Burmese food bazaar, November 11, Elmhurst, Queens

DaveCook · November 3, 2023, 2:52am

I’ m joining @JenKalb plus one, and @RSchwim, on Saturday, November 11, at the next …

MAHAA fundraising food bazaar
Parish house of St. James Episcopal Church, 8407 Broadway, Elmhurst, Queens
https://www.facebook.com/events/6708129885901855/

As many as three dozen vendors will be selling homemade food, including numerous dishes or variations on dishes not served in the city’s few Burmese restaurants.

The stated hours are 11:00-4:00, but based on my experience at previous bazaars, a good time to arrive is 10:30. (Make allowances, of course, for weekend subway mishegas.) Food from multiple vendors will already be on offer at that early half-hour, and it will be easier to claim a seat at one of the indoor communal tables. If it’s brisk, few folks will be taking their food to tables, ledges, or the grass outside as they would during summer bazaars.

Come join us!

Saregama · November 10, 2023, 3:37am

I’m thinking about joining you guys @DaveCook and @JenKalb – I was thinking of going to Jackson Heights for a Diwali visit this weekend, so maybe I’ll do that on the way back from Elmhurst instead of straight to JH & back.

DaveCook · November 10, 2023, 3:51am

Hope you can join us!

JenKalb · November 10, 2023, 4:12am

ditto!!

Ike · November 12, 2023, 12:16am

Thanks Dave, that was excellent!

I’ll have to make a note that MAHAA is one of my favorites. (Now, the Peoples’ Front of Judea, on the other hand… I can’t stand their food festivals! )

JenKalb · November 12, 2023, 1:55am

Thanks for again, herding the cats! It was a lovely event with very friendly vendors and some excellent homemade style burmese food and Jim and i enjoyed the time with you, @RSchwim, @Saregama and @Ike. It was good to start with the fried balls, especially the very breakfast-appropriate ones centered with quail eggs,

noodle salad with shrimp and vietnamese cold cuts

followed with fritters (disappointing)
the shan tofu salad (made with chickpea flour “tofu” and delicious toppings and sauce

more weak fritters, this time shrimp with cucumber on the side

A plate of excellent Curried chicken with lemongrass over coconut rice served with a set of very flavorful condiments

and finally (I think finally) a couple more tasty noodle salads.

small_h · November 12, 2023, 2:44am

Sorry to miss this one! I did have some killer mac & cheese at a housewarming in Bushwick, so all was not lost. (Still would’ve eaten better with youse guys.)

Saregama · November 12, 2023, 5:11am

Lovely day for a picnic table of interesting eats, great company, and some tasty bites.

What was different (good) about this was that you could taste that it was home cooking.

I am not a big fan of cold fritters (I mean – they’re supposed to be crisp and they’re deep fried, so by virtue of sitting around, they’re soggy and oily by the time you get them cold), but there’s no good way to get deep frying on the spot in that setting.

I missed the first few dishes, but of the rest, my favorites were the chicken curry and the (second / grandma) noodle salad.

The curry was well balanced, not heavily spiced but very flavorful, and the fried garlic and pickled onions added texture and more flavor.

The noodle salad assembly reminded me of Indian chaat: all the ingredients and sauces were laid out, the lady took some of each, added a few sauces and condiments from jars and bowls in front of her, mixed it with her (gloved) hand till the sauces were fully mingled with everything else, sampled a little, added a little of this and a little of that, plated, and garnished. There were THREE kinds of noodles in this one, and the amalgam was delicious.

Adding a pic of the 3rd noodle salad, which had a saucy chicken and udon-like noodles plus some crunchy puffs. Flavor leaned sour.

I missed the chicken puffs by dilly dallying, and we couldn’t find something that looked like a spicy soup despite scouring the room, but aside from that we did pretty okay!

Pot of chicken curry, Rice with fried garlic and pickled onion