While many folks were busy guzzling green beer, two food-obsessed Queens residents checked out a new restaurant in Jackson Heights for lunch yesterday. Since the joint is called Green Plantains, token points for St. Patrick’s day spirit should be awarded, even if there was no corned beef and cabbage to be had.
Green Plantains bills itself as a “Nuevo Chino Latino Dining Experience.” Edward Ng, who helped craft the menu for acclaimed Bronx Chino-Latino eatery Sabrosura, also had a hand in the menu of this two-week old Roosevelt Avenue eatery. Ng grew up in the Dominican Republic and the food at Green Plantains reflects his heritage, with such dishes as ropa vieja and chicharron de pollo. Given that the menu includes the word “restaurants,” after the name and the fact that there's a second Green Plantains in Gainesville, Fla., it seems that the folks behind this concept plan on opening more locations. Also, the logo was plastered everywhere in the dining room, along with huge posters of its specialties.
So just what the heck is Nuevo Chino Latino anyway? For one thing it's Lo-Mein Caribeno with longaniza. The tangle of noodles mixed with porky longaniza sausage, assorted veggies and minced peanuts was slightly greasy, but in a good way. The one NCL dish that was regrettably not ordered was the Chofan Nuevo Latino, or fried rice with pork chicharron and bacon. Green Plantains Mofongo, the thing that looks like a beige Pac-Man monster, also falls into the NCL category, although it's obviously more Latino. The mountain of mashed plantains is suffused with roasted garlic and shotgunned with bits of pork chicharron. It's a savory starch bomb, though the "special sauce" is nothing to write home to the D.R. about.
Chicharron de pollo,the sole straight-up Dominican dish ordered, was disappointing, that is unless you're expecting deep-fried chicken breast tenders, in which case it's pretty good. However, the menu lists it as chicken cracklings. Whoever's in the kitchen gets a pass for now, but they should get to Margon in Midtown so they can bone up on this dish.
Green Plantains, 79-09 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, 718-639-3133
