommended. They have a wide selection of Asian spices and teas.)

I had toyed with the idea of checking out one of the new Vietnamese places that have opened in the last year but on a really cold day Nha Trang Palace called out to us. It’s always been a welcoming place with good service and first rate food.

Sure enough we were greeted with big smiles and a wave. “It’s really warm in the back.” In 2 minutes we were sitting down with menus and cups of hot tea.

We ordered dueling phos. Pho with grilled pork vs. pho with rare eye round. Both were winners. The beef soup is fully flavored with star anise and, as always, was served with fresh bean sprouts and basil on the side. A big condiment tray held Sriracha and two other hot sauces of varying strengths plus a bottle of salty vinegar. You can fine tune your soup to suit your taste.

The eye round, served rare, slowly cooked in the broth and minute by minute gradually was cooked to medium doneness. The pork was cooked with just a touch of sweet BBQ sauce and their grilled flavor was nicely pronounced. Both were excellent.

Because we’re gluttons we also ordered grilled sesame beef with lettuce, cucumber, and mint leaves on the side. The beef had been sliced thin, lightly seared on the grill, and then rolled into cylinders. It was pleasantly moist and was also served with a mild seasoned vinegar sauce on the side for dipping.

Two bottles of 33 beer went perfectly with all that food.

It’s been too long since I’ve had Vietnamese food. I need to fix that.

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Nha Trang Palace
5906 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[bobjbkln]

How about Pacificana? Cantonese Chinese, somewhat upscale but still reasonably priced. They serve DIM Sum at Sunday lunch and it gets very crowded. But it should be fine around 5:30. Food is fresh and they have a large menu. Along with Chinese Cantonese, they have Americanized Cantonese dishes as well. The place is large and you'll have plenty of opportunity to relax and talk with your friends. They have a full bar. If you are driving, at that hour you should find nearby street parking. If not, they have an attached garage (not free).

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Pacificana
813 55th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[missmasala]

Pacificana is not a bad choice. the food is decent but not great. Depending on what part of Texas your friend is from, they would have excellent vietnamese down there as well as mexican. Here are some possibilities that they might not find in texas:

Ecuadorian or Dominican or Puerto Rican food: I know there are some decent places in Sunset Park, but I don't know their names. Maybe someone who does could chime in.

Outside of Sunset Park (not sure how far you are willing to go outside of sunset park):
good middle eastern at Tanoreen
http://tanoreen.com/

central asian/russian at Vostok:
http://www.restaurantvostok.com/en/about.php

sichuan food at grand sichuan:
http://grandsichuanhouse.com/home

in the other direction, in south slope/greenwood heights:
eastern european at korzo:
http://www.korzorestaurant.com/

clam rolls and other pub food at the sea witch:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sea-witch-bro...

Sorry, haven't checked which of these would be open at 5:30.

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Pacificana
813 55th St, Brooklyn, NY 11220

Vostok
5507 13th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219

Tanoreen
7523 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Grand Sichuan House
8701 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Korzo
667 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Sea Witch
703 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215

[JH Jill]

Thanks, I have some idea about most of them so I will check them out. My friend who lives in Texas lived in NYC for a long time, but she's outside of Dallas now. I think the Vietnamese are more along the Gulf coast. I grew up in Orange County, CA but it's amazing the number of people even there who are unfamiliar with Vietnamese food.

[carfreeinla]

I often get challenged on this but Mexican is not just Mexican. The regional Mexican food I eat in Dallas is not the same as I eat in Sunset Park.
Some of the Middle Eastern options- ie Lebanese and Turkish might be good- you may need a reservation for Tanoreen- even early.
What about Spartan Souvlaki?

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Tanoreen
7523 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Spartan Souvlaki
6824 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[JH Jill]

Quite true about Mexican. My So Cal comfort Mexican is not the same as I find here, nor the same as in Dallas or Chicago.

Does anyone have an opinion about Top Taste, the Guilinese place next to the Fei Long shopping center on 8th?

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Fei Long Market
6301 8th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[AubWah]

where do you like to eat mexican in sunset park?

[carfreeinla]

My go to place is Tacos Matamoros. I particularly like the tacos but also anything with the "grilled" chicken that they have- especially the chilaquiles- which are way better than what I am used to in LA and Texas. What I miss is the roasted salsas- most of the salsas that I have had in NY are fairly "flat"....

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Tacos Matamoros
4508 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11220

[Bob Martinez]

I love Tacos Matamoros too but the OP mentioned that they'd like a place that served beer. TM doesn't, although sometimes they let you BYO.