goodcheapeats

152-22 N. Blvd
Flushing, NY 11354

Book Chang Dong is a Korean restaurant that specializes in soups made with soft tofu. There are many variations on this dish, and it can be made with beef, pork, chicken, seafood, kimchi, or vegetarian. You can also choose whether the dish is seasoned mild, medium, spicy, or extra spicy. If you are familiar with Korean food, you know that Koreans mean business when they label something spicy. So, unless you know you can handle it, be conservative and opt for mild.

The dish runs around $8, and it is a very hearty meal, especially in cold winter nights. In addition, each entree is served with the usual plethora of side dishes, which can serve as a meal in themselves. If you never had this dish before, it is served with a raw egg. You crack it open onto your soup (which is served on a hot plate), and you can cook it to your desired done-ness.

On weekdays, from noon to 3:00 p.m., there are $6 lunch specials, which does not include the tofu specialty. There are other choices on the menu, but they run on the more expensive side (above $12). I recommend sticking to the tofu soup dishes.

620 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10024

1700 Second Ave (corner of 88th St)
New York, NY 10128

93 University Place
New York, NY 10003

Saigon Grill is a Vietnamese Restaurant with family style portions and good quality for the money. I have dined at the 88th Street and University Place (below Union Square) locations. The latter is the newest restaurant, and it tends to be less crowded than the upper east side siblings.

You can expect the usual Vietnamese offerings. I recommend any of the noodle dishes, they cost around $9 and can be shared, especially if you are getting appetizers. The only weakness may be the soups. Their version of the hot and sour soup was vastly different from the Chinese version--it was incredibly chunky and personally, I am not comfortable with gigantic cubes of pineapple in my soup.

The food is solid overall, and the spacious setting (especially the bathroom with more than two stalls!!) highly recommends this restaurant.

65-60 Fresh Meadow Lane
(Exit 25, L.I.E.)
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

Restaurant Tel: 718-461-1307
Market Tel: 718-762-3572

Quantum Leap is a a restaurant and natural food market. They are right next to each, and once you are inspired by the wholesome dining experience, you can head over to do some grocery shopping for at home meals.

The menu is not inexpensive (in the $10 $15 range for entrees), but the portions are fairly large. It is also one of the few vegetarian restaurants in the neighborhood. Although it is a fair bit of walk (around 25 minutes) from campus, it is worth the trip if you are craving more healthier food.

Not everything on the menu is equal, however. It is advised to stick to the "American" style entrees (e.g. veggie "meatloaf" with mashed potatoes) and the Asian inspired dishes. There were some mixed results with the Mexican style entrees.

The inside is bigger than it appears from the store front. The dining area is spacious with a relaxed, soothing atmosphere.

65-01 Kissena Blvd
Flushing, NY
(South of LIE - Across from Queens College)

718-939-4474

Gino's is the favorite hangout of Queens College students, as it is right across for the campus. However, its popularity is also due to the quality of the food as well. In addition to the usual pizzas with a plethora of different toppings, Gino's also serves very good pasta dishes.

Although the dishes range from $6 (a basic pasta with tomato sauce) to $12.95 (Farfalle with Sauteed Shrimp), the portions are very generous. One dish can be shared or serve two meals. I always judge an Italian restaurant by its Linguini with White Clam Sauce, and Gino's definitely passes with flying colors.

This is one of the better pizzeria and Italian restaurants in the neighborhood. I would advise forgoing on the campus pizza and walking over to Gino's. The quality is worth the trek.

Although I have offered some places to go for some cheap eats, the cheapest eats has to be eating at home. Unfortunately, not all of us has the talent nor the will to cook. However, with the great annual eating day over, even the most lazy cook should be able to permutate the leftovers and stretch them into some extra meals. Below are some ideas for your thanksgiving leftovers:

Courtesy of Food Network:

* Next Day Turkey Soup

* Kentucky Hot Browns

* Mashed Potato Au Gratin

* Turkey Bolognese

My favorite thanksgiving leftover combo is an easy alternative to the classic turkey sandwich. You simply take a tortilla wrap, place some shredded turkey, sliced cucumbers, and/or sliced scallions. Put a dab of hoisin sauce, and you got a delicious Peking Duck inspired turkey wrap.

47 E 21st St (between Broadway & Park Ave)
New York, NY 10010

Phone: 212-505-3072

Hours:
Lunch - Mon-Fri: 12pm-3pm
Dinner - Mon-Thu: 5pm-11pm
Fri-Sat: 5pm-11:30pm

CASH ONLY & NO RESERVATIONS

Via Emilia is an affordable Italian restaurant that serves good, solid Italian fare in a sophisticated but casual dining atmosphere. It recently changed locations to a more spacious and contemporary setting. Personally, I preferred the cozy and rustic ambiance of the previous place, but thankfully, the food remained the same.

