The last stop in Queens for the J train is at 75th St., on the northwestern edge of Woodhaven. The restaurants are low-key on this stretch of Jamaica Ave., but if you look closely you’ll find something special.
Chimi stop
Those who’ve have had a chimi — the oversized burger sandwich from the Dominican Republic — may wonder why there isn’t a place like Bonao Chimi on every block in the city.
Bonao’s $5 chimi features a toasted Dominican roll layered with a skinny beef patty, shredded cabbage, plus tomato, onions and “mayo-ketchup,” an all-purpose condiment that’s the Dominican version of special sauce.
It’s messy in a good way, much like the spot’s $6 tacucho. Billed as a Dominican-style taco, it’s really more the Dominican-style burrito, where ground beef or chicken, lettuce, tomato, and mayo-ketchup are folded up inside a flour tortilla that’s toasted until golden-brown. It’s cut in half, but you’ll still need to ask for a fork or a giant pile of napkins — or both.
Bonao Chimi has full hot meals too. Each day a steam table is filled with Dominican dishes from fried fish and the crispy rice called pegao, to stewed chicken and sancocho, a brothy stew packed with root vegetables and corn. There are also $7 breakfast specials and a fridge filled with a rainbow of Country Club, the super-sweet Dominican soda found in flavors like the bright-red frambuesa (raspberry).
By Rachel Wharton [Daily News]
Bonao Chimi
76-14 Jamaica Avenue
Woodhaven, Queens
(347) 829-3089