Casa Del Chef

This place is tucked away in the side streets of woodside. It’s fairly close to SriPraPhai (literally 2 blocks away). Case Del Chef is an unpretentious restaurant with taste from the city with Queens pricing.
We ordered the (Vegetarian) Chef Tasting, which is about $ 45 pp for 4 courses (including dessert). You let them know what your restrictions are and they work with the local produce they have in-​house. There’s a nice elementary of surprise letting the experts design your meal for the evening — cause flipping through the menu and deciding what you want is so last season.
Onward to the food — we started off the meal with a house shot which fires up the belly for all the deliciousness you’re about to consume. We had beets with wild greens drizzled with beets vinaigrette — it tangy and sweet in all the right amounts. The next course we had hand rolled captuni pasta in tomato based sauce — it was light but it packed with the creamy tomato sauce. Our main course was a mushroom medley with long bean and greens sitting on a bed of quinoa — this one I had to save half for the next day, it was too good to finish it in one sitting. And lastly the DESSERT — marinated rhubarb stems with house-​made frozen yogurt. It was light and sweet and wasn’t chewy as you expected the rhubarb to be.
Overall, great meal with superb presentation and a nice balance of sweet and tangy. Will definitely stop by again.

Had heard about this place for quite some time and finally had the chance to try it. The food was really spectacular. Obviously a lot of care, imagination and skill goes into all the dishes. I had a striped bass that was cooked to perfection. The dessert (chocolate mousse) was also incredibly tasty. The server was very attentive and friendly as well.

This place is amazing. Cozy and warm, but also phenomenal food. At the time I went you could bring your own bottle and thus save some money.

So good, so cozy. We had the three-​course tasting menu & dessert; and the chef sent us (and everyone there) a shot of some warm, fruity liqueur.

We got off to a bad start because I had read amazing reviews in the NY Times and it got a Michelin mention, so I was really disappointed when I called for reservations and never heard back. And I called 3 times with no reply. I finally got someone who answered the phone (trick is to call at 4:30, when they just open). So they did have room and I went with my guest.
In a very ethnic part of Woodside, under the el, on a dirty little side street, next to a deli, a gem. You would never know from the street or the sign outside.
The menu has about half a dozen seasonal appetizers and the same number of entrees. I had the seasonal greens spicy salad with some house cured meat on the side and a tiny drizzle of lemony dressing. They called it a spicy salad, but I think that referred to some spicy micro greens including tiny baby radishes with their spicy tops still on. My guest had asparagus soup — a bright green, buttery purée with a few asparagus tops to add texture and a drizzle of herbed oil.
We each had a fish dish — I had bass and she had mahi mahi — mine with tiny baby potatoes and ramps with a pool of green purée and herbs and hers with asparagus, tiny cauliflower and broccoli, again with an herbed green purée.
The service was friendly, the tables rustic and close together, the space very small and simply decorated. The food was a shining delight. They do now have a simple wine list and full bar.
The deserts were yummy — a classic crème brûlée for my guest and Ecuadorian chocolate mousse for me, served in a small glass on top of some tapioca pearls. Espresso was as it should be.
And when we left, walking down the crowded streets lined with fried chicken shops, nail salons and ethnic grocers we could hardly believe that Casa Del Chef was actually there. This place deserves to do very well. But let’s keep it a little bit of a secret, too…

This was a really nice Saturday evening after a long and hectic day. It was such a wholehearted meal. I ordered the Chef’s tasting menu and I really enjoyed the main entrée, which was the free range chicken on a bed of greens and quinoa. The salad was okay! The dandelions were too bitter for me. I loved the dark chocolate mousse with sea salt. It was such a happy ending! The staff and chef were so nice from beginning to end. Lovely spot that will leave you feeling great, I hope!

