Behind the Scenes with Vayable is a series that spotlights our best experiences- from the most popular to the new and noteworthy. We’re here to give you an in-depth look into what makes them so awesome. This weekend, we were lucky enough to taste our way through Flushing with Queens food expert, Joe.
Tasting experiences are one of my favorites here at Vayable. Just as families come together over dinner, a culture’s cuisine builds and defines the community. Taste after taste, I opened a door to Flushing’s rich and diverse past along with it’s future. A history Joe knows like the back of his hand having lived in Queens for the past 20 years and raised in Long Island.
We began at the corner of Main Street and Roosevelt, a bustling intersection coming in right after Times Square and Herald Square for the busiest in NYC. The energy was contagious as we walked into one of the shops to grab some fried chicken on a stick - and not just any fried chicken but one that requires a secret passcode to obtain (Joe’s privy to this info). From the delicious mix of asian spices blended with crispy, tender chicken, I’m not surprised they keep this confidential.
In the 1970s, East Asian cultures began to establish footholds in the neighborhood and I’m forever grateful they did! The streets are lined with influences from China and Taiwan. It’s as if you’ve traveled the 8,000+ miles to Hong Kong but in reality, all you had to do was hop on the 7 train. Not a bad compromise for international travel.
At a young age, Joe would go into NY’s Chinatown and has since developed a unique palette and knowledge of asian dishes. Along with his personal relationships with many of the shop owners. Making our way through the Sunday crowd, Joe asked if I enjoyed tofu. I said I enjoyed it just fine and wasn’t aware there were different versions, since it’s a standard basic for the most part. This is when I was introduced to silk-strained tofu, tucked away in a nondescript flower shop. Joe has come to know the shop owners here very well and their warmth and kindness added to the velvety soft tofu goodness I couldn’t get enough of.
So far, we had explored hole in the wall shops, sprawling food courts and basement meat markets. One of the coolest stops - and yet different from the others - was Biang! restaurant. The space used to be your typical, Chinese restaurant that had since been renovated by the owner’s son with a modern touch of exposed brick, hanging light bulbs, and panda art lining the walls. Joe explained that this was the mark of the next generation - and from the crowd trickling in and out, it was clear this was the place to be.
Joe’s Chinatown Flushing experience is one of the most popular here at Vayable, constantly booked and in high demand. It’s no surprise as this is something that comes naturally to Joe. The connections he’s made with the shopkeepers make all the difference. You aren’t just ordering something randomly or making a purchase, you are getting an inside look into the local life. That’s the beauty when you connect with strangers and that’s what the Vayable experience offers.