Roosevelt Avenue runs Tibetan momo carts, Colombian arepa counters, Indian sweet shops and Bangladeshi biryani inside ten subway-stop blocks.
Lhasa Fast Food hides behind a Jackson Heights phone shop in New York City. Tibetan momos, hand-pulled thenthuk noodles, butter tea, cash-only counter eating.
Signature: Beef momo, Thenthuk noodle soup
Order: Steamed beef momo, ten to a plate.
Tip: Enter the phone shop on 74th, walk to the back. The counter is to the left through the curtain.
Maria Piedad Cano started selling arepas under the 7-train tracks in Jackson Heights, New York City in the 1980s. Priced at $. Kitchen leans caribbean.
Signature: Arepa de queso, Arepa de choclo
Order: Arepa de choclo with mozzarella, sweet corn cake.
Tip: Cash only at the counter. Take the arepas to the park benches across the street for the full Queens lunch.
Sammy's Halal cart on Broadway in Jackson Heights, New York City has served Bangladeshi-style biryani and grilled chicken since 2001. Open daily 10:00-22:00.
Try: Chicken biryani over rice
Tip: Cash only at the cart. Ask for extra green sauce; the bright cilantro version is the menu's hidden detail.
Birria-Landia is the Jackson Heights food truck that sparked New York City's birria craze, slow-cooking Tijuana-style beef served with consomme.
Try: Tijuana-style beef birria tacos with consomme
Tip: Order the beef tacos with a side of consomme and dunk each bite. Lines move fast and the truck runs late into the night on weekends.