5 STAR RESTAURANT FOR FINE INDIAN CUISINE
13-05 43rd Avenue • Long Island City, NY Restaurant (718) 784-7444 • For catering: (718) 784-8484
By Teresa Barile
The 5 Star Diner has been a fixture in Long Island City for the past 62 years, located just steps from the shores of the East River with spectacular views of midtown Manhattan. Thirteen years ago, Mr. Binder took

"It's not surprising that many area newspapers and restaurant guides rate the 5 Star Restaurant so highly."

over and it now offers some of the best

tasting Indian and Punjabi dishes, at very low prices. It's not surprising that many area newspapers and restaurant guides rate the 5 Star Restaurant so highly.

Besides boasting delicious Indian dishes, 5-Star was completely renovated some months ago, to create a sparkling clean dining room decorated in art-deco style tiles and wood with comfortable booths. The original diner's counter is there, only now it has been spruced up with new countertops and stools. The restaurant is open for late night dining as well and also offers a fabulous Indian lunch buffet from 11am to 4pm for just $7.

Start with an ice cold Indian beer or a refreshing mango lassi, a traditional Indian drink made with cool yogurt and fruit. Appetizers include samosas, which are triangular shaped flaky pastries filled with savory potatoes, peas and mild spices. The accompanying tamarind sauce and chili sauce make for flavorful dipping ($2.50). Delicately fried fritters made of potato or cauliflower come 6 to an order and are great to share at just $4. A plate of crunchy salad and a pitcher of ice water are brought to every table by your efficient wait person and the atmosphere is super casual.

All of the entrees cost under $10 and come in generous portions. Plenty of vegetarian dishes, meat and rice dishes provide something for everyone, even those preferring mild food with panache. Those eschewing meat might enjoy Dal makhani, a stew of tiny black lentils cooked slowly with mild spices that is best eaten over a helping of fluffy basmati rice that accompanies this dish. Sag paneer uses spinach as its main ingredient, cooked with cubes of mild cheese. Vegetable biryani is a flavorful mixture of mildly spiced vegetables and nuts cooked in rice.

Two or more diners can share a whole tandoori chicken. After marinating in yogurt, herbs and spices which tenderize the bird, the chicken is then cooked in a clay tandoori oven, rendering it exceedingly tender, juicy and flavorful, without being hot. Chicken tikka is prepared in a similar fashion while chicken tikka masala gets topped with a creamy sauce of coconut milk, red pepper and tomato. Even fish is imparted with rich flavor from the tandoori oven. Biryani rice dishes are also prepared with your choice of tender chunks of chicken, lamb, or traditional goat meat, which is surprisingly tender and moist.

In Indian cuisine, bread is ordered separately, and comes in a number of tasty varieties. Naan bread is traditional, unleavened bread, somewhat like pita bread. Roti is a whole wheat variety of naan, while poori is a light, puffy, deep-fried bread. I love aloo paratha, a fluffy flat bread filled with minced potatoes and mild spices. This bread can also be ordered with grated cauliflower. Whichever bread you choose, they are all ideal for soaking up the savory juices and the last tasty bits of rice on your plate.

Just next door is 5 Star Banquet Hall, a sumptuously decorated catering hall that can hold up to 500 people for a breathtaking wedding, private party or corporate event. The full-service catering staff can customize your gala to meet every desire and budget. It's important to note that 5 Star Banquet Hall can provide any type of cuisine you desire and is not limited to Indian cuisine. You can even rent the facility alone and bring in your own caterer. The plentiful parking and fantastic views of Manhattan will wow your guests. Call Mr. Binder at 5 Star Banquet to plan your special occasion in this easy-to-reach location.

For lunch or dinner, visit the 5 Star Indian Restaurant seven days a week. The lunch buffet is just $7 and they will deliver to your home or office. 5 Star is easily reached by subway, E or F to 23rd St., and N and 7 trains to Queensboro Plaza. Consider your next lavish affair at 5 Star Banquet Hall and have a look at their Website at www.fivestarbanquet. com. 5 Star Indian Restaurant has one of the best-tasting bargains in New York City.

5 Star Indian Restaurant and 5 Star Banquet

www.fivestarbanquet.com • www.fivestarbanquet.net