HOMECOMING:
Elmhurst
NEXT CRAWL DATEs TO BE ANNOUNCED
Homecoming ignites exploration of local New York City neighborhood businesses through immersive experiences with food and cultural storytelling.
For this crawl, we explore the most diverse neighborhood in all of New York: Jackson Heights. We’re featuring five restaurants that represent the spirit, culture, and vibrancy of the neighborhood.
We have an exciting lineup of signature dishes that represent just a small portion of the incredible diversity and flavors Jackson Heights has to offer.
Anastasia Dewi Tjahjadi, “Dewi”
Over 13 years ago, Dewi and her co-founders decided to open Indo Java, a grocery store to help remind them of their hometown in Indonesia. The store became a space for the Indonesian community to come together, gossip in Bahasa, and teach and share recipes.
Dewi also hosts a pop-up restaurant called Warung Selasa (“Tuesday Stall”), another homage to her hometown. It made Indo Java one of the tiniest and most coveted restaurants in the neighborhood.
Tahu Isi (fried stuffed vegetable)
A popular Indonesian street food snack that is served with chili peppers. Dewi recommends you eat one bite of chili to one bite of tofu, just be wary to pick the right level of adventure (spice).
Cendol
an Indonesian iced sweet dessert beverage made with green pandan tapioca jellies, coconut milk, and palm sugar.
Alvin Chen
Taiwanese Gourmet has been a pillar of the Elmhurst community for over 25 years. Created by two immigrants from Taiwan hoping to promote Taiwanese culture in the community, Taiwanese Gourmet became a restaurant where everyone from toddlers to senior citizens come to enjoy the food. Sharing a meal across generations is one of the things that makes this restaurant so special.
Pork chop over rice (排骨飯)
A delicious crisp pork chop over rice with collard greens appeals to diners of all ages. Whether you’re eating it for lunch, dinner, or at 1:00 A.M., as Alvin Chen says, the food “hits close to home.”
Explore Elmhurst
Just a hop, skip and an E, F, M, R or 7 train ride away is Elmhurst, Queens. Originally known as Newtown (and what the public high school of the area is currently called), Elmhurst now holds some of the most tight knit Asian communities in New York. As of 2020, census data from New York City Department of City Planning, calculates 55,800 Asian residents and 42,600 Hispanic residents, between 5,000 to 9,999 White residents and less than 5000 Black residents.
New York holds the second largest Indonesian community (second to LA) of 7,000 people and the majority of Indonesians live in or around Elmhurst. The Taiwanese community is also prominent in Elmhurst as the largest enclaves of the 40k-50k Taiwanese Americans reside in Flushing, Elmhurst and Whitestone.
St. James church
St. James Church (also called Old St. James Church to distinguish it from the OTHER St. James Episcopal Church 2 blocks away) was built in 1735, the oldest surviving Anglican building the city. The church was extensively repaired and expanded several times in the 18th and 19th centuries, including a major expansion in 1883. Church Website
Moore Homestead Playground
Named after Reverend John Moore whose children were gifted 80 acres of land in the area, this playground has everything a New Yorker could want. The playground equipment itself was recently updated in 2020, but the grounds also boast basketball and handball courts, bathrooms, fitness equipment and spray showers. Movies Under the Stars are also shown during warmer months. Park Website