The neighborhood of Richmond Hill, Queens photographed and written about for a food and travel story.
Off the last stop of the A-line in the New York City borough of Queens lies the unassuming neighborhood of Richmond Hill. Also known as “Little Punjab,” Richmond Hill is now home to the largest Punjabi population in New York City; its main thoroughfare is coined “Punjab Avenue,” paying tribute to the various businesses, restaurants and religious institutions lining the street. The community formed over decades as Punjabis from various parts of the world moved here to be closer to each other and their faith.
I grew up in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, a city in South India that many Punjabis call home. When I moved to New York in 2015, I came across Richmond Hill while researching a school assignment. Its large Punjabi population reminded me of home. Since then, I have frequently visited the neighborhood, photographing the community, hanging out at the many communal kitchens, and enjoying the food and culture at various restaurants on Punjab Avenue.
“I want people to come here and experience the food and hospitality of Punjabis,” says Harpreet Singh Toor, a longtime resident and neighborhood activist in Richmond Hill. When I ask him about his favorite food, Toor lets out a chuckle, “I have parathas for breakfast.”
A paratha is a layered flatbread prepared with whole-wheat flour, salt and ghee or oil. The dough is rolled several times with ghee smeared in between to create thin layers. It is then roasted on a tawa (pan) to create a soft and flaky texture. Parathas are best paired with yogurt and pickle. Providing a heavy and filling meal, parathas are a breakfast staple for most Punjabis heading out for a long day of work.
“Aloo paratha is one of our most common dishes,” says Navi Singh, owner of Punjabi Dhaba, a popular restaurant on Punjab Avenue he runs with his mother. Meals here are prepared with care and precision. The restaurant is at its busiest on any given day during lunch hours, serving as a hangout for students, workers and locals enjoying a communal meal that may include samosas, chai, parathas and thalis. A thali is a not-to-be-missed round platter filled with a variety of curries alongside flatbread and rice.
At Punjabi Dhaba, a thali meal comes with two curries, rice and yogurt, followed by a dessert of jalebi — an orange-colored, pretzel-like sweet made by deep frying all-purpose flour and soaking it in sugar syrup. A crispy bite of this orange delicacy completes the meal as visitors take a final sip of chai before heading out for the second half of the workday.
101 Meat Shop is most popular for its tandoori salmon, and Punjabi biryani and kulchas, another kind of Punjabi bread prepared by hand mixing flour, water and a filling of choice and then baking it in an earthen oven. Thicker than parathas but without the flaky texture, kulchas are best paired with a curry — either chole (chickpeas) or meat.
As for Punjabi biryani, it is prepared by pan-sauteing vegetables, then adding rice and meat before garnishing with spices. Biryani is mouthwatering and best paired with raita (yogurt sauce) and maaza, a chilled mango drink.
“People are honest here; I love the work ethic and discipline” says Rajinder Kumar, owner of Angel Creations, a fabric and clothing store that’s a staple of Punjab Avenue.
Angel Creations sources fabrics, materials and clothing and sells kurtas, lehengas and comfort wear to community members. Visitors walk into the store with requests to find fabrics, to get kurtas stitched, and to chat with the couple that runs the store. These conversations inevitably happen over a cup of chai.
Other must-visit restaurants in Richmond Hill include Royal India, Punjabi Kabab House, reportedly the oldest restaurant in Richmond Hill, and Golden Terrace, a banquet hall and restaurant managed by women. Wherever you visit along Punjab Avenue, you’ll find a rich and vibrant glimpse of Punjab and its culture, people, clothing and food — along with the locals’ hospitable greetings and an offer of a cup of chai.