Jalao NYC is a direct trip to the Caribbean
Flavors, colors, music and Dominican joy have a new meeting place in the city after the recent opening of Jalao NYC, a restaurant that seeks to celebrate and be a reference to the vibrant culture of that country from Washington Heights.
Hand in hand with renowned restaurateur Richard Sandoval, Antonio Espaillat wanted to open an extension of his original business in Santo Domingo and bring his concept to New York, thus forming part of the also recently opened Radio Hotel.
“It was always a goal to expand Jalao outside of the Dominican Republic, and what better place than Washington Heights, home to the second largest population of Dominicans outside the country,” explains Sandoval. “When people come to Jalao NYC, we want them to experience the flavors of the Caribbean, the music of the country and the vibrancy of the people.”
Jalao NYC offers traditional Dominican cuisine with a modern twist. Its menu is in charge of chef Noemi Guzmán, who recreated many of the dishes that make up the original place, added to others created by Chef Sandoval.
“Our inspiration for the menu is our roots, those dishes and ingredients that are so much ours, our fields, our stories, as well as our memories,” says Chef Guzmán.
This is how diners will delight in classic Dominican appetizers, or “bocaditos,” including a dish of pork rinds and cassava, already a favorite among customers, croquetas de chivo, yuca bonbons, and other Latin American recipes such as ceviche and guacamole-style caribbean.
Among the main dishes, the Pesca’o’Frito, the Cancan Chop, the Paila Jalao, made up of a moth steak with crispy pork belly and sausage sausage, and the Mofongo Mar y Tierra, served with shrimp or lobster and bacon stand out. crispy pork with garlic sauce.
But it would not be a true Dominican restaurant if it did not have on its menu a good sancocho and the Dominican Flag, the national dish made up of rice, beans and some meat of your choice.
“All (the dishes) have been liked very much, but what comes out the most are the sancocho, the coconut fish, the fried fish, the goat and of course our famous pork rinds,” Guzmán highlights.
And when it comes to desserts, Jalao, whose name comes from a classic island dessert made from coconut and honey, offers its own version of the traditional tres leches, which they named Dominican 5 Leches, served with apple puff pastry. hot, cashew praline, vanilla and caramel ice cream.
Other desserts include the Classic Corn Cream Majarete with cinnamon and vanilla crumble, coconut jalao and honey candy, and the popular flan.
As for drinks, among its menu of varied cocktails, the local mixologists offer the Morir Soñando with a mixture of evaporated milk, orange juice and an infusion of alcohol, and the typical Mamajuana is accompanied with sweet vermouth and brandy cherry.
The decoration also strives to transport visitors to the island, with authentic Carnival masks made in the city of La Vega and a large mural of a Flamboyán tree that frames the bar. The furniture was handmade in the Dominican Republic and each table bears a scene from the island.
Jalao NYC also seeks to become an entertainment center, for which it has an 8,000-square-foot space for outdoor seating in an interior patio, where a continuous program of entertainment will be offered with live music by local bands and regional, and dance instructors who will animate the party with merengue and bachata.
“We want Jalao NYC to transport our local diners to the Dominican Republic not only through food, but also through space and entertainment, as well as décor by Dominican merchants and artists and live musical performances on our terrace. , thus becoming a country brand”, emphasizes Espaillat.
It is located at 2420 Amsterdam Avenue NY NY 10033 More information: http://www.jalaonyc.com/
