Ethnic Flavor Sampler

On Saturday night before Shanna and I met up with all of our friends for the excellent Father / Son DJ Battle we stopped off for some delicious Pakistani snacks at the fabulous Salt 'N' Pepper restaurant. We got Samosas, Pakoras, Naan and Tikka with assorted beverages all for under $20. There's just something so nice about being able to get great ethnic treats like that for so cheap.

I've decided to explore the deepest edges of the ethnic eateries in and around New Orleans and in order to do so I need help. Below is a list of both my favorite inexpensive ethnic eateries and a list of those I have yet to try. Please be a friend and add your own suggestions.

Favorites:
Pho Tau Bay (Vietnamese)
I totally love this place and since they've moved into Midcity I've eaten there almost a hundred times. The Spring Rolls, Pho & Bun are all high quality and super cheap.

Taqueria Corona (Tacos)
Do I even have to comment on this place? Great Tacos at super low rates. I highly suggest the cebollitas (charbroiled green onions) and the fish tacos, one of my favorite dishes in the whole city.

Country Flame (Cuban & Mexican)
Walking into Country Flame, with it's Telemundo background noise and general ambience of chaos & decrepit beauty, is like walking right into an El Norte Cocina. You sit down on picnic benches and order from the very limited menu. The chicken tacos &  fajitas are always good. This place sustained me in the impovershed years of my early 20's.

Taj Mahal (Indian)
The lunch buffet here is small but affordable, plus they rotate it all the time. You'll never get tired of their offerings.

India Palace (Indian)
HUGE lunch buffet and great dinner as well.

Salt 'N' Pepper (Pakistani)
I love this place for snacks. It's also cheaper than any other "subcontinental" cuisine in the city.

Places I most want to try:
Pupuseria Divino Corazon (Central American)
Gretna
2300 Belle Chasse Hwy.

Churro’s Café (Cuban)
Metairie
3100 Kingman St.

Garce’s (Cuban)
Mid-City
4200 D'Hemecourt St.

Royal China (Dim Sum)
Metairie
600 Veterans Memorial Blvd.

Beraca (Honduran)
Metairie
3116 N. Arnoult Rd.

Laurentino’s Barcelona Tapas (Spanish)
Metairie
4410 Transcontinental Dr.

Madrid (Spanish)
Kenner
2723 Roosevelt Blvd.

Kim Son (Vietnamese)
Gretna
349 Whitney Ave.

Comments

[chomps]

Kyoto on Prytania
Sukho Thai
Mucho Gusto
Noddle House
Rio Mar

[Ben]

Agreed on Pho Tau Bay and Taqueria Corona.

I vote for Ninja on Oak St. as the best Sushi in town by a mile.

[chomps]

No way! Ninja is like the GAP of Sushi.

[oscar]

Pho Tau Bay is cool even though they tone down the flavor for Americans. Vietnamese soup ain't flavorful if it doesn't have lots of fat and tripe dammit! I like the fact they are friendlier than the employees at Pho Bang in Metry, although the West Bank and New Orleans East ones are cool.

Check out Divino Corozon on the westbank. They've been around for over a decade and have some really good Central American Dishes (awesome pupusas!). It's really cool to see white folks in New Orleans finally eating ethnic food instead of making the usual "Is that cat?" comment

[chomps]

No doubt. When I was in Madison Wi. I had Vietnamese food that was like you explained. Subltly flavored broth with small pieces of tripe. I could not understand why Madison of all places had such a large Vietnamese community and I was told that after the conflict any place that had a large Catholic community and had a matching work environment (large bodies of water) became home to many refugees of the Vietnam conflict.

[Jonah]

Yeah, I hear that Kim Son and Kim Anh both have some pretty serious Vietnamese food.

For Sushi I like Ninja, Rock N' Sake, Kyoto and for pure gluttony Kanpai.

[Jaime]

I had a pretty unsatisfactory meal at kyoto recently and regretted diverging from my only two spots, wasabi and rock n sake.

salt n' pepper, i agree, is great. they even serve goat brains.

churro's is totally worth the drive out to metairie.

you have to make a trip out to 'little saigon' on chef menteur hwy. there's this amazing french-vietnamese bakery/restaurant considered the best in town, and several other eateries. i'll get the name and address to you later.

casamento's on magazine- b/c i know you haven't been.

[rose]

there is a bakery and resturant at dong phuong in new orleans east. i have had mixed experiences with the resturant but the bakery is awesome. my favorites are the 'angel food cake' made out of rice flour with sweet and salty coconut milk on top, the vegetarian humbow (i have heard the pork is good too) and the taro and sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. the address is 14207 chef menteur

[Jaime]

that's the one. they originated and make like 12 different kinds of vietnamese poboys that are all $2 -$3.

[Jaime]

ethnic grandma cuisine: http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2005-03-08/restreview.html

[oyster]

Frosty's on Cleary off Vets has some pretty solid Vietnamese eats and unsurpassed bubble teas. Ignore the name, decor, size and music.

[Jonah]

I forgot to add La Taqueria Mexicana. I've been wanting to try this place for a while now. Mayb I'll hit it after Jazz Fest.

Speaking of Jazz Fest, some not-to-be-missed ethnic dishes this year are the Pupusas and Tejadas at the Mensaje booth. Top notch Central American fare.

[david oestreicher]

You need to try Jazz Tacos at 307 Exchange Alley in the Quarter.It is not only the best,most tipical Central American place but the CLEANEST.Try the Jazz Tacos,Ehchiladas Hondurenas, or all the fresh fruit drinks.They make their own chips and salsa as well as papusas and baliades,etc.LIVE A LITTLE

[Jonah]

What?? A new Taco joint in my neighborhood that I don't know about? I'm so there. I will try this place tomorrow for lunch.

[ikkeben]

JAZZ TACOS. EXCHANGE ALLEY. FRENCH QUARTER.

Very disappointing! Unfriendly staff. Bad service. Overpriced, bland food
( honduran tacos & burritos).

Recommendation: when in Exchange Alley - skip Jazz Tacos and stop at the Exchange Alley Bar by the cathedral for an inexpensive and tasty tuna fish sandwich.