Second time around was just as good.
Came for my sisters bday celebration-​party of 3. Advised them 2 of us are both gluten dairy intolerant and she is allergic to fish and the table would be doing $ 45 tasting for the table.
We ordered a tasty well priced $ 37 Spanish cava for the meal.
Service attentive throughout.
We came on a Saturday at 8 pm and I was surprised at how empty it was.
If this was my neighborhood, this would be my go to stop. And it’s really the only player for this level of fine dining in Queens.
I really can’t overstate what a deal it is.
We started with a seared bass belly with a fine salad of seasonal veggies and slightly spicy jalapeño sauce. My sis was served a shrimp instead. All dishes tasty clean seasonal beautifully arranged. They noted they get most of their ingredients from the Jackson Heights farmers market.
Second dish fish flounder with veggies in light herbed sauce. My sis had scallop. I usually hate flounder as I find it tasteless but this was spectacular. Third dish was seared duck with broccoli rabe. My only complaint on this was duck skin could have been crispier and for my taste duck over cooked.
Final course was passion fruit sorbet with berry sauce. My sis ordered an extra a la carte dessert of gluten free chocolate which was the only true disappointment of the evening.
They use a heavy dose of chickpea flour and it overtook the cake to make it almost inedible.
It was odd because it’s so easy to make a great flourless chocolate cake. Or use rice flour.
I like that the courses amount increased perfectly and I was pleasantly filled.
My sis who is a big carb craver noted the absence of any but that’s pretty typical in a tasting to my mind. But it would be nice if you could get a carb side extra.
Since my last visit they have a full bar and an interesting list of cocktails that this visit I did not get a chance to sample.
I do wish they would scale up their décor and exterior to match their level of fine dining.
As my sis noted– there is NO way if you walked by this place you would even begin to think it houses this kind of food.
Honestly even if they increased their prix fixe to $ 65 I would pay it happily to help pay to upgrade décor.
In summary highly recommend as neighborhood and destination.
I hope next time Michelin comes to NY they sample here and I have no doubt they will earn one star.

It’s fine. Yes it is apparently quality foods and the menu is intriguing but the flavors seem tame to me, maybe subtle is a more positive term — IF I liked that. It’s pretty and I don’t believe there is anything like this for at least four train stops but it just doesn’t have the edge that I prefer. It is a totally safe place to go if you are willing to spend $ 50 per person. Not a problem at all to take the Upper East Side crowd.
I could say that for the money I could be having this that and whatever but I don’t think it’s fair to compare it against any other place in the area. I truly wish them the best, I think it is great for restaurants in Queens to raise the price bar and get people comfortable with spending bigs on going out. It is very cool that they exist here. I am happy that they have enough 5-​star ratings that my 3 star one won’t affect it at all.

Chef tasting is $ 45 each and includes 3 courses plus dessert
Amazing ingredients all from the Jackson heights green market
Perfect service and ambience
Will be back to explore more

This restaurant keeps getting better and better. Having been there three times since they opened, I feel like a charming farm-​to-​table restaurant is developing new more assertive flavors. Their pork dish is just awesome. My wife and my mom both loved the fish. And the carrot risotto was delicious. Plus, if you ever go to he Jackson Heights greenmarket you will recognize many of the vegetables as well as some of the wine. (And the wine is not marked up very much which is nice to see.).

I just had the tasting menu. One of the best meals I’ve ever had. I’m pretty sure that everyone I’ve ever met would enjoy eating here, so I can’t recommend it high enough. Quail and thyme! Cold sweet potato dessert! I cried a little bit during the meal because it was so delicious.
The food is amazing… And the restaurant and staff are so warm, friendly and welcoming.

New menu, different wines and the finest culinary techniques with local ingredients and chef zhicay has developed the formula for success. The seasonal menu reflects local ingredients and lot of variety and he pairs his food menu with several wine varietals that are worthy of a try even when wine prices are well above $ 50 a bottle. I order the Valpolicella Ripasso 2013 to open up my palate. I was initially surprised to even find it on the menu. However, i was glad that the diversity of his food brought about the diversity of varietals available for consumption. We had several appetizers like the pork belly salad, duck prosciutto, carrot risotto and stew mushrooms with parmesan foam. Every coarse had distinct Flavor and more importantly the presence of layers of flavors made every dish unique. The pork osobucco, seafood stew, sea bass with potatoes and cabbage and red snapper with the serrano chili sauce were complex, innovative, and very filling. Overall the service, the food and the culinary experience was well worth it. Table of 4, a la carte service 3 courses with a bottle of wine and 18% tip for such fantastic service was a bit under $ 285.
Totally worth the price, will certainly come back and keep you all informed of the other items on the menu.
Without a doubt, this is no longer a hidden gem as we had dinner reservations for 6:45pm. An hour later the place had a line and people waiting for tables. A very satisfying experience.