Although everything on the menu is consistently good, the best bargains are the pasta dishes. I highly recommend the Frutti Di Mare (seafood spaghetti), the Tortellini Di Pollo (tortellini with chicken), and Spaghetti Neri Con Calamari (squid ink spaghetti with squid). The portions are very generous, and the pasta dishes run around $13 to $16.

One weakness though is the wine. Perhaps it may be because I am not fond of Italian wine, but I have always been disappointed with their wine selection. I say, save your money and stick to good old H2O, and try one of their delicious desserts instead (Tiramisu is my dessert of choice).

10 E. 16th St (Cross Street: Between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue)
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 243-1616
Fax: (212) 243-2895

Directions: 4, 5, 6; L; N, R at 14th St-Union Sq

Chat 'n' Chew is a great place to go, if you are like me and was unable to make it home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Especially if you are too lazy to cook and have a huge hankering for the turkey and all the yummy side dishes.

Chat 'n' Chew is known for their comfort food and an item of particular interest at this time of year is their "Thanksgiving on a Roll." The name explains exactly what you will be getting. Moist slices of turkey is served with delicious stuffing and cranberry sauce on a ciabatta roll. It costs around $10 or so and you will be getting a full meal. In the past, I could only finish one half of the sandwich, and the other half would serve as a secondary meal. Even though it may sound a lot paying that much for a sandwich, it is a very good bargain.

If you are hankering for a more traditional meal, Chat 'n' Chew also offers "Roast Turkey Supper," which is $14. But as in thanksgivings at home, you'll have plenty of leftover for the next day.

41-07 Kissena Blvd.
Flushing, NY 11355-3138

CASH ONLY

On a cold, rainy day like today, nothing beats a good pho soup to warm you up.

Pho Bang is a good Vietnamese restaurant located across from the Flushing Main Street library, on the Kissena Blvd side. You can get a very filling bowl of noodle soup for under $5. The larger portion costs a smidgen more, and I always found the regular bowl more than enough. The smaller serving of their spring rolls runs under $3, and it contains 4, very filling, rolls (it's better to split this with a friend or dinner partner). The Vietnamese coffee (a well done, strong espresso) is also recommended.

While it is not quite as good as the other Pho Bang located in Elmhurst (which is where I was introduced to the joy of pho noodles by my mom), it does a pretty good job. It is also closer: a block away from the subway station at Main Street.

When you are in the mood for a comforting, filling meal that is very affordable, stop by. It is usually crowded, but don't be discouraged if you see a full house. The turnover is very quick, and you should only have a short wait, especially if you are willing to share a table.

Fast Food Yummy Goodness
89-03 57th Ave.
Elmhurst, NY, 11373

Directions:
Take the Q88 (in front of Dunkin Donunts) to its terminal stop at Queens Mall. Walk East, it is only 5 to 10 minutes away, depending on your hunger level.

OPEN 24 HOURS! Hurrah!

http://www.whitecastle.com

Okay, this is not the place for you if you just watched the movie Fast Food Nation; but if you are like me, who wish to stay willfully ignorant and just submit to that overwhelming craving for greasy, greasy, good food, then read on.

Sure, there are other fast food restaurants out there, but nothing beats White Castle. First of all, nothing beats the 59 cent Slyders, not only in terms of its frugal sensibility (seriously, what else can you buy for under a dollar in New York??) but also in terms of its sheer delish! factor. (Mmm. the steamed bun, the grilled onion, and pickle . . . .) Dependent on your hunger level, you can eat as much as you like (i.e. "The Crave Case"), or as little as you like. I would highly recommend the Jalapeno Cheeseburger, Sack of Onion Rings, and Double Cheeseburger. (But, avoid the fries if you can, sadly, it is their one and true weakness.)

So next time, after an all-nighter finishing your paper or cramming for that test, and your are in need of some good old-fashioned all-American greasy, fast food, head over to this heart-attack restaurant of choice. It's okay, feed that craving!

Chinese Restaurant
40-52 Main Street
Flushing, NY 11354

One of the benefits of this restaurant is that you cannot miss it. It is across from Starbucks on Main Street, and it is housed in the building with the gigantic bowl on the roof. Hence, my friend's shorthand for it as "the big bowl place."

The size of the bowl above is also a good indicator of the bowl size below. The portions are very generous. Although some of the food may be uninspired, at least you won't leave hungry. The prices vary, but look towards the back of the behemoth menu (over 300 items listed!) for more inexpensive items, such as noodle soups and various categories of food over rice. They also offer a selection of bubble teas and other specialty drinks. (One warning though, DO NOT ORDER THE STARFRUIT DRINK!! Just d.o.n.'t d.o. i.t.!)

Another benefit of the restaurant is its late hours. After a late night, my friends and I were roaming Flushing, desperately seeking a restaurant that was still open after midnight, and lo and behold, we sighted "the big bowl place." Chao Zhou, in its infinite kindness, is open until 2:00 a.m. Even more generous is that it offers special discounted prices for select items from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., such as soft-shell grab that would cost significantly more during "normal hours." Check out the inside first page for the specials.