Johnny N.
Yelp
It was a late spring afternoon, dusk sprinkling across the New York skyline like the spice settling on Arrakis. I had just stumbled off the treadmill at 12 incline and 3.1 speed for 45 minutes after starving myself all day, my Red Hot Chili Peppers hoodie drenched with the sweat of a slight incline walk. I was going to fuel up from my local Thai spot again, but I had had it 5 out of the last 8 days and decided I need to be more like a normal human and diversify my dinner selection.
I remember someone on instagram sent me a multiple paragraph DM swearing by El Castillo de Jagua, which just happened to be right by my gym. I had never heard of it before, but it being a Dominican diner plus 4.4 stars on 1200+ google reviews sold me. I'm a pretty easy get.
I walked into an interior untouched by the river of time for more than 20 years. Beat up tables, concrete walls, old leather barstools, and a small dominican flag hanging on the wall. Just about the last place a food influencer would be. My kind of spot.
I sat down and scanned the menu before honing in on the oven baked half chicken and 2 sides ($16) and the Carne Guisada ($18), which is essentially just a beef stir fry.
The sweet waitress tried to warn me about the amount of food, but I told her I would take some home for dinner. I wanted to believe that, but knew when I was halfway through the chicken that I was gonna demolish both entrees. As a grown man, it's hard for me to take leftovers. It's almost like a ritual of shame if I ask for a to-go box.
This truly felt like a home cooked meal. The chicken was piping hot, with crispy skin and tender and juicy meat. It wasn't a top 5 chicken I've had, but certainly in my A-tier. I've eaten a disgusting amount of chickens at this point in my life, so the bar is high.
The Carne Guisada felt like something my Granny would make me back in the day. Fresh, tender meat along with a mound of yellow rice and red beans, and maduros for a touch of sweetness. It was a HUGE plate, thank god I'm a big dawg.
I sat there after destroying 2 entrees, thinking "damn, how did I not know about this place for the past 3 years?" That's one of the reasons I love New York City so much. Places like El Castillo de Jagua just fly under the radar, waiting to be discovered.
This spot will be getting MINUTES out of me moving forward, which is great because Chomp Chomp Thai Kitchen needs a well deserved break.
IG @jnov_
Tiktok @jnov__