Boishakhi!

No, no, that’s not Sasha Baron Cohen’s welcoming us. It’s the name of the little cafeteria-style eatery in the northern wilds of Queens in the Bengali province known to us as Astoria. This month, we’re taking you on a tour of that region’s offal and the myriad of spices that make up the cuisine. 

The menu is ridiculous — Boishakhi’s owner Taz eyes lit up when we showed him the list of things we’d like him to make for us. He’s doing it all: Brains. Feet. Tripe. Tongue. Goat. You’ll inhale the scents of tumeric, cumin, chili powder, cardamom, garam masala, cinnamon, Kashmiri red chili powder, cloves, bay leaves, the list goes on. The goat curry is jaw-dropping. 

So, Gastronauts, when you come back from your blando turkey dinner with boring sauce, let’s go out for some real spice. Boishakhi’s allowing us to BYOB, so bring your favorite six-pack and meet us for some Bhuribhjaja.