This year I ate at a lot of restaurants, but didn’t write about them here—sometimes I didn’t blog about them at all. I’ve been meaning to do a roundup of some of these places and the dishes that thrilled me the most this year, so I figure an end-of-year summary seems appropriate. So, here are thirteen of the tastiest things I ate in 2013.

Achat at Savory Cafe

This past Fall the first restaurant serving Malaysian food opened in Astoria, Savory Café. They also serve American food, but for me their Malaysian dishes really stand out. In particular, I loved this achat—crunchy pickled vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers, marinated in a vinegary homemade dressing that was nice and tangy, with a little bit of heat and sweetness. It’s quite a large portion, served in a bowl, and topped with toasted crushed powdery peanuts and lightly toasted sesame seeds. I loved how refreshing this was and found that it was a great way to start the meal. 47-12 30th Avenue, Astoria

Adjarian Khachapuri at Brick Oven Bakery

This year I became more aware of Georgian cuisine and sort of fell in love with it. I became fixated on khachapuri, the national bread of Georgia. Pictured above is the Adjarian version, which comes with a raw egg and knob of butter sitting in the middle of bread that has just come out of the oven. You mix it up with a fork and dip the edge of the edges of the bread into the resulting creamy, cooked eggy mix. It’s really, really good—fat and carbs in all their glory. This was prepared and eaten at Brick Oven Bakery, located in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, which is considered one of the best places in NYC to get khachapuri. We ate it with electric green Zedazeni tarragon soda that was visually striking and tasted quite good with the bread. 230 Kings Highway, Brooklyn

Asado Negro at Arepas Grill

Arepas Grill opened up this past summer in Astoria, and offshoot from the wildly popular Arepas Café on 36th Avenue in Astoria. I stopped in after I had done my cooking demonstration at the Socrates Sculpture Park Greenmarket, and it was a terrific way to fuel up after a fun time making Corn and Peach Salad for happy, hungry market-goers. I usually get arepas when I’m at Arepas Café but I wanted to expand my experience with Venezuelan food, and chose this classic dish, asado negro. The beef is cooked for several hours until it’s fork tender, is beautifully meaty with sweet and savory notes from the black sauce. It came with really good maduros, some black beans, and white rice, with a little cheese grated on top. So delicious. 21-19 Broadway, Astoria

Ashlyam Fu at Café Avat

I took a trip to South Brooklyn to try Central Asian food (I’ve eaten Bukharian and Uzbek food in Queens over the years) this past summer, and one of our stops was at Café Avat, a Kyrgyz restaurant in the Bath Beach section of the borough. Along with some delicious kompot (a drink made from fruit and water), kimchi-esque chim-cha, pumpkin samsa, there was this plate of ashlyam fu, a cold noodle and vegetable dish. Long wheat lagman noodles are topped with various vegetables, mung bean jelly, and egg, all doused with a slightly spicy, peppery sauce. I found it to be very refreshing and a great choice for a warm day. 2158 Bath Avenue, Brooklyn

Pork Al Pastor Tlacoyos at Tacos Morelos

I had heard great things about Tacos Morelos, and was sorry I didn’t get a chance to try them while doing research for my book. I was fortunate enough to go to a dinner with the Astoria Sailing Society (a local supper club) where Tacos Morelos was the destination (along with Argentinian Steakhouse El Gauchito—I had to miss it because of a previous engagement). I was delighted to see that tlacoyos were on the menu, and I knew I had to have them, as they are less commonly found in Queens compared to tacos, quesadillas, and huaraches. Tlacoyos are flat, long ovals of masa stuffed with smashed black beans, topped with meat (al pastor pork in this case), onions, crema, and as sprinkling of cotija cheese. They were pretty filling, but oh so tasty. 94-13 37th Avenue, Jackson Heights

Cholado at Pecas Y Mas

Back in 2008, I first heard about the cholado, a shaved ice and fruit beverage popular in western Colombia, from a Sunnyside blog called Shauna Eats Sunnyside. I’m a bit embarrassed to say that it took me four years to try my first one, which was at Colombian hole in the wall, Pecas Y Mas, and after the first sip, I was hooked. I tried a number of cholados while doing research for my book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens, and in the end, the cholados from Pecas Y Mas won out as my favorite. I like how they cut the fruit into smaller chunks so it’s easier to eat a variety of fruit in one bite. They never add too much lechera (the sweetened condensed milk), and I love the tang of the fruit syrups. In the end, it’s just a pleasure to eat and drink. This one pictured was eaten while I took a break during this summer’s Sunnyside Block Party. 44-20 Greenpoint Avenue, Sunnyside

