Review

Try the Pan de Sal or sweet ube (purple yam) bread.

Lechon!

Review

Filipino buffet with good reviews.

Update - February 2012

Vietnamese Beef Stew

Binh Duong is one of my top three Vietnamese spots in Jersey.

On this visit, we enjoyed the super-crispy Spring Rolls (shrimp and pork), a tasty Crispy Fried Crepe (egg crepe filled with shrimp & pork), and of course, the rich and flavorful Beef Pho. For something a little different, try the Bo Kho - Vietnamese beef stew served with bread, rice noodles or egg noodles – large chunks of braised beef and carrots in a rich, fatty broth. Perfect for a cold winter night.

The servers are still friendly and happy to explain the more obscure menu items and ingredients.

Review - October 2010

Shrimp Pho

When I ordered the Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Pork & Beef Rice Noodle Soup) from the “Chef’s Special” section of Binh Duong’s large menu, the waiter asked me if I wanted blood.

“Blood?” I asked.

“Blood,” he muttered.

“Sure, with blood,” I said.

Don’t be afraid. The blood appeared in my soup as wine-colored, tofu-textured, cubes. Not too strong by themselves, adding a slight morcilla flavor to the already savory broth. All together, a delicious bowl of rice noodles, pork slices, and beef chunks on the bone. Not only did they ask about the blood, the owner offered some friendly advice for eating the Bun (rice vermicelli) when he thought my wife hadn’t added enough sauce to the bowl.

Crispy Spring Rolls

Crispy Spring Rolls, succulent Roasted Quail, deep-fried Buttered Frogs Legs, nested Fried Sweet Potatoes with Shrimp, and a cold  Shrimp and Papaya Salad made for a hearty table full of appetizers when we visited Binh Duong for a Friday night dinner with friends. One of those friends with Vietnamese roots declared the food and, importantly, the Pho, to be good.

In a Bloomfield strip mall that includes a Filipino restaurant and bakery, Binh Duong has about twelve tables in a simply decorated room. Service is fast and the crowd is a diverse mix of Asians and non-Asians.

With good food, friendly service and low prices, Binh Duong is a nice addition to our Jersey Vietnamese list.

Links

Off the Broiler

Links

The Star-Ledger

The original Ibby’s location, opened in 1996. Other locations in Freehold and Hoboken.

The original Ibby’s location, opened in 1996, is in Jersey City. A third Ibby’s has opened in Hoboken.

Review

Fresh Fish

I found Al Helal Meat & Fish Market thanks to Mayor Domenick Stampone of neighboring Haledon Borough, who Tweeted enthusiastically about this Middle Eastern spot and invited me on a recent ethnic food tour of Paterson.

Like many of New Jersey’s best ethnic food spots, at first glance, Al Helal appears to be just a market. Groceries and housewares are up front. The meat counter in the back is well stocked with fresh beef, lamb and goat. (The market follows Islamic dietary rules, halal, so no pork.) Unlike your local Pathmark, the butchers here proudly display every cut, including tongue, liver, kidney, tripe, tails and feet. The fish counter along the left wall is just as impressive, with at least a dozen varieties of fresh whole fish on ice. I saw red snapper, porgies, sardines, striped bass, branzino, perch and rainbow trout, among others.

Charcoal Grill Working its Magic @ Al Helal

What makes Al Helal unique, and worth a special trip, is that you can pick a whole fish, or a piece of meat, and they’ll prepare it for you on the spot – grilled, fried or broiled. Along one wall, to the right of the entrance, an impressive brick-framed grill smokes with hardwood charcoal. The guy at the fish counter gives you your selection in a bucket, and you walk it over to the grill man. I opted for a lamb chop and some homemade lamb sausage from the meat counter. At the grill, I asked for my lamb chop spicy. The grill man worked his magic with a spice rub and direct flame. Fast food as it should be.

Grilled Meats

A few minutes later, my lamb chop was perfectly grilled, nicely spiced, and served atop a heaping plats of rice and grilled vegetables. The sausages have a nice flavor and are delicious scooped up in a fresh pita. Fortunately, I had opened a bottle of ayran, a Turkish yogurt drink (like Persian doogh), which I needed almost immediately to counter the super spicy grilled jalapenos. Make sure you sample a few of the excellent salads and sides, like creamy hummus, flavorful red pepper spread, or a very nice Turkish salad. My entire lunch, including the drink, cost $15.

Olives & Pickled Vegetables @ Al Helal

Al Helal Meat & Fish Market sits on the corner of East Railway and Crooks Avenues in Paterson, next to the railroad tracks and the bustling Farmers Market, which is most crowded on Saturdays.

Links

Dessert Landscape

Review

K'nafee

Nablus Pastry & Sweets is a tiny shop on Main Street, Paterson serving Middle Eastern cookies and confections.

Locals come here for the K’nafee (also Kanafeh), a popular Arabic sweet with origins in the ancient Palestinian city of Nablus. Served warm, the freshly made K’nafee at Nablus Pastry comes in two forms –  a round, thin layer of white cheese, covered by a slightly sweet mixture of syrup and semolina, topped with crushed pistachios; or a rectangular version topped with thinly shredded pastry noodles. Unique and very tasty, you should try this Middle Eastern specialty.

None of the treats behind the counter are labelled, so just point at whatever looks good if you’re unfamiliar. The woman behind the counter is very friendly and happy to make suggestions.

The Cookie Display @ Nablus

Pastries @ Nablus

Links

Spinach and Cheese-Filled Borek

Review

Family owned and operated, this bakery offers delicious, brick oven-baked, traditional Turkish breads, pide (pita),  simit (Turkish bagel), and savory baked goods (acma, pohaca, borek). The spinach and cheese filled borek, flat squares of thinly layered, flaky yufka (phyllo) dough, served warm, is excellent. Try the large Turkish pide next time you have kebabs or hummus. Their sweet cookies and desserts, especially the pistachio baklava, also get rave reviews.

Serving the local Middle Eastern community and beyond since 1997, Taskin has a small parking lot with a retail counter entrance in the back. Look for the “Bakery Open 24 Hours” sign, just off the Parkway on Hazel Street. Cash only.