Good Eats: SPANISH FOOD!! (Puerto Rican)

This place reminds me so much of the small restaurants (carinderias) we have back home simply because they have no menus. They basically serve all the staple Puerto Rican dishes - but you gotta have at least an inkling of what you actually want to eat. To give non-Spanish customers an idea, different kinds of warm stews (chicken, beef, oxtails) are strategically displayed by the entrance of the restaurant. If you want to find out their Specials for the Day, good luck in finding a waitress who could speak fluent English.

La Fonda Boriqua is located near the corner of 106th street and 3nd avenue.

For starters, we had the cold, tangy Pulpo (octopus) Salad. It had diced onions and bell peppers in light olive oil and seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. They also serve regular mixed green salads (with slices of avocado upon request).

A serving of Fried Kingfish was complemented well with Totones (fried thinly sliced green banana) and the Oxtails was incredibly tender. Its best eaten with steamed white rice, although other options include yellow rice and rice mixed with (gandules) beans. Pork Chops and Fried Chicken are also available. All entrees are serve with red beans unless specified otherwise.

Inspite of the language barrier (Why, oh why didn't I pay attention to my Spanish teacher in high school?), the waitress was really friendly and accommodating. And for S, the piece-de -resistance was of course: a slice of extraordinary rich flan.