Grilled Octopus at MP Taverna

Last spring, Michael Psilakis opened up his newest restaurant, MP Taverna, on Ditmars Blvd in Astoria, smack dab in the middle of NYC’s biggest Greek population (and a part of town where Psilakis spent a lot of time in his youth). The restaurant that was in that space beforehand, Mezzo Mezzo, had an interesting look but uninteresting food. Construction of the new MP Taverna took months but it really has been worth the wait. The restaurant has brought a lot to the neighborhood as far as excitement and foot traffic and it always seems busy. Soon after it opened, a press dinner was held, which I attended, and there I tasted their delicious grilled octopus. It is excellent and one of the best versions of octopus in the neighborhood. I love how the ends of the tentacles get crispy and caramelized, and how meaty it is, with no rubbery texture. It’s served warm with chickpeas and olive oil and some lemon for a little tang. It’s a pretty memorable dish and one I will get often. 31-29 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria

Kimchi Fries at Joju

A chance lunch with my friend Maury resulted in us ordering these kimchi fries at one of my favorite Elmhurst eateries, Joju. They are known for their excellent banh mi sandwiches, but these fries are pretty amazing. They take crispy french fries and cover them with kimchi, spicy mayo, scallions, and cilantro, all served warm. It is starchy, rich, tangy, and spicy all at once. Really a winner and one of the best versions of enhanced french fries I’ve ever come across. Now to try their bahn mi fries… 83-25 Broadway, Elmhurst

Poached Eggs and Miso Butter at The Queens Kickshaw

When I first read about these miso cold poached eggs, I was dubious because I couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of poached eggs in a cold state; I’d always had poached eggs on the warm side. Well, my perception was thrown for a loop—these eggs are GOOD. As I write this, I can imagine the incredibly savory, umami-rich miso butter that lingers on the tongue, the pickled mustard seeds that pop as you bite into them, and the silky egg yolk that flows out, ready for a piece of toast to sop it up. This is a wonderful brunch dish and I always get excited when I order it. 40-17 Broadway, Astoria

Mushroom Pie at To Laiko

This past summer I wrote a piece for Real Cheap Eats on a tiny little coffee shop I pass by all the time, To Laiko. While exploring the different savory pies they carry—spinach, spinach and cheese, leek, zucchini, etc—I came across this little rolled up mushroom pie, which is my official favorite item there. The mushrooms are cooked down with onions and roasted peppers, and there’s plenty of cracked black pepper to spice it all up, all wrapped up in flaky phyllo dough. I have them warm it up, which makes it even tastier. Pair it with one of their frappes and that’s a great breakfast. 29-29 23rd Avenue, Astoria

Pupusas from El Oolmega truck

My friend Jeff has organized one of the best food festivals in NYC, Viva La Comida, which happens in September in Jackson Heights each year. One of his aims is to gather the best food vendors in the city in one place, along 82nd Street just south of Roosevelt Avenue. This year, I was delighted to be introduced to the Salvadoran food at the El Oolmega truck, which ended up being a high point for me that evening. I got two pupusas—one was filled with pork and cheese and one was stuffed with loroco and cheese. Loroco is a Central American flower that is commonly used in pupusas. They also came with this quite bright curtido, a spicy, tangy cabbage slaw along with some crema. El Oolmega is normally based in Red Hook at the ball fields there, and I hope to encounter them again soon.

Fried Chicken at Bear

This past November, the We Heart Astoria staff was asked to come in and try some of the new menu items at Bear, a restaurant that serves a lot of New Russian/Progressive European food. One thing they’re offering these days is very American, actually: fried chicken, made with organic chicken thighs. I remember burning the tips of my fingers, as I wanted to eat it so quickly because it was just SO GOOD. Perfectly moist, not greasy, with an incredibly flavorful coating. I also enjoyed the sweet mustard sauce that came with it. 12-14 31st Avenue, Astoria

Fried Sesame Feta Cubes at Ovelia

I first tasted these fried sesame feta cubes in 2011 at a blogger dinner organized by my friend Judith AKA Fooditka, and fell in love with them immediately. When UK-based writer Susie Bearne asked me to give her a food tour of Astoria last spring, I knew I had to take her to Ovelia and try these feta cubes. They are basically exactly what they sound like—cubes of feta cheese coated with a light sesame seed batter, deep fried, and drizzled with honey. They are salty, crunchy, and sweet all at once, and just amazing. I try to order these whenever I eat at Ovelia, and can’t imagine ever getting tired of them. This is a fantastic snack! 34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria