Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Good food and Good friends

I'm really not sure what is better- good food, or good friends. It would be ideal if you didn't have to choose between the two- and thankfully this weekend, I didn't!

This past Saturday, Shaman and Sundar decided to pay me (and Zeus) a visit! I was actually really excited to see them this weekend as they came down to Queens to see ME this time! Shaman and Sundar have never been to Queens, let alone Flushing, and they were quite surprised coming off the 7 train! I remember Eric describing his experience in Flushing as if he 'wasn't in America anymore'- and that's exactly right. The bustling and hustling of New Yorkers is common in the city but with 95% of them being asian and stores all around you in another language- you can't help but to feel lost in this new world of Flushing, Queens (and boy did they get lost).

Our original plans were to get some good Indian food in Queens but they changed their minds and wanted Thai instead. Not being able to think of a good Thai restaurant in Flushing off the top of my head, I suggested Malaysian as a compromise. Shaman immediately agreed as he remembered our previous experience at a Malaysian restaurant and of course wanted to get the Roti Canai!

We went to Sentosa, a Malaysian restaurant located on Prince Street, close to Flushing Mall. I have mixed feelings about Sentosa- I love Malaysian food and think that their dishes are great but I also find it a bit overpriced- being that it is in Flushing and you can go next door and get a plate of noodles for $2.

The menu at Sentosa is pretty similar to any other menu you would find at a Malaysian restaurant in the city. I usually get the same thing, and this time was no different.

Shaman and I started off with the Roti Canai- a roti (indian pancake) fried crisp, paired with a delicious creamy curry dipping sauce. Both Shaman and Sundar liked it very much, describing it as 'very Indian'. This is also one of my favorite things to get!



**Thank you Shaman for the pictures!


Sundar, always needing to be different, decided to opt out on the Roti Canai appetizer and got the Tofu Satay to start with instead. This was interesting as I was expecting it to be skewers of tofu, but instead it was 4 large pieces of tofu with cucumbers and a peanut sauce on top. It looked like a pretty healthy dish as a matter of fact, but I didn't get to taste it- I hope it was good Sundar!



My usual dish is the Char Keuh Teow. A stir fried noodle dish with a variety of seafood all in a yummy sauce. I like it because it's not drenched in sauce, the way some noodle dishes are and it's just delicious! Very heavy and greasy, I never finish it all in one sitting (which makes this dish a perfect lunch leftover!) but it never fails to hit the spot. I get it without the spicy chili paste- just so I can spare myself from an allergic reaction (Did I mention I was allergic to some spicy dishes?)



Shaman stuck with the curry theme and ordered a curry chicken rice dish. White jasmine rice with (probably) the same curry chicken sauce from the Roti Canai- although I didn't get to taste it- I can't imagine it not being good!



I guess Sundar really wanted Thai food, so he ordered the vegetarian Pad Thai for his entree- and he too could not finish it all. Shaman and I had a bite and to our surprise the Pad Thai was different from the others we have had. I usually envision Pad Thai as a noodle dish with a very strong peanut sauce, however, this Pad Thai was quite the opposite and had very strong flavors- all which were not peanut. It was very flavorful and tasty and I think I may try this next time!



At the end of our meal, it was time for a nap (of course). We went back to my place, played with the pup and watched Love Actually! What a great day!
I really enjoyed showing them around my neighborhood and not having to travel all the way to the city! Good food and good friends is the best way to go.
Price: $$
Ambiance: B+
Service: B+
Food: A-