FOREST HILLS, QUEENS
Spy C Cuisine
Mortar-and-pestle eggplant and Hunan braised fish in a calm room on Austin Street.
On Austin Street's long run of shops, this calm Sichuan dining room — with a few Hunan dishes — is the table to know. The menu is long; regulars order the same handful of plates every time.
The eggplant, pounded in a mortar and pestle until silky and dressed with chili and garlic, is the dish to know. Fish with soft tofu and chilies is the main to share, and the Hunan-style braised fish with pickled mustard greens, sharpened with pink peppercorns and lime, is worth a second visit. Add spicy cucumbers to start.
Editor’s tip
Get the eggplant, a fish dish and spicy cucumbers for two; order rice early.
Also in the neighborhood
FOREST HILLS, QUEENS
Eddie's Sweet Shop
A century-old ice cream parlor with a marble counter and homemade ice cream, run by the Citrano family since 1968.
American Classic · Neighborhood Café · $
FOREST HILLS, QUEENS
Nick's Pizza
Whole pies only — thin, crisp, fresh mozzarella — and a flattened calzone, a block from Austin Street.
Pizza · Hidden Gem · $$
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.