trufflupagus "seeking out the best."

My follow-up review for this restaurant. Read my previous review for this restaurant here.

Having lived in China for over a year, I’m a fairly respectable authority on Chinese food, but nobody’s opinion carries more weight than that of my friend from Chengdu, Sichuan. So I brought her here, to this clean but simple spot in Flushing, to get her verdict on whether Spicy & Tasty lives up to its name. She agreed with me—this place has the best and most authentic Sichuan food in the city.

The twice-cooked pork (hui guo rou) was spot-on, with crispy bacon-like strips of pork swimming in a mound of leeks. The spicy, water-boiled fish (shuizhu yu) is another dish to try, better than the beef version prepared the same way. The stir-fried hot peppers were too hot even for my expert friend, so stick with the string beans (ganbian sijidou) instead—they’re exemplary.

Caracas Arepa Bar may not be big – in fact, its space overflows with people at peak hours, with conversations in Spanish and English taking place at high volume – but its flavors definitely are. The arepas here are fried, not baked, but they still achieve that special texture, not crumbly, not cakey, but soft and almost sweet inside and with a perfectly crisp exterior. Even better are the ingredients they stuff them with, from crumbly Latin cheeses to black beans, avocado, chorizo, and even perico, Venezuelan-style scrambled eggs (at brunch).

The tequeños, a kind of fried cheese stick, make a good starter, but the guasacaca (Venezuelan guacamole) and homemade yucca chips will leave you better able to enjoy an arepa or two. Sadly, the empanadas are nothing special, and should be avoided in favor of the more unique items available.

The chicha, a kind of thick horchata, and the banana shake are both great for washing everything down.