Imagine going to a friends house where the friend can cook and cook well, limit said friends place to 15 or so people and you are in Casa Del Chef. Your friends give you a Ecuadorian shot of warm cinnamon shot to start and it all gets better from there.
Take the same restaurant and put it in Williamsburg and we would not be able to get a table. The Chef clearly has aspirations to cook at a price point much higher than $ 45 three course tasting menu would infer.
If you are hungry you may need to supplement the prix fixe with an extra entrée or two but the extremely pleasant staff and quality food will surprise most New Yorkers.
Only downsides were one of us had lamb which was about 80% fat with very little meat and the small space was cooler than I would have liked though the staff did judiciously assist patrons with opening and quickly closing the door.
If you want to support the small guy and get a great meal at a great price, do not miss this house. Nosey as I am I overheard another patron thanking the Chef for working with her food allergies. Place, people and product all have been measured and found not lacking.
Wish there were more places like this, especially in Queens.

This is a hidden gem in Queens where the chef prepares food using fresh, locally sourced ingredients from farmers market. It’s a family-​owned bistro and the menu changes seasonally.
Canelazo: it’s a complimentary welcome drink served a warm, flavored with passion fruit and cane sugar. It’s usually contains alcohol in it, but I had it without alcohol. I like the warmth of the drink and the fruitiness of the passion fruit.
Sweet potato salad: crème fraîche tartar, arugula & macadamia nuts. The dish is nicely presented with warm fingers of sweet potato and the nuts adds a toasted flavor to the salad. A minimalist plating that enhances freshness the ingredients.
Pan-​seared monkfish: local farm-​dried cranberries beans, carrots, celery root. A generous size of monkfish. The texture of the fish has some chewiness to it. I misread cranberries beans for cranberries fruit. Oh surprise, it’s not a fruit, but it’s a bean! The fish broth is delicate, creamy and peppery.
Gluten-​free chocolate cake: artisanal chocolate liqueur sauce & hazelnut gelato. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the cake is served warm. Yum!
It was such a pleasant experience. Dining at a cozy restaurant, where the chef prepares food with care. The staffs are warm and nice. Each dish features a few ingredients, so that you can fully taste the flavor of it. The quality and presentation of the food equals what you would get at an upscale dining in town but at a more reasonable cost.

I wanted to like this place. The service is so warm and welcoming I wanted to leave fully satisfied and ready to come back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case.
I was here just yesterday, a Saturday reservation for 5pm to avoid the crowds. As previously indicated, the place is small, and rather unassuming. Rustic tiny wooden tables, bare décor (although polished), and family-​run vibe. You would never think u’d be charged Greenwich Village fares, here.
After reading of several Unilocalers complaining about the amount of food served on the tasting menu, we were cautious on our order, and asked for a couple of appetizers and 1 entrée to share. We wanted to test their cuisine before fully committing.
The pork belly was delicious. 1 small thin piece worth $ 12, but still very good.
The Brussels sprouts were tasty, although the portion was also very small… for $ 10.
Unfortunately, the $ 23 steak was disappointing. The meat was clearly of low quality, as every piece contained a thick string of tendon right in the middle. It was chewy and difficult to cut. We kept trying and trying with our helpless knives until we left part of it in the dish. Despite the presence of the tendon, the meat wasn’t succulent, and surely more rare than medium-​rare like we ordered it. Needless to say, it was disappointing. I don’t feel it’s fair to charge that much for such a low quality cut of meat. After the waitress kindly asked us how we found the steak, I felt compelled to gently let her know what was wrong. She looked sincerely apologetic, but nothing was done to make it better.
Overall, we were glad we were cautious and didn’t order more, and eventually finished dinner in a nearby place we trusted. Sadly, despite the good quality of the appetizers, I have no reason to go back. The menu doesn’t have much variety.

I’m sorry i just do not understand why this place has such high reviews. It is definitely over rated. The décor is plain. The «booth» was uncomfortable and you can hear everyone’s conversations. The place is small and tight. The food is mediocre and over priced. Not to mention it took over a half an hour to get my appetizers. Also the food is bland and portions are small. The only thing that was good is the service. Too bad because that’s not enough for me to go back.

Absolutely love this quaint little gem in Woodside. Always a favorite for quiet dinners when in the mood for excellent exquisitely prepared food.
Seafood stew temperature is always perfect and vegetables taste like they were just picked. Delicious!

Casa Del Chef is outrageously good. One of our friends told us they had one of the best tasting menus. The food is out of this world.
We came and had the Chef’s tasting menu. Each dish just wowed us one after the other. The food was a symphony.
We started off with an amuse bouche of chilled fennel soup with a drop of basil oil. Okay… it’s a shot of soup but well done to cleanse the pallet. And it’s pretty and well executed.
We had a veggie plate of succulent vine. This was something special. It tasted like nothing I’ve ever had before and at the same time felt like home. I just wanted more after this plate was done.
We had a small cut of branzino over a bed of squash. The veggies cut nicely into the oily taste of the fish. The skin just was crispy and fatty in all the right ways.
The main course was a seared lamb chop on a bed of asparagus and a creamy wheat berry sauce. The lamb was executed perfectly, tender, subtle, wonderful.
The dessert was a strawberry rhubarb stew. I’m… not one for deserts but it was very good.
We came as a group of four and each had the same tasting menu so we could compare notes after. The verdict was 4 people just in bliss by the end.
Casa Del Chefs. I look forward to coming back.

Overall this was a very good meal. I think a few changes would have made it a 5 star but I would not think twice about coming back.
We did the tasting and asked that they do a wine pairing for us. The waitress explained that there was no official wine pairing but she could put one together for us.
First course was orange beets and feta. To me this was amazing. The beets were so refreshing and the feta was a perfect compliment. They paired this with a Pinot grigio and it worked perfectly. The Pinot was dry but the beets were so sweet and juicy it worked.
Second Course was a fish course. I think it was a Sea Bass but I couldn’t fully hear the waitress. It came with a green broth with peas and pistachios (and more). The fish was under seasoned and when eaten alone it was boring and needed salt. When incorporated with the green broth it was great. They paired this with a prosecco which was very good and matched well.
Third course was a pork lion with dandilian succotash. The pork was good but a little over cooked. The succotash was great.
Fourth course was a pieces of pineapple and a sorbet. I loves it but deep down wanted something more local to keep up with the farm to table feel. I don’t think and maybe I am wrong but pineapples are not local to NYC.

Amazing. The chef is going to be a star.
Well worth the 1.5 hours of travel time.
My Brooklyn and Manhattan friends, you should definitely go.
If you live in Queens, you have no excuse.
Alfonso Zhicay is a Ecuadorean chef who serves farm to table, New American food. He once served as head catering chef for Blue Hill at Stone Barns. If that doesn’t wow you, you should try his food.
His signage is so plainspoken, you might easily underestimate his cuisine. But that would be a huge mistake.
We opted for the chef’s tasting menu.
It seemed hefty price to pay for the neighborhood but after eating we realized the meal could easily cost twice or thrice the price if it was placed in Manhattan.
They started us off with a amuse bouche of chilled fennel soup with a drop of basil oil. It was sweet, hearty, earthy, refreshing, appetizing.
While we chatted, the waitress brought squash blossoms stuffed with mushrooms and a salad of greens I’ve never seen. The setting sun cast a warm glow upon the table. The crunch of the leaves and edible stems were sweet, the vinaigrette lightened your palette. The greens looked like a succulent vine. The delicate squash blossom split easily under my butter knife and spilled tender cubes of mushrooms. The combined taste of mushrooms, ground pork and green sauce was tantalizing.
I sat like a puppy, eagerly waiting what was to come.
The branzino was a tender square of white flesh, flaking away beneath the crispy skin. The tender yellow and green squash soaped up the fennel and basil oil. For this dish, I wanted a full portion.
The main course was a seared lamb chop perched on asparagus and with a creamy wheat berry sauce. The lamb was tender, not gamey, and had a portion that trailed from the chop that was a mixture of fatty meat, akin to the pork belly. Loved his use of the ingredient here.
The dessert was strawberry rhubarb stew topped with white wine sorbet. Icy sweetened sorbet offered a bite to the sweet medley of dessert soup. I scooped up every last droplet.
The value of this meal exceeded the price we paid. I’ve been at one and two Michelin star restaurants that failed to surprise and delight me as much as this meal did.
I will definitely return to see what Chef Zhicay brings to the table next.