Who wouldn’t love living in a loving city like Jamaica? Jamaica is a beautiful city, a community surrounded by restaurants, parks, transportation, and a great school system. Jamaica is a city where I find peace, love, and the fragrance of my country. As for me living in Jamaica is like living in my own national birth country which is Bangladesh. When I came to America for the first time and went outside the Jamaica hills the scenery was astonishing to me. I was really amazed by the things I had observed that I had never seen before in my life. There were restaurants, parks, fancy cars, food stores, and furniture. That is because I was raised in a village in Bangladesh, so I hadn’t seen anything like that before.
I recall when I went to a restaurant name Sagar Chinese with my cousins a few blocks away from my house, hearing a variety of languages spoken around me. I was only able to interpret two languages that people spoke, one Bengali and the other Indian, the rest I didn’t understand. My cousins ordered the food. They ordered chicken lollipop, Thai soup, and chicken fried rice. I remember I was very surprised just by the smell of the food and was so excited to try it out. The prices of the food weren’t so expensive, it’s fair enough. If you are looking into Bengali, Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan American cultures, then Jamaica and it’s restaurants would be the best place to start with. One of the restaurants that is popular among mainly middle eastern people of Jamaica hills is Sagar Chinese restaurant.
According to the New York Times article “What is Jamaica, Queens, Named After” written by Michael Pollack Jamaica was taken over by English colonists. During 1655, English colonists that were from Massachusetts and eastern Long Island created a town name Rustdorp. The area was settled under the Dutch colony in 1656 (Pollack). In the 19th century, a major development occurred. There were many changes. Villages were incorporated, public system were established, schools were developing, and transportation systems were created. Due to all of the facilities that were available, the population of Jamaica dramatically grew. “When Queens developed into a county in 1898”. Jamaica population grew “the population was 6500– an 833% increase in only 23 years” (History of Jamaica, Queens).
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As a result of increase in the population now more people goes to the Sagar Chinese restaurant. Jamaica transportation system was well developed. Now Jamaica has Long Island railroad station, anyone can travel from Jamaica to Manhattan and Brooklyn. You can find department stores, and retail stores, supermarkets, restaurants, and parking lots. As stated in the New York Times article “If You’re Thinking of Living In/ Jamaica Hills; Tranquil Haven for Many Ethnic Groups” written by Shaman Diana Jamaica community mainly consists of Indian, Bengali, and Sri-lankan people. Jamaica is an appealing city surrounding by a marvelous waterfowl which can be found nearby the Captain Tilly park which is located in the 169th avenue. The waterfowl make the community beautiful with the nice scenery of trees, water and different kinds of birds sounds. The artistry nature of the Captain Tilly park which makes the community attractive and splendid (Shaman 1).
There are a few remarkable features of Sagar Chinese restaurant. Some of the special cuisine that Sagar Chinese restaurant offers are Thai soup, chicken fried rice, and chicken lollipops. For an appetizer, they have chicken momo, crisp shrimp, spicy mango wings, masala fish finger, spicy chicken pakora. The soup options they serve are Thai soup, chicken or vegetable, tom yam soup, corn soup, hot and sour soup. For seafood, they serve prawn chili onion, sizzling prawn, and Manchurian tiger prawn. Considering beverages, they have soda, spring water, lemon ice tea, sagar lassie, mango lassi, pina colada, mango smoothie, strawberry smoothie, and ice tea. In consideration of dessert, there are gulab jamon, sagar rasmalai, sweet dhodi, mango ice cream, and strawberry ice cream. Besides, they have items like beef, chicken, lamb, fried rice, noodles, vegetables and more.
Sagar Chinese restaurant is one of New York’s excellent well-known traditional “halal Chinese food blended with Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani flavor.” The menu contains “traditional classic flavors and original dishes that apply eastern flavors with a western twist” (Indian Halal Chinese Restaurant in New York). The restaurant also offers to have birthday parties, wedding or any other memorable event. Sagar Chinese is surrounded by dazzling rooms and lights. The room is set in a family dining style, also in the middle of the space in a row, there are a few small tables where two people can sit.
There are few sofas adjusted by the wall where you can sit and also in front of the sofa there is a chair and in between, there is a table. As soon as you enter the restaurant you will see the counter where you can order food and there are chairs to sit on, or you can go inside to the actual room. The size of the restaurant is medium big, not so big. The inside is designed with bricks no major designs but there are remarkable lights in front of the counter there are 3 lights and in the room probably six to eight lights.
As for me I really didn’t like the location of the Sagar Chinese restaurant before in the past, because it feels out of place. The name of the restaurant is not visible until you get close. It is located nearby the 169-26 Hillside Avenue Queens, NY 11432. I am not really satisfied with the space that the restaurant is located because it’s kind of hidden but I think now they changed it and you can see everything properly, so it is not as it was like during 2013. They have done some construction now anyone can see the name of the restaurant. I actually like that they changed it so people can see it better.
I spoke with an employee named Srity on Sunday at 12 pm, during noon time on November 25th. She has been working in Sagar Chinese for about two years. One of her favorite dishes is chicken lollipop. I asked her about if she likes the location of the place and she said, “yes I surely do because the restaurant is near my neighborhood and it’s nice to be living here.” She sees herself working here for about two more years because she is a college student and she would like to continue her education and get a professional job instead but she is doing this current job to have better skills for the future. One skill that she developed by working here is her communication skills with the customers and being a good cashier.
If she could change one thing about the restaurant she would like to make the restaurant place bigger because she said it was a well-known restaurant in hillside and lot of customers comes here during night time and wishes the restaurant was bigger. One thing she finds interesting about the restaurant is the food because usually the food that is being served is very tasty and lots of customers find it delicious as well. She has tried most of the food and she enjoys them all. I asked how often she cleans the restaurant and she said, “ as soon as customers leave the restaurant I clean it right away” and said that’s what the other waitress do as well.
It’s not a family business. She said the neighborhood is mostly Bengali, Sri Lankan, Indian and another Asian country. Her relationship with the co-workers are friendly also the customer as well but sometimes the customer act in a way that makes her get angry. She assumes that the restaurant is opened for about ten years or so but she wasn’t so sure about it.
I also spoke to a customer on November 24th around 12 pm. The customer name was Simran. He has been coming to this restaurant for four years. He comes usually once a month, or if there is a family occasion or birthday party he comes with his family and friends. His favorite foods are Manchurian chicken, chicken lollipop, Thai soup, chicken fried rice, and for drinks he likes mango lassi and pina colada. His favorite employer’s name is Hiran because he is a well-behaved waiter and he’s polite and welcomes the customers. I asked him about how he found this restaurant and he said, “I heard about this restaurant from my friends who also have been coming here for many years. I found this place because it’s closer to my house and takes twenty minutes to get here.” He would love to recommend to other people to come to this restaurant and try out the special foods that they offer.
Because they have the best food from all the restaurants around the hillside and it’s very well known among Asian people. I asked him if he’d like to see anything improve in this restaurant and he said the waiting line because sometimes the line is too big especially at night and about forty five minutes wait. He said out of five he would rate this restaurant a four. I asked him about the prices if it is fair enough or too expensive he said: “the prices are fair.” He usually tips around to $10 to $15. I asked him if he tried one of my favorite food which is chicken lollipop and he said he loves it.
In the article I researched, written by Sen, she said, “Waterfowl make their home here, and a tiny island wildlife refuge gives the pond a bucolic air and It’s a very quiet neighborhood with a lot of different ethnic groups, who get along.” Sen also mentioned about the different types of systems that are offered “Although there are few shopping opportunities within the community, thriving commercial areas featuring ethnic grocery stores and restaurants can be found along Parsons Boulevard and Hillside Avenue.”
Sagar Chinese has similar cuisine of three different countries that is blended into a Chinese style that fits the Bengali, Indian and Pakistani community, and it’s a diverse of many communities. You can visit many restaurants in Jamaica that offer foods of middle Asia. Most of the foods that are offered at the hillside restaurant are spicy but they also have sweet flavor items as well. Sagar Chinese restaurant is a really good restaurant and I enjoy every meal that I eat.
