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Venezuelan Arepas Gain Foodie Fans at Forest Hills Eatery

By Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska | October 24, 2014 12:24pm
 TuArepa Pizza Cafe also serves pizza.
Venezuelan Arepas and Empanadas in Forest Hills
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QUEENS — The arepa craze has reached Forest Hills.

The popular South American street snack, made of corn dough filled with anything from pork to sweet plantains, is winning fans in the neighborhood, according to the owners of TuArepa Pizza Cafe, which began serving arepas earlier this year.

"It took some time to get recognized, but now people really like them," said Ysabel Chang, who co-owns the restaurant with her sister Elena and her sister's husband, Francisco Duran.

The cozy eatery, at 100-22 67th Ave., which opened last year as a pizzeria, expanded its menu in January to include a number of Venezuelan dishes, which are often served with onions, peppers, cilantro and garlic.

It's currently the only place in the neighborhood to serve arepas, the owners said.

The unique combination of Italian and Venezuelan cuisine has caught on, the owners said.

“We have had families dining...where the parents would eat Venezuelan dishes, while the children would prefer pizza,” Chang said.

The sisters, who are of Chinese descent, were born and raised in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela.

Chang came to the United States in 1988, and her sister followed 4 years later.

Duran, who is originally from Puebla, Mexico, said he has worked in various pizzerias around New York for 18 years and specializes in making Italian dishes at the restaurant.

The Venezuelan version of arepas is different from the Colombian version, she said, because the stuffing is placed inside, as opposed to on top.

Customers have about a dozen kinds of arepas to choose from, including pabellon, which is served with shredded beef, sweet plantains, black beans and cheese, and reina pepiada, which contains chicken avocado salad. The snacks cost from $3 to $7.50.

The owners also said that because the eatery is located close to Forest Hills Hospital, as well as near numerous schools and sport clubs, they offer a number of healthy options.

For example, patrons can have their arepas grilled or fried (grilled arepas are healthier, but they take about 20 minutes to prepare).

The restaurant also serves baked empanadas, in addition to a fried version. Empanadas, which cost between $2 and $2.75, are served with vegetables, chicken or beef.

TuArepa Pizza Cafe also offers a variety of natural juices ($4) and smoothies (starting from $4.50), as well as salads and wraps, including a burrito-like wrap, which contains black beans, lettuce and tomato with a choice of roast pork, shredded beef or shredded chicken ($8.75).

Cachapa con queso (sweet corn pancake with cheese), which cost $4, and pabellon criollo (shredded beef, white rice, black beans and sweet plantains), for $10.50, are also among the Venezuelan delicacies served at the restaurant.