Find authentic ethnic food in Queens

• Arepa Lady (77-02AA Roosevelt Ave. at 77th Street, Elmhurst)
  
  This tiny Colombian restaurant opened last year in response to the overwhelming popularity of Arepa Lady Maria Cano’s food cart around the corner. Cano’s son and daughter-in-law run the grill at the restaurant.
  
  Pictured: Cristian Romero serves arepas Colombian-style to customers at Arepa Lady in Jackson Heights, Queens, April 12, 2015.
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• At Arepa Lady in Queens, try the arepa de queso, a sweet, fat corn cake filled with mozzarella and sprinkled with briny queso blanco; or arepa de choclo, a sweet, thin corn pancake folded over chewy, flavorful steak, chorizo or chicken. Info: 347-730-6124.
  
  Pictured: Nelly Klinger gets ready to serve Arepas to hungry customers at Arepa Lady on April 12, 2015.
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• Chao Thai (85-03 Whitney Ave., Elmhurst)
  
  Tiny, humble Chao Thai may not look like much, but the food is vibrant and beautifully balanced. Have a crisp refreshing green papaya salad (som tum) as hot or mild as you like; the beef larb with its perfect balance of heat, bright lime, sweet fried shallots and savory meat; and green curry in coconut milk with tender eggplant and crisp bamboo shoots.
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• Jackson Diner (37-47 74th St., Jackson Heights)
  
  Despite the name, nothing about this beloved Indian restaurant is diner-esque. Order from the extensive menu: masala dosa (enormous potato-filled lentil crepes), fresh naan (Indian bread), tender goat curry, crowd-pleasing chicken tikka masala and bhel poori are top choices.
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• Li Lanzhou Hand-Stretched Noodles (136-20 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing)
  
  Make your way through the stalls in New World Mall food court to the down escalator; at the bottom, turn left twice and head to the back corner stall, emblazoned with a lighted sign of red Chinese characters. If you’re lucky, they’ll be making noodles: watch the transformation of dough as the noodles are repeatedly divided and stretched the length of the noodle maker’s arm span. Don’t just watch, though: eat.
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• Try the noodles in Number 29 at Li Lanzhou in Flushing, Queens, a broth also filled with chunks of rich, fatty roast duck. But the real reason to go is Number 30, savory pork dumplings cooked under a thin crisp crepe. Info: 718-888-9393.
  
  Pictured: The roast duck ramen at Li Lanzhou in the New World Mall food court in Flushing, Queens on Friday, May 8, 2015.
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• Phayul (37-65 74th St., second floor, Jackson Heights)
  
  Follow signs up the narrow stairway to the eyebrow-threading parlor. At the top, your nose will guide you toward the enticing smells of smoke, spice and what seems to be bread baking in this Himalayan eatery. The latter aroma, in fact, comes from the momos: thick, doughy steamed dumplings filled with meat or potato.
  
  Pictured: Nawang, Tsewang, Tsomo, and Phurbu from Jackson Heights linger over their meal at the Tibetan restaurant Phayul in Jackson Heights, Queens on April 11, 2015.
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• Top choices at Phayul in Jackson Heights, Queens include thin slices of stir-fried beef tongue with bell peppers and onions (pictured), which are fiery and smoky; beef soup is a soothing, milky-looking broth with sweet daikon radish, chewy, rich meat and Tibetan mountain herbs. Info: 718-424-1869.
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• Taverna Kyclades (33-07 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria)
  
  When Greek immigrants settled in Astoria about 50 years ago, they probably did not envision creating a destination for their food. Now, despite the influx of many other ethnic groups, Astoria is still the place to go for grilled fish and a glass or two of retsina. Based on the ever-present line for a table, Taverna Kyclades is the top choice for Greek food — and for good reason.
  
  Pictured: Black sea bass, chicken kebab and horta greens are served at Taverna Kyclades, Astoria, Queens on April 11, 2015.
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• At Taverna Kyclades in Astoria, try the tender grilled octopus; golden-crusted fried cheese (saganaki); moist grilled whole snapper, bass or branzino; not-to-be-missed lemon potatoes, and, of course, the requisite retsina. Info: 718-545-8666, tavernakyclades.com
  
  Pictured: A waiter carries over to a table orders of a Greek salad and lemon potatoes at Taverna Kyclades in Astoria, Queens on April 11, 2015.
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Want to eat at some of the hottest, most interesting restaurants in the city?

Forget Manhattan — head to Queens, where food cognoscenti flock for authentic ethnic food. Eat your way through the Indian, Greek, Colombian, Chinese, Thai and Himalayan (yes, Himalayan) restaurants, and know you’ll come back for the many other cuisines you can find in the food lovers’ favorite